Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin [10]
“The Centauri representative is as clever a talker as the Terran prime minister, Gral continued, apparently as unmoved by the words of Ambassador Li and Earths ministers as by the Andorians uncharacteristic good humor. “And I do not doubt the truth behind anyones claims of human contentiousness, which no doubt fuels the obstinacy of both Earth and Alpha Centauri on the issue of the admission of Centauri III. With that, the senior Tellarite diplomat sat, leaning back from the table with his arms folded truculently before him.
Anlenthoris chVhendreni of Andoria, known to most of the other diplomats present simply as Thoris, rose and began to speak before either of Earths ministers had time either to formally give him the floor or to interject any response of their own.
“Indeed, Thoris said, his antennae flattening aggressively backward along his well-groomed, white-maned skull. “Could this stubbornness be born of the fear that whatever remains of the outlawed Terra Prime movement might pressure the United Earth government to withdraw from the Coalition absent some guarantee of a human parliamentary advantage over the other members of this alliance? Centauri IIIs admission would appear to represent just such a guarantee.
“Thats both ridiculous and unfair! al-Rashid said, startling Samuels, who wasnt used to seeing his colleague react with such vehemence. Samuels saw his usually phlegmatic colleagues overstressed outburst as an ominous sign. It was also a tacit admission that the Tellarites assertion was anything but ridiculous. After all, no one who monitored Earths popular media, its independent editorial journals, or its talknets could plausibly deny that humanitys small minority of committed xenophobes still maintained a formidable presence in the planets collective hindbrain, if only on a rhetorical, propagandistic basis.
Nevertheless, this was a point on which anyone representing Earths interests could ill afford to give ground. Playing up Homo sapiens s lack of unanimity for the purpose of defusing the other Coalition members fears of human hegemony was one thing; making Earths population appear ungovernable, or portraying its leaders as dysfunctional without the advantage of a potentially unfair plurality, were other things entirely.
At the Vulcans table, Minister Soval rose, his hands clasped before his conservatively adorned Vulcan diplomatic robes as he addressed Samuelss lectern. “Ridiculous or not, it is abundantly apparent that we will not resolve this matter soon or simply.
“At least that much is certain, Gral muttered, evidently just within the universal translator systems hearing threshold.
Depressing as the realization was, Samuels had to admit that he was inclined to agree.
“No wonder nobodys been listening to my warnings about the Romulans, Archer said quietly to Doctor Phlox, who sat to his left, his uncannily blue Denobulan eyes riveted to the diplomatic tableau unfolding beyond the railings that separated the balcony from the council chamber below. “These guys have their hands full just keeping the alliance from unraveling.
“I pledge never again to complain about the difficulties inherent in practicing medicine, Phlox said with a somber nod.
“Indeed, said TPol, who was seated at Archers other side.
Lieutenant Malcolm Reed leaned forward against the railing between TPol