The Devil's Eye Part 10

"How'd it go?"

"Sanctum is not much more than a few modular buildings on a barren plain."

"That'll change."

"I hope so."

"Has the luggage come on board?"

"Ten minutes ago."

"All right. Let's go through the checkoff."

"Before you start, we have a transmission from Number 17 Parkway. Written text. For Mr. DeVrio."

I pa.s.sed it back to the cabin. Minutes later, Giambrey sent it forward: Giambrey, There's been another shoot-out. s.h.i.+ps destroyed and fatalities on both sides. The situation between the Confederacy and the a.s.semblage has deteriorated to the point that I wanted to caution you to use extreme care when you approach them.

Circe asked if she could sit on the bridge during launch. "Sure," I said. "You enjoy s.p.a.ceflight?" She laughed. It was a pleasant sound, the laughter of a much younger woman. She seemed a different person from the one I'd met in Kilgore's office. "This is the first time I've tried it," she said. "Really? You haven't been out before?" "No," she said. "I've always wanted to, but somehow I never got around to it." She laughed again. "You're looking at me as if I said something funny." "Just surprised, I guess." "Why?" "Because you're helping put together the most ambitious s.p.a.ce project I've ever heard of." The launch doors opened and a black-and-white Benson-cla.s.s yacht came in, moved slowly through the docking area, and tied up at the pier opposite. It carried Dellacondan markings. I wanted to cheer. "Thank G.o.d for them," she said. We watched while the pilot debarked. He was apparently alone. "So why didn't you go out on one of the tours?" "I've always wanted to. Just never found the time." "I understand." "Chase," "Chase," said Belle. said Belle. "Operations on the circuit." "Operations on the circuit." "Okay, Belle. Put them through." "Belle-Marie." A woman's voice. "Okay, Belle. Put them through." "Belle-Marie." A woman's voice. "You are cleared for departure." "You are cleared for departure." They gave us a heading. It hadn't happened when I'd left with Ivan. They gave us a heading. It hadn't happened when I'd left with Ivan. "More incoming traffic," "More incoming traffic," the operator told me. the operator told me. "Wouldn't want you to b.u.mp into anybody." "Wouldn't want you to b.u.mp into anybody."

"On my way, Samuels. Thank you." I released the clamps and eased away from the dock. We moved through the launch area and out into the void. Below us, Salud Afar was a golden globe, vast oceans of clouds illuminated by sunlight. "It's a beautiful world," Circe said. "You know, you make your living out here, Chase. So you a.s.sume everybody else gets to go for a ride, too. But the reality is that hardly anyone on the surface has even been up to Samuels. Places like this"-and she indicated either the interior of the s.h.i.+p or the greater universe outside-"you've made into your home. And it seems natural to you that everybody lives the same sort of life. But most people down there probably couldn't even tell you how many planets there are in the system." "But that's not you." "No, it isn't. Chase, I've had a good life. Gone a lot further than I'd ever thought possible. But if I had it to do again, I think I'd follow the path you took. You're a very lucky young woman, but I don't think you know it yet." Through a break in the clouds, I caught a glimpse of blue ocean.

We sent a message to Selotta and Ka.s.sel to let them know we were coming. Then, approximately an hour after we'd left the station, I lined up on Borkarat, their home world, told Alex and Giambrey to buckle in, and slipped between the dimensions. One drawback about this kind of travel is that you can't send or receive traffic en route. Should the Mutes respond by telling Kilgore to stick his diplomatic initiative in his ear, he'd have no way of contacting us to let us know. Circe stared out at the long gray twilight of the transdimensional world and told me how she'd always wanted to do this. "Not under these circ.u.mstances, of course. But it's so strange out here." "How was life under the Bandahriate?" I asked. "I was a teenager when he died. A lot of people hated it, of course. Hated him him . I'm sorry to admit this, but I didn't pay much attention to public affairs. People were out there risking themselves, trying to get rid of Cleev. And I was drifting through school. Boys and physics. It was all I cared about. And not necessarily in that order." She gave me a shy smile. "It must have been a relief when he was gone." "To be honest, I think things ran better under Cleev than they do now. For one thing, Kilgore's government is more corrupt. "Don't get the wrong impression. I'm not saying I'd want Cleev back. But it isn't as black-and-white as everybody pretends." She was a study in contrasts, upbeat and happy most of the time, but she had an existential dimension as well, deepened, no doubt, by the responsibilities she carried. Although, as I got to know her better on that long, lonely flight, I realized it wasn't merely the consequences of failure that weighed on her. She seemed, in fact, confident of success. If these creatures could really see into each other's minds, and into hers, then they would see what was at stake. And they had to possess a degree of empathy well beyond anything you found in humans. How could such a species possibly stand by and watch a catastrophe on this scale wipe out hundreds of millions when they needed to do so little to help prevent it? No, it was something other than her mission. It was, oddly enough, the more mundane aspects of existence that sometimes broke through and affected her, the sense of pa.s.sing time, of opportunities missed, of the ordinary losses one incurs in life. Young no more. Where do the years go? While I probably spent too much time thinking about the incoming gamma-ray burst, she was quite capable of commenting that, succeed or fail, the day would come when we'd give almost anything to be able to return to such hours on the bridge, to sit with each other and munch jelly sandwiches, which we'd been doing at that moment. And I don't mean to suggest she was not concerned about the bigger picture. But she lived in the moment as much as anybody I've ever known. Giambrey also managed not to allow the importance of the mission to weigh on his mind. "We do what we can," he said. "If the Mutes are reasonable, they'll take advantage of the opportunity to help us. This is an opening for them, as well. A chance to establish better relations and head off a war. They'd be d.a.m.ned fools not to cooperate." He was originally from the City on the Crag. His physician father had visited Salud Afar as a young man, fallen in love with its wide oceans and vast forests, and maybe its sense of solitude, and eventually persuaded his wife to vacation there. She came to share his love for the place, and, after Giambrey's birth, they'd made what he described as the ultimate big move. "Doctors were more in demand there," he said. "There was always a shortage. Not sure why. But the result was that the pay was better. Though my dad always insisted that wasn't the reason." His smile left me feeling everything would be okay. This was a guy who'd been around a long time, and his manner suggested he knew what he was about. His presence provided a balancing point in the storm. "I started out as a journalist," he said. "But I wasn't tough enough for the job. Couldn't ask the hard questions. Didn't like offending people. So eventually my boss suggested I should find another line of work. What I . I'm sorry to admit this, but I didn't pay much attention to public affairs. People were out there risking themselves, trying to get rid of Cleev. And I was drifting through school. Boys and physics. It was all I cared about. And not necessarily in that order." She gave me a shy smile. "It must have been a relief when he was gone." "To be honest, I think things ran better under Cleev than they do now. For one thing, Kilgore's government is more corrupt. "Don't get the wrong impression. I'm not saying I'd want Cleev back. But it isn't as black-and-white as everybody pretends." She was a study in contrasts, upbeat and happy most of the time, but she had an existential dimension as well, deepened, no doubt, by the responsibilities she carried. Although, as I got to know her better on that long, lonely flight, I realized it wasn't merely the consequences of failure that weighed on her. She seemed, in fact, confident of success. If these creatures could really see into each other's minds, and into hers, then they would see what was at stake. And they had to possess a degree of empathy well beyond anything you found in humans. How could such a species possibly stand by and watch a catastrophe on this scale wipe out hundreds of millions when they needed to do so little to help prevent it? No, it was something other than her mission. It was, oddly enough, the more mundane aspects of existence that sometimes broke through and affected her, the sense of pa.s.sing time, of opportunities missed, of the ordinary losses one incurs in life. Young no more. Where do the years go? While I probably spent too much time thinking about the incoming gamma-ray burst, she was quite capable of commenting that, succeed or fail, the day would come when we'd give almost anything to be able to return to such hours on the bridge, to sit with each other and munch jelly sandwiches, which we'd been doing at that moment. And I don't mean to suggest she was not concerned about the bigger picture. But she lived in the moment as much as anybody I've ever known. Giambrey also managed not to allow the importance of the mission to weigh on his mind. "We do what we can," he said. "If the Mutes are reasonable, they'll take advantage of the opportunity to help us. This is an opening for them, as well. A chance to establish better relations and head off a war. They'd be d.a.m.ned fools not to cooperate." He was originally from the City on the Crag. His physician father had visited Salud Afar as a young man, fallen in love with its wide oceans and vast forests, and maybe its sense of solitude, and eventually persuaded his wife to vacation there. She came to share his love for the place, and, after Giambrey's birth, they'd made what he described as the ultimate big move. "Doctors were more in demand there," he said. "There was always a shortage. Not sure why. But the result was that the pay was better. Though my dad always insisted that wasn't the reason." His smile left me feeling everything would be okay. This was a guy who'd been around a long time, and his manner suggested he knew what he was about. His presence provided a balancing point in the storm. "I started out as a journalist," he said. "But I wasn't tough enough for the job. Couldn't ask the hard questions. Didn't like offending people. So eventually my boss suggested I should find another line of work. What I was was good at was writing speeches. And one thing led to another." "Tell me about the Administrator," I said. good at was writing speeches. And one thing led to another." "Tell me about the Administrator," I said.

