by Ben Bova
"No, Lieutenant." Blakert paused and regarded the Speaker for his Congress. Salera nodded slowly for him to continue. "I am asking what the Imperial response would be if the two Congresses could not agree to issue a joint statement."
Woorunmarra considered the question for a moment before replying. "If lengthy debate on the wording of a joint statement were to continue, Commander Montero, as the official liaison for the Emperor, would take no overt action against the people of Pallatin—unless a direct attack were made against the Imperial vessel Levant or against any member of her crew—until such time as a vote was taken in Joint Dominion, and a statement issued."
"And if no such statement was forthcoming, Lieutenant… ?" The man appeared to try to remember the pronunciation of the Lieutenant's aboriginal family name, but gave up. "What would be the Imperial response?"
There was a sudden increase in the background chatter among those in the chamber at the question, and Speaker Niles was forced to retrieve the gavel from its resting place and strike it firmly a few times to restore order. When relative quiet had returned, he turned to the podium to indicate that the Lieutenant could continue. When he did, Adela saw the worried look on his face, the undisguised fear in his eyes.
"There would be no overt response," Woorunmarra said levelly. The man remained standing, looking pleased at the answer until he added, "Initially."
"Initially, sir?" Blakert replied.
"It is a point of Imperial law and custom, as I'm sure you are fully aware, Representative Blakert, that the Empire would not wish to interfere with, nor make demands of, a member world that is not united in its dealings with the Empire. However, just as Commander Montero has been given the authority—by Emperor Javas himself—to determine the best course of action to take should the Joint Dominion issue a united statement against the Empire; so, too, has he been given the authority to deal with Pallatin, as he determines best, should there be a total lack of cooperation. The decision would be his to make, at such time as he sees fit to make it, and would be backed up by the full might of the Hundred Worlds."
"May I ask a question of the Eastland Representative?" inquired Niles, then waited. Dominion rules of order required the permission of the Eastland Speaker before he could directly address or interrogate a representative of the opposite Congress who had been granted the floor. Salera seemed about to refuse, but apparently thought better of it and motioned for Niles to proceed.
"Why would no joint statement be issued?" he asked bluntly. His voice carried with it a tone of challenge, it seemed to Adela, but at the same time clearly expressing that he already knew the answer. "The debate here will most certainly be both heated and lengthy, as our discussions proved during the weeks we awaited the arrival of the Imperial starship, but the question may be called at virtually any time."
Most of the whispering in the Dominion chamber faded quickly away as members of both Congresses turned their complete attention to the confrontation forming between the Westland Speaker and Eastland representative. For the first time since he'd gotten up to address the Speaker, Blakert grew openly nervous. He seemed to be having trouble finding something to do with his hands, and his eyes darted from Niles to Salera and back again.
"Representative Blakert?"
"It's true that at any point in the debate the question may be called," the man said finally. "But that would only apply if a Joint Dominion were in session… indeed, if a Dominion still existed." He paused, and the whispers increased to fill in the gap as he regarded Woorunmarra once more, asking, "Legally speaking, Lieutenant, based on what you said a few minutes ago, the Empire of the Hundred Worlds would not interfere if a condition were to arise that prevented a united statement to be issued. Would that consideration also cover a condition under which the Dominion were to, for whatever reason, be dissolved?"
The chamber exploded in raucous cries and shouted accusations from the Westland Congress, forcing Niles to again use the gavel repeatedly. It took several minutes for the noise to subside, and as Woorunmarra awaited an opportunity to answer, Adela saw Speaker Niles turn to Salera, his eyes wide with anger. Still pounding the gavel with his right hand, he covered his microphone with his left, shouting more in rage than to be heard.
"Bastard!" she heard him exclaim. She regarded Woorunmarra at her side, and it was clear from the look on his face that he could also hear what the man was saying. "You set this up all along, didn't you?"
Salera cupped his hand over his own microphone. "We need to stay together if we're to defy the Empire, Am!"
"We must stay together, yes; but not in defiance of the Hundred Worlds! We need them as much as we need each other!"
"It's your choice, Am," he said, lowering his voice as the room began to settle. "We can dissolve the Dominion. We've got the votes to do it."
Niles shrank back in horror at what Salera was suggesting and, as order returned to the chamber, lay the gavel on its side in front of him. Without turning, he indicated for Woorunmarra to reply to the question.
"Representative Blakert, if at any time during our visit the Dominion should be dissolved, no action would be taken until such time as a resolution to the difficulties between the two Congresses were to be reached. We would offer whatever assistance and mediation we could, at Pallatin's request, to resolve the differences between you." There was a heightened buzz at this, but he quickly continued before disorder could spread through the chamber. "I must caution you, however—this applies to dealings with member worlds under normal circumstances. Our reason for being here in the first place stems from Pallatin's refusal to cooperate with the Hundred Worlds and, obviously, the situation could be called anything but normal circumstances. With that in mind, let me restate that Commander Montero has the ultimate authority here, and will act as he sees fit for the general welfare of the Empire. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, sir, it does." Blakert looked solemnly at the faces of his co-representatives seated nearest him. All were silent, waiting for him to continue.
