Take advantage of that. Let him see your feelings for the people trapped on Salud Afar. Let him see them as I have. Let him see your desperation. And your determination, if your world survives"-his gaze turned to Giambrey and Circe-"your determination to devote yourself to calming the more barbaric impulses of your species. To working toward a lasting peace. And I see I have hurt your feelings again." He looked at each of us in turn. Yes, I thought. Damned right. You guys don't exactly have a spotless record either, and you have less excuse than we do. "You're correct, Chase," he said. "I know. I wish it could be otherwise. Maybe one day we can all learn to be rational."
The pilot opened the hatch. Kassel glanced at her, and something passed between them. I wondered about it. How do you manage it? Or, maybe, Glad that's over. We were at ground level, looking up at a dome that rose about six stories, supporting a tower. The tower literally soared into the sky, narrowing eventually into a needle. A small entourage of robed officials came out through a set of doors and descended from a portico to greet us. The one who seemed to be in charge, a male, was the smallest of the group. Nevertheless he dwarfed Alex and Giambrey. He wore a voice box on his sleeve. "Giambrey DeVrio?" he asked, looking from one to the other. Giambrey stepped forward. The Mute bowed. "Welcome to the Silver Tower. I am Tio." He swept us all up in his gaze. "If you will please come with me." Tio took us back up across the portico and inside, into a broad passageway. I saw no guard posts. And it looked as if anyone could have walked in off the street. He signaled for Giambrey to follow him down the passageway. One of the officials who had come out with him took charge of the rest of us. He gave us a tour of the building, but cut it short when he realized nobody really cared where the Department of the Environment was located. "I've no way to know how long the meeting will last," he told Alex and me. "You are welcome to wait in the library, if you wish. And we have a cafeteria." He looked at us uncertainly. Kassel suggested we stay. "It makes you look serious about the mission." Our escort took us to a large private area, filled with portraits of robed Mutes, a few landscapes, and two or three interstellar warships. There were jacks that provided access to the vast Ashiyyurean literature. It also incorporated a substantial number of human titles, including two of Vicki Greene's novels. After about an hour, Giambrey returned. "How'd it go?" Alex asked. "Not sure," he said. "I made my pitch, told him how a cessation of hostilities would be to everyone's benefit. He says the Confederates can't be trusted. Big news there. But he thinks he has to keep poking them. Keep them off-balance. If they were to declare a unilateral cease-fire, he's concerned the Confederates will use the breathing space to organize their forces and launch a major strike." "I was under the impression," I said, "that we were at peace." Giambrey gave me a painful smile. "Not quite." "So how'd it end?" I asked. "There needs to be a mutual announcement. Both sides to say it's over and agree to talks." "And you told him-?" "We're working on it. Trying to arrange it." "Did he say," asked Alex, "how the Chief Minister feels?" "No. He says the Chief Minister has kept his feelings to himself." Alex frowned. "Kassel," he said, "that's not possible, is it?" "Sure it is. We can block others off but only for a limited time. More likely, he simply hasn't been in the same room with the Chief Minister lately." "More likely still," said Giambrey, "he just doesn't want to say."
THIRTY-SEVEN
Bureaucracies are not like people. They neither love nor hate. They do not suffer, and they have no grasp of compassion. Most of all, they do not make moral judgments, one way or the other. I know that it sometimes seems they do, but believe me, Rose, it's all politics. Or sheer neglect.
- Midnight and Roses
We went to a place that Kassel liked, and we tried to pretend the meeting had gone well. Mutes don't have alcohol. But Kassel was able to suggest a fruit juice that tasted okay and had a mild kick. So we ordered a round and toasted the Secretary of Naval Affairs. Then Giambrey sent encrypted messages to Kilgore and to our team in the Confederacy. I asked Kassel how long he thought it would take for the Chief Minister to make his call. "No way to know, Chase," he said. "Maybe in the morning. Maybe never. But they might want to use this to get some leverage over the Confederacy. To put the moral onus on the Director." Three days later we got a message from the Secretary: Be advised that the Chief Minister is giving your request every consideration, and that, furthermore, he is aware of the time factor. Every effort is being made to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. I will advise you as soon as we have a decision.
"What's he deciding?" I asked Kassel. "Whether to call a cease-fire? Or whether he'll negotiate with us?" Kassel didn't know. "But do you want to know what I think?" "You're skeptical that we'll get any help." "That's correct. I'm sorry." He seemed to be staring at something in the distance. "We've spent years attacking Confederate motives. You remember how we talked about the tendency for people to fool themselves? To talk themselves into things?" "We're not alone." "That's right. To do as you ask, they-the administration-would have to reverse course. It would be politically unpopular. The Chief Minister would be seen as exposing Assemblage worlds to attack. Unnecessarily." "We're talking about a world ." "Yes." "And it comes down to this guy's political career." "I didn't say that it did. I said maybe . Or I thought it might." "Kassel, I'm struck that you think it might even be possible. Have you ever been close enough to get a read on this guy?" "What do you mean?" "To see into his mind? The way you see into mine?" He hesitated again. "Yes." "Do you think it's possible he might do that? Reverse course?" "It's possible." He put that big hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." "You accuse us of being savages."
Kassel learned unofficially that a decision was still a few days away. Circe connected with a Mute physicist and moved into quarters at a laboratory. Giambrey took to wandering around New Volaria, making as many contacts as he could. He even drew several speaking engagements, not strictly diplomatic in nature, but more scientific and cultural. It was an opportunity to win friends among influential locals. Alex and I decided it was a good time to visit Selotta and the Museum of Alien Life-forms. So we