"What do you want me to say, Chase? He's been good. He tries to do the right thing. He doesn't have the organizational skills that other chief executives have. And he's got a huge organization to run. We've only had self-government for less than thirty years. Look at where you come from, for example. Rimway. It's still a world of nation-states. But they've a long tradition of cooperating. Working together. On Salud Afar, all the nation-states are brand-new. n.o.body knows what they're doing. Everybody thinks that the way to stay in power is to climb over the other guy. "There's even a sizable portion of the population that wants the Cleevs back. You ask what I think of Kilgore? I'm amazed he's been able to hold everything together. Then, of course, to get hit with this"-the upbeat exterior faded a bit-"Thunderbolt." He sighed. "I feel sorry for him. I'll tell you, I I wouldn't want his job." wouldn't want his job."

Giambrey spent a substantial part of his time studying As.h.i.+yyurean script. I helped by sitting quietly while he explained the intricacies to me. To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to pay much attention, but I tried. I asked questions, and listened to the answers. Circe also tried to do a cram program in the language, but she got bored, too, and gave it up. "When we get there," Giambrey asked, "are we going to have problems getting access to what's happening? I mean, do they have HVs?" "Yes, you'll have problems," I said. "Communications systems aren't set up for us." "How are they different?" "They're Mutes, Giambrey." "I understand that. But how do they broadcast if n.o.body speaks? Do they transmit pictures with text?" "If they wanted to contact us us , yes. That's exactly what they'd do. But for themselves, it's a whole different ball game. Do you know how telepathy works?" "No. Does anybody?" "More or less. Signals are transmitted from one brain to another by fractal dimensional charge effects. I think that's right, but don't ask me what it means. They can only do that across a limited s.p.a.ce. A few meters. The signal gets progressively weaker with distance. When they broadcast, say, a sports event-" "Do they have professional sports?" asked Alex. "I don't know. Is it okay if I go on with this?" "Sure. I'm sorry." " , yes. That's exactly what they'd do. But for themselves, it's a whole different ball game. Do you know how telepathy works?" "No. Does anybody?" "More or less. Signals are transmitted from one brain to another by fractal dimensional charge effects. I think that's right, but don't ask me what it means. They can only do that across a limited s.p.a.ce. A few meters. The signal gets progressively weaker with distance. When they broadcast, say, a sports event-" "Do they have professional sports?" asked Alex. "I don't know. Is it okay if I go on with this?" "Sure. I'm sorry." " If If they broadcast a sports event, the commentator's thoughts are, in effect, transmitted to a receiver. The receiver converts them to an electronic signal, blends the signal with the base transmission, and sends the entire package to, say, your living room. There, another converter sorts it out, gives us picture and sound. And the commentator's reactions are converted back to fractal charge effects and put out there for anybody in the room to pick up. To they broadcast a sports event, the commentator's thoughts are, in effect, transmitted to a receiver. The receiver converts them to an electronic signal, blends the signal with the base transmission, and sends the entire package to, say, your living room. There, another converter sorts it out, gives us picture and sound. And the commentator's reactions are converted back to fractal charge effects and put out there for anybody in the room to pick up. To read read ." "Incredible." "Born of necessity," I said. ." "Incredible." "Born of necessity," I said.

