Some BMs, notably Cailetet, did more than just decline.
Cailetet had long been a peculiar rogue among Martian BMs. Originally a Lunar BM, it had extended a branch to Mars at the beginning of the twenty-second century, and that branch had kept strong ties with Moon and Earth. Cailetet grew faster than many Binding Multiples in those days, infused with cash from the Moon and Earth. Eventually, as the Moon was folded in Earth’s arms, Cailetet became a speaker for Earth’s concerns. For a time, a lot of money flowed from the Triple into Cailetet’s reserves — money with a suspiciously Earthly smell.
Cailetet had absorbed and supported the Olympians, and had touted itself as a research BM, offering the finest facilities on Mars… But that had come to a sharp halt.
Now, it appeared that Earth wanted little more to do with Cailetet Mars. Money coming to the BM from Earth or Moon had slowed to a trickle; investment and development plans were canceled. Cailetet had served some purpose, and was cast aside. Understandably, the syndic and advocates of Cailetet Mars were bitter. They needed to re-establish their prominence, and Mars was the only economic and political territory where expansion was possible.
The syndic of Cailetet Mars died in 2180, just as Ti Sandra and I began our work, and was replaced by a man I knew only slightly, but loathed. He had returned from exile on Earth, had quickly established ties with Cailetet’s most Earth-oriented advocates, and was nominated by them for the syndic’s office a month after his predecessor’s death. The voting had been close, but Cailetet’s members responded to his overtures for the return of power and influence…
His name was Achmed Crown Niger . I had last seen him at the University of Mars Sinai , years before, dangling from the coattails of Governor Freechild Dauble. Dauble had put him in charge of the university during the uprising, actually superior to Chancellor Connor. With the collapse of the Statist movement, he had followed Connor and Dauble to Earth, redeemed himself with service to GEWA and GSHA, and returned to Mars married to a Lunar daughter of Cailetet. Crown Niger had finally, in a very short time, reached this pinnacle.
He was far more brilliant than any of the Statists, and unlike them, he had not a shred of idealism, not a molecule of sentiment.
I had dreaded the meeting for days, but it was unavoidable. Cailetet could be very useful in arranging a constitutional assembly.
When I visited his office at Kipini Station, in the badlands of southern Acidalia Planitia, he did not remember me, and there was no reason he should. I had been just one face among dozens of students arrested and detained at UMS.
Face pale, black hair cut in a bristle around his high forehead, Crown Niger met me at the door to his office, shook my hand, and smiled knowingly. I thought for a moment he recognized me, but as he offered me a seat and a cup of tea, his manner proved he did not.
“Erzul has become quite the center, hasn’t it?” he asked. His voice, smooth and slightly nasal, had acquired more of an Earth accent since I had last seen him. He appeared calm, with a cold sophistication and a relaxed, confident bearing. Nothing would disturb him or surprise him; he had seen it all. “Cailetet is interested in your progress. Tell me more.”
I swallowed, smiled falsely, seated myself. I gave him as much of my direct gaze as was absolutely necessary, no more, and examined his office while I spoke. Well-ordered and spare, a bare steel desk, gray metabolic carpet and walls patterned with a close geometric print, the office said nothing about him, except that decoration and luxury meant little to Achmed Crown Niger .
I concluded my presentation with, “We have agreement from four of the five major Binding Multiples, and twelve smaller BMs, and we’d like to set a date now. Only Cailetet has declined.”
“Cailetet is keeping its options open,” Crown Niger said, tapping his index finger on the top of the desk. He offered more tea, and I accepted. “Frankly, the plan proposed by Persoff BM seems more attractive. A limited number of BMs participate, to eliminate organizational clutter… A central financial authority, allocating district resources, working directly with Earth and the Triple. Very attractive. Not very different from Majumdar’s position before your visit to Earth.”
He seemed curious as to how I might react to that. I smiled wryly and said, “That approach is thin on the rights of individuals once the BMs are dissolved. Some districts would have little say.”
“There are drawbacks,” Crown Niger said. “But then, there are drawbacks in your proposal.”
“We’re organizing a process, not yet making a specific proposal.”
Crown Niger shook his head almost pityingly. “Come and go, Miss Majumdar, the bias toward a constitution modeled along the lines of old Terrestrial democracies… That’s a kind of proposal.”
“We hope to avoid the abuses of government without accountability.”
“Very Federalist. I frankly trust the more powerful institutions on Mars,” Crown Niger said. “They have no reason to lace up hobnailed boots and grind faces all day.”
“We prefer direct accountability.”
“You advocate radical changes. I wonder why so many BMs have agreed to their own deballing.”
The vulgarity irritated me. “Because they’re tired of Martian indecision and weakness,” I said.
“And I concur. Mars needs central planning and authority, just as we propose.”
“No doubt,” I said, “but — ”
“We could talk hours longer, Miss Majumdar. Actually, I’m bound by decisions made by my own advocates. I could arrange meetings between you and them, individually.”
“I’d enjoy the opportunity,” I said.
“Our thinker can arrange the details,” Crown Niger said.
“Fine. I’d like to go off-record now,” I said.
“I do not conduct interviews in this office off-record,” Crown Niger said, unruffled. “I owe Cailetet’s family members that much.”
“There are accusations you may not wish them to hear.”
“They hear everything I hear,” Crown Niger said, putting me in my place.
“Some of the smaller BMs tell us Cailetet withdrew important contracts just after they agreed to send advocates to our assembly.”
“It’s possible,” Crown Niger said. “We have a lot of contracts.”
“The numbers are interesting,” I said. “One hundred percent.”
“Severance following agreement?” He seemed concerned and shook his head wonderingly.
“Can you explain the perfect score?” I asked.
“Not immediately,” Crown Niger said, uninterested.
I left the office empty-handed and chilled to the bone.
By the end of the winter of M.Y. 57, seventy-four out of ninety BMs had agreed to send representatives to a constitutional assembly. Twelve out of fourteen district governors planned to attend personally; the thirteenth and fourteenth would send aides. The momentum was with us. The population’s opinions flowed like some vast amoeba. Mars was ready, Cailetet or no.
I was at the center, and the center was moving.
The constitutional assembly convened in the debating chamber of the University of Mars Sinai , on the 23rd of Aries, the thirteenth month of the Martian year. The Martian calendar would be used, sanctioning for the first time the formal use of eleven additional months, named after constellations.
The debate room was a large amphitheater, capable of holding a thousand people. In the arena, an adjustable circular table could seat as many as one hundred.
Detailed studies of the constitutional assembly have been published elsewhere. I am bound by oath not to give many more details of the process, but I can say that it was difficult. The BMs were reluctant to give up their powers and authority, even while recognizing they must. We all walked a tortuous path, preserving privileges here, removing them elsewhere, listening patiently to anguished appeals, working compromise after compromise, yet never — we hoped — compromising the core of a workable democratic constitution.