The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven [235]
The Moties aren’t going to surrender. If they’re what we think they are, they won’t be beaten either. But there’s only the one planet and some asteroids. If they’re gone...
“Kelley, you can bring the Moties in now,” Senator Fowler said.
The last of New Cal’s dying rays fell into the room. The Palace grounds outside turned purple in shadow.
53 The Djinn
They were following their escorts through the Palace corridors. As they walked, Jock spoke to the Ambassador. “Something has changed. This Marine who summoned us looks at us differently, as might a Warrior at another Warrior.”
They entered the conference room. A sea of human faces. “Yes,” Jock said. “Much is different. We must be on guard.”
“What may they know?” Ivan demanded.
Jock indicated lack of knowledge. “Some fear us. Others pity us. All try to hide their changed emotional state.”
The Marine conducted them to badly designed couches at one end of a large conference table. “Humans are addicted to these tables,” Charlie twittered. “Sometimes the shape of them is very important, for reasons I have been unable to know.”
There were the meaningless greetings the humans called “formalities”: insincere inquiries into the state of health, nebulous benedictions and hopes for past well-being; all compensations for the lack of human Mediators. Charlie attended to these as Jock continued to speak to the Master.
“The human at the opposite end of the table is an unimportant clerk. On our two-hand side at the center is the power. The Emperor’s Mediator has reached some decision. Lord Blaine reluctantly shares it. Sally disagrees, very much, but is unable to argue. She wishes for reasons to object. We may need to find them for her. Opposite the Emperor’s Mediator are the scientists, and they share Sally’s emotions. They do not feel as involved in the decision as she. The others are of no importance except the priest. I am still unable to determine his importance, but it has increased since last we saw him. He may be more dangerous to us than all the rest—”
“Can he understand our language?” Ivan demanded.
“Not if we speak rapidly and with formal grammar. He detects elementary emotional content, and is aware that we are exchanging much information in a short time.”
“Find out what disturbs the humans.” Ivan curled on his couch and surveyed the room with distaste. Keepers sometimes spoke directly with Mediators from many Masters, but it was never a pleasant experience. All negotiation with humans was painfully slow. Their thoughts crept like liquid helium, and often they had no conception of their own interests.
But he could not simply instruct the Mediators. They were unstable, increasingly so. They must be controlled directly. And the Race must be preserved...
“This meeting may be more pleasaant than the others,” Charlie said.
Senator Fowler looked startled. “Why do you say that?”
“From your expressions you are determined to achieve decisions at this meeting,” Charlie answered. “You have told us that the meeting will be long, lasting even through dinner. Your tri-v tells us that you are under great pressure to conclude an agreement with us. We are slowly learning your ways, and coming to enjoy them; but our training, our whole reason for existence, is to reach agreements. So far you have been careful to avoid them.”
“Blunt enough,” Fowler muttered. And intended to put us a bit ill at ease, wasn’t it, my friend? You’re smooth. “We need information first. About your history.”
“Ah.” Charlie hesitated only a second, but she saw the signals Jock gestured, and the Master’s finger movements. “You are concerned about our wars?”
“Damn right,” Senator Fowler agreed. “You hid damn near your whole history. Lied about what you did tell us.”
There were mutters of disapproval. Dr. Horvath shot Fowler a disgusted look. Didn’t the man know anything about negotiations? But