The most annoying part of the mission was being cut off from the world at so critical a time. We were sealed into our coc.o.o.n for almost four weeks with no idea whether, as Alex commented, full-scale war was breaking out between Mutes and Confederates. Giambrey remained upbeat, but I could see that the man who initially had been anxious to accept the challenge grew to wish, as the days pa.s.sed, that everything was over. He didn't like being out of touch either. Nothing would have helped like picking up the Nightly News. Alex suggested we cut the jump short, come up for air, as he put it, try to pick something up, then continue the flight. That sort of thing is hard on fuel. And, of course, it wouldn't have worked anyway. Anything we did did pick up out there would have been thousands of years old. Circe took to reading science novels and playing psychological games with Belle, in which the AI generated a random situation and they worked together to determine what the most common human response would be, according to surveys and studies conducted over the centuries. One of the situations was an attack on an amba.s.sador arriving to conduct peace talks. How likely was such an event to lead pick up out there would have been thousands of years old. Circe took to reading science novels and playing psychological games with Belle, in which the AI generated a random situation and they worked together to determine what the most common human response would be, according to surveys and studies conducted over the centuries. One of the situations was an attack on an amba.s.sador arriving to conduct peace talks. How likely was such an event to lead to war? Answer: 37 percent. She asked if I knew the odds against getting killed by a blast from a hypernova? I had no idea. She pointed out that, to date, it had happened to n.o.body in human history. Ever. She also found it frustrating that we had penetrated the galaxy, were traveling through that ocean of stars, and she couldn't see anything. I tried putting visuals up for her, using the navigation display to show off planetary rings and exploding suns, but she explained she'd seen it all before, she'd sat in her living room and watched all this, and it wasn't the same as actually seeing it seeing it . So in the end we sat and talked and watched some shows and played loki tournaments. (Loki, for those who've never been to Salud Afar, was a card game that was very popular in the Coalition. Both our pa.s.sengers were addicted to it.) Alex picked it up quickly. I dropped into last place and pretty much stayed there. I don't think anybody slept very well. And the hypernova remained, of course, the prime topic of conversation. We went over it and over it. Circe insisted that the s.h.i.+eld could be made to work if the resources could be made available. Giambrey confessed that he'd never even . So in the end we sat and talked and watched some shows and played loki tournaments. (Loki, for those who've never been to Salud Afar, was a card game that was very popular in the Coalition. Both our pa.s.sengers were addicted to it.) Alex picked it up quickly. I dropped into last place and pretty much stayed there. I don't think anybody slept very well. And the hypernova remained, of course, the prime topic of conversation. We went over it and over it. Circe insisted that the s.h.i.+eld could be made to work if the resources could be made available. Giambrey confessed that he'd never even seen seen a Mute. "I keep reading how repulsive they are. That spending time with one is like trying to pet a spider. And they'll know everything I'm thinking. How's it even possible to a Mute. "I keep reading how repulsive they are. That spending time with one is like trying to pet a spider. And they'll know everything I'm thinking. How's it even possible to begin begin to negotiate with such a creature?" Kilgore's people had loaded Belle with all the data they had on the Chief Minister and his staff. But Giambrey said it wasn't very helpful. The year before, I'd spent almost two weeks alone with the Mutes. Had in fact visited Borkarat, where I'd met Selotta. "That's the real reason you and I are here," Alex told me when we were alone on the bridge. "You've got the experience. You're the only real hope we have to make this mission succeed." "So why was I the invisible woman in his office?" "I don't know. Maybe he felt you'd be more relaxed if he didn't put any pressure on you." "So why are to negotiate with such a creature?" Kilgore's people had loaded Belle with all the data they had on the Chief Minister and his staff. But Giambrey said it wasn't very helpful. The year before, I'd spent almost two weeks alone with the Mutes. Had in fact visited Borkarat, where I'd met Selotta. "That's the real reason you and I are here," Alex told me when we were alone on the bridge. "You've got the experience. You're the only real hope we have to make this mission succeed." "So why was I the invisible woman in his office?" "I don't know. Maybe he felt you'd be more relaxed if he didn't put any pressure on you." "So why are you you putting pressure on me?" "Listen, Beautiful. Pressure's your middle name." He grinned. "Relax. Look, you're good at this kind of thing. So am I. Giambrey probably is, too. But he's going to be out of his depth on Borkarat. You know it, and I know it. So does he. So he's going to be counting on us to charm the Mutes into giving us what we need. What they need, too, for that matter." "Well, good luck to us," I said. To my surprise, Giambrey took me aside and said much the same thing. "I'm not comfortable with any part of this," he confessed. "It's like playing loki with our cards faceup on the table. I don't know how to begin a negotiation under these circ.u.mstances. So when we go into this thing, I want you to feel free to advise me. Tell me what you really think. Okay?" "Okay." "Are they as repulsive in person as I've heard?" "No," I said. "That's exaggerated. But you putting pressure on me?" "Listen, Beautiful. Pressure's your middle name." He grinned. "Relax. Look, you're good at this kind of thing. So am I. Giambrey probably is, too. But he's going to be out of his depth on Borkarat. You know it, and I know it. So does he. So he's going to be counting on us to charm the Mutes into giving us what we need. What they need, too, for that matter." "Well, good luck to us," I said. To my surprise, Giambrey took me aside and said much the same thing. "I'm not comfortable with any part of this," he confessed. "It's like playing loki with our cards faceup on the table. I don't know how to begin a negotiation under these circ.u.mstances. So when we go into this thing, I want you to feel free to advise me. Tell me what you really think. Okay?" "Okay." "Are they as repulsive in person as I've heard?" "No," I said. "That's exaggerated. But you will will have a reaction." "I won't throw up, will I? I've worked with Mute avatars, and it wasn't bad." "Okay. Good. You'll be fine, Giambrey." The reality was that the effect didn't carry full force with an avatar. I suspect it's because you know it's an avatar. It's more intense when a live Mute actually walks into the room. But I kept that to myself. "Look, what'll happen is that you'll try to smother your reaction. Don't bother. Let it go, and after a while you'll become accustomed to it. The Mutes have a similar response to us. But they're pretty smart, and if you just let it happen, everybody will start laughing. It becomes a joke." "Really?" "Take advantage of the mission to make a few friends here. It will serve you and Salud Afar well in the future." His jaw tightened. "If there have a reaction." "I won't throw up, will I? I've worked with Mute avatars, and it wasn't bad." "Okay. Good. You'll be fine, Giambrey." The reality was that the effect didn't carry full force with an avatar. I suspect it's because you know it's an avatar. It's more intense when a live Mute actually walks into the room. But I kept that to myself. "Look, what'll happen is that you'll try to smother your reaction. Don't bother. Let it go, and after a while you'll become accustomed to it. The Mutes have a similar response to us. But they're pretty smart, and if you just let it happen, everybody will start laughing. It becomes a joke." "Really?" "Take advantage of the mission to make a few friends here. It will serve you and Salud Afar well in the future." His jaw tightened. "If there is is a future for Salud Afar." a future for Salud Afar."

So we played cards and pretended everything was going to be okay. The night before our arrival, we had a special dinner, broke out the wine, drank to the home world, and to success. At approximately 0600 hours s.h.i.+p time, Belle woke me to announce we'd arrived.

THIRTY-FIVE.

Being truthful is okay. But it can get you just so far. If you're serious about getting things done, what you really need is public relations.- Etude in Black Borkarat was where I'd met Selotta, who still oversaw the Museum of Alien Life-forms and where Ka.s.sel enjoyed an apparently pleasant life in government unlike anything a human politician could know. Bare-knuckle politics didn't really work among the Mutes. And that, I hoped, would prove our salvation. Maybe a quiet, reasonable approach to the issue of war and peace could be managed. The problem was that the As.h.i.+yyur considered us an inferior species. "How is that possible?" asked Giambrey. "Our technology is on a level with theirs. And they had a head start. They were living in cities several thousand years before we got down out of the trees." Alex was looking at an image of the Mute world, afloat in the center of the common room. "They don't measure civilization the way we do," he said. "Technology is a minor consideration. They see themselves as essentially spiritual creatures. As more philosophical, more curious, more concerned with living the right sort of life, than we are. That notion got reinforced when they actually sat down with us-with humans-and felt their skin crawl and discovered we couldn't communicate the way they can. I think they see our way of communicating the way we might see a cat's." "We're not telepaths." "Sure. That puts us considerably lower on the evolutionary ladder. They've had a long-standing debate over whether we'll ever achieve what they have. Some of them think we have the potential to reach their level of development, but they're in a minority." "How about the people on the street?" asked Circe. "When I was here," I said, "they treated me okay. That is, they left me alone, for the most part. Some actually tried to put me at ease. But you'll be made aware you're not to be taken seriously."

