Jigo Kadas Lives

Seven years into the expedition to Earth, Draska called a meeting of the researchers on Earth. She informed them that Jigo Kadas lives. He returned from Jadul Mara as a pruktau. He claimed the gods returned him to fulfill a holy mission and this proved the GPO's need for him.

She added dismissively that Jigo Kadas had been claiming such nonsense for years. He nitpicked the GPO's perceived flaws and warned them of dangers as if he'd spent any time on Earth unlike the rest of them. He pestered them to accept him as an advisor as if he knew better. He didn't.

She proposed it's more likely the gods rejected him for his bloodlust. The GPO's operations would not change in light of this news. Jigo Kadas would not join their ranks. The gods would have to appear at the Pajasul Court and state their will themselves for her to believe Jigo Kadas was chosen by them.

The researchers were shaken by the news. While they had dismissed the warmonger's warnings and offerings over the years, his persistence had still sowed doubt. Their lack of progress seven years into their expedition had also begun to wear on them. Still, Draska's confidence and explanation kept most of them content. Hako and Kwil were the exceptions. Kwil was outraged and terrified by the news, and Hako sensed it.

"He should have advised us from the beginning," Kwil told her privately later. "We should have listened to him. All this time, he should have been one of us."

Hako argued that he can join them now. They could fight for him. If Draska continued to disagree, they could elevate the dispute to the pajas. Hako had always been skeptical of Jigo's motives, but she couldn't deny he'd never given her reason to think he'd betray the GPO's mission. She wanted to give him a chance.

"It's too late," Kwil said. "Why should the gods forgive us when we rejected their will for 37 years and still we ignore it?"

Hako continued trying to convince him, but she didn't know the source of his hopelessness wasn't the GPO's pride or lack of progress. Kwil had always believed Jigo belonged on Earth. He had no doubt the gods returned Jigo from Jadul Mara to fulfill his purpose there, and that proved how wrong the GPO was to reject him and how wrong Kwil was to not defend him. Now Kwil couldn't bear the thought that the gods had condemned Jigo to bear the weight of his sins. He determined to use the knowledge he'd gained from them for some good before Jigo discovered what he'd done. He was seeking atonement that was impossible to attain, but he couldn't condemn Jigo to that fate. He had to try.

While Hako fought for Jigo's position in the GPO, Kwil dedicated himself to his research. He proposed the feasibility of donating baltarik organs and body parts for humans in need of a transplant for the first time. The breakthrough in his research gave Draska enough fuel to fend off Hako's defense of Jigo in the Pajasul Court. The pajas and the public was convinced enough by Kwil's progress to not resort to the risk of sending Jigo Kadas to Earth.

When Hako confronted Kwil about his refusal to defend Jigo, Kwil admitted he feared he'd done something unforgiveable that he feared not even Jigo could resolve. Suddenly afraid of what he'd done, Hako didn't press him. She agreed to allow him to continue to try as long as he promised to tell her when it becomes unbearable to carry alone. He agreed.

Jigo remained an outsider to the GPO for the next 13 years.