"That seems reasonable."
"We also wanted to send a team to Brumal to investigate this claim of our complicity with the Brumallians in the death of the Consul Assessor. We suggested that this team be provided by GDS, but of course needed Parliament to grant us permission to do this, since we would be entering Fleet-controlled space."
"This request was presented to Parliament?"
"Yes, but only minutes before Fleet had suggested using one of their own transports, crewed by their own people, for the same purpose. Paranoia is running high at present, so both ideas were kicked out and now Parliament is wrangling over a compromise."
"Such is politics."
"Yes, and meanwhile Fleet is bringing all its capital ships towards Sudoria."
"And this concerns you?"
"Fleet are deliberately sowing discord and suspicion. We feel their ultimate aim is to seize control of the defence platforms, either through Parliament or by force. It has also been mooted by some parties that Orbital Combine can no longer be trusted with projects critical to Sudoria, like the study of the Worm."
Duras sighed and shook his head. "In the past," he said, "a hilldigger was placed on Corisanthe Watch, ready to destroy the station should its captive become a danger. In recent years that watch has been in essence merely traditional, since you and I both know that a lone hilldigger is now incapable of destroying Corisanthe Main."
"True."
"I must consult with my colleagues and with Parliament entire. Until such a time as we come to some decisions on this, I am presuming you can defend yourselves?"
"We can."
"It has been good speaking to you, Director Gneiss. Let us hope all this can be resolved without further bloodshed."
Gneiss inclined his head once, just before Duras cut the communication. Now the Chairman turned towards Yishna. "So, what do you think are your brother's intentions?"
Yishna sat back in her chair. "I no longer know my brother's mind, but I do know what he is capable of. It was convenient, don't you think, that the first main casualty of this crisis was the Consul Assessor, who was a possible threat to Fleet power, and that the next two were Carnasus and Dravenik, both of whom stood between Harald himself and the position of Admiral."
"Under emergency powers he has now seized that position," said Duras, "but that will still have to be ratified by the other Captains."
"If Harald seized power, that means he is capable of holding onto it, believe me."
"So you think this crisis to be limited to Harald's ambitions in Fleet?"
"No, like me, Harald does not want power for its own sake—he only wants it if he has a definite use for it. He has always been attracted to Fleet, and the idea of Fleet, and seeing it rendered impotent must gnaw at him. I suspect he's preparing to destroy Orbital Combine—so as to make Fleet the ascendant power, beyond Sudoria."
"But then what would he do with that power?"
Yishna bowed her head and considered. She felt sure Harald's aims were inward-looking—power and control within the system—but could see nothing beyond that. "I really don't know."
"Control of Sudoria itself?" Duras suggested.
"That seems logical, but I just don't see it as being of any real interest to him."
Duras frowned. "In three days we should arrive there, but I wonder if Fleet will even let us pass through." He stared at her directly. "You realise that which side actually caused these events is of little matter. That one of them wants conflict means there will be conflict, and there is very little Parliament can do about it."
"Yes, I realise that."
McCrooger
The other quofarl I named Flog. This name seemed appropriate because of its similarity in sound and meaning to his tank twin's name, Slog.
"I am not so sure that having two quofarl bodyguards just for me would go down very well on Sudoria," I suggested. There had been no Brumallians on Sudoria ever since the War, and even those encountered there during the War had not been seen often, since they were prisoners.
"You misunderstand me," said Lily. She pointed to the heavy chest containing all the evidence the Brumallians had collected. "They will accompany you at all times solely to carry the evidence."
With that, Slog and Flog hoisted up the chest and headed for the door.
Turning towards Rhodane, Lily added, "You, of course, will be going with him."
"I rather suspected that," said Rhodane, adding with a hint of bitterness, "You need a Sudorian on your side to add some veracity."
I felt this to be a distraction from my own point. "Excuse me, I did not misunderstand you about the bodyguard thing. I am quite capable of reading the subtext of your communications."
Lily hissed and rattled her mandibles. "It is the will of the Consensus that you be protected. Should Brumallians arrive at Sudoria with all this evidence, without one of your standing aboard, it is unlikely we would even be allowed to land—even with a Sudorian aboard." She gave a glance of acknowledgement to Rhodane. "Also, without you, it is unlikely we could get it to the direct attention of the Sudorian Parliament."
I decided to accept gracefully—mortal thoughts again—and followed the two quofarl from the room.
I still hadn't quite located where we now were in ReconYork. To begin with I had not expected so long a journey from the holding barge to the city head, and now wondered where we must go to reach that place where the spaceships were stored. This particular room opened onto a stair leading down the side of the central cylinder, and I stood for a moment wondering whether I was meant to climb or descend.
"We go up," said Rhodane, divining my indecision. "A workable vessel has apparently been moved to the surface." She added, "Fast work—I myself never got anything done so quickly." This then must have been the substance of one of her earlier conversations with Lily while I was studying the evidence.
"Perhaps their heart wasn't really in it," I suggested.
"Most certainly."
We climbed side by side, with the quofarl traipsing along behind.
"I thought he—"
"— was dangerous—"
"— and strong," muttered Slog and Flog.
I glanced back.
"Polity Consul Assessors don't—" began Slog.
"— have to carry their own luggage," finished Flog.
I turned and signed to them, "It's not my bloody luggage—it's all of yours." I finished with a gesture to encompass all of Brumal.
Their words descended into an indistinct grumbling and mandibular scraping.
As we ascended further, other Brumallians began to join us, many of them lugging bags and cases. Their conversation ran fast and excited, and I very often found it difficult to understand those few snatches that were audible, but surmised that this lot were the crew of the spaceship we were heading for. I also felt a strange kind of locus, a sense of those around me separating as a kind of encystment from the rest of the population. I was beginning to pick up the undercurrents and the feel of this society, yet now I was leaving it. I decided then, if I survived, to return here and learn more.
I assumed the top of this cavern was also the top of ReconYork, with open air just above, but I was very much mistaken. The stairway wound up through the few hundred feet of rock of the roof, then we left it through an arch leading into the base of yet another cavern. From there we traversed a pathway of crushed shell to a canal edge, where a barge awaited. Whilst the large group of Brumallians that had joined us clambered aboard, I gazed around wondering if this part of the city was the one I had first entered. No way I could tell. Finally we boarded and moved to the foredeck where a helmsman sat behind a triangular helm and archaic-looking controls.