Dorothy Dwardie, Dr. Hessian, and the other members of the Botany Management Board, including Worry, took their places on the platform, so this time judge Iri Bempechat was last in, raising his gavel, preparatory to starting the meeting. A respectful silence fell over the hall.
"As you know, Zainal and his exploratory crew have safely re-turned and our coffee mugs are full. He wishes to explain in detail what occurred and why. Please give him your complete attention."
Zainal did not go up on the platform but faced the audience on their level.
"We did well, but not as well as I led you to believe we would," he said and was surprised when someone booed.
"You got back, you brought us coffee and a whole raft of materi- als we can't get anywhere else, Zainal. What's your problem with that?" It was Worry who had spoken, and Kris was relieved that it had not been one of the more vocal detractors.
"Sally Stoffers has a record of what I traded the Botany resources for," Zainal said, pointing at Sally in the audience.
"He did real good, folks. We all did. Got quite handy with bar-gaining, even when those Barevian merchants were being damned stingy."
Zainal gave her a grateful nod for her comment.
"I didn't do as much as I promised you I would and could." He was not apologizing, Kris realized, but explaining. "Barevi's a different world now than the one I knew"
"Yeah, they lost the war."
"That isn't what I meant," Zainal replied, exasperated and possi-bly unable to explain what was prompting him to make this confes-sion. "Though on balance, I think your planet has made the better adjustment."
"Good for Earth!" Someone hoisted a clenched fist skyward in an old gesture of supremacy.
"Botany is in an extraordinary situation," Zainal went on. "Both worlds are at a crossroads, I think. I know" Kris could see his chest rise as he took a deep breath. "I would like to think that we can do more: both for Earth, your planet, and for mine."
"Invade them?" someone called.
"The Eosi were manipulative and: and evil," Zainal said. "They perverted my world and subjugated many more. Many more." "That's their problem."
"No, it is ours as well. We inhabit the same galaxy. There is more we can do to assist recovery on your own world. I would like to have the same discretion to help mine: and ours!" He hurried on lest someone interrupt him. "The Botany Space Force would be in-valuable to both worlds, or I should say, all three, including Barevi."
"Mike?" Kris said, pointing in the direction of the men. "Practical spe-cialists like agrarians to see what Terran things, like potatoes, would do well here and what might be sent back to Earth to be propagated."
"And a dentist. With his equipment. Where is Eric Sachs?"
"Doing a very good business on Barevi. He didn't care to desert his patients at short notice."
"We'll pick him up on our next visit," Kris remarked, though she wondered if they would repatriate the ebullient Dr. Sachs.
"I'm sure we need time to discuss the details of these ideas," Judge Iri said, banging his gavel so he could be heard, "but let us be re-solved, here and now, to do what we can to relieve Earth's problems as best we can and to try to establish harmonious relationships with the Catteni government and the Barevi merchants. What say you?" There was a roar of approval, much stamping of feet, and loud ap-plause.
"You're stuck with it, Zainal," the judge said, with a tap on Zainal's shoulder for the work that he had cut out for himself. "You asked for it. You got it."
Kris rushed forward, ahead of the crowd, to hug Zainal, who was now grinning widely with relief.
Maybe this exceptional man could indeed manage the feats he had promoted himself for. He returned her embrace, not embarrassed to be seen displaying such an un-Catteni demonstration of affection. "I dropped, I stay."