"Certainly, Excellency- "And Watchmakers would be fantastically useful, fantastically valuable in Empire space. But that was not to be. Your society is much like that of the Arabs before the Prophet. Infanticide. Genocide. No other way to control your population. And after the Prophet, we burst forth to conquer, but we had not learned how to live with other cultures." Bury shrugged. "Nor had others learned to live with us, and this was still true when I last visited your star system."
"And you have learned now?" Eudoxus demanded.
"Yes. We have learned, the Empire has learned. The Arabs have found a place within the Empire. We are not yet as honored as we would wish to be, but we have a place that is not without honor. We are free to govern ourselves, and we can travel among the Imperial planets. As you see that I do."
"You are tolerated."
"No, Eudoxus, we are accepted. Not by all, enough, and that, too, will change."
"And you see us in that role?"
"Provided that you accept our terms."
Eudoxus turned and spoke slowly in the newly adapted trade language. Admiral Mustapha spoke briefly. Eudoxus turned. The Warriors had not moved.
"Your terms?" Eudoxus demanded.
Bury smiled. "Of course we cannot speak for the Empire, but I know what those terms will be. First, there is to be one Motie government. That government will see that no Motie leaves the Mote system without carrying the stabilizing parasite. Within the Mote system-well, I suspect that is all negotiable. Kevin, would you not agree?'
"Mmm... yes. The notion is generally that you keep your own house clean. Mote system is to be one government, kept that way by Mote citizenry. We've had at least one piece of luck, Eudoxus. Mote Prime is . .. eighty, ninety percent of your population? But they're not a consideration because Medina Concordance can keep them bottled up. That is, if you can hold the rest of the system in your gripping hand."
A Master spoke. Six Watchmakers finally ceased spraying foam plastic on a sphere that was now two meters across. Moties resumed their rapid conversation. Abruptly Eudoxus turned to Renner. "The worm is the heart of your strategy. Must we examine it?"
"We have holograms," Glenda Ruth said. "Victoria has records, too. Why not save it? You don't have anyone to use it on yet."
"Victoria tells us different, Glenda Ruth, and I'm amazed that you could forget. For Mediators, the Crazy Eddie Worm extends our life span at least twenty years. We're being very careful not to let that sway our judgment."
"Judgment," Bury said. "That is your real purpose, isn't it? Not mere obedience, and more than negotiation. Judgment. In your zeal for fairness, think on a Mote society in which Mediators live long enough to learn for themselves."
"We have," Omar said. "Excellency, you speak of holding the Mote system. Will the Empire help?"
"Of course," Renner said.
"Defending System unity is Imperial policy," Joyce Trujillo said. "They're already keeping the Blockade Fleet. Expensive, with no return. Trade with the Moties will be so profitable that the costs of helping you to keep order in here won't matter. His Excellency can tell you-"
"None of this requires extraordinary intelligence for understanding," Bury said.
"True," Omar said. "Excellency, it appears that your Crazy Eddie Worm truly is the key to human and Motie cooperation."
The Mediators began their gabble again, each to his own Master. Admiral Mustapha listened, then spoke rapidly.
"The Admiral agrees," Eudoxus said. "The question now becomes, what shall we do about the Khanate?"
Kevin Renner thought hard. "Horace-do we trust them, Horace?"
"They trust us." Bury swept a hand to indicate the Warriors who now hung relaxed, their weapons holstered, though still in place. Ally had turned enemy had turned ally, and no Warrior seemed surprised.
"Right. Glenda Ruth, what was the situation beyond the Sister when you left?"
"Not much different from when you came through. Agamemnon was on guard at the Alderson point leading out of the red dwarf system. There were three Motie ships waiting there with Agamemnon. Reinforcements from New Caledonia were expected, but hadn't arrived. But that was hundreds of hours ago."
"Thank you," Renner said. But they didn't have any ships to send. Meaning we better assume there aren't any. "They'll send their fleet through. What happens if we attack the Masters that stay behind?" Renner asked.
"They'll send for their Warriors."
"The whole fleet?"
Eudoxus spoke with the Master of Base Six. Another Master got involved, then two Warriors and an Engineer. Ultimately Eudoxus said, "As I surmised. Dividing one's forces is rarely a good idea. They will bring back all of their fleet."
"Nothing to gain. Why did they try it at all?"
"We surmise that they did not anticipate our use of Inner Base Six. We've already built up a respectable velocity for several hundred ships and an enormous fuel dump. They believe they have time to clear a path beyond the Sister. We can deny them that time. Still, Kevin-"
"Good. Then what we do is get in position, wait until their battle fleet goes through the Sister, and pounce."
"And when their fleet comes back?" Omar asked. "Several thousand ships."
"We cross that bridge when we come to it," Renner said.
"And hope the horse can sing," Glenda Ruth added, but she spoke so softly that no one but Renner could hear her.
6 Judgment
First ponder, then dare.
Helmuth von Moltke
"No," Kevin Renner said. "Damn it, we're going into a battle!"
"I'm the only correspondent present," Joyce said. "An opportunity of a lifetime, and you can't say no!"
"You'll slow us down."
"Not I, Commodore Renner. With His Excellency aboard you're limited in how fast you can go to begin with."
"Horace."
Bury was pacing a contorted path through Sinbad's crowded cabin: his last chance to inspect his altered ship. "Ms. Trujillo is correct, of course. Yet I must come. This is my ship, and I have messages to send, orders to give, that I can only give personally." Bury waved toward the new control panel. "Sinbad is better defended than she has ever been. And all that is irrelevant. Kevin, if we do not win, no one in the Empire is safe. Having Joyce aboard will not change that and will not lessen our chances."
So who do we leave behind?"
"Jacob, I think. Nabil-"
The old man hissed in surprise. "Please, Excellency, I have served you for all of my life."
"Serve me now. Hold this message cube in safety aboard Base Six," Bury said. "Cynthia-"
"I think I should be with you, Excellency."
"Then we agree, because that was what I was about to say."
"All touching, but we have no time," Jacob Buckman said. "Horace, I think you're crazy, but good luck." He shook Bury's hand and held it an instant longer. "We-"
"Good-bye, Jacob."
"Um. Yes." He turned and joined Eudoxus and the others who would stay on Base Six.
"Mother isn't going to like this," Chris Blaine said. He took his sister by the shoulders. "Commander Rawlins is right. They need one of us here on Sinbad, and I'll be more useful on Atropos."
"If we don't bring this off, nobody's safe," Freddy Townsend said. "Anywhere. Not even Sparta."
Renner nodded to his new copilot. "I'm afraid you're right, Freddy. Okay, secure the airlocks. Everybody strap in."
Sinbad was intensely crowded. The Motie Engineers had reworked Sinbad's interior and added a fuel tank outboard, where the add-on cabin had been. The control bridge held two couches for humans. It was bounded by collapsing doors that opened onto the main lounge. There they had built shaped acceleration couches for two Mediators and two Engineers, each with a Watchmaker, as well as couches for the other humans. Sinbad looked cluttered, with incomprehensible gadgetry attached at odd angles wherever there was space for it.