"Go ahead," voices yelled out.
The girl held up one finger. "One: he says there's nothing in the files about a quarantine. He says he doesn't knowwhat's in the files in Reseune: that's what he's complaining about. Whichever way it is, he's either trying to trick you or he's lying about what's in the files.
"Two: he says my uncle tape-fed me the stuff. He doesn't know any such thing. And in fact it's not true.
"Three: he says I don't understand what it could mean in international politics. Unless he knows what's in those files, he doesn't know as much as I do what it could mean.
"Four: he makes fun of the idea my predecessor left a program for me. That's a psych. Funny stuff breaks your concentration and makes you not think real hard about what he's really saying, which is that it's impossible. It's certainlypossible. It's a simple branching program with a voice-recognition and a few other security things I don't want to talk about on vid, and I could write it, except for the scrambling, and that's something my own security understands—he's fifteen too. I'm sure Councillor Khalid does, if he was in Intelligence, so it's a pure psych.
"Five: he says my uncles write all the stuff. That's a psych like the first one, because he can just say that and then everybody wonders. I can give you one just exactly like it if I said Khalid won the election because he made up the rumor Gorodin was against the military retirement bill, and because of the way news goes out to the ships in space, and it being right before the vote, the vote was already coming back and being registered by the time Gorodin's saying it wasn't true even got to a lot of places. I heard that on the news. But I guess people forget who it is that makes up lies."
"Oh, my God. . . ." Corain murmured, and rested his head against his hands.
"I think that's done it," Dellarosa said. "I'd advise, ser, we hold a caucus withoutDefense. I think we need to draw up a position on this."
Corain raked his hand through his hair.
"Dammit, he can't even sue her for libel. She's a minor. And that went out live."
"I think the facts are, ser, the military may have had real practical reasons for preferring Khalid in spite of the rumor. But I think he's taken major damage. Majordamage. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see a challenge from Gorodin. We need to distance ourselves from this. We need a position statement on these supposed secret files. We need it while this broadside barrage is still going on."
"We need—" Corain said, "we needto call for a Science Bureau select committee to look into this, pastGiraud Nye, to rule on the girl's competency. But, dammit, you sawthat performance. The girl gotKhalid, extemp. He played a dirty little in-Bureau game he'd have gotten away with because no one could pin it on him orhis staff—but no one's going to forget it in thatcontext."
"Nye told her."
"Don't make that mistake. Khalid just did. And he's dead. Politically, he's dead. He can't counter this one."
"She could charge anyone with being in those damn files!"
"She could have charged Khalid. But she didn't. Which probably means they exist and she's going to produce them. Or she's keeping her story clean . . . that she's waiting on Council. I'll tell you the other problem, friend. Khalid's going to be a liability in that office."
"Khalid's got to resign."
"He won't! Not that one. He'll fight to the bloody end."
"Then I suggest, ser, before we even consider Gorodin, who's stuck with the two-year rule, we explore who else might be viable for us inside that Bureau. How long do you think this is going to go? One bit of garbage floats to the surface—and other people start talking to the press. One more—and it becomes a race to the cameras."
"Dammit."
Hehad insisted Khalid take the hold off the news releases.
And there was no practical way to answer the charges, except to stall with the Bureau hearings. Which Nye could rush through at lightning speed. More exposure of the girl to the news-services.
No way. Withdraw opposition.
Thenthe girl got herself a full Council hearing.
And the repercussions of revelations on Gehenna went to the ambassadors from Alliance and from Earth.
The girl was notbluffing.
"One thing," he said as Dellarosa was leaving, "one thing she absolutely beat him on. Findsomebody in Defense who makes speeches people can understand,for God's sake."
iii
Justin watched and watched, every nuance, every shift in the replay. He had missed the whole afternoon, buried in the sociology lab; and he watched it now, once and twice, because the keyword response in the vid recorder had gotten all the references to the hearings, to Ari, to all the principals.
He shook his head, hands under chin, elbows on knees.
"Remarkably accurate retention," Grant said, beside him on the couch. "For a CIT. She hit every point she wanted to make, certainly. And confused them about the rest."
The tape reached Khalid's second refutation, the cold, passionless statement that Ari had been prompted with that accusation by Giraud Nye, that Giraud used her as his voice because it was otherwise actionable.
Justin shook his head again. "He may have given it to her. But the kid's sense of timing is impeccable."
"Khalid mistook his opponent," Grant said. "He thought that it was Giraud all along."
"Vid off," Justin said, and there was silence in the room.
Grant reached across and shook at his knee. "Do you think Khalid—is capable of harming her?"
"I think that man is capableof anything. I don't know. He won't move on—won't move on her.She's too hard a target. I'm going to call Denys."
"Why?"
"CIT craziness. Politics. She's too hard a target. Jordanworks for Defense."
Grant's face went expressionless. Then showed shock.
"I don't think we should put that through the Minder. We should goto him."
"How in hell do we get an interview with Denys at this hour? There's no way he'll open the door to us."
"Security," Grant said after a moment. "We ask him to meet us in Security."
"I appreciate your concern," Denys said, the other side of the desk from them, themselves in two hard chairs, Seely standing by the wall, in the interview room.
Justin remembered the place—too well. "Ser, I—don't call it an irrational fear. Order him not to answer any calls from the base."
"We don't need any moves against Defense on record," Denys said. "That in itself—could call unwelcome attention to your father. Possibly you're being alarmist ..."
"Khalid has reason to want an incident, ser. And my father is sitting there without protection. They can tellhim damned well anything. Can't they?"
Denys frowned, thick fingers steepled, then interlocking. "Seely. Move on it. Now."
"Yes," Seely said, and left.
Grant rose from his chair, following Seely with his eyes. Thenthe thought came; and Justin stood up, suddenly facing two armed guards in the doorway.
"What is he going to do?" Justin asked, looking at Denys. "That wasn't an instruction. What is he going to do?"
"Relax," Denys said. "Relax, son. Sit down. Both of you. There are contingency plans. You're not the first one to think of these eventualities. Seely understands my meanings perfectly well."