Less than an hour after we'd come out of jump status, we were hailed by a patrol vehicle. Alex followed me onto the bridge after Belle sounded the warning. "Range is 1.2 million kilometers," "Range is 1.2 million kilometers," she said. The weapons warning system began blinking. They were keying something on us. "Try to look friendly," Alex said. The patrol boat was even smaller than we were, but I could see arrays of particle-beam cannons and lasers and G.o.d knew what else on its hull. Its lights began blinking. Moments later Belle put a message on screen: INTERLOPER: STATE DESTINATION AND PURPOSE OF ARRIVAL. "Not very friendly," said Circe. Giambrey dictated our reply: "We are the she said. The weapons warning system began blinking. They were keying something on us. "Try to look friendly," Alex said. The patrol boat was even smaller than we were, but I could see arrays of particle-beam cannons and lasers and G.o.d knew what else on its hull. Its lights began blinking. Moments later Belle put a message on screen: INTERLOPER: STATE DESTINATION AND PURPOSE OF ARRIVAL. "Not very friendly," said Circe. Giambrey dictated our reply: "We are the Belle-Marie Belle-Marie , a private vessel in the service of the Administrator, representing the Coalition at Salud Afar. We are on a diplomatic mission, and your government has been notified. We request permission to proceed to port." I directed Belle to transmit it in text form. Minutes later, she put a reply on-screen. It was short: MAINTAIN COURSE. Then, after another few minutes: PLEASE FOLLOW US. A few hours later they handed us off to another s.h.i.+p. Borkarat was only a bright star when we retired for the night. , a private vessel in the service of the Administrator, representing the Coalition at Salud Afar. We are on a diplomatic mission, and your government has been notified. We request permission to proceed to port." I directed Belle to transmit it in text form. Minutes later, she put a reply on-screen. It was short: MAINTAIN COURSE. Then, after another few minutes: PLEASE FOLLOW US. A few hours later they handed us off to another s.h.i.+p. Borkarat was only a bright star when we retired for the night.

We followed the escort in. And gradually, Borkarat split into two stars, which grew into a pair of disks disks , one large, one small. We went through a second cycle of meals and sleep before it became a discernible globe, adorned with seas, continents, and clouds, attended by the inevitable moon. Watching the world grow larger, as I'd watched so many others over the years, I couldn't avoid a sense of order and disposition. Worlds floated serenely in the vast womb of the universe. They did not bang into one another, did not plunge into suns, did not get lobbed into the outer darkness. Generally. Generally. I guess I felt some bitterness there. In a Darwinian universe, safety is an illusion. , one large, one small. We went through a second cycle of meals and sleep before it became a discernible globe, adorned with seas, continents, and clouds, attended by the inevitable moon. Watching the world grow larger, as I'd watched so many others over the years, I couldn't avoid a sense of order and disposition. Worlds floated serenely in the vast womb of the universe. They did not bang into one another, did not plunge into suns, did not get lobbed into the outer darkness. Generally. Generally. I guess I felt some bitterness there. In a Darwinian universe, safety is an illusion.

Borkarat could have been Rimway, with differently shaped continents. Its gravity variance was a bit higher, but not so much that we wouldn't adjust fairly easily. When we were only a few hours from orbit, we received a live transmission. From Ka.s.sel. It was good to see him. We were going to need friends. "Chase and Alex," "Chase and Alex," he said. he said. "I was surprised when your message arrived. Selotta and I are delighted to see you again so soon. We welcome you and your a.s.sociates. Although I wish circ.u.mstances could be better. I'll be waiting when you get in. The Planning Board has been in touch with me, and I've been appointed guest liaison. A meeting with one of the Board members has been arranged for you. We've reserved a room for you at the finest hotel in the capital. How was your trip?" "I was surprised when your message arrived. Selotta and I are delighted to see you again so soon. We welcome you and your a.s.sociates. Although I wish circ.u.mstances could be better. I'll be waiting when you get in. The Planning Board has been in touch with me, and I've been appointed guest liaison. A meeting with one of the Board members has been arranged for you. We've reserved a room for you at the finest hotel in the capital. How was your trip?"

"Uneventful," said Alex. There was a delay of a minute or so while the signal traveled to the world, and the response came back. "The best kind." "The best kind." You don't spend much time on small talk when you have delays built into the conversation. You don't spend much time on small talk when you have delays built into the conversation. "Alex, I'm curious about the purpose for your visit. Not that Selotta and I aren't delighted to see you. She'll be coming in later to say h.e.l.lo. But it seems a dangerous time. If major hostilities break out, you could be interned here." "Alex, I'm curious about the purpose for your visit. Not that Selotta and I aren't delighted to see you. She'll be coming in later to say h.e.l.lo. But it seems a dangerous time. If major hostilities break out, you could be interned here."

That was a possibility that hadn't crossed my mind. In the past, hostilities had sometimes dragged on for decades. "We've become diplomats," Alex said. "n.o.body can touch us." Ka.s.sel laughed. "So I've heard. Well, that's good. In any case, we'll take charge of you as soon as you get in." "So I've heard. Well, that's good. In any case, we'll take charge of you as soon as you get in."

Our escort stayed with us. When we were an hour or so out we received a text message from the operations center: PLEASE TURN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OVER TO US. I complied, and Giambrey sucked in some air. "Isn't that a little dangerous?" "You want me to tell them we don't trust them?" "No." "It's okay. It's pretty much routine procedure at most of the bigger stations." Just before we pa.s.sed between the launch doors into the docking area, another message came in, this one for Giambrey, from Salud Afar. It was encrypted, using a system that had been downloaded into Belle before we left Samuels. It was from Kilgore: GIAMBREY, GOOD LUCK. OUR PEOPLE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE CONFEDERATES, BUT TO DATE THEY ARE IMMOVABLE. EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON YOU.