Woorunmarra leaned to Adela and spoke softly in her ear. "You know what they're doin', don't you?"
"Speaker Niles was right," she whispered back, guessing what he was getting at. "This whole thing, this whole session and our part in it, was nothing but an elaborate setup."
He nodded agreement and seemed about to add something, but stopped when Blakert spoke up again.
"Speakers, my fellow Representatives to the Ninety-second Dominion, citizens of Pallatin," he began. The chamber was hushed, expectant, and he pivoted about slowly as he addressed the attendees, allowing his gaze to sweep over the crowd before turning back to face Salera and Niles. "I move that the Eastland Congress call for a vote of secession."
There was, surprisingly, less reaction than Adela had expected; a steady murmuring spread quickly through the rows and galleries, but there was not the total outburst of emotion that she had imagined would occur. Speaker Niles sat unmoving, apparently resigned to the inevitable outcome of what was happening, his hands steepled over his lips. He stared at the representative, still standing before the dais, and refused to even acknowledge the presence of the Speaker sitting next to him. For his part, Salera seemed no more comfortable with his own closeness to his Westland counterpart. She studied Niles' face as best she could from her vantage point behind and to one side of him; where unbridled rage had been a few moments earlier, his face now reflected what she could only describe as sorrow. Adela knew enough about the political structure of Pallatin's Dominion form of government to know that he was powerless to stop the inter-Congress vote that had just been requested.
Blakert, in what now seemed an obviously planned—if not actually rehearsed—procedure, turned to another representative seated in the row behind him. The woman stood without hesitation and faced the dais. "Speaker Salera, Hauley township seconds the call for a vote of secession."
"A vote has been called and seconded." Behind Adela, the left side of the enormous tally board went dark, the
names of the Westland representatives fading immediately from view. It would stand to reason that the table keypads had been activated as well. Salera stood, still avoiding Niles' eyes. "Representative Blakert, please state the question."
"Thank you, Speaker Salera." Blakert smiled uneasily as he regarded those seated around him. "Let this question stand: Shall Eastland withdraw from the Dominion of Pallatin?" He retook his seat and thumbed his choice into the keypad to officially begin the voting process, and a corresponding red light glowed in the "yes" column by his name on the board. The woman who had seconded the call voted next; another red light blinked on. The voting under way, a low, steady chatter returned to the chamber. While Adela and Woorunmarra watched, the board quickly became dappled with glowing lights as the rest of the Eastland Congress voted.
Although both Speakers had smaller versions of the tally board mounted into the tabletops before them, Salera had swiveled his chair around to watch the big board as the votes came in. He nodded approvingly as the board filled up, but behind his confident expression lay something else, Adela noted. Another red light came on next to a name near the bottom of the board, and their eyes met for several seconds, confirming her suspicions. His large eyes radiated a sense of worry and foreboding, a visible sense of apprehension that plainly told her he was hoping they were doing the right thing.
Salera stood and leaned over the podium, speaking to both of them directly. "It might be better," he said quietly, getting quickly to the point, "if the two of you waited in the guest area." He indicated the gallery where she and Woorunmarra had been seated prior to addressing the chamber.
Adela saw that the Imperial guards were already on their feet, nervously watching the chamber, and that even now a pair of them was approaching the dais to escort them back to the gallery. "You may be right."
Salera bowed his head slightly and stood aside, allowing them to pass down the short set of steps leading to the floor. As they crossed in front of him, Salera put his hand on Woorunmarra's arm, stopping him. "Please inform your Commander that I'll speak with him as soon as I can. I'm sorry it had to come to this, Lieutenant."
The Imperial officer paused as he considered his response carefully. "Let us hope," he said levelly, "that we are not all a lot sorrier before this is finished." He turned away abruptly and led Adela to the floor, where the guards fell dutifully into step on either side of them.
It didn't take long for the voting to be completed. A glance at the tally board showed that, while a handful of the Eastlanders had abstained, there were no dissenting votes.
Again, Adela was convinced that the secession vote had been planned in advance.
"He knew he would win."
"Of course he did," Woorunmarra agreed, pointing to the board. "Or he'd've never made the attempt. Look there, he's even managed to talk the few members who were against the move to abstain, making the secession vote unanimous." He allowed the hint of a smile to form at the corners of his lips, adding, "Which is why I wish you outranked me."
She raised a puzzled eyebrow. "Why is that?"
"So that you would be the one to tell Montero."
Adela couldn't help laughing aloud and pretended not to see the guard seated next to her turn a sudden curious eye in her direction. Thank you, Adela thought, for bringing a moment's laughter to this hopeless situation.
The hammering of a gavel cut obtrusively into their brief conversation, and they returned their attention to the dais as the constant background of talking decreased in intensity.
"May I have your attention?" While Salera waited for order to return he spoke a few words to one of the officials seated at his left. The man nodded curtly and rose, quickly descending the steps and exiting the chamber. "The vote is unanimous," he said simply once the official had left. "As of this date, Eastland is no longer a part of the Dominion of Pallatin."
