Excerpt: Human Nature

"My Lord, High Council," two men said in unison, from the door to the chamber.
"Ah, dear advisors, please enter, and sit," the High Councel said when he turned and indicatied the seats on the 2nd adn 3rd sides of the council table. "We have much to discuss."
The two younger advisors each bowed their heads slightly and waited for the ancient man to settle into his chari. Once the High Council had aranged himslef, he nodded and the advisors sat.
The man to His Lordships right said, "My Lord, with all due respect, there is not much to discuss. There is one topic that confronts this council, and that is, not how, but when to retaliate. We must strike now, and eliminate this threat before more of our people are taken, and placed at risk.
The Lord High Council chuckled. "From your ananlysis, there is, in fact, notheing to discuss, for you have already made the deicision to act tnow."
"Yes, My Lord. The Gannymede are clearly aggresive. They have taken many of our poeple as slaves, and I don't believe they have any compunction about taking more of our poeple. If we don't act now, adn curtail, this threat, the invaders penetrate beyound the upper tunnels and into the depths of our society." The 1st Advisor began to loose his practiced self control, and become animated. "If they are allowed to continue they may even reach these protected layers and put the bvery council at risk."
The High Council gazed at his advisor blandly, but with empathy. "Hmmm," the High Council considered. "My 1st Advisor, is your concern then that the council may be at risk, or yourself?" he asked pointedly.
"MY Lord High Council," he replied, his face reddening with shame. "Of course my concern is for all of Callista. That we should lose one more of our people to the vicious invaders is reprehensible, is unthnkable, to me. But my greatest concern is that, should the council be destroyed, or captured, the remainder of our populace would be condemned to a horrible end, lost without our direction."
The High Council looked at his hands, and said, almost to himsefl, "I think we underestimate the resilience, and resourcesfulness of our people."