The term a.s.semblage a.s.semblage didn't describe the reality of the As.h.i.+yyurean universe, which consists of a loose group of worlds, outposts, orbiting cities, and scattered settlements. It's as much a social as a political ent.i.ty. But a threat to one is a threat to all, and they can react with lethal efficiency. Some people think they'll eventually evolve into a group mind. A few hold the opinion it has happened already. But n.o.body who's had a personal relations.h.i.+p with an individual As.h.i.+yyurean, as Alex and I have, would believe it. A major part of the problem between us and them is that it's so hard for us to get to know one another. There are As.h.i.+yyurean-Human friends.h.i.+p societies on worlds in both systems, but progress has been limited. At best. didn't describe the reality of the As.h.i.+yyurean universe, which consists of a loose group of worlds, outposts, orbiting cities, and scattered settlements. It's as much a social as a political ent.i.ty. But a threat to one is a threat to all, and they can react with lethal efficiency. Some people think they'll eventually evolve into a group mind. A few hold the opinion it has happened already. But n.o.body who's had a personal relations.h.i.+p with an individual As.h.i.+yyurean, as Alex and I have, would believe it. A major part of the problem between us and them is that it's so hard for us to get to know one another. There are As.h.i.+yyurean-Human friends.h.i.+p societies on worlds in both systems, but progress has been limited. At best.

We docked and, for the first time in my career, I received a text message granting me permission to leave my s.h.i.+p. Belle wished me luck, and we climbed out through the hatch and walked down the egress tube, and there was Ka.s.sel. The robe was gone, replaced by a s.h.i.+rt and short breeches gathered in at the knees. They were a favorite form of casual dress among both males and females on Borkarat, but there was something absurd in seeing a seven-foot Mute, complete with fangs, looking as if he was headed out for a day in the park. I've never been good at reading As.h.i.+yyurean nonverbals. But it wasn't hard to pick up his mixed feelings on that occasion. He came forward and shook hands and squeezed my shoulder in a way that suggested however difficult things might get, he would support me. We did the introductions. Giambrey bowed and smiled, but all the charm was gone. He was trying hard to control his revulsion. Not to think about it. Not to look too closely at Ka.s.sel or at any of the other Mutes in the area. I'll confess that Mutes still gave me a chill. Still knotted my stomach. Even Ka.s.sel. But it was kind of a joke between us, and he glanced my way and touched his heart twice with a fist. It was his me, too me, too signal. Circe did pretty well, as far as I could see. She shook hands with Ka.s.sel, told him she was pleased to meet him, and, I thought at the time, was amused at surprising signal. Circe did pretty well, as far as I could see. She shook hands with Ka.s.sel, told him she was pleased to meet him, and, I thought at the time, was amused at surprising me me . You got any other challenges, Kolpath? "Selotta would have liked to be here," he said, "but her duties will not permit it. She asked me to say h.e.l.lo." "How is she?" I asked. "Doing well, as always. She is kept busy watching for aliens trying to penetrate the museum." That was a reference to how we'd met, when I was trying to get a flight record out of an interstellar that was on exhibit. "She says she will make sure to see you before you leave. Incidentally, you are all welcome to visit our house. We would like very much to have you." . You got any other challenges, Kolpath? "Selotta would have liked to be here," he said, "but her duties will not permit it. She asked me to say h.e.l.lo." "How is she?" I asked. "Doing well, as always. She is kept busy watching for aliens trying to penetrate the museum." That was a reference to how we'd met, when I was trying to get a flight record out of an interstellar that was on exhibit. "She says she will make sure to see you before you leave. Incidentally, you are all welcome to visit our house. We would like very much to have you."

Mute body temperatures are about ten degrees lower than human, so their skin always feels cool. Add a bit of clamminess, and it's easy to imagine they're not delighted to see you. Toss in the fangs and the black diamond eyes located close together, predator style, and your instincts go to red alert. A crowd was forming around us, at a discreet distance. The reception area was absolutely silent, save for their clickety-clack music playing at a low level over the sound system. Public areas in Mute worlds are, of course, routinely quiet. One never hears a voice, and for a human that can be disconcerting. There was nevertheless plenty of communication going on, of course. I could see it as Mute eyes turned in our direction. Their expressions changed, eyes narrowed, and fangs became more prominent. Parents moved closer to kids. I tried to think happy thoughts, but what kept running through my mind was the conviction that maybe their telepathic abilities with regard to us were overrated. I did not get the sense, for example, that they could see that I would have liked very much to be somewhere else, and that as threats went, I was nowhere on the scale. They were disturbed at the sight of the creatures that had suddenly appeared in their midst. With the mayor, yet. Circe tried a smile and a wave. n.o.body waved back. It struck me how difficult it must have been for Ka.s.sel to come personally to meet us. I gained new respect for him. He might have stayed in his office and sent an escort in his place. Instead, here he was. That meant, in his culture as well as ours, that this was a personal rather than simply a political event. "This way," said Ka.s.sel, speaking through his voice box. He said something about idiots as we walked through the crowd toward the shuttle launch area. Alex commented that he appreciated Ka.s.sel's presence, and Ka.s.sel remarked that "they" should all be locked up somewhere so they wouldn't be a danger to themselves or anyone else. "They" obviously picked up the thought because they all looked in his direction. "I'm sorry they brought you all the way in from Provno," said Alex. Ka.s.sel's home was located on that island, in the southern seas. "It's okay," he said. "They thought you would want to see me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Besides, it gives me a chance to educate these morons." Giambrey asked whether Ka.s.sel had heard what was happening on Salud Afar. "I know about the hypernova. If you mean conditions on the ground, among the people, we haven't heard a whole lot. We don't have a direct connection with the media at Salud Afar the way we do with the Confederates. And the reporting in yours is spa.r.s.e. Mostly they run reconstructed images of the hypernova and ask people whether they're scared. What kind of answer would they expect? I did did hear this morning that one of the s.p.a.ceports was destroyed." "Destroyed?" asked Alex. "How?" "Somebody with a bomb." We walked into an elevator and everybody else got out. "There was no additional explanation." He glanced in my direction and I read it in his eyes: Dumb-a.s.s monkeys. Yep. That's us. I was used to cranks and nitwits. You have large populations, you're going to have a few nutcases. The Mutes had an advantage, of course: Among their own, they could spot lunacy right away-before it could get around to making a bomb. I stared back and made no effort to conceal what I was thinking: Two billion people were going to die even though the means to save them were probably available. But they'd die anyway because there really was no intelligent life in the cosmos. Not in the Confederacy, and not in the a.s.semblage. The Mutes and the Confederates would continue sniping back and forth, and the carnage would happen, and everybody would pretend it was inevitable. He touched my shoulder. "I fear you're right, Chase. I wish I knew how to help." Abruptly, out of nowhere, tears ran down my cheeks. Ka.s.sel wrapped me in his arms and held me. hear this morning that one of the s.p.a.ceports was destroyed." "Destroyed?" asked Alex. "How?" "Somebody with a bomb." We walked into an elevator and everybody else got out. "There was no additional explanation." He glanced in my direction and I read it in his eyes: Dumb-a.s.s monkeys. Yep. That's us. I was used to cranks and nitwits. You have large populations, you're going to have a few nutcases. The Mutes had an advantage, of course: Among their own, they could spot lunacy right away-before it could get around to making a bomb. I stared back and made no effort to conceal what I was thinking: Two billion people were going to die even though the means to save them were probably available. But they'd die anyway because there really was no intelligent life in the cosmos. Not in the Confederacy, and not in the a.s.semblage. The Mutes and the Confederates would continue sniping back and forth, and the carnage would happen, and everybody would pretend it was inevitable. He touched my shoulder. "I fear you're right, Chase. I wish I knew how to help." Abruptly, out of nowhere, tears ran down my cheeks. Ka.s.sel wrapped me in his arms and held me.

