A split second of incomprehension was followed by a rush of heat in his face. “No-no, she’s not my mate.” Caine resolved to avoid looking at her, to remain unaware of her reaction.
Yaargraukh looked surprised. “No?”
“No.”
Yaargraukh’s tongue darted out, wiggled.
“What causes you to-smile?”
“Your answer. I saw her feed you, and you she: this was not merely honoring each other.”
“I assure you: she is not my mate.”
Yaargraukh’s tongue swished once. “Not yet, perhaps. I must go: I will share much of our conversation with my delegation. They will be-interested-I am sure. I believe they will also agree to reciprocate this feast, perhaps as early as tomorrow.”
Caine bowed. “They would do us much honor.”
“They would not mean to, not precisely. But it would be a start.” He turned to look for Elena; she was gone. “My words: did they-? Caine: I meant no insult to your fema-to the woman.”
“I’m sure none was taken. Elena is very busy this evening; look, she left your plate and your drink.”
Yaargraukh picked up the human dishware-like a child’s in his massive hands-and focused on something over Caine’s shoulder. “Another of your guests would speak with you. I shall withdraw. Until tomorrow.” Caine nodded in response, turned-
— and found himself face to face with a water heater on wheels.
Chapter Forty-Seven
ODYSSEUS
Caine stared at the Ktoran environmental tank. Wondered when they’d get around to chasing me down. But he said: “Greetings. I am sorry, but since your tanks are identical, I have no way of knowing who you-”
“Of course. It is I, Wise-Speech-of-Pseudopodia. I thank you for your invitation to this gathering, Spokesperson Riordan: it is quite pleasant. And my thanks go to you as well, Ambassador.”
Caine turned: Visser had approached from behind, with Wasserman and Durniak in tow. “Our pleasure, Wise-Speech-of-Pseudopodia. We are sorry that we had no way of knowing what foodstuffs you might enjoy.”
“Do not be troubled. Ktoran biochemistry is radically different, so rather than share food this evening, we must take our pleasure in the sharing of ideas. And information.”
A baited hook, trailed in deep water. Caine nodded: “Those are, after all, the lifeblood of diplomacy.”
“Well put, Mr. Riordan. May I express my appreciation of your professionalism-all of you-during today’s rather trying proceedings. It was not what you were expecting, I am sure.”
Downing’s voice arose from the other side of Wise-Speech. “I’ll allow that it was a bit of a surprise.”
“Yes. We-the Ktor delegation-feared that this might arise. Particularly when we perused your dossier: the question of whether your World Confederation ensures universal representation provided the Arat Kur with a serviceable point of disputation.”
Visser folded her arms. “Apologies, Wise-Speech-of-Pseudopodia, but I was not under the impression that the Ktor were sympathetic to the objections of the Arat Kur.”
“Indeed, we are not. Please: do not misconstrue my comments as suggesting that you are without grounds for claiming authority over your worlds. As you will come to know, Ktor can hardly be called a state or polity at all. We despair of the homogeneity of intent and action that seems to be the legitimizing desideratum for other races. Yet this does not stop us from claiming a practical authority over those systems in which we exert primary influence.”
“I see-but then what is your point?”
“Merely this: when sovereign states insist upon deriving their authority from the consent of the governed, troubling inconsistencies inevitably arise. Indeed, the model of rulership through nation-states seems to be in disarray, and therefore in decline, everywhere-even on Earth.”
Wasserman slipped into the group. “Just what do you mean by that?”
“Consider the difficulty your Confederation has in claiming that it is adequately representative. Even if the challenges recently presented by Indonesia’s call for a sixth bloc are only half-hearted, other nations-particularly those of the Pan-Islamic sphere and Africa-have started entering into agreements that challenge the legal boundaries between national and corporate states. For instance, as we understand your laws, CoDevCo’s recent land purchases now allow it to claim nationhood.”
Caine did some fast current-events mathematics: how long ago had CoDevCo made those purchases? The answer came back quickly: the Ktor could not have gained that information through legal means.
Durniak was looking down her nose at the beaded sides of the life-support canister. “CoDevCo was ceded small wastelands in Namibia, Yemen, Uzbekistan and one island in Pacific Ocean, belonging to Borneo. This makes it a nation?”
“Ms. Durniak, what determines the right of statehood, of sovereignty? Does the right vest in ownership of terrain? If this is the primary criterion-and it does seem to be central to all Earth’s legal definitions-then how is CoDevCo not a nation? Its lands-whatever you may think of the areas and the means whereby they were acquired-are not held through a lease, nor as a loan.”
“And you’re telling me that in your opinion-or that of the Ktor-this makes CoDevCo a national entity?”
The water tank rotated slightly in Wasserman’s direction. “Please be calmed. I have not the temerity to attempt to tell you anything. It is time that will tell you and your people what all this means. But it is evident to us that this matter is already stimulating major debates over the definition of statehood.”
“Perhaps, but a company can’t simply buy itself statehood, just by permanently acquiring a tract of land.”
“If its employees elect to be its citizens, what is to prevent CoDevCo from claiming precisely this?”
“Well, those employees can’t be said to be participating in their own governance. And even if we were to ignore that, how is a corporate board a government?”
“How is it not? The UN and World Court recognize monarchies and dictatorships as nations: why not a corporation? Furthermore, unlike autocracies, the corporation recognizes private property, and even has a representative dimension.”
Visser frowned. “What kind of representation are you talking about?”
“Shareholder meetings-particularly if all employees are given the option to take part of their pay or benefits as company stock.”
“Okay,” conceded Wasserman, “but then the right to vote isn’t inalienable: it’s a commodity.”
“According to our very limited observation, it seems that, for much of your world’s population, this distinction would be a quibble at best, a sophistry at worst. A vote is a vote: its philosophical validation is of little importance to the overwhelming majority of those who are vested with that small share of political power.”
Durniak’s voice was decidedly hostile. “So you would urge us to recognize CoDevCo as a nation?”
“We are indifferent to the outcome. We merely note that the unanimity of will that you propose as the validation for your World Confederation is not so unanimous after all. And I am less than certain that CoDevCo is genuinely interested in being recognized as a nation-state. Indeed, I speculate that the megacorporations do not wish to become nations themselves: they merely wish to exert more influence over the international blocs.”
“Or maybe control them.”
Wise-Speech rotated back toward Caine. “Perhaps. I cannot comment on such a precise and detailed speculation.”
Caine smiled slowly. “Strange, since you seem to be well-informed on the precise details of our other political issues.”
“In addition to the Custodial report and the reference you provided yesterday, we have long been attentive to your omnidirectional broadcasts. They have provided us with a most stimulating perspective on your species-”
Nice dodge-and pure bullshit. Parthenon was only six months ago, but you’re dozens of light-years away. However “stimulating” our news might be, it still doesn’t travel faster than the speed of light…