“I understand that,” I said. “But it’s not what I asked.”
“What I believe is that both our governments are in an impossible situation at the moment, Councilor,” Abumwe said. “We’ve been pushed there by this Equilibrium group, yes. But Equilibrium could not by itself have gotten us to where both of us are now. We can blame this situation on Equilibrium, or on each other. But we are where we are because we put ourselves there. I don’t know if there’s any way for us to avoid what’s coming. The best we can do is put it off and hope something else develops along the way, to save us from ourselves.”
“Another thing we have in common, Ambassador.”
“I don’t doubt it, Councilor,” Abumwe said. “The rumor is that the general is going to address the Grand Assembly today.”
“He is.”
“He’s hoping to repair the damage my report created.”
“That’s some of it, yes.”
“If I’d have been him—or you—I wouldn’t have let me address the assembly.”
“If we hadn’t have had you do it, we would have different problems.”
“They might have been better ones.”
“It’s debatable,” I said.
“Do you think it will help anything? The general addressing the assembly today.”
“Let’s hope it does,” I said. “For both our sakes.”
* * *
“We are at a critical time in the history of the Conclave,” Tarsem was saying, from the lectern at the focus of the Grand Assembly. And then he launched into many more words.
I was not paying attention to the particular words. From my vantage point behind and to the side of him, I was doing what I do best: I was counting heads. Looking at the ones who were nodding attentively at what he had to say. Looking at the ones which were registering skepticism, or anger, or fear.
If you think this is an easy task to do across four hundred species, some of which do not have heads which show appreciable emotion, or indeed, some which do not have what might properly be construed as “heads,” I certainly invite you to try it.
“You need to be paying specific attention to Prulin Horteen,” I said to Tarsem, directly before he began his speech. “She’s the one that Oi has targeted as being the head of this emerging ‘purger’ faction. We need to cut them off before they get any larger.”
“I know what she is up to,” Tarsem said. “I spoke with Vnac.”
“When?”
“Just before I was here. While you were speaking to Ambassador Abumwe. I do have meetings you aren’t present for, you know.”
“I don’t advise those.”
“I don’t imagine you would.” Tarsem smiled. “Don’t worry, Hafte. This speech will resolve a number of issues. I’m confident of that.”
“It could be a start, in any event.”
“We’ve made a good thing here,” Tarsem said. “The Conclave, I mean. You and I and everyone else in this assembly. It’s been a life’s work making it.”
“It’s indeed a wonderful thing,” I said. “If we can keep it.”
“I think we will,” Tarsem said.
“Start by tamping down Prulin Horteen,” I said. “And Unli Hado while you’re at it.”
I glanced over to where I knew Hado would be. There was substantial room around him; it appeared he was in bad odor after the Elpri had been accused by Abumwe of participating in Equilibrium. Not too far from him, however, was Prulin Horteen, who no doubt thought she was helping Tarsem by trying to put entire species on the Conclave’s chopping block. I returned my attention to Tarsem, who as it happened was addressing that very issue.
“… Director Oi and its analysts are even now sifting through the data of both competing reports to tell us what information is accurate, what isn’t, and, importantly, what isn’t being told to us. Until we have that full analysis and report from Oi’s office, I cannot and will not speculate with regard to the loyalties of any of our member nations. Are there individuals within those nations who may mean the Conclave ill? Yes, of course. They will be found and they will be dealt with.
“But individuals are not precise mirrors of their nations. And regardless of which report you now place your faith in, the Ocampo report or the Abumwe report, the intention behind both is the same: the dissolution and destruction of the Conclave. A return to the violence and savagery between our nations that we all still remember. We cannot allow that to happen. I will not allow that to happen. We are not a hollow union. We all have chosen to take part in this best chance for peace.
“I repeat: We must not fall back into savagery. We are not a hollow union—”
Tarsem’s lectern exploded.
I was not aware of it immediately. I was pushed backward by the blast and toward the ground. My physiology makes me or any Lalan difficult to topple. I fell nonetheless, stunned and deaf, and amazed that somehow I had found myself on the floor.