"No, it's not," Pritchart agreed quietly.
"Well," Elizabeth smiled with very little humor at all, "at least I can feel confident now that you'll keep the Republican Navy off our backs long enough for us to deal with this Admiral Filareta."
"Actually," Pritchard said, "I had something else in mind."
"Something else?" Elizabeth's eyebrows rose.
"Your Majesty—Elizabeth—the Mesan Alignment wants both of us destroyed, starting with the Star Empire. I don't know if it honestly believes the SLN can do the job where you're concerned, or if it was anticipating we'd do it when we recognized the opportunity it had given us. But it doesn't really matter. What matters is that this Solarian attack on you is simply one more step in a strategy directed against both of us. So I think something a bit more pointed than simply stopping shooting at each other might be in order."
"Such as?" Elizabeth asked slowly, eyes slitted in concentration.
"I understand your missile production facilities have been taken off-line," Pritchart said. "Tom here tells me you've undoubtedly got enough of those ungodly super missiles in your magazines to thoroughly kick the ass of this Filareta if he really insists on following his orders. But that's going to cut into your reserves, and given that the Alignment managed to rip the hell out of your home system, I think it would be a good idea for you to conserve as much ammunition as you can in hopes we'll find someone a bit better suited to playing the role of target."
"And?" Elizabeth's eyes were opening wider in speculation.
"Well, it just happens that Thomas here has a modest little fleet—two or three hundred of the wall, I believe—waiting approximately eight hours from Trevor's Star in hyper. If you're willing to trust us in Manticoran space, perhaps we could help you encourage Filareta to see reason. And while I'm well aware our hardware isn't as good as yours , every indication I've seen is that it's one hell of a lot better than anything the Sollies have."
"Are you offering me a military alliance against the Solarian League? " Elizabeth asked very carefully.
"If McBryde was right, there isn't going to be much of a Solarian League very much longer," Pritchart replied grimly. "And given the fact that the same bunch of murderous bastards who shot up your home system are also directly responsible for you and I having killed a couple of million of our own people, I think we could say we have a certain commonality of interest where they're concerned. And it's not a case of selfless altruism on my part, you know. We're both on the Alignment's list. Don't you think it would be sort of stupid of either of us to let the other one go down and leave us all alone?"
Brown eyes and topaz met across a table littered with the remnants of breakfast, and it was very, very quiet.
"We're still going to have those problems, you know," Elizabeth said almost conversationally after a moment. "All those people on both sides who don't like each other. All that legacy of suspicion."
"Of course." Pritchart nodded.
"And then there's the little matter of figuring out where this Alignment's real headquarters is, and who else is fronting for it, and what other weapons it has, and where else it has programmed assassins tucked away, and exactly what it's got in mind for the Republic once the Star Empire's been polished off."
"True."
"And, now that I think about it, there's the question of how we're going to rebuild our capabilities here, and how much technology sharing—and how quickly—we can convince our separate navies and our allies to put up with. You know there's going to be heel-dragging and tantrum-throwing the minute I start suggesting anything like that!"
"I'm sure there will."
The two women looked at one another, and then, slowly, both of them began to smile.
"What the hell," Elizabeth Winton said. "I've always liked a good challenge."
She extended her hand across the table.
Pritchart took it.
Characters
Abercrombie, Sir Tyler
Home Secretary, Star Kingdom of Manticore.
Abrioux, Special Senior Inspector Danielle
one of Kevin Usher's top investigators, Federal Investigation Agency, Republic of Haven.
Adenauer, Commander Dominica Adenauer, Royal Manticoran Navy
operations officer, Tenth Fleet.
Adriopoulos, Commander Alexandros, Royal Manticoran Navy
commodore James Tanner's chief of staff.
Agnelli, Chief Steward Joanna, Royal Manticoran Navy
Sir Aivars Terekhov's personal steward.
Alexander, The Honorable William
Baron Grantville, Prime Minister of the Star Empire of Manticore; Hamish Alexander-Harrington's younger brother.
Alexander-Harrington, Admiral Hamish
Earl of White Haven; First Lord of Admiralty; husband of Emily and Honor Alexander-Harrington.
Alexander-Harrington, Admiral Lady Dame Honor, Royal Manticoran Navy, Grayson Space Navy
Duchess and Steadholder Harrington; CO, Eighth Fleet. Life of Hamish and Emily Alexander-Harrington. Special envoy to the Republic of Haven.
Alexander-Harrington, Lady Emily
Countess of White Haven; wife of Hamish and Honor Alexander-Harrington.
Alquezar, Joachim
Prime Minister, Talbott Quadrant.
Anisimovna, Aldona
senior operative for Mesan Strategy Council and Mesan Alignment.
Armstrong, Captain Veronica ("Vicki"), Royal Manticoran Navy
CO, HMS Artemis; Admiral Michelle Henke's flag captain.
Atkins, Corporal Joshua, Harrington Steadholder's Guard
one of Honor Alexander-Harrington's personal armsmen.
Attunga, Marguerite
a reporter for Manticoran News Service, Incorporated.
Bardasano, Isabel
Jessyk Combine cadet board member and senior director Mesan Alignment security services.
Barloi, Henrietta
Secretary of Technology, Republic of Haven.
Bautista, Vice Admiral Pйpй, Solarian League Navy
Fleet Admiral Sandra Crandall's chief of staff.
Beauprй, Lieutenant (JG) Andre, Republic of Haven Navy
Admiral Thomas Theisman's personal shuttle pilot.
Belardinelli, Antoine
President Eloise Pritchart's senior secretary.
Berkeley, Lieutenant (SG) Anthony, Royal Manticoran Navy
assigned Manufacturing and Prototyping Command, HMSS Weyland.
Billingsley, Master Steward Chris, Royal Manticoran Navy
Michelle Henke's personal steward.
Blackett, Sergeant Luke, Harrington Steadholder's Guard
James Harrington's personal armsman.
Blaine, Vice Admiral Jessup, Royal Manticoran Navy
CO, Links Terminus Home Fleet detachment.
Boisvin, Lieutenant Йdouard, Royal Manticoran Navy
XO, HMS Stevedore.
Boltitz, Helga
Henri Krietzmann's personal aide.
Borderwijk, Captain Alenka, Republic of Haven Navy
Admiral Thomas Theisman's senior aide.
Bouchard, Lieutenant Commander Jerod, Royal Manticoran Navy
astrogator, HMS Artemis.