He’s already working on a problem for me. Stationmaster Tillington stated that Captain Sabin was behind Cajeiri’s meeting the human children, and that she made a private deal with the Reunioners. It implies an attempt at overthrowing Captain Ogun and overthrowing Mospheiran authority on the station with, by implication, atevi standing by idle. This accusation has implications involving my integrity, Sabin’s, and considerably beyond. I leave it to you to imagine. Whether or not Tillington has any concept what he has set in motion, he has to be replaced, and I’ve contacted Shawn with that request. But with this new event his replacement and repair of the damage has just become urgent.
I suspect Shawn’s silence after my request means he’s encountering some political resistance regarding the Tillington situation. You may know that better than I do. But now there’s no leeway left in the situation and Tillington’s presence is a problem. We can’t have him and Braddock going to war in the middle of this situation, not to mention the atevi reaction if those provocative statements get out—and we have, with luck, fifteen days to settle this.
Tillington needs to be removed immediately and replaced with someone who can take definitive charge of Mospheiran operations without an argument. Once the Mospheirans settle, then the captains can do something about Braddock, on the other side of the line.
If you can call Shawn securely from where you are, tell him. Jaishan’s equipment is at your disposal. If that’s not possible, take Jaishan and courier that message over there yourself. But if you can do it otherwise, stay put so you can serve as paidhi-aiji in my absence. Love you, brother. Wish we could have had that holiday.
Wish us luck.
Second piece of paper.
He wrote, furiously, also in Mosphei’:
Mr. President, this information is critical beyond any communication I have ever sent you. An unidentified ship is now in the solar system. We believe it is kyo. This arrival is known only to a few as yet: myself, my brother, the ship captains, Lord Geigi, the aiji-dowager, and Tabini-aiji. We hope Tillington does not know. We will delay releasing the information to the public below and aloft until we organize a response, and we hope to delay release of that information until Tillington’s replacement is in charge.
I have delayed our next shuttle launch. Five days from now I shall be going up to the station with the aiji-dowager and the aiji’s heir to take charge of contact with these visitors. We are the persons the kyo dealt with last time, and we wish to take up our dealing with them exactly where we left it in the hope of achieving a peaceful dialogue.
This event has made the Tillington situation extremely delicate. If the dowager officially hears about his statement regarding the young gentleman, the political consequences will be dire, and if the information reaches the atevi community aloft it will be politically necessary for the dowager to take measures.
In the strongest possible terms, I again request his immediate removal as Stationmaster, and his replacement by someone carrying Presidential authority during this critical meeting. I strongly suggest Kate Shugart for that role. She has high credibility with the Mospheiran workers. She knows the technicalities, she knows the systems, and she would be an asset to my mission.
The kyo ETA is fifteen days at their current rate of approach, which could change considerably in either direction. Again, I cannot stress strongly enough, the kyo must not see evidence of conflict among us.
If your shuttle launch can configure for passengers and go on your original schedule you will arrive right behind us.
The Mospheiran shuttle launch usually followed an atevi launch by a margin that gave the atevi shuttle ample time to offload, clear the small docking area, and move over into the service dock. That meant that his delaying the atevi shuttle five days would automatically delay the Mospheiran launch by an equal time—unless Shawn gave orders to the contrary.
I will try to avoid confrontation with Tillington until his replacement arrives. Once Tillington’s agitation is removed, the ship-folk can then deal with Braddock and I will be urging them to do so. A human quarrel in front of the kyo could be disastrous, casting doubt on what we assured them was a firm alliance.
Toby took storm damage at sea. He’s at my estate at the moment. His antenna is gone, but Jaishan’s is fine. He has lines open at Najida that can reach the aiji. Please use them at need. I have gained him permission to stay in place as long as he wishes, and respectfully suggest he could be valuable there.
I will attempt to hasten the departure of the atevi shuttle to clear the bay for your early arrival.
Be assured I shall do my best to communicate with our visitors and to secure a peaceful and productive meeting.
It might not be the most coherent letter he had ever written, and it intruded into business which, since he was no longer operating under presidential orders himself, was no longer his business. But it was critical he make it clear: they had to get Tillington out. Fast.
· · ·
The exchange of couriers necessitated one more phone call to Mospheira, one more phone call to Shawn’s office.
Shawn, it developed, was at a committee meeting.
“I have to talk to him,” he said to the aide who took the call. “It’s fast.” And gratifyingly quickly, he had Shawn on the line.
“Bren?”
“Shawn, more than the previous matter. It’s critical. Courier. Charter jet. Please.”
“Done,” Shawn said.
“That’s it,” he said. “All I can say.”
“Understood,” Shawn said, and Bren hung up the phone—then carefully put the two letters to be couriered into distinctive cylinders, sealed them with wax and his imprint, then reached for the bell-pull and called Narani.
“This one,” he said of the unsealed message, “must go right now to the Messengers, in an initial answer to my brother’s letter, telling him to await a courier. The other,” he said, handing Narani the second, more ornate cylinder, under his personal seal, and bearing flowers carved in sea-ivory, “staff must physically courier to Najida, this hour, by charter. It explains everything to nand’ Toby in plain words and sets him to stay in position to keep the Presidenta in communication with the aiji. I need a courier who will not delay, attract attention, or make any mistakes. That person must get this cylinder into nand’ Toby’s hands personally. That person may then relax and stay a few days at his leisure. Ramaso can send one of his staff back here with any reply. Speed, Rani-ji, and extreme secrecy, is of the essence. The courier will also be carrying orders for Ramaso and an emergency permission for my brother’s presence on the mainland. Please put those together for me. That will be the cover story when we engage the Red Train for the spaceport. Use completely ordinary procedures on the steel cylinder. It goes to the Messengers’ Guild, to transmit to Toby within the hour. It will lead him to expect our couriered message to follow.”
“Nandi. One understands.”
“This one,” he said, regarding the second sealed cylinder, a distinctive one with sea-creatures, “goes to the Presidenta. A charter jet is probably leaving within the half hour, bringing the Presidenta’s courier to us, and two of my aishid should meet that plane to hand on this cylinder, so that there are no delays whatsoever.”