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"Oh, give it a break, Bernardus!" Krietzma
"You're probably correct," Van Dort conceded with a slight smile of his own, "but there are still proprieties to observe. Particularly since you're currently the President of the Convention. It's perfectly reasonable and proper for you to consult with political leaders and backers, and you campaigned openly enough for the President's job on the basis of your determination to drive the a
"Probably something to that," Krietzma
"Of course you don't," Alquezar agreed. "But let me be the one to lock horns with her openly. You need to remain above the fray. Practice polishing your disinterested statesman's halo and leave the down and dirty work to me." He gri
"I'll avoid having myself tattooed into your lodge, Joachim," Krietzma
"Actually, you know, Aleksandra isn't all that bad," Van Dort said mildly. The other two looked at him with varying degrees of incredulity, and he shrugged. "I don't say I like her-because I don't-but I worked quite closely with her during the a
"Whatever her intentions, she's fiddling while the house burns down," Krietzma
"Not to mention encouraging the kind of resistance movements we're all worried about," Alquezar added.
Van Dort considered pointing out that Alquezar's own CUP's agenda probably did some encouraging-or at least provoking-of its own, but decided against it. There was no real point. Besides, Joachim understood that perfectly well, whether he chose to say so or not.
"Well, that's really neither here nor there right this moment," he said instead. "The real question is how we respond to the emergence of organized 'resistance movements.'"
"The best solution would be to drive the Convention through to a conclusion before they have the opportunity to really get their feet under them," Krietzma
"She'd probably say the same about me," Alquezar pointed out.
"She has said it," Krietzma
"She doesn't believe that will ever happen," Van Dort said. "She doesn't believe Manticore would permit it to."
"Then she needs to listen to what Baroness Medusa is saying," Krietzma
"Surely neither the Queen nor the Governor sees this as some sort of conquest!" Van Dort protested.
"No... not yet," Krietzma
"Damn." Even that mild obscenity was unusual for Van Dort, and he shook his head. "Have you discussed this with Aleksandra?"
"I've tried to." Krietzma
"What about you, Joachim?" Van Dort looked at his friend, and it was Alquezar's turn to shrug.
"If it's escaped your notice, Bernardus, Tonkovic and I aren't on speaking terms at the moment. If I say the sky is blue, she's going to insist it's chartreuse. And," he admitted grudgingly, after a moment, " vice versa , I suppose. It's called polarization."
Van Dort frowned down into his wineglass. He'd tried to stand as far in the background as he could once the Convention actually convened. There'd been no way he could do that during the a
Quite a lot of justification, actually, he thought. And I suppose that's my fault, too.
However necessary it might have been to expand the Trade Union's reach and wealth, the legacy of distrust and hostility its tactics had aroused still lingered. People like Stephen Westman, on Montana, had made opposition to the "continued economic exploitation" of their worlds by Rembrandt and its Trade Union partners a keystone of their opposition to the a
He sighed. "I suppose I'd better talk to her." Krietzma
"Tell me about it!" Alquezar snorted. "But you've still got a better shot at it than I do."
"I suppose," Van Dort said glumly. "I suppose."