THIRTY-SIX.

We are each entombed within our skulls, Maria. We never really come to know each other. We do not feel the emotions of others, except superficially. Nor their fears or pa.s.sions. The reality is that we are alone.- Midnight and Roses Giambrey was the only professional diplomat among us. He was accustomed to waiting upon the pleasure of whoever was in power. And of course, to him, Ka.s.sel was a representative of that power. Alex also understood the need for patience. As, I a.s.sume, did Circe. But to me, he was still simply good old Ka.s.sel. So, just as we were preparing to enter our suites, I broke protocol and asked when we'd get to see the Chief Minister. "Time is critical," I added. The reader will have understood by now that actually speaking in the presence of an As.h.i.+yyurean was not necessary, save to let other people follow the conversation. Nevertheless, those Mutes who understood how to communicate with us were aware that, even in a one-on-one, it was smart to let us actually give voice to our thoughts. "For humans," Selotta had told me once, "the voice is more significant than the brain. How could it be otherwise?" She'd shown her diplomatic side by observing that I was, of course, an exception. "We are quite aware of the urgency," Ka.s.sel said, in unusually formal language. "The Chief Minister has arranged for you to speak to the Secretary of Naval Affairs tomorrow morning." Giambrey seemed satisfied with the answer, though he glanced my way to signal me to stay out of it. Nothing further of consequence was discussed other than where and when we'd handle dinner. "It would be best," Ka.s.sel added, "if I come and collect everyone. You don't really need an escort. But it might save confusion."

The city was a collection of spires, spheres, pyramids, and polyhedrons laid out with artistic precision. I don't want to imply that it was by any means symmetrical, but rather an exercise in architectural harmony. A dominant tower in the north is set off by a pair of globes to the south. Pyramids are laid out in sets of two and three, the whole connected by a tapestry of illuminated polygons and skyways. We descended through a heavy rainstorm onto a landing pad, took an elevator down a few floors, and were ushered into a private dining room high over the city. Back home, allowing a delegation from a chief executive to dine with only a small-city mayor present, would have been a major insult. And I saw Giambrey's features harden as we sat down at the table that had been prepared for us, and n.o.body else showed up. "It's not as you think," said Ka.s.sel, softly. "We have no need of ceremony. No use for it, in fact." He put his menu on the table and tried to smile. "Our communication is more direct." He kept the voice box volume low. I caught a flicker of amus.e.m.e.nt in Circe's eyes. She leaned over, and whispered to me, "Just as well." "You're not big on ceremony either?" "Chase, with these people, you're up there doing a ceremony, and you don't have any clothes." Ka.s.sel bowed in her direction. "I believe, Doctor," he said, "it is one of your own who described the beginning of wisdom as knowing yourself." "Ceremonies celebrate achievement," she said. "But they also conceal things." Ka.s.sel did his smile. "Exactly," he said. He'd found a soul mate. He did a quick translation of the menu. This dish tastes somewhat like fried chicken. That is comparable to a steak salad. Avoid this group here, which your system will find indigestible. On the whole, the food was edible, and some of it actually had an agreeable flavor. It wasn't anything I'd serve to houseguests, but I don't think the As.h.i.+yyur have bread or tomatoes or most of the other delicacies that form an integral part of the human diet. Ka.s.sel tried to apologize. "I understand they've known for two weeks that you were coming," he said. "Unfortunately, they turned it over to me at the last minute. There was no time-" "It's okay, Ka.s.sel," said Giambrey. "It's the company that matters." Ka.s.sel looked at me with a glint in his eyes. Giambrey had forgotten that his host knew exactly what he was thinking. It was an easy mistake to make.

Afterward, we retired to Giambrey's suite and turned on the omicron. "Let's see what's going on in the world," he said. In some aspects, it was not unlike Interworld, carrying newscasts and people-if that term works-discussing current events, and the arts and sciences. We got pictures of panel discussions, saw and heard a hurricane pounding a Mute city, watched what appeared to be a cruise s.h.i.+p putting to sea. One channel carried a swimming compet.i.tion. Despite their appearance, Mutes love to swim. Undoubtedly because their early ancestors came out of the oceans. The panel discussions, of course, were silent. And the nonverbals that one normally sees in a debate among humans were all but absent. We found nothing like the comedies and dramas that had been staples of human entertainment all the way back to the cla.s.sical age. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe because drama and comedy so often depend on misunderstanding or deliberate deception, or an inability to grasp someone else's intentions, the concept simply doesn't work among the As.h.i.+yyur. How would you construct a mystery when every character is an open book? It was an odd experience. Pictures without narration. And especially the panels, where the only sound during the course of a thirty-minute debate might be the sc.r.a.ping of a chair. I tried to imagine sitting in a studio somewhere while an omicron broadcast my innermost thoughts to the world. My G.o.d, every mean, contemptible, cruel, lascivious notion I'd ever had would surface. "I've a question," said Circe. "Why is there a picture? If this is a mental exercise, why do they need accompanying pictures? Don't the people in the discussion have a picture in their heads of the blowpipe, or the politician, or whatever it is they're discussing?"

Ka.s.sel took a moment. "If you were on a panel talking about various solar types, and you wanted to discuss, say, Rigel, do you have a firm picture of it in your mind?" "I think so," she said. "Bad example. How about a clear image of how the quantum drive works?" "n.o.body could manage that." "Or of a given natural preservative. Or a specific canyon with odd features. You can't get the details right. Something would always get left out. So they do the visuals." As.h.i.+yyurean life provided sounds, of course. Engines starting. Water-falls. Rivers. The banging that accompanies the a.s.sembling of a scaffold. They have a pa.s.sion for music, though most of it hurts my ears. But it all served to underscore the general silence of As.h.i.+yyurean civilization. Crowds of Mutes moved through the pristine cities, carried out a.s.sorted construction projects, wandered through malls, sat in the stands at sporting events, courted and reproduced, and did it all, save for the background noise, in utter silence. "Not so," said Ka.s.sel, quietly, though I'd said nothing. "Noise, yes. There is relatively little of that. But if you define silence to include the absence of input, of incoming ideas and pa.s.sions and hope. Of conversation with friends. Of exchange of everything in life that matters. Then no. Our lives are anything but silent."

