Restinal held in a sigh. Why was Elder Torine always putting him in such impossible positions?
“Torine puts you in those positions, Werlin, because you’re basically honest, and no one else in the Delegate Ministries is both honest and intelligent. You’re also expendable because you got the portfolio through expertise and not political capital.”
Restinal did sigh as he opened the datacase.
“You’re handing us a mess, Werlin, but it’s not nearly that bad for you.”
Restinal was sure it was worse, far worse, and that his troubles were just beginning. He handed the flimsies across the desk.
V
NATHANIEL FIRSTBORNE WHALER bowed as he stepped inside the door, ignoring the twinges that intermittently traveled the nerves of his left side. “Prime?”
“Come on in, Nathaniel.” The silver-haired Prime Ecolitan stood by the wide table with the single drawer that served as his desk. As usual, the office was free of clutter. Two hard-copy files lay on the corner of the immaculate blond Ecolog-style desk-table. The louvered shutters were open, and a cool breeze wafted through the office.
Nathaniel paused between the two carved and high-backed wooden chairs.
“Sit down.” Gairloch Pittsway’s green eyes twinkled. “After your ordeal, I wouldn’t keep you standing—not yet, anyway.”
Nathaniel took the chair on the left side of the table and waited, his eyes on the older man.
“Solid work you did on Old Earth.” The Prime took the other carved chair in front of the desk. “Your return proved that.”
“Thank you.” When the Prime began with a compliment, trouble lay on the course ahead. Nathaniel also didn’t like the idea that an attempt on his own life proved his value. That was almost like saying he wouldn’t be appreciated until he was dead. That kind of appreciation he could do without.
“Your unvarnished description of Imperial politics was refreshing, if not unexpected. In view of your earlier efforts, you might be interested to know we took steps with regard to the elections on Hernando. The Popular Front had some setbacks in the balloting, and the Conservative Democrats have consolidated their government. They no longer need the Socialist Republicans.” The Prime Ecolitan leaned back in his chair. “Would that our own citizens were as perceptive. Or our own honorable representatives.”
“What did the House of Delegates do?” Two compliments, reflected Nathaniel, meant real trouble.
“At our prompting, indirectly, of course, they sent a communique to the Imperial Senate strongly suggesting it was in everyone’s best interests if Hernando remained independent. The Imperial Secretary of External Affairs sent a reassuring response, and the Elders are patting themselves on the back, conveniently forgetting that the Institute carried everyone’s oil. It works better that way.” Pittsway grinned. “You did manage to terrify a few of the Imperials. That was obvious.” The Prime glanced toward the green hills framed in the window. “I am not referring to the needle-gun attack.”
“I hadn’t thought so.”
“We’ll get to that in a moment. Even on Old Earth, you were obviously overtly formidable.”
“The synde bean plague on Heraculon helped.” Nathaniel raised his eyebrows and waited. “Probably a great deal.”
“Nasty business, there. I’ve started a team on that.” The Prime frowned momentarily. “I suppose you couldn’t afford to disclaim it.”
“I didn’t claim or disclaim it. I didn’t think so, but I didn’t know.”
“Matters would have to degrade considerably for us even to think about a return to ecological weapons with that broad an impact. You know how the Institute feels about ecologic warfare except as a last resort. One of the lesser benefits of the Secession. Besides, we’d have the entire galaxy up in arms if we did. It’s perfectly all right to wage wars, manipulate trade and agriculture, and starve or kill millions, but ecological warfare…horror of horrors. That’s another reason why the Charter and the Iron Rules were codified by the first Whaler. You’re some sort of relation, aren’t you?”
“You know the answer to that,” said Nathaniel with a smile. “About as distant as one can get.”
“You ought to read his papers, if you haven’t. They’re sealed, but the access is in your debrief file. I’d appreciate it if you would at least read through the entries I coded. You might also consider some of his exploits as a basis for revising your contingency plans. You managed the trade negotiations with minimal use of force. You may not have that option on your next assignment. I’m afraid the Fuards or the Federated Hegemony, or both, are setting up trouble.”
Nathaniel refrained from swallowing. References to force and the first Whaler? The one who had a reputation for drastic action? For the Prime to suggest such was definitely a bad sign. “Could I ask why you think so?”
“There are three reasons, or perhaps they’re the same. The next request for your services, the attack, and your friend. Or is she more than a friend?”
“I have hopes, but that has to be up to Sylvia. I think she’ll be an asset, one way or another.”
“I’m sure of that.” Pittsway offered a wry grin. “After the way you bent both our system and the Imperials’ to get her here, she must be quite a person.”
“She is. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.”
“Is that true or a justification?”
“True,” Nathaniel admitted. “She provided access and insight.” He didn’t want to admit out loud that Sylvia’s ability to get him inside the Defense Tower on New Augusta had made possible his distribution of the Institute-modified Gerson’s disease that had forced Admiral Ku-Smythe to accept the trade negotiations. Besides, the details in his report should have told the Prime what he needed to know.
“Hmmm.” The Prime nodded. “You have her in the intensive indoctrination courses already.”
