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From the outer camp on the Aksay. Signal only on the ridge, so the hour.

The Kurultai is in its fifth day. Two things everyone talks about around the fires: the Naryn terms for 2027, and the General's words from December. The Chubar elders asked that the assembly speak about the "guests" remark. It was put on the felt yesterday. So far nobody has laid a whip.

I have been waiting eight months for this. Please write the exact words when you have them.

Clans are slow. Wait.

The sense of the assembly, as the Karakoyun elder spoke it and the secretary wrote it in the ledger: the clans know no guests among their own. Short. Elders like short.

Then a Chubar aksakal stood and thanked the ring, first in Iradi and then in Uzbek. Some northern old men, who every year grumble about Muslim elders at the opening prayers, said nothing at all. That silence was also a statement.

I read this to my grandfather. He said "good" and went back to the walnuts. From him, that is a parade.

"know no guests among their own" is going on a banner at tsu. we're stealing it. with credit to the felt

The other half of the Herald story: the delegation will agree to no new Naryn schedule unless the ISEZ sends an official "able to sign in person".

That is a very polite way of saying what the tech monitors have been saying for a year. Pause. Zoom. Squint.

The Department of Public Information confirms that the Governor governs from his health retreat and that Lieutenant Governor Maksat signs on his behalf. The December remarks reflected personal views. Have a nice day.

A man who commands four thousand gendarmes does not have personal views. I said it in December. I will say it every August.

In Bishkek people noticed the Uzbek words. One of our news sites wrote "Iradi clans now speak Uzbek". I tried to explain in the comments. I failed. I am only a neighbour.

From the zhayloo, slow: the Herald has the terms for the 2027 Naryn talks. Two years is a long time for water. Short for elders.

Steppe view. Our old men do not love the Fergana clans' politics on water, everybody knows that. Even they said the General insulted all of us. Insult one clan and you insult the felt everybody sits on.

From the refinery: a few of the Russo lads said "finally somebody told him". Not all of them. But a few. Write that down too.

Back at our own camp. One more thing. The aytysh on the last night: two young singers, one from the north, one from the Fergana Rim. The northern boy sang that the river runs from our mountains down to their fields. The Fergana boy answered that the walnut trees were there before the river had a name.

The old men called it a draw, which means both of them won.

Walnuts before the river. Tell that boy he has cousins in Arslanbob.