In the morning a government skimmer arrived at the rooftop pad. Ka.s.sel joined us, and we all climbed in. The operator, a female, worked hard not to look appalled at her pa.s.sengers. Ka.s.sel glanced in her direction, and she seemed to relax slightly. "She's had training in interspecies tolerance," he said. "Is that really what they call it?" asked Circe. "That's the terminology." His fangs appeared briefly in that Mute smile. "We have a few problems ourselves." All As.h.i.+yyurean names, as used by humans, are more or less made up. They have have names, of course. But since Mutes do not speak, we only know them in their written form, and written text, of course, does not translate into sound. Only G.o.d and the Mutes know the real name for Borkarat, though I could show you the symbolic representation for it. The Mute capital on that world, the place where we were at that moment, was New Volaria. It was, of course, a human name. At the time I had no idea where it had come from, though I've since learned the original Volaria was a barbarian capital on Regnus III during the Time of Troubles. I guess it says something about the way we perceived the As.h.i.+yyur. Ka.s.sel pointed down at a large, silver obelisk. "That is our capitol. The-" He searched for a word. "The names, of course. But since Mutes do not speak, we only know them in their written form, and written text, of course, does not translate into sound. Only G.o.d and the Mutes know the real name for Borkarat, though I could show you the symbolic representation for it. The Mute capital on that world, the place where we were at that moment, was New Volaria. It was, of course, a human name. At the time I had no idea where it had come from, though I've since learned the original Volaria was a barbarian capital on Regnus III during the Time of Troubles. I guess it says something about the way we perceived the As.h.i.+yyur. Ka.s.sel pointed down at a large, silver obelisk. "That is our capitol. The-" He searched for a word. "The parliament parliament is currently in session." "What can you tell us of the Secretary of Naval Affairs?" asked Alex. "He's reasonable. He does not like our current stance regarding the Confederacy, and is concerned that the threat could explode into all-out war. He's also not happy with the status quo, which drains resources. Unfortunately, he considers you, humans, the Confederates, to be extremely difficult to deal with. If you pressed him, he would argue that humans have not yet attained civilization. I wish I knew an easier way to say this. But he, like most of us, thinks of you as an inferior type, with an inherent bloodl.u.s.t that, over fifteen thousand years of organized culture, you have been unable to shed." He s.h.i.+fted his weight uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but it's important you understand what you're dealing with." "Well, that's encouraging," said Giambrey, trying to hide his resentment. Ka.s.sel turned to him. "The negotiation will be unlike any you've engaged in before, Giambrey. The Secretary will know the minute you walk in the door that you wish him to stand down the fleet so that the Confederate Navy can go to the rescue of Salud Afar. If he has not already come to that conclusion." Giambrey cleared his throat. "It's not easy being a barbarian," he said. We drifted down onto a pad. "Ka.s.sel." Alex was straightening his jacket. "Will you be in the meeting?" "No. Unfortunately not. This business is far above my pay grade." "Do you have any advice for us?" "Keep in mind, everything is an open book. You cannot surprise him. You cannot hold anything back. is currently in session." "What can you tell us of the Secretary of Naval Affairs?" asked Alex. "He's reasonable. He does not like our current stance regarding the Confederacy, and is concerned that the threat could explode into all-out war. He's also not happy with the status quo, which drains resources. Unfortunately, he considers you, humans, the Confederates, to be extremely difficult to deal with. If you pressed him, he would argue that humans have not yet attained civilization. I wish I knew an easier way to say this. But he, like most of us, thinks of you as an inferior type, with an inherent bloodl.u.s.t that, over fifteen thousand years of organized culture, you have been unable to shed." He s.h.i.+fted his weight uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but it's important you understand what you're dealing with." "Well, that's encouraging," said Giambrey, trying to hide his resentment. Ka.s.sel turned to him. "The negotiation will be unlike any you've engaged in before, Giambrey. The Secretary will know the minute you walk in the door that you wish him to stand down the fleet so that the Confederate Navy can go to the rescue of Salud Afar. If he has not already come to that conclusion." Giambrey cleared his throat. "It's not easy being a barbarian," he said. We drifted down onto a pad. "Ka.s.sel." Alex was straightening his jacket. "Will you be in the meeting?" "No. Unfortunately not. This business is far above my pay grade." "Do you have any advice for us?" "Keep in mind, everything is an open book. You cannot surprise him. You cannot hold anything back.

Take advantage of that. Let him see your feelings for the people trapped on Salud Afar. Let him see them as I have. Let him see your desperation. And your determination, if your world survives"-his gaze turned to Giambrey and Circe-"your determination to devote yourself to calming the more barbaric impulses of your species. To working toward a lasting peace. And I see I have hurt your feelings again." He looked at each of us in turn. Yes, I thought. d.a.m.ned right. You guys don't exactly have a spotless record either, and you have less excuse than we do. "You're correct, Chase," he said. "I know. I wish it could be otherwise. Maybe one day we can all learn to be rational."

