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They will or they won’t, she thought to herself, and then sat down. At least I can look Za’a directly in the eye and say that I tried.
    For a moment, the Great Chamber was silent, then it erupted. The Arzats had heard the premonitions of the Astronomers and the Priests, and largely believed what they had been told. Still, most of them had tried to ignore the predictions of doomsday and simply carry on with their lives, which had been lived in the same way under the same rules for countless seasons. What was there to do about it anyway? Fet had suddenly reminded them of the coming end of the world in a way that sent panic through the ranks.
    “Silence!” Ag said loudly in an immediate attempt to regain control, banging his hunting stick on the floor. “Silence!”
    The Chamber gradually quieted, much to Ag’s relief. If it hadn’t, he was prepared to kill Fet and as many Arzats as it took to restore order—not a pleasant prospect. He was furious at Fet. She had cornered both Ag and Xan, and had effectively rendered their opinions moot, an unheard of usurping of Council authority. If the Council now ordered Mot’s death or banishment, given Fet’s unforeseen alternative, it might incite a riot. Ag was trapped. Then, in the midst of all of the chaos, he suddenly had the solution. He would let Url decide. Ag knew Url well and was confident that the great Hunter would side with him. Surely Url would not want his son mixed up with any of this nonsense the females had cooked up regarding some “great sleep.”
    “Url,” Ag called out, “great Hunter and father of Mot , son of Ra, what do you say?”
    Url had worked himself practically into a trance during the proceeding s. He was almost certain that Mot would be condemned to death and executed this very evening despite Fet’s rant. In fact, when Ag had called for Mot’s death rather than banishment, Url breathed a sigh of relief. Since then, he had been gazing blankly at the Fire, which had burned to embers and was in need of fuel. He had hardly been listening, so it took some effort for him to bring his focus back to the present. When he finally looked up, all of the eyes in the Chamber were on him.
    “Url,” Ag repeated , impatient, trying not to hiss. “Do you have an opinion on this matter?” Ag longed to be done with this meeting. His legs and back ached from standing, and he needed to relieve himself. If Fet had just kept her mouth shut this issue would have been resolved, and he could be enjoying a good crap and, perhaps later, the attention of the same young Arzat female with whom his evening had originally begun. Instead, he had suddenly been pressed into trying to avoid a clan revolution. Ag shifted his weight and tightly gripped his hunting stick until he felt the wood choking, imagining it to be Fet’s neck. Females! He looked at Fet, and forced his most patient and understanding smile as he waited for Url’s response, careful to avoid allowing her to detect the extreme rage inside his head.
    Url, who was one of the most successful Hunters in the clan, enjoyed a tremendous level of respect. Without great Hunters, the Arzats would not eat. Many of the stories that were recounted around the Great Fire and carved into stone involved Url and some act of bravery or cunning that had resulted in dinner for the clan. Tonight, he had been one of the eight who had waited at the entrance and slain the dreaded two-legged lizards. No one in the Chamber doubted that they would someday face Url as an Elder, which gave further weight to his opinion.
    Url tried to clear his head. Only once or twice in all his seasons had he been directly called upon by the Council. Any response demanded the proper protocol, and he found himself fighting for the right words. Killing the giant lizards had been much easier. All of the Arzat eyes in the room were on him. Now, suddenly, it looked as if he was to be given a choice regarding the fate of his only remaining son. He looked