Nicole heard Tora Soam lean back in its chair. "And, Nikos Eklissia. I also compliment you upon your command of English."
Embarrassed silence followed. Eklissia coughed, then spoke. "Our purpose here, Ovjetah-"
"All of us know our collective and individual purposes, Nikos Eklissia, state your government’s position."
Again Eklissia coughed. Nicole heard Tora Soam lean forward. "Eklissia, are you diseased?"
"No."
"Then I would ask you to stop blowing wind and saliva about the compartment and to proceed with stating your position."
"Look, Drac-"
Hurried whispering came from the human side of the table then the human spoke again. "I apologize for my nervous habit. However, Tora Soam, I can see no advantage to either of us, or our governments, in exchanging insults."
"Nikos Eklissia, our races, our worlds, our universes are in the process of preparing to continue murdering each other. Your injured sensibilities compared to the billions of dead and the future billions that will die if we do not reach an accord on the negotiations, do not interest me. State your government’s position."
"Very well. My government wants the negotiations limited to discussing the signing and implementation of the treaty accords already agreed to by Ambassador Rafiki and Ovjetah Heliot."
"No."
Another cough. "No?"
"Nikos Eklissia, circumstances have changed since that document was written. Many have died, and my friend Heliot Vant has been murdered. There will be no limits upon the subject matter of the negotiations."
"That is impossible, Tora Soam."
"You do not have the power to change your position?"
I must consult With Ambassador Rafiki, and our gov-"
Nicole heard Tora Soam stand. "Then we have nothing more to discuss. My assistant will remain to arrange a meeting for when, there is something to discuss."
Tora Soam’s footsteps marched away from the table and out of the compartment. There was a long pause, then one of the humans stood. I’ll be damned if… talk to her, Colonel, and make the arrangements."
Nicole heard Nikos Eklissia’s footsteps march from the compartment; and after a long moment, Colonel Moore’s chuckle came from the other side of the table. "Your boss likes to hang tough, Nicole."
Nicole nodded and released her Blade of Aydan as she clasped her hands together. "And your boss is a wimp."
"I see we’re going to get along just fine. Out of curiosity, why are you working for the Dracs?"
"I’m not. I’m working for peace. What are you working for, Moore?"
There were the sounds of fingers drumming upon the table. The sounds stopped. "You’re blind."
"Sightless, but not blind."
"Hmmm. Well, I hope you can see this. The two negotiation teams have been hammering out the terms of this treaty for a long time. It would be signed and in effect right now, except for the Dracs breaking off everything because Heliot died. We don’t want to start over from the beginning."
"Colonel Moore, I can’t possibly explain to you the meaning of Heliot Vant’s death. However, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. I can assure you that the Dracon Chamber is both willing and able to resume the war. In addition, the Chamber and the Drac negotiating team will follow Tora Soam’s recommendations."
"When should they meet again ?"
"As soon as your team has the power to make decisions and agrees to take the limits off of the negotiations."
The sounds of fingered drumming again started; then stopped. "What’s it going for nowadays, Nicole?"
"What’s what going for?"
"Treason."
She had been waiting for the question; the same question that she had asked Mitzak a thousand years ago. Countless responses competed for the use of her tongue; but in the end she could do no more than Mitzak had done. She laughed.
Later, seated in Tora Soam’s quarters next to Kia, Joanne Nicole listened as Mitzak put his conclusions before the Ovjetah. "According to the commander of the Tsien Denvedah security complement, Fourth Officer Hajjis Da, the night before the signing ceremony Heliot Vant and Ana Rafiki met informally in Heliot’s quarters. Rafiki had brought with her a bottle of bourbon-"
"Explain."
"It is a beverage containing a form of the drug alcohol. Tests showed that Heliot’s portion of the beverage contained the poison. There were no traces of the poison either in the bottle or in ambassador Rafiki’s portion of the beverage."
"Emmmm. A question, Nicole?"
"Yes. Mitzak, who poured the drinks, and where?"
"According to Hajjis Da’s interview with Na Chanji, Heliot’s duty guard, Rafiki’s duty guard poured the drinks in the galley immediately off of Heliot’s quarters. Na Chanji observed the human guard do this. Then Na Chanji carried the drinks into Heliot’s quarters."
Nicole frowned. "The glasses-containers-who provided them?"
"The containers came from Heliot Vant’s galley."
Nicole nodded. "Go ahead."
"Hajjis Da concludes that there were only four who could have administered the poison to Heliot Vant. The first is Ambassador Rafiki."
Tora Soam grunted. "The news has just been announced that Rafiki is being recalled by her government. The next Mitzak."
"Next there is Heliot Vant’s duty guard, Na Chanji. Na Chanji is dead-a suicide that took place shortly after the security commander interviewed it."
Nicole faced Tora Soam’s direction. "That could indicate guilt, remorse -"
"-Or sorrow. Go ahead, Mitzak."
"Next is Ambassador Rafiki’s duty guard, Ivor Kroag. He was a military police private with the USE Force." Mitzak was silent for a moment. "Kroag was transferred to the USE Forces stationed on Amadeen eight days before we arrived. He was reported killed on DMZ duty three days ago."
"And the fourth?"
"The fourth, Ovjetah, is Heliot Vant, itself. A suicide."
Kia spoke: "Probability laughs at you, Mitzak."
"I agree, Tora Kia; but possibility is another matter."
No one spoke as Tora Soam stood. Its footsteps moved about the compartment for a moment, then stopped. "Mitzak does the interview with the human duty guard agree with Na Chanji’s interview?"
"I don’t know. Drac security was never allowed access to Kroag. In the same manner, the commander of the USEF military police on the orbiter was not allowed access to Na Chanji."
Tora Soam’s footsteps began again. "Each player hides its pieces of the puzzle from the other. This is of interest, since each side’s behavior presumes the possibility of its own guilt. Yes, Mitzak?"
"Ovjetah, this parallel security organization rulebounds the investigation."
"Yes. That is obvious. Emmmm, let us construct the beginnings of a talma that will allow the investigation some movement." The footsteps stopped. "Nicole?"
"Yes?"
"Has the next meeting been arranged?"
"Moore and I settled on three days from today, providing the conditions you demanded have been met."
"Good. There are two additional conditions. In return for like cooperation from the Drac security team, the USEF military police must make its investigative materials and results concerning the death of Heliot Vant available to Fourth Officer Hajjis Da."
"I understand. And the second condition?"