The pilot opened the hatch. Ka.s.sel glanced at her, and something pa.s.sed between them. I wondered about it. How do you manage it? How do you manage it? Or, maybe, Or, maybe, Glad that's over. Glad that's over. We were at ground level, looking up at a dome that rose about six stories, supporting a tower. The tower literally soared into the sky, narrowing eventually into a needle. A small entourage of robed officials came out through a set of doors and descended from a portico to greet us. The one who seemed to be in charge, a male, was the smallest of the group. Nevertheless he dwarfed Alex and Giambrey. He wore a voice box on his sleeve. "Giambrey DeVrio?" he asked, looking from one to the other. Giambrey stepped forward. The Mute bowed. "Welcome to the Silver Tower. I am Tio." He swept us all up in his gaze. "If you will please come with me." Tio took us back up across the portico and inside, into a broad pa.s.sageway. I saw no guard posts. And it looked as if anyone could have walked in off the street. He signaled for Giambrey to follow him down the pa.s.sageway. One of the officials who had come out with him took charge of the rest of us. He gave us a tour of the building, but cut it short when he realized n.o.body really cared where the Department of the Environment was located. "I've no way to know how long the meeting will last," he told Alex and me. "You are welcome to wait in the library, if you wish. And we have a cafeteria." He looked at us uncertainly. Ka.s.sel suggested we stay. "It makes you look serious about the mission." Our escort took us to a large private area, filled with portraits of robed Mutes, a few landscapes, and two or three interstellar wars.h.i.+ps. There were jacks that provided access to the vast As.h.i.+yyurean literature. It also incorporated a substantial number of human t.i.tles, including two of Vicki Greene's novels. After about an hour, Giambrey returned. "How'd it go?" Alex asked. "Not sure," he said. "I made my pitch, told him how a cessation of hostilities would be to everyone's benefit. He says the Confederates can't be trusted. Big news there. But he thinks he has to keep poking them. Keep them off-balance. If they were to declare a unilateral cease-fire, he's concerned the Confederates will use the breathing s.p.a.ce to organize their forces and launch a major strike." "I was under the impression," I said, "that we were at peace." Giambrey gave me a painful smile. "Not quite." "So how'd it end?" I asked. "There needs to be a mutual announcement. Both sides to say it's over and agree to talks." "And you told him-?" "We're working on it. Trying to arrange it." "Did he say," asked Alex, "how the Chief Minister feels?" "No. He says the Chief Minister has kept his feelings to himself." Alex frowned. "Ka.s.sel," he said, "that's not possible, is it?" "Sure it is. We can block others off but only for a limited time. More likely, he simply hasn't been in the same room with the Chief Minister lately." "More likely still," said Giambrey, "he just doesn't want to say." We were at ground level, looking up at a dome that rose about six stories, supporting a tower. The tower literally soared into the sky, narrowing eventually into a needle. A small entourage of robed officials came out through a set of doors and descended from a portico to greet us. The one who seemed to be in charge, a male, was the smallest of the group. Nevertheless he dwarfed Alex and Giambrey. He wore a voice box on his sleeve. "Giambrey DeVrio?" he asked, looking from one to the other. Giambrey stepped forward. The Mute bowed. "Welcome to the Silver Tower. I am Tio." He swept us all up in his gaze. "If you will please come with me." Tio took us back up across the portico and inside, into a broad pa.s.sageway. I saw no guard posts. And it looked as if anyone could have walked in off the street. He signaled for Giambrey to follow him down the pa.s.sageway. One of the officials who had come out with him took charge of the rest of us. He gave us a tour of the building, but cut it short when he realized n.o.body really cared where the Department of the Environment was located. "I've no way to know how long the meeting will last," he told Alex and me. "You are welcome to wait in the library, if you wish. And we have a cafeteria." He looked at us uncertainly. Ka.s.sel suggested we stay. "It makes you look serious about the mission." Our escort took us to a large private area, filled with portraits of robed Mutes, a few landscapes, and two or three interstellar wars.h.i.+ps. There were jacks that provided access to the vast As.h.i.+yyurean literature. It also incorporated a substantial number of human t.i.tles, including two of Vicki Greene's novels. After about an hour, Giambrey returned. "How'd it go?" Alex asked. "Not sure," he said. "I made my pitch, told him how a cessation of hostilities would be to everyone's benefit. He says the Confederates can't be trusted. Big news there. But he thinks he has to keep poking them. Keep them off-balance. If they were to declare a unilateral cease-fire, he's concerned the Confederates will use the breathing s.p.a.ce to organize their forces and launch a major strike." "I was under the impression," I said, "that we were at peace." Giambrey gave me a painful smile. "Not quite." "So how'd it end?" I asked. "There needs to be a mutual announcement. Both sides to say it's over and agree to talks." "And you told him-?" "We're working on it. Trying to arrange it." "Did he say," asked Alex, "how the Chief Minister feels?" "No. He says the Chief Minister has kept his feelings to himself." Alex frowned. "Ka.s.sel," he said, "that's not possible, is it?" "Sure it is. We can block others off but only for a limited time. More likely, he simply hasn't been in the same room with the Chief Minister lately." "More likely still," said Giambrey, "he just doesn't want to say."

THIRTY-SEVEN.

Bureaucracies are not like people. They neither love nor hate. They do not suffer, and they have no grasp of compa.s.sion. Most of all, they do not make moral judgments, one way or the other. I know that it sometimes seems they do, but believe me, Rose, it's all politics. Or sheer neglect.- Midnight and Roses We went to a place that Ka.s.sel liked, and we tried to pretend the meeting had gone well. Mutes don't have alcohol. But Ka.s.sel was able to suggest a fruit juice that tasted okay and had a mild kick. So we ordered a round and toasted the Secretary of Naval Affairs. Then Giambrey sent encrypted messages to Kilgore and to our team in the Confederacy. I asked Ka.s.sel how long he thought it would take for the Chief Minister to make his call. "No way to know, Chase," he said. "Maybe in the morning. Maybe never. But they might want to use this to get some leverage over the Confederacy. To put the moral onus on the Director." Three days later we got a message from the Secretary: Be advised that the Chief Minister is giving your request every consideration, and that, furthermore, he is aware of the time factor. Every effort is being made to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. I will advise you as soon as we have a decision. Be advised that the Chief Minister is giving your request every consideration, and that, furthermore, he is aware of the time factor. Every effort is being made to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. I will advise you as soon as we have a decision.

"What's he deciding?" I asked Ka.s.sel. "Whether to call a cease-fire? Or whether he'll negotiate with us?" Ka.s.sel didn't know. "But do you want to know what I think?" "You're skeptical that we'll get any help." "That's correct. I'm sorry." He seemed to be staring at something in the distance. "We've spent years attacking Confederate motives. You remember how we talked about the tendency for people to fool themselves? To talk themselves into things?" "We're not alone." "That's right. To do as you ask, they-the administration-would have to reverse course. It would be politically unpopular. The Chief Minister would be seen as exposing a.s.semblage worlds to attack. Unnecessarily." "We're talking about a world world ." "Yes." "And it comes down to this guy's political career." "I didn't say that it did. I said ." "Yes." "And it comes down to this guy's political career." "I didn't say that it did. I said maybe maybe . Or I thought it might." "Ka.s.sel, I'm struck that you think it might even be possible. Have you ever been close enough to get a read on this guy?" "What do you mean?" "To see into his mind? The way you see into mine?" He hesitated again. "Yes." "Do you think it's possible he might do that? Reverse course?" "It's possible." He put that big hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." "You accuse . Or I thought it might." "Ka.s.sel, I'm struck that you think it might even be possible. Have you ever been close enough to get a read on this guy?" "What do you mean?" "To see into his mind? The way you see into mine?" He hesitated again. "Yes." "Do you think it's possible he might do that? Reverse course?" "It's possible." He put that big hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." "You accuse us us of being savages." of being savages."

Ka.s.sel learned unofficially that a decision was still a few days away. Circe connected with a Mute physicist and moved into quarters at a laboratory. Giambrey took to wandering around New Volaria, making as many contacts as he could. He even drew several speaking engagements, not strictly diplomatic in nature, but more scientific and cultural. It was an opportunity to win friends among influential locals. Alex and I decided it was a good time to visit Selotta and the Museum of Alien Life-forms. So we packed up and headed out. Humans held a prominent place as the only other known technological species, although our section was guarded by a Neanderthal avatar. He was bearded and muscular, and looked across the museum floor with a steady gaze that was simultaneously hostile and vacuous. When visitors came near him, he activated, shook his spear, growled and grunted, and made other unseemly gestures. A substantial collection of our literature was available, and I was happy to note that the weapons section had been downsized somewhat since my earlier visit. It wasn't that the spears and guns and particle beams and disrupters weren't still there, but they were less prominently displayed than I recalled. I suspected Selotta had gotten to know us somewhat better. Alex spent all his time in the Hall of the Humans, more or less drooling over some of the exhibits. The museum had acquired statuary, lamps, communication devices, furniture, table settin