“We thought that advisable.”
“More than advisable, as I’m sure you’re beginning to understand, after the past few weeks.”
Nathaniel waited.
“You know that the needles used on you were military Empire-issue, spiked with a nerve toxin used only by the Empire, and nastier than anything anyone else uses. It was touch and go for a bit, for both of you, and for the trainee.”
“Sylvia didn’t tell me that.”
“That increases my considerable respect for her—and for your choice of her.” The Prime steepled his fingers briefly. “What do you think about the attack on you being backed by the Imperial military?”
“It couldn’t have been. They have to know that, if we revealed the details, that would put the Defense Ministry at direct odds with at least two Imperial Ministries and the Emperor.” Nathaniel paused. “That would be an embarrassing situation. It could have theoretically been the work of a lower-level commander who was angry at Admiral Ku-Smythe…a set-up to embarrass her and get her removed so that in the future, the next Defense chief would be ready to attack the Coordinate. But I don’t see anyone senior enough to order it being that stupid.” The sandy-haired Ecolitan cleared his throat. “Or it could be designed to provoke us—or you. Or it could be an Halstani ploy…”
“Or an Orknarlian or Fuardian or Federated Hegemony effort—or one by New Avalon,” pointed out the Prime. “Or even a subtle move by the Frankan Union. I’d discount that, but not dismiss it.”
“New Avalon?”
Pittsway nodded. “While you were recovering, our friend Werlin Restinal paid a visit. You have been requested to visit Artos—in your academic capacity.”
“The Delegate Minister of Interstellar Commerce?”
“The same. He requested that you do a study on Artos. It’s a recently planoformed colony planet, and he provided some fanciful story about your expertise on infrastructure economics and the possibility of agricultural-technology trade. He also provided some odd shipping manifests, and he looked worried.”
That had been where the Prime was leading. Nathaniel wanted to groan.
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br /> “You may recall that he’s also the shadow minister for Coordinate intelligence, such as it is.”
The Ecolitan professor managed not to groan or sigh—barely. “Do we know what the problem is?”
“Torine hasn’t told him what the problem is. And Torine isn’t about to tell us, if he even knows the details.” The Prime shrugged. “Restinal doesn’t have any way to get anyone onto Artos. Not anyone he can trust. Everyone knows the Institute can’t be bought by the Coordinate government—anyone else from Accord would be automatically suspect, and Artos is three sectors away. Who from here would ever travel that far to a planet barely out of planoforming? Except an Institute economist or a Coordinate intelligence operative?
“So why Artos?”
“We don’t know, but it’s on the edge of the Three System Bulge, and we do know that both the Federated Hegemony and the Fuards, and lately the Frankans, have all been increasing their arsenals, although not there. I find the absence of military activity around the Bulge more disturbing than its presence.” The Prime smiled wryly. “We also have a very nervous politician on our hands, and he—or someone—has dummied up a study to get you to Artos. The study has to be real—and first class. And he’s got a deal with Camelot, one he won’t reveal.”
“But it’s an obvious cover—even to the Avalonians.”
The Prime nodded.
“How obvious and how nervous was Restinal?”
“Obvious enough that more than a few will know everything about you before you leave. Restinal was nervous enough to mention that Ferro-Maine might be considered an Imperial agent by some, and an embarrassment to the Institute. I told him to take his portfolio and place it somewhere very private and very dark.” The Prime smiled.
“I’ll have to tell her.”
“I thought you would. I also thought she might like to accompany you to Artos, but that has to be her choice. She is welcome at the Institute in your absence, and would be accorded full staff privileges.”
“I’ll have to ask her.” Nathaniel paused. “How does the assassination effort tie into New Avalon?”
“I have this feeling that the Avalonian Commerce Ministry was pressured into requesting the study. Someone doesn’t want it done, and Werlin was sent out here to make sure it was…and that you were assigned to do it. Someone knew that before Restinal did.”
“An infrastructure study? They don’t kill people over the allocation of energy and transportation resources.” Nathaniel shook his head.
“Unless that allocation ties into something else rather nasty. Then again,” said the Prime, “it may all be an elaborate scheme to get you isolated away from Accord.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“So do I, but—” the Prime shrugged “—some people take defeats as very, very personal, and you made some very powerful people look very stupid. Right now, we don’t know, and by the time we do…”
“It could be rather late.”
“Exactly. But I feel, as you’ll see in the briefing materials, that it’s much worse than that. Far worse. Possibly far worse than what you just concluded with the Empire.”
Nathaniel pursed his lips. He’d hoped for a respite—and the chance to get to know Sylvia better—when he’d returned home.
“You don’t have to go to Artos.”
“I don’t know that I’d be any safer here—not if the assassin could penetrate Coordinate security.”
“They won’t penetrate the Institute.”
“And I’m supposed to remain under Institute restraint for months or years? No, thank you. I’d rather go to Artos.”
Pittsway smiled wryly. “I thought you might. There’s a full briefing package on file for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. This is doubtless another one of those insurmountable opportunities that Strongarm’s memoirs cites.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“And I think you’d better review your contingency portfolio. I’ve also granted you the full credit and authority of the Institute.”