Again, Adela was surprised by the response. There was no outburst, no shouting by those in attendance. From here and there an occasional whisper reached her ears, but that was the exception. Nearly everyone else—on both sides of the chamber—waited in stunned silence for the Eastland Speaker to continue.
He coughed softly to clear his throat, and took a sip from the water glass on the table. Niles sat impassively, staring at him. Salera glanced at him once as he set the glass down. "Within the next two days, all persons not citizens of Eastland must leave the—" He stopped, apparently realizing that the word he was about to use was incorrect. "Must leave our country." It was clear to Adela that even though he had been prepared for this moment, the word still felt strange and unfamiliar to him. "I have given orders that no representative or citizen of Westland in the process of leaving is to be harassed or interfered with in any way. Anyone doing so will be dealt with severely. On this, you have my word."
Adela and Woorunmarra watched the crowd and noted that the spectators in the upper galleries, unnoticed by those in the lower rows, were already being cleared from the chamber by the security personnel. Those in the Eastland section talked quietly among themselves, while on the Westland side the representatives looked back and forth to one another. There was no panic, no outcry, but rather an overwhelming air of subdued shock and confusion over what to do next. Most kept their attention on the dais, waiting for some direction from Speaker Niles.
"With utmost respect," Salera concluded, "I must now ask that all citizens of Westland please leave this chamber." He lay the gavel on the table and turned to Niles, extending his hand. "I'm sorry, Am."
Niles stood slowly and, ignoring the Speaker's hand, addressed the now-silent chamber.
"Members of the Ninety-second Dominion…" His voice was strong, and carried with it much more authority than had Salera's. Adela's respect for the man doubled at how well he handled himself in the face of defeat—a defeat for which he had been set up with no possible course of action he could have taken to stop it.
"More has happened here today than the dissolution of a governing body," he began. "Today we divided a world. However, simply dissolving the governing bonds between us will not serve to make us a different people, as Speaker Salera might wish. Have we not, after all, always been a diverse world, with different ideals and goals, different lives and pleasures? Different pains and—different losses?" He paused, staring down at the gavel in his hands.
"Pallatin has always been a harsh, unforgiving place. Those who came first, who began the taming of our home, did so by beating the incredible odds working against them, and they did it as one world, with little help from any of the hundred others. But because of their unity of purpose, they succeeded in spite of the inattention of others. And it is with a similar attitude that many here now view outside intervention from those same Hundred Worlds in their time of need.
"It's true that we in the west are a different people now from those here in the east. And now that you've had an opportunity to see the representatives from the Empire, I'm sure you realize just how vastly different we have become from those on other worlds. But we are still one people, with a common need that overshadows all else…" Niles paused again, leaned forward on the table, then resumed speaking in a tone much louder than before. "Pallatin is still a harsh world, and we need each other to control it, to keep the angry forces within her docile—to keep her a home. I am saddened that Speaker Salera and the representatives of the Eastland Congress, in their efforts to prevent outside interference from creeping into our way of life, have failed to realize that neither body can do it alone."
He stopped and allowed his eyes to scan the assemblage before him, pausing so long that for a moment Adela thought he might be looking into the eyes of each individual member in turn. Finally he sighed deeply, his eyes lowered to the gavel in his hands once more. He turned it over in his hands as if studying it, then looked up to the assembly, addressing this time only one side of the large room.
"Members of the Westland Congress, we are no longer welcome here. Let us return home." He took one last look at Salera, th
en dropped the gavel to the table. It clattered noisily across the polished surface before falling to the carpeted floor.
The Speaker immediately left the dais and neither looked back nor spoke to anyone as he made his way to the floor and walked briskly from the chamber.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The viewer in Speaker Niles' office at the Westland capital was a flatscreen. Not that holographic technology was unavailable in Westland, it was; but the decision to install the more simple flatscreen display was apparently a matter of choice on the part of Niles himself. Simplicity seemed to be the way of life for the Speaker, just as it was for the Westlanders in general. Normally Adela would have missed being able to see the small nuances in facial expressions and body language afforded by a hologram, but she found that in this discussion the additional clues to mood, motive and inner thoughts were unnecessary: It was abundantly clear what was going through the mind of everyone taking part in this briefing session.
"Speaker Salera kept his word," Montero was saying to Woorunmarra. "He contacted me about an hour ago, at about the same time you arrived there in Newcastle."
Adela watched the Commander as he spoke, and realized that even a life-sized holograph could not have more clearly shown how deeply disturbed he was at how quickly the situation here on Pallatin had soured. Any doubts she might have had were erased by the presence of several key members of the Levant's crew seated with Montero. First Officer Nelon was there, of course, as was Woorunmarra's shipside counterpart. But also in attendance was the Levant's Weapons Master, Kyovska, and several of his lieutenants. It was obvious that Montero, while loath to use force here, was still keeping his options open.
So, apparently, was the Westland Congress. Invited by Speaker Niles to sit in on this briefing were other Westland representatives, as well as several uniformed men and women who had been introduced as top officers of the Congressional Guard, the equivalent of a national armed force. Now that Westland had thrown its allegiance to the Hundred Worlds, briefings of this type would most likely become commonplace.