That meant it was wiser to leave Jacques in office for as long as the two-year rule made him unassailablewhile Gorodinthe health rumors were not fabricated this timeused what time he had to groom a successor of his own . . . because the one thing no one believed was that Gorodin would last the full two years.
A successor whom of course Jacques was going to support. Like hell. Jacques knew himself a figurehead, knew his own financial fortunes were solidly linked with Centrist-linked firms, and the next two years were going to be fierce infighting inside Defense, while Khalid, stripped of his Intelligence post, still had pull enough in the military system to be worrisome. The estimate was that Lu, tainted with the administrative decisions Gorodin's war record to some extent let him survive, had a reputation for side-shifting that did not serve him well in an elected post; and he was old, very old, as it was.
"We're running out of war heroes," Abban said. "Doubtful if Gorodin can find any of that generation fit to serve. This new electorateI'm not sure they respond to the old issues. That's the trouble."
Seventy years since the warand the obits of famous names were getting depressingly frequent.
"These young hawks," Giraud said, "they're not an issue, they're a mindset. They're pessimistic, they believe in worst-cases, they feel safe only on the side of perceived strength. Khalid worries me more as an agitator than as a single-electorate hero. He appeals to that typeto the worriers of all electorates, not just the ones who happen to be in Defense. It's always after warsin times of confusionor economic low spots, exactly the kind of thing a clever operator like Khalid can find a base in. There are alarming precedents. Lu would be the best for the seat, still the best for the seat and the best for the timesbut this damned electorate won't vote for a man who tells them there are four and five sides to a question. There's too much uncertainty. The electorate doesn't want the truth, it wants answers in line with their thinking."
"One could," Abban said, "simply take a direct solution. I don't understand civs, I especially don't understand civ CITs. In this case the law isn't working. It's insanity to go on following it. Eliminate the problem quietly. Then restore the law." Abban was a little buzzed. "Take this man Khalid out. I could do it. And no one would find me out."
"A dangerous precedent."
"So is losingdangerous to your cause."
"No. Politics works. When the Expansionists look strong, these pessimist types vote Expansionist. And they'll turn. We had them once. We can have them again."
"When?" Abban asked.
"We will. I'll tell you: Denys is right. Young Ari's image has been altogether too sweet." Abban's glass was empty. He filled Abban's and topped off his, finishing the bottle. "When our girl took into Khalid in front of the camerasthat threw a lot of Khalid's believers completely off their balance, but you mark me, they blamed the media. Remember they always believe in conspiracies. They weren't willing to accept Ari as anything solidas anything that can guarantee their future. And won't, until she makes them believe it."
"Which alienates the doves."
"Oh, yes. When she went in front of those cameras head to head with Khalidit was damned dangerous. She pulled it offbut there was a downside. I argued with Denys. Her insistence on bringing Gehenna out public againI'm sure inflamed the hawks and scared the hell out of a few dovesenough to bring the Paxers out in force. She may have attracted the few peace-pushers who aren't more scared of her than him, and may have lost him a few of his, but she didn't gain any of his people. It's Gorodin they're re-electing. Gorodin's an old name, a safe name. They're not about to go with a young girl's opinion. Not the worry-addicts."
More figures ticked by. Widening margin, Jacques' favor.
"I'll tell you what worries me," Giraud said, finally. "Young Warrick. He's going to be very hard to hold. How's our man doingthe one with the Planys contact?"
"Proceeding."
"We document it, we find some convenient link to the Rocher gang or the Paxers and that's all we need. Or we create one. I want you to look into that."
"Good."
"We need to leave the Centrists with very embarrassing ties There have to be ties. That will keep Corain busy. And keep young Warrick quiet, if he has any sense at all."
"Direct solutions there are just as possible," Abban said.
"Oh, no. Jordie Warrick himself can be quite a help. We keep putting off the travel passes. Start a security scandal at Planys airport. That should do. Leak the business about young Warrick going on rejuv. Our Jordie's damned clever. Just keep the pressure on, and he'll get recklesshe'll throw something to the Centrists; and our man just funnels it straight to the Paxers. Then we just turn the lights onand watch them run for cover."
"And young Warrick?"
"Denys wants to salvage him. I think it's lunacy. At least he took my advicehi the case we have a problem. The Paxers have handed us a beautiful issue. The doves hate them because they're violentthe hawks hate them for the lunacy they stand for. Let our Ari discover the Paxers are plotting to kill her, and that Jordan Warrick is involved with them; and watch those instincts turn on in a hurry. Watch her image shift thenon an issue of civil violence and plots. Absolutely the thing we need. Attract the peace-party and the hawksand cultivate enemies that can only do her political good."
"Mark me, young Warrick is a danger in that scenario."
"Ah. But we've been very concerned with his welfare. Planning for his long life. Giving him rejuv puts that all on record, doesn't it? And if Ari's threatenedshe'll react. If Jordan's threatenedso will young Warrick jump. You give me the incident I need, and watch the pieces fall. And watch our young woman learn a valuable lesson." A moment he stared at the screen and sipped at the wine. "I'll tell you, Abban: you know this: she matters to me. She's my concern. Reseune is. Damned if Jordie Warrick's son is going to have a voice in either. Damned if he is."
Cyteen Station results flashed up, lopsided. "That's it," Abban said. "He's got it now."
"Absolutely. I told you. Jacques is in."
xiv
Catlin brought sera coffee in the home office, while sera was feeding the guppies in the little tank she had moved in from the garden-roomsera was quite, quite calm, doing that: it seemed to make her calm, sometimes, a sort of focus-down. Catlin could figure that. She also knew that it was a bad time, sera was waiting for answers from a protest she had filed with Administration; seraoutward evidence to the contrarywas in a terrible temper, not the time that Catlin wanted at all to deal with her. But she tried.
"Thank you," sera said, taking the mug and setting it on the edge of the desk, and fussing with the net and a bit of floating weed.
Sera never even looked her way. After a while Catlin decided sera was deliberately ignoring her, or was just thinking hard, and turned and walked out again.