Part 82 (1/2)

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xiii The vote totals ticked by on the top of the screen and Giraud took another drink. ”We're going to make it,” he said to Abban.

After-dinner drinks in his Novgorod apartment. Private election-watch, with his companion Abban, who very rarely indulged. But Abban's gla.s.s had diminished by half since the Pan-paris figures had started coming in. Pan-paris had gone for Khalid in the last election. This time it went for Jacques by a two percent margin.

”It's not over,” Abban said, dour as usual. ”There's still Wyatt's.”

The stars farther off the paths of possible expansion were very chancy electorates for any seat. The garrisons tended to be local, resisting amalgamation into other units, and voted consistently Centrist.

But Pan-paris augured very well. . . coming out of the blind storage on Cyteen Station: the computers spat up the stored results of other stations as Cyteen polls closed simultaneously, on-world and up at Station, and the tallies began to flood in.

”I told you,” Giraud finally felt safe to say. ”Not even with Gorodin's health at issue. Khalid's far from forming a third party. He certainly can't do it with support eroding inside his own electorate. Then we only have Jacques to worry about.”

”Only Jacques,” Abban echoed. ”Do you think he'll keep a bargain? I don't.”

”He'll appoint Gorodin. He knows d.a.m.n well what reneging on that deal would do for him. All we have to hope is that Gorodin stays alive.” He took a drink of his own. ”And that he hurries and makes an appearance. Hope Hope he's not going to wait overlong on proprieties.” he's not going to wait overlong on proprieties.”

The moderate do-nothing Simon Jacques for Councillor; Jacques to appoint Gorodin as Secretary of Defense, then Jacques to resign and appoint Gorodin proxy Councillor, back to his old seat-after which there was bound to be another round with Khalid.

But by then they had to have a viable Expansionist candidate ready to contend with Khalid. The two-year rule applied: meaning Khalid, having lost the election, could not turn around and re-file against the winner until two years had pa.s.sed; which meant Jacques could hold the seat for two years without much chance of challenge-but if Jacques resigned directly after election, it would be a race to file: whoever filed first, Gorodin or Khalid, could preclude the other from filing because they were each a month short of the end of the prohibition from the election that had put Khalid Khalid in: which was sure to mean a Supreme Court ruling on the situation-the rule technically only applying to losers, but creating a window for an appeal on the grounds of legal equity. in: which was sure to mean a Supreme Court ruling on the situation-the rule technically only applying to losers, but creating a window for an appeal on the grounds of legal equity.

That meant it was wiser to leave Jacques in office for as long as the two-year rule made him una.s.sailable-while Gorodin-the health rumors were not not fabricated this time-used what time he had to groom a successor of his own . . . because the one thing no one believed was that Gorodin would last the full two years. fabricated this time-used what time he had to groom a successor of his own . . . because the one thing no one believed was that Gorodin would last the full two years.

A successor whom of course course Jacques was going to support. Like h.e.l.l. Jacques knew himself a figurehead, knew his own financial fortunes were solidly linked with Centrist-linked firms, and the next two years were going to be fierce infighting inside Defense, while Khalid, stripped of his Intelligence post, still had pull enough in the military system to be worrisome. The estimate was that Lu, tainted with the administrative decisions Gorodin's war record to some extent let him survive, had a reputation for side-s.h.i.+fting that did not serve him well in an elected post; and he was old, very old, as it was. Jacques was going to support. Like h.e.l.l. Jacques knew himself a figurehead, knew his own financial fortunes were solidly linked with Centrist-linked firms, and the next two years were going to be fierce infighting inside Defense, while Khalid, stripped of his Intelligence post, still had pull enough in the military system to be worrisome. The estimate was that Lu, tainted with the administrative decisions Gorodin's war record to some extent let him survive, had a reputation for side-s.h.i.+fting that did not serve him well in an elected post; and he was old, very old, as it was.