“The full credit?” The younger Ecolitan wanted to whistle. He hadn’t even gotten that on his trade mission to New Augusta.
The Prime nodded. “I’ve also instructed our representative in Camelot that your authority is as mine, not to be questioned or obstructed.”
“You suspect…?”
“I suspect everything, and if my suspicions are correct, this will be even nastier than your last effort. And you may not have much time to act if it comes to that. I hope not, but I’m already half-convinced that we’re past hoping. As I indicated, the details are under seal in your briefing packet.” The Prime rose. “After you review that, if you have further questions, we can talk. I would also suggest that you inform new Ecolitan professor Ferro-Maine that the situation is uncertain, but that it could be quite hazardous, for reasons we can only suspect, and that you would prefer to limit her briefing to the facts in order to get her unvarnished judgment.”
“Yes, Prime.” Nathaniel stood, belatedly.
VI
THE TWO FIGURES in field greens sat on the bench in the middle of the Institute’s formal garden.
“You know,” offered Whaler, “this garden dates back to the founding of the Institute. And this bench was where the first Whaler fell in love.” The sandy-haired Ecolitan grinned, simultaneously being fully aware of the faint orange-trilia fragrance that seemed to emanate from Sylvia. It was already hard to believe that he’d met her over a dose of fidelitrol, trying not to tell the truth, or not too much of it, while she was doing the same.
“This very bench?” she asked with a smile.
“One like it, I imagine. Even our benches don’t last four hundred years. There are other parallels. He was an Imperial Special Operative. She was an Ecolitan field agent, and probably a far better operative than he was. His specialty, according to the material the Prime gave me, was destruction on a large scale.”
“You haven’t done that badly.”
Nathaniel suppressed a wince, thinking about fifty deaths from a mutated virus that was supposed to have a minimal fatal impact. “I wish I hadn’t had to do what I did.”
“That makes two of us.” Sylvia paused. “Sometimes, our choices are only between the lesser of evils.”
“That’s one thing that worries me about this Artos assignment,” the Ecolitan said quickly. “I have a feeling that nothing good is going to come of it, no matter how we handle it. So does the Prime, and he’s granted me a lot of authority. Too much. But we’re all just speculating.”
“Is it real?” she asked thoughtfully.
“The Prime thinks it is. I don’t know. But I worry about your coming.” He glanced at her, then added, “On your own, you’re probably better than I am at avoiding difficulties. You showed me that on Old Earth.”
“Don’t humor me.”
“I’m not. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
She shook her head, her slate gray eyes momentarily ocean cold. “Fifty-one deaths. Over three hundred people with permanent nerve damage, and you couldn’t have done it without me.”
“That’s not what I meant. I was talking about Artos. If you went somewhere alone…you’d be better off than with me. But they’ve requested an economist, and a study that has to be good, even if it’s a cover. And that means one Nathaniel Whaler. I want to spend time with you, but I don’t want to make you a target. I told you that this could be very hazardous.”
“You’re perfectly willing to be a target, dear Nathaniel. And it appears as though we both already are—again.”
“I knew that came with the territory. Has for a long time.”
“You don’t think I didn’t know it came with the territory when I left everything to come to Accord—even before that mess at the port? I think I love you, Nathaniel, but I still won’t be a kept woman.” Sylvia’s slate gray eyes caught Whaler’s, held them. “I know I can help.” She offered a faint smile.
&nbs
p; “You think you love me? You came all this way…and you think…” The sandy-haired Ecolitan shook his head.
“You didn’t ask me for a contract. You didn’t even say you loved me. You provided everything, and I know that…I know you care. I had to choose, then. There wasn’t a second chance. Was there?” Her lips quirked upward. “There almost wasn’t a first chance.”
“You could have…” He paused. Would the I.I.S. really have let her go, if they’d had time to find out and react? Would the Coordinate authorities have been so lenient if he hadn’t just delivered an agreement that staved off an interstellar war? He pursed his lips, then shook his head. “You’re right.”
“That’s one of the many things I can say I love about you.”
“What?”
“Behind that secret-agent-economist front…you actually listen.”
Nathaniel wondered. Did he?
“You do, and I’m going with you.”
“So long as you keep up your lessons on what you don’t know about Accord.”
“That’s another thing I like about this place.” She offered the tentative smile that he always found so enchanting.
“The lessons?”
“People take me at my word.”
“Not everyone on Accord does. Ecolitans try to. People in Harmony or on the Peninsula are pretty much the same as in the Empire. Maybe a little more open, but it makes sense to trust people at first. Most of the time, anyway.”
“That’s an odd way of putting it.”
“Not really. It’s something the Prime emphasizes. I guess every Prime has. It goes with the job. If you distrust people, they pick up on it, and that leads them to distrust you. Since human society is based on trust, and since the greater the reinforced trust, the freer a society can be, it makes sense to create a society where trust is reinforced. That’s one of the perpetual conflicts between the Institute and the politicians.”
Sylvia raised her eyebrows, gray eyes inquiring.
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