Durniak nodded. “
Caine rubbed his chin. “Maybe, but it’s also possible that they’re the patsies of one of the other two powers.”
Trevor looked up. “What about the Slaasriithi? I find it pretty suspicious that they refuse to show themselves.”
“Yeah, but so far, they’ve been affable, even if they’re shy and cautious. It could all be an act, I suppose, but they seem pretty temperate: not as likely to be the movers and shakers in this club.”
“And the Ktor? What about them?”
Caine looked across the amphitheatre at the wheeled water tanks. “What about them, indeed. The wild cards.”
“And what about
“Who?”
Hwang pointed to the left. “The other new kids on the block.” Caine turned, looked into the now-transparent gallery that had been assigned to the other candidate-race.
Rough brown-gray fur covered most of a pebbly hide. They were upright but digitigrade, standing at least two meters tall even without raising up on their long rear legs. A thick, round, pointed tail sent a faint line of lighter fur up the spine. It thickened into a crest where it divided the blocky haunches, mounted the barrel-shaped back between arrestingly large shoulders, and then ran along the ventral ridge of a neck that was the shape and thickness of a small pony’s. As Caine’s inspection reached the head, he heard Durniak gasp and Trevor mutter, “Christ.”
The head was hardly a separate object; it was a seamless, curved continuation of the neck, which ended in three pronounced nostrils arrayed as the vertices of an equilateral triangle. On either side of that nose, two glinting obsidian eyes were mounted under bony ridges that flared out from whatever skull might be extant beneath the sheath of flesh and muscle that blended back into the neck. The rounded “head” was long, rather like a cross between that of a sloth and an anteater, but the underslung jaw was vaguely reminiscent of a sperm whale’s. The spinal fur was heavier and thicker on the head, rising into a high, tufted crest. Caine’s eyes met those of the- creature? It was hard to think of it as a person, just yet.
“Do you think they’re part of the Arat Kur plot?” pressed Hwang.
Trevor exhaled emphatically. “Good God, I hope not,” he said, staring at the short, wide swords that swung from each one’s back-slung baldric.
Caine stayed silent, surveyed the group’s reactions: Durniak seemed to be having the most profoundly xenophobic reaction-odd since her xenophobia index had been one of the lowest. But tests and reality are two very different things. Hwang and Thandla evinced almost spiritual detachment, whereas Wasserman seemed too contentious and self-involved to be affected. Elena looked captivated, not terrified. Visser seemed rigid, but was still coping. And Trevor’s outburst struck Caine more like a means of purging anxiety rather than a declaration of it. All in all, the delegation was doing pretty well handling the sight of such profoundly different-and potentially ominous- exosapients.
The one who was looking at Caine raised a four-fingered hand-a thumb on either side of the palm-in what seemed a gesture of greeting, or maybe threat, or even warding. Caine raised his hand in response-
— just as the privacy screen reasserted. Caine turned; Visser had given the signal to Thandla. “We must resume our conversation with the Arat Kur; they are waiting.”
Caine nodded to Thandla, then cleared his throat. “My apologies, Zirsoo. There was some debate as to how much detail we should use when responding to your question regarding the relationship between the World Confederation and the United Nations.”
“You have finished your deliberations?”
“Yes. Please feel free to ask any question you wish.”
And so began the dull recitation of the sad facts-which, in retrospect, read like the decline and fall-of the United Nations: its lack of efficacy; the interminable deadlocks in the Security Council; the self-interested posturing and dickering in the General Assembly; its successes in the areas of social welfare and education; and its dismal failures at ensuring, or even increasing, peace, security, and economic parity. As the questions became more specific, Visser and Durniak had to intervene more frequently to provide precise data. After receiving Durniak’s long-and to Caine, baffling-answer regarding the accounting procedures used in the calculation of each nation’s per capita productivity, the questions stopped. Everyone waited.
The yellow quatrefoil pulsed steadily, but no further queries came forth.
“Are there further queries regarding the legitimacy or authority of the government represented by the human delegation?” Alnduul folded his hands, waited. “Very well. If any delegation wishes to formally contest the legitimacy of the World Confederation of Earth, they must do so at this time.”
A brief pause, then Zirsoo’s simulated voice: “The Arat Kur delegation must contest the human government’s legitimacy. The covering dossier claims that it enjoys the approval of seventy-eight percent of the human population and that its leading nations control ninety-two percent of all global productivity. However, the approval percentages were not generated by universal one-person/one-vote polling, but by extremely disparate national surveys and referendums. Furthermore, we are concerned that the human delegation has not shared all the relevant facts regarding the legal creation of the World Confederation.”
Alnduul’s voice sounded exceedingly composed. “The Arat Kur delegation clearly must be dismissing the Custodians’ observations, and preliminary report, that the World Confederation’s practices-and origins-conform to their stated policies.”
Sitting, Caine leaned his chin into his palm:
Zirsoo elected not to comment on the Custodial report. “We contend that our arguments warrant the deferral of this Convocation’s consideration of human membership status until such time as a special investigation can resolve the discrepancies we have cited. Furthermore, we point to the illegal means used by the World Confederation to replace the United Nations. Even if the Confederation enjoys the majority support it claims, it is the fruit of a poisoned root: its illegitimate origins compel us to disallow it as a legitimate government.”
Alnduul’s mouth seemed to stretch into a line. “Very well. Are there any other challenges to the legitimacy or authority of the human government?”
Silence.
Alnduul parted his arms. “The objections of the Arat Kur have been noted. However, the Custodians find them to lack sufficient substance to warrant special investigation into the representativeness of the human World Confederation.”
Smiles were springing up around the gallery, but Caine leaned forward:
Wise-Speech-of-Pseudopodia’s voice was mild. “Would it not be appropriate to poll the member states to determine if an investigation is warranted?”
Alnduul’s hands stopped in mid-gesture. “It would hardly seem necessary. The Arat Kur did not contest, but simply ignored the detailed-and contrary-findings of the Custodial observation group.”
“Even so, is not a call for investigation at least a matter upon which we should all vote?”
“No other member state challenged the legitimacy of the Earth government. And it is within the Custodians’ purview-indeed, it is among their express responsibilities-to chair all Accord proceedings to ensure not only fairness but to prevent obstructionism.”
Wise-Speech’s response was slow and careful. “So you are accusing the Arat Kur of raising their issues simply to obstruct this process?”
Alnduul’s mouth stretched into a thin, flat line. “I am suggesting that, since the Arat Kur present no evidence that challenges the findings of the Custodial observations, there are insufficient grounds to convene an investigation. I am surprised that the Arat Kur did not perceive that from the outset.”
“And we are surprised at the Custodians’ autocratic handling of this matter. Perhaps issues of unfair and unequal political practices are not restricted to the governments of Earth.”
Caine heard breath sucked in hard and sharp between clenched teeth: Trevor. Downing and Visser seemed to be engaged in a frowning contest. Wasserman sprawled back, stuck his tongue so far into his cheek that it looked
