Part 72 (2/2)

”She has no business with the notes,” Khalid said. ”Or do we believe that Reseune is being steered by a fifteen-year-old and a dead woman? That raises more questions about the competency of Reseune's administration than it does about hers. I have no quarrel with the child. I do have with Reseune. I find evidence of gross mismanagement. Gross Gross mismanagement. I think we have more than enough evidence to extend this investigation into Reseune's actions in creating this situation.” mismanagement. I think we have more than enough evidence to extend this investigation into Reseune's actions in creating this situation.”

”You can do that,” Giraud said, ”but it won't get you those notes.”

The gavel came down. Repeatedly.

”Young sera,” Khalid said. ”You can can be held in contempt of a Council order. So can your Administrator and the other people who are prompting you.” be held in contempt of a Council order. So can your Administrator and the other people who are prompting you.”

Ari took a drink of water. When it was quiet she said: ”You can arrest people, but what you want to know is science and you have to ask scientists, and we're it. Bucherlabs hasn't got anybody who can read it. Neither does Defense. I'm already telling you what's in the notes and what you'll find if you go to all that trouble. If you don't think I'm telling the truth now, are you going to believe me then?”

The gavel banged again. ”Councillor. Sera. If you please. Councillor Khalid.”

”We're dealing with an immature child,” Khalid said, ”who's being pushed into this position by Reseune Administration. I repeat, we need to widen this probe until we get at individuals who are are responsible. This is a question of national security. The Military Secrets Act-” responsible. This is a question of national security. The Military Secrets Act-”

”The Councillor is out of order,” Giraud said.

”-requires an investigation of any mishandling of cla.s.sified information. The mishandling that allowed a fifteen-year-old child to go in front of news cameras to leak information that never never should have become public-” should have become public-”

Again the gavel. ”Councillor, we operate under rules, let me remind you. This is not a debate.”

”A diplomatic crisis is at issue. Our enemies have a pretext to break treaties, including including the arms treaty, which is not to our advantage. They're talking about the arms treaty, which is not to our advantage. They're talking about plots, plots, seri, completely ignorant of what azi are and what they're capable of. This is the result of practicing diplomacy in the press.” seri, completely ignorant of what azi are and what they're capable of. This is the result of practicing diplomacy in the press.”

”The Councillor is out of order,” Giraud said.

”Admiral,” Harad said, ”your time is running. Have you a question for the witness?”

”I have. Under oath, young sera, and bearing in mind you can can be prosecuted for perjury, how long have you known about these files?” be prosecuted for perjury, how long have you known about these files?”

”About the Gehenna files? They surfaced when I used the keywords.”

”When?”

”The day after you won the election.”

”Where did you get the keywords?”

”Denys Nye suggested them.” That was a bad thing to have to admit. ”But-”

”Meaning they didn't exist until then. Thank you, young sera. That explains a great deal.”

”That's a psych, ser. It doesn't prove anything. I had to know. My clearance-”

”Thank you, we've had had your answer.” your answer.”

”No, you've made up one.”

”The Council will not take disrespect, sera.”

”Yes, ser. But I don't have to take being called a liar. You threatened us; I applied for my majority; that triggered-”

”It's not you who's lying, sweet. You've been deceived right along with the Council. Your uncle made those files. He's made them from the beginning. There's no secret, protected system. There are simply records Reseune doesn't want to release, for very clear reasons, and Reseune created you you to stand between the Council and Reseune's mismanagement.” to stand between the Council and Reseune's mismanagement.”

”No, ser, I'm under oath. I am and you're not. My getting my majority triggered the notes. So when you withdrew your suit, that did it. That's the truth. And I'm I'm under oath.” under oath.”

There was a little s.h.i.+fting in seats. A snort from Catherine Lao.

”Your uncle made the files and prepped you for this whole business.”

The gavel banged. ”That's enough, Councillor. Next question.”

”I don't think we're listening to anything in this diplomatic fiasco,” Khalid said, ”but Denys Nye's constructions. Reseune is playing politics as usual, and it's held too much power too long.”

”Do we mention the power in the Defense Bureau?” Giraud said.

”We have a clear case of conflict of interest on the Council. And we have emba.s.sies from Pell and Earth asking questions we had rather not answer.”

”We have a clear conflict of interest as regards Defense,” Giraud said. ”Since your Bureau ordered this Gehenna mess over the protests of Science. As As the witness has testified.” the witness has testified.”

”Time,” Harad said, and brought the gavel down.

”I'm due time to respond to that,” Khalid said.

”Your time is up.”

”I'd hate to accuse the Chairman of partisan politics.”

Bang! ”You are out of order, Councillor!” ”You are out of order, Councillor!”

