Quiet Invasion(164)
“It must be acknowledged, however,” said Ambassador D’tran, “that an engineer, someone responsible for building and creating, must know what uses the resources of the world she lives on are being put to. If the New People have a legitimate claim here, why did she not say so? T’sha did make that point clear in her previous conversations.” T’sha’s last conversation with Engineer Vee had also been played for the Law Meet.
“We do not know for certain that Ambassador T’sha’s words were completely clear,” replied T’taik. “The New People are not cortices. We cannot read their imprinting to be certain the information has been properly received.”
They are listening to her, D’seun felt his bones tighten with worry. How could they be listening to this?
“It may be that you are both right.”
D’seun turned gratefully to Ambassador Z’eth. A stray breeze blew past, carrying the touch of Z’eth’s words on it as she spoke.
“It may be that this New Person, Engineer Vee, did not properly understand what she was being asked and so improperly transmitted and translated that information for her ambassador. It may also be that she is in fear of a family of her people that are insane. Which of us could clearly speak of such a thing to strangers, whose motivations we do not know?”
Z’eth beat her wings twice, lifting herself up over the center of the Meet. “So my first belief is that we need much more time to speak with Ambassador Helen, Engineer Vee, and any other New People who present themselves.”
No, no, there is no more time!
“However,” Z’eth went on, “if the distant family of the New People is found to be insane, we need to ask what should be done about them.”
“Clearly, they need to be prevented from interfering with the New People and New Home,” said T’taik. “Their means of transport should be fairly easy to identify and disable.”
T’sha must have sent T’taik to speak in her place. That was the only answer. What promise lay there? He had not had time to research this all as thoroughly as he should have. If they listened to this now….
“I say that’s not enough, Ambassador T’taik.” Ambassador P’eath, who, like D’seun, was a refugee from the Southern Roughs, inflated her body fully. “When has any insane being been allowed to exist as more than raw materials to build a sane future from?”
T’taik dipped her muzzle. “That is the way it has been, yes. But we have it from Engineer Vee that the New People do not have the same views of how to deal with insanity.”
“They would allow insanity to live? To grow in its own way and risk smothering sanity?” P’eath extended her wings. Relief lifted D’seun’s body. “With respect, T’taik, it sounds as if our neighbors may be slightly insane themselves.”
“Is difference insanity?” inquired T’taik mildly, letting her crest rise as if in surprise. “If it is, we are in great trouble, because the Equatorials and the Northerns will be at each other’s throats in the civil courts again.”
A general whistle of assent, and some clacking muzzles in chagrin and amusement. Disquiet filled the pockets between D’seun’s bones. He looked to Z’eth, who made no move to silence the words. What was she waiting for? Why was she permitting this to continue? She had promised! He had agreed to give her everything he had. He should put an end to this right now, call for a vote and end this display….
The chamber portal opened. All the ambassadors fanned their wings, turning themselves to see what this interruption was.
It was Engineer D’han, shrunk so small he was almost cringing as he floated through the threshold.
“Ambassador, forgive me, but…Ambassadors,” he stammered, beating his wings and bobbing his head, looking for a friendly face. “We have a translation of one of the last trans port-to-base transmissions from the New People….”
Several crests ruffled quizzically. “The New People exchange patterned radiation, as I have told you,” D’seun reminded them. “Most of it heads off into the vacuum, but some of it passes between their base and their transports on the surface. We have been monitoring and translating it since they first began, although it is still slow going because it is so tangled with their command languages. The practice greatly improved our speed of communication when we were finally able to speak to them.”
“Thank you, Ambassador.” Z’eth dipped her muzzle to him and then she dropped herself to D’han’s level. “What do they say in this translation you have made?”