”We're running out of war heroes,” Abban said. ”Doubtful if Gorodin can find any of that generation fit fit to serve. This new electorate-I'm not sure they respond to the old issues. That's the trouble.” to serve. This new electorate-I'm not sure they respond to the old issues. That's the trouble.”

Seventy years since the war-and the obits of famous names were getting depressingly frequent.

”These young hawks,” Giraud said, ”they're not an issue, they're a mindset. They're pessimistic, they believe in worst-cases, they feel safe only on the side of perceived strength. Khalid worries me more as an agitator than as a single-electorate hero. He appeals to that type-to the worriers of all electorates, not just the ones who happen to be in Defense. It's always after wars-in times of confusion-or economic low spots, exactly the kind of thing a clever operator like Khalid can can find a base in. There are alarming precedents. Lu would be the best for the seat, still the best for the seat and the best for the times-but this d.a.m.ned electorate won't vote for a man who tells them there are four and five sides to a question. There's too much uncertainty. The electorate doesn't want the truth, it wants answers in line with their thinking.” find a base in. There are alarming precedents. Lu would be the best for the seat, still the best for the seat and the best for the times-but this d.a.m.ned electorate won't vote for a man who tells them there are four and five sides to a question. There's too much uncertainty. The electorate doesn't want the truth, it wants answers in line with their thinking.”

”One could,” Abban said, ”simply take a direct solution. I don't understand civs, I especially don't understand civ CITs. In this case the law isn't working. It's insanity to go on following it. Eliminate the problem quietly. Then restore the law.” Abban was was a little buzzed. ”Take this man Khalid out. I could do it. And no one would find me out.” a little buzzed. ”Take this man Khalid out. I could do it. And no one would find me out.”

”A dangerous precedent.”

”So is losing-dangerous to your cause.”

”No. Politics works. When the Expansionists look strong, these pessimist types vote Expansionist. And they'll turn. We had them once. We can have them again.”

”When?” Abban asked.

”We will. I'll tell you: Denys is right. Young Ari's image has been altogether too sweet.” Abban's gla.s.s was empty. He filled Abban's and topped off his, finis.h.i.+ng the bottle. ”When our girl took into Khalid in front of the cameras-that threw a lot of Khalid's believers completely off their balance, but you mark me, they blamed the media. Remember they always believe in conspiracies. They weren't willing to accept Ari as anything solid-as anything anything that can guarantee their future. And that can guarantee their future. And won't, won't, until she makes them believe it.” until she makes them believe it.”

”Which alienates the doves.”

”Oh, yes. When she went in front of those cameras head to head with Khalid-it was d.a.m.ned dangerous. She pulled it off-but there was a downside. I argued with Denys. Her insistence on bringing Gehenna out public again-I'm sure inflamed the hawks and scared the h.e.l.l out of a few doves-enough to bring the Paxers out in force. She may have attracted the few peace-pushers who aren't more scared of her than him, and may have lost him a few of his, but she didn't gain any of his his people. It's Gorodin they're re-electing. Gorodin's an old name, a safe name. They're not about to go with a young girl's opinion. Not the worry-addicts.” people. It's Gorodin they're re-electing. Gorodin's an old name, a safe name. They're not about to go with a young girl's opinion. Not the worry-addicts.”

More figures ticked by. Widening margin, Jacques' favor.

”I'll tell you what worries me,” Giraud said, finally. ”Young Warrick. He's going to be very hard to hold. How's our man doing-the one with the Planys contact?”

”Proceeding.”

”We doc.u.ment it, we find some convenient link to the Rocher gang or the Paxers and that's all we need. Or we create one. I want you to look into that.”

”Good.”

”We need to leave the Centrists with very embarra.s.sing ties- There have to be ties. That will keep Corain busy. And And keep young Warrick quiet, if he has any sense at all.” keep young Warrick quiet, if he has any sense at all.”

”Direct solutions there are just as possible,” Abban said.