Ari took another sip of water and waited while the Chair wrangled it out. Corain was making notes. So were Lao and a lot of the aides. Corain might have put Khalid up to it, making him the villain, since Khalid already had trouble. There was a challenge to Khalid's seat shaping up-already, a man named Simon Jacques. Much less flamboyant. Reseune had preferred Lu, but Lu's age was against him; and there was under-the-table stuff going on: Corain had talked very secretly with Giraud and Jacques was a compromise they both could swallow, to get rid of Khalid. But that didn't mean Corain wouldn't let Khalid go after Reseune. It just meant that, under that table, Corain didn't want Reseune swallowed up by Defense any more than he wanted it to exist at all.

Meanwhile Khalid had broken off negotiations on a big Defense contract with Reseune. It was a fair-sized threat, but Khalid certainly wasn't doing any more than stalling, because there wasn't anywhere else to get tape from.

And the law that protected azi wound a civil rights issue right into Reseune's right of exclusivity on tape-production, because Reseune was was the legal guardian of all azi, everywhere-Reseune the legal guardian of all azi, everywhere-Reseune could could terminate all azi contracts with Defense-which they wouldn't do, of course, but, Giraud said, Defense had been fighting for years to get access to the birth-to-eighteen tapes for its soldiers, and Reseune would never give them up. That was why Khalid wanted to nationalize Reseune. Khalid said there had been mismanagement at RESEUNEs.p.a.cE-meaning Jenna Schwartz; but he made it sound like it was present management, meaning Ollie, and that made her d.a.m.ned mad; Defense also said it was worried about something being buried in the training tapes; and Khalid was threatening to bring a bill to break Reseune's monopoly on tape and licensing- terminate all azi contracts with Defense-which they wouldn't do, of course, but, Giraud said, Defense had been fighting for years to get access to the birth-to-eighteen tapes for its soldiers, and Reseune would never give them up. That was why Khalid wanted to nationalize Reseune. Khalid said there had been mismanagement at RESEUNEs.p.a.cE-meaning Jenna Schwartz; but he made it sound like it was present management, meaning Ollie, and that made her d.a.m.ned mad; Defense also said it was worried about something being buried in the training tapes; and Khalid was threatening to bring a bill to break Reseune's monopoly on tape and licensing- Fine, Giraud said: Khalid didn't have the votes; Khalid's position was already unpopular with his own party-who didn't want more azi more azi labs, they wanted fewer; so the whole Gehenna thing was a lever all sorts of interests were using. Corain would have liked to have used it much more, except Corain was worried about Khalid. labs, they wanted fewer; so the whole Gehenna thing was a lever all sorts of interests were using. Corain would have liked to have used it much more, except Corain was worried about Khalid.

It was all very crazy. The stock markets were going up and down on rumors, Chavez, of Finance, was furious and sent a shut-down order on the wave of the rumors, so no s.h.i.+p could leave port for a few days, because they didn't want that that market-dive information packet going off at trans-light across Union and clear to Pell and Earth, they wanted to get the market stable again before they let any s.h.i.+p leave; and that had the Trade Bureau upset and Information howling about trade censors.h.i.+p. It was a real mess. In fact everybody was getting anxious. market-dive information packet going off at trans-light across Union and clear to Pell and Earth, they wanted to get the market stable again before they let any s.h.i.+p leave; and that had the Trade Bureau upset and Information howling about trade censors.h.i.+p. It was a real mess. In fact everybody was getting anxious.

Council won't take this kind of stuff, Giraud had said. And grimly: this is getting very serious, Ari. Very serious.

There was, Giraud had said, a hard-line faction in the military that had been building up for years-a lot of them the old guard who blamed Gorodin and Lu for spending too much on the Fargone project and not getting the programs they wanted; they they backed Khalid in the election, and they wanted more s.h.i.+pbuilding and more defense systems Sunward; but that was also along the Alliance corridors, and that made the Centrists nervous. backed Khalid in the election, and they wanted more s.h.i.+pbuilding and more defense systems Sunward; but that was also along the Alliance corridors, and that made the Centrists nervous.

While everybody thought Jacques was a front for Gorodin and might resign and appoint Gorodin proxy if he got elected; and Lu's friends were mad about the double cross. he got elected; and Lu's friends were mad about the double cross.

Crazy.

”We have this entire crisis,” Khalid was saying, arguing with Harad, ”because Reseune can sit in perfect immunity and level charges contained in doc.u.ments only the Science Bureau can vouch for. Of course course the Science Bureau is pure of Reseune influences!” the Science Bureau is pure of Reseune influences!”

Giraud was right. Khalid was a disaster with the press, but he was fast on his feet and he was smart. You couldn't discount him.

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