"I won't help you fight the Rakas," you tell the Grand Akpar. "War is a terrible thing. Your vil- lages will be destroyed and your people will be killed. Our wars have always brought grief."

The Grand Akpar is silent for a time. "Then it would be like that here," he finally says. "But how can we avoid war? If we do nothing, the Rakas will destroy us."

"Talk to them," you say. "Work out a plan for peace."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "We can't trust them."

"And they think they can't trust you! You must tell them what you fear from them, and ask what they fear from you. You might discover that you fear the same things. Once you've reached an understanding, you can work out a plan that will let the Rakas and the Archpods live in peace.

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