“No-not since the accords were established.”
“We may not answer; your question concerns events that predate the Accord. Consequently, you are inquiring into the history of different species, not the Custodians.”
“My apologies for overstepping. It was unintentional.”
“Your apology is noted and appreciated, but unnecessary: it was plain that the question arose from eagerness, not guile.” A pause, a slight rotation of Alnduul’s mouth. “My entire delegation notes your deductive- inventiveness-with interest, Caine Riordan.”
“Yes.”
The pause was marked. “They have received no such orders or authorization, and we have received no such reports.”
“No.”
“So the Custodians know of no races other than the ones that are presently in the Accord?”
Alnduul’s fingers fluttered. “There is historical record of other races. However, there has been no official contact with them-if they still exist-since the institution of the Accord. Therefore, knowledge pertaining to these races is the province of those species which have retained records of their contacts with these other species.”
“Absolutely not.”
Visser smiled. “
Wasserman snorted. “He all but winked.”
Caine wondered how much time they had left before the other member states relayed their responses to the twenty questions. No time to waste. “Why was Earth not contacted prior to, or shortly after, our entry into the 70 Ophiuchi system?”
Alnduul’s thumbs opened downward, longer fingers waving listlessly, fitfully. “The Custodians’ Human Oversight Group received conflicting field reports regarding your interstellar expansion. This resulted in a very late first report to the Accord, which then debated-for two years-over delaying your hearing in order to combine it with that of the Hkh’Rkh. By that time, your race had not only visited but commenced the settling of 70 Ophiuchi. I cannot say more without revealing-” Alnduul held up his hand in what seemed to be a universal “stop” gesture. “The member states have all submitted their responses to your questions. We must consider your inquiry of the Custodians to be ended. I have also been asked to inform you that the Dornaani member state has been pleased to answer all your questions in detail.”
“Now please open your channels to the other member states.”
Caine nodded at Thandla. Wise-Speech and the green and yellow quatrefoils returned.
Alnduul spread his arms. “The delegates of the member states will now respond to the inquiries of the delegation from Earth.”
Wise-Speech managed to produce a tone at once apologetic and sympathetic. “The Ktor delegation welcomes the keen human interest in our species. Indeed, their questions are so far-ranging and pregnant with greater implications, that we cannot answer them in the sterile format necessitated by these proceedings.”
“We would welcome an opportunity for more expansive, less rigidly structured discussions.”
“‘Let’s talk over drinks.’” Wasserman’s paraphrase even got a smile out of Visser.
Vishnaaswii’ah began a moment later. “The Slaasriithi also feel that, given the diverse questions posed by the human delegation, we would prefer not to proceed until their species has a more complete concept of us.”
“Accordingly, we shall send our response in the form of a primer, used to associate our very young with our history, our language, our planet, our polity.”
Wasserman rolled his eyes: “See Dick run. Run, Dick, run.”
“This primer,” continued Vishnaaswii’ah, “and the supplemental materials, are an excellent foundation from which to develop further lines of inquiry. We hope you are not offended that we offer this in place of direct answers to your inquiries.”
Caine raised his voice over Wasserman’s sardonic guffaw. “We will look forward to receiving your primer, Vishnaaswii’ah. And we take no offense: we are thankful that you took it upon yourself to furnish us with what you feel is the best and most helpful first exposure to your race.”
“And our thanks for your patience and gracious response. I think, upon close consideration, you will find the text and the supplementary materials quite-illuminating.”
Caine looked around the gallery; Elena was the only other one who had apparently noted the faintly stilted diction of the last comment. She looked at him, eyebrow raised: “Why mention the supplementary materials twice? Why mention them at all?”
He nodded. “And why emphasize that they would be ‘quite illuminating’ upon ‘close consideration’? That sounded like a surreptitious prompt, to me.”
Downing nodded. “Yes, but right now, let’s hear what the Arat Kur have to say.”
Caine felt the delegation’s eyes turn, along with his, to the blinking yellow quatrefoil. Ten seconds later, they were still waiting.
“Speaker-to-Nestless Zirsoo, there may be a problem with the communications equipment; we are not receiving your responses.”
“The communication equipment is operating properly. We decline to respond to your questions.”
Alnduul folded his hands. “The human delegation has received all formal responses.”
Caine stepped closer to the image of the Dornaani. “Alnduul, we would like to ask a question.”
“Yes?”
“Have member states elected not to answer the formal questions of candidate races before this?”
“Yes.”
“How many questions have been declined-in toto-over the course of all the prior candidacy hearings?”
Alnduul folded his hands more tightly. “Two.”
Caine turned to face the others. “Yep. We’re in deep shit.”
After the long silence that followed, Visser’s voice sounded very tired. “So, any ideas what we should do now?”
Elena looked over at Caine-inquisitively, tentatively-before suggesting, “We could have a party.”
The room was more silent than before. At the words “have a party,” Hwang commenced looking sidelong at Elena, as if assessing her for signs of impending mental collapse. Wasserman’s reaction was even worse: he smiled, kindly and a bit crestfallen, as if he’d just learned that a favorite sibling had been diagnosed with dementia.
