Blue Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson [146]
Charlotte shrugged, mouth full. After swallowing: “Have you been noticing that being president of Mars is not a particularly powerful position?”
“Hell yes. It would be hard to miss.”
“Yes. Well, the whole executive council is the same, of course. It’s looking like the real power in this government is in the environmental court. Irishka was put in charge there as part of the grand gesture, and she’s done a lot to legitimate moderate redness by staking out a middle ground. It allows for a lot of development under the six-k limit, but above that, they’re very strict. That’s all backed by the constitution, so they’ve been able to make everything stand— the legislature is laying off, they haven’t overturned any judgments yet. So it’s been an impressive first session for Irishka and that whole group of justices.”
“So Jackie is jealous,” Nadia said.
Charlotte shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“More than possible,” Nadia said grimly.
“And then there’s the matter of the council itself. Jackie may think this is something she can get three of the others to back her on, and then the council becomes that much more hers. Cairo is an arena where she might hope that Zeyk will vote with her because of the Arab part of town. Then only two more. And both Mikhail and Ariadne are strong localists.”
“But the council can’t overturn court decisions,” Nadia said, “only the legislature, right? By legislating new laws.”
“Right, but if Cairo continues to defy the court, then it would be up to the council to order the police to go down there and physically stop them. That’s what the executive branch is supposed to do. If the council didn’t do that, then the court would be undermined, and Jackie would take effective control of the council. Two birds with one stone.”
Nadia threw down her bit of spongy bread. “I’ll be damned if that happens,” she said.
They sat in silence.
“I hate this stuff,” Nadia said.
Charlotte said, “In a few years there will be a body of practices, institutions, laws, amendments to the constitution, all that. Things that the constitution never addressed, which translate it into action. Like the proper role of political parties. Right now we’re in the process of working all these things out.”
“Maybe so, but I still hate it.”
“Think of it as meta-architecture. Building the culture that allows architecture to exist. Then it’ll be less frustrating for you.”
Nadia snorted.
“This one should be a clear case,” Charlotte said. “The judgment has been made, they only have to abide by it.”
“What if they don’t?”
“Time for the police.”
“Civil war, in other words!”
“They won’t push it that far. They signed the constitution just like everyone else, and if everyone else is abiding by it, then they become outlaws, like the Red ecoteurs. I don’t think they’ll go that far. They’re just testing the limits.”
She did not seem annoyed by this. That was the way people were, her expression seemed to say. She did not blame anyone, she was not frustrated. A very calm woman, this Charlotte— relaxed, confident, capable. With her coordinating it, the executive council’s work had so far been well organized, if not easy. If that competence was what growing up in a matriarchy like Dorsa Brevia did for you, Nadia thought, then more power to them. She couldn’t help but compare Charlotte to Maya, with all Maya’s mood shifts, her angst and self-dramatization. Well, it was probably an individual thing in any culture. But it was going to be interesting to have more Dorsa Brevia women around to take on these jobs.
At the next morning’s meeting Nadia stood and said, “An order against dumping water in Marineris has been issued already. If you persist in the dumping, the new police powers of the global community will be exerted. I don’t think anyone wants that.”
“I don’t think you can speak for the executive council,” Jackie said.
“I can,” Nadia said shortly.
“No you can’t,” Jackie said. “You’re only one of seven. And this isn’t a council matter anyway.”
“We’ll see