The Chosen

'Senators,' Beemody said, 'the Republic of the Santander cannot tolerate a Union which is satellite to the Land. Are we agreed?'

One by one the men on the other side of the table lifted their hands. McRuther sighed and followed suit, last and most reluctant.

'Then that is the sense of the Foreign Affairs Committee,' Beemody said. 'On the other hand, we are not yet ready for full-scale conflict. I therefore suggest that we recommend to the Premier that in the event of the fall of the Loyalist government in the Union, the Republic should declare a naval blockade of all Union ports pending the removal of foreign forces from Union soil.'

'But that means war!' McRuther burst out.

'Not necessarily. As Admiral Farr has pointed out, we do have more heavy warships than the Land. The Gut is closer to our bases than theirs; we can blockade the Union and they'd be in no position to retaliate without risking their seaborne communications across the Passage. And while losing command of the sea might be disaster for us, it would certainly be a disaster for them. They can lose a war in an afternoon, in a fleet action. With the Union blockaded, they'd be forced to pull in their horns. They can't afford to isolate the expeditionary force they've committed to the Union. It's our hostage.'

McRuther pointed to the map on the easel at the end of the table. 'They can supply through the Sierra-and the Sierra is neutral.'

Senator Beemody looked to the three men sitting across the table, in naval blue, army brown, and the diplomatic service's formal black tailcoat.

'Sirs, there's only a single track line from north to south through the Sierra,' Jeffrey said. 'Besides that, it's narrow gage, so you'd have to break bulk at both ends, the old Imperial net and the Union's.'

'General?' Beemody prompted.

'Assuming that the Union was fully under Libert's control, and that the Chosen went along with a naval blockade?' Beemody nodded. 'Supplying their forces would be just possible. Daily demand would go down and they could supply more from Union resources. It would certainly take some time for a squeeze to be effective, in terms of logistics.'

'We can interdict the Gut,' Admiral Farr said. 'That I can assure you gentlemen.'

'But the role of the Sierra will be crucial,' Beemody said. 'Senators, I move that the Foreign Ministry be directed to dispatch a special envoy with sealed plenipotentiary powers to secure the assistance of the Sierra Democratica y Populara in a preemptive blockade of the Union to enforce the neutralization and removal of all foreign troops. It's risky,' he said to their grave looks, 'but I sincerely believe it's our only chance. Otherwise in six months' time we'll be confronted with a choice between a war that might destroy us and accepting a Land protectorate on our border, which is intolerable. A show of hands, please, Senators.'

This time the vote was less than unanimous. McRuther kept his hand obstinately down, switching his pouched and hooded blue eyes between Beemody and the Farrs.

'Fifteen ayes. Five nays. The ayes have it. The recommendation will be made. I remind the honorable senators that this meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee is strictly confidential.'

'Agreed,' McRuther said sourly. 'Its no time for a war of leaks.'

'Then if that's all, Senators?'

The big room seemed larger and more shadowy when only Beemody, Farr, and his sons were left. The faces of past premiers looked down somberly from oil paintings on the walls; the old-fashioned small-paned windows were streaked with rain. Branches from the oaks around the building tapped against the glass like skeletal fingers. John Hosten had a sudden image of men-men not yet dead, the dead of the greater war to come-rising from their graves and traveling back to this moment, tap-tap-tapping at the windows, pleading for their lives. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions.

observe:

Center showed him a vision he'd seen times beyond number, since that year on the docks of Oathtaking. Visager from space, the globes of fire expanding over cities, rising in shells of cracked white until they flattened against the upper edge of the atmosphere and the whole globe turned dirty white with the clouds. .

His stepfather cleared his throat. 'You don't really think the Chosen will swallow a blockade of the Union?' he said to the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Beemody shook his head. 'About as likely as a hyena giving up a bone,' he said frankly. 'But it's as good a casus belli as any, the Senate will swallow it because they're desperate and desperate men believe what they want to, and the public will go along, too. Even McRuther will go along; he knows we can't dodge this much longer. But we do need more time, and we do need the Sierrans to come in on our side. They should; if we fall, they're next.'

'But it's easier to see that when you don't have someone ahead of you in the lineup to the abattoir,' Jeffrey said with brutal frankness. 'Hope springs eternal-and the Sierrans aren't just decentralized, they've got the political nervous system of an amoeba. Getting them to agree where the sun comes up is an accomplishment.'

'Perhaps,' John said slowly, 'we could get the Chosen to do our arguing for us.'

His foster-father frowned in puzzlement. Jeffrey shot him a glance, then tilted his head slightly towards the older men.

There comes a time when you have to use an asset, John said. If you won't risk it, what bloody use is it?

Center? Jeffrey asked.

probability of success is in the fifty percent range, the machine voice said. chaotic factors render closer analysis futile at this point. success would increase the probability of a favorable outcome to the struggle as a whole by 10 %, ±3.

John nodded mentally. 'Here's what I propose,' he said. 'First, sir'-he nodded to Admiral Farr-'Senator, you should be aware that we have a very highly placed double agent who the Chosen-Land Military Intelligence, to be precise-think is their mole and who they rely on implicitly for analysis of the Republic's intentions. I can't be more specific, of course. And this is entirely confidential.'

The Admiral and Senator Beemody nodded in unison. There was no telling where the real moles were, of course.

'Here's what I think we should do-'

* * *

Gerta Hosten was walking stiffly when she entered the room. John stood.

'Are you all right?' he asked, surprised to find the concern genuine, even after all these years.

'Flying accident,' she said, looking around.

The little house was a gem, in its own way; patterned silk wallpaper, Errife rugs, inlaid furniture, all discreetly tucked away in a leafy suburb north of the embassy section of Santander City. Just what a millionaire industrialist would use for assignations he wanted to keep thoroughly secret from his wife, which was the cover John was using. Good tradecraft, she thought grudgingly; John could read that on her face, even without Center's supremely educated guesses.

'Not serious, I hope.' John sat and poured the coffee and brandy.

'Just a wrenched back for me. Thankfully, the plane totaled itself in front of half the Chosen Council. That damned bomber is a flying-just barely flying-abortion. If it'd had a full fuel load, much less bombs, I'd be in bits just large enough to plug a rat's ass.'

'The Air Council's finally given up on using airships as strategic bombers?'

'I should hope so, after we lost a dozen trying to hit Unionvil in the last offensive,' she said. 'But those eight- engine monsters Porschmidt came up with, they're no better. Only marginally faster, the bomb load is a joke, they're unbelievably expensive to build and maintain, and landing them's more dangerous than combat. The bugger's got the Council's ear, though, him and his backers. Now he's throwing good money after bad, trying to improve the fuckers.' She sighed. 'To business.'

'Here,' John said, sliding the folder across the ivory-and-tortoise-shell of the table.

It had three separate sets of 'Top Secret' and 'Eyes Only' stamps on it, Army General Staff, Naval Staff, and Premier's Office, the latter a miniature of the Great Seal that only he and his chief aide could use. Gerta whistled