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It would be three or four minutes until the first one appeared and Jo
Beyond Sir Robert the ops room was boiling with sound and movement as people worked.
Jo
Jo
“No idea,” said Jo
"Naw, naw," said Sir Robert. “No e'en a wee chonce! Edinburgh is gang up in flames!”
Jo
“They'd a' be doon in the shelters.
Du
Stormalong raced in with the book.
Sir Robert took a look at Jo
Jo
The Hockner emissary was on the platform. Noseless, holding a monocle on a stick, he was dressed in shimmering robes. He had a gold-colored hamper beside him.
A bell on the screen pinged. The screen top edge lit with a purple glow all around. The Hockner picked up the hamper, looked about through his monocle and minced off the platform. The honor guard saluted and dipped pe
He halted well clear of the disease control fence. A messenger took the hamper from him. The Buddhist in Chinese clothes bowed.
In a supercilious tone of voice, the Hockner emissary said, in Psychlo, “I am Blan Jetso, extraordinary minister plenipotentiary of the Emperor of the Hockners, long may he reign! I am empowered to negotiate and arrange final and binding amendments to agreements or treaties in all things political or military. My person is inviolate and any molestation cancels any agreements. Any effort to hold me hostage shall be in vain for I shall not be redeemed by my government. At the threat of any torture or extortion, you are warned that I shall commit suicide instantly in ways unknown to you. I am not the carrier of any disease nor weapon. Long live the Hockner Empire! And how are you today?”
The communicator dressed as a Chinese bowed and made a brief, fast speech of welcome, very pat, told him the conference would begin in about three hours and led him off to a private apartment where he could rest or refresh himself.
Jo
He was trying to think of something to tell the emissaries. It was a bit of a shock for Sir Robert to infer that it was up to him. When that grizzled old veteran didn't have any ideas– But then he must be terribly distressed over Edinburgh. So was Jo
Chapter 5
Jo
He was not prepared for what he found in the passage just outside his room. There were four people there and they were working on things he couldn't quite make out. They had low benches, they were sitting on the floor, their heads were down, and their hands were flying.
Mr. Tsung sensed his presence and bobbed up from the floor. He bowed. “Lord Jo
The second person, a gray-haired Chinese woman with a kindly face, bobbed up, smiled, bowed. Jo
“Meet my daughter,” said Mr. Tsung.
The third person bobbed up, bowed. The daughter was a very beautiful Chinese girl, very delicate. She wore a flower in her hair. Jo
“Meet my son-in-law,” said Mr. Tsung.
A good-looking Chinese bobbed up from his bench with a clatter. He bowed. He was in the blue work uniform the mechanics wore. Jo
Jo
He went into his room. Somebody else had used those two hours. Angus, probably, and an electrician. A rack with three viewscreens now stood against the wall beyond the foot of his bed. A button camera had been placed in the ops room for one screen and he could see the huddled groups there, faces strained as they handled microphones and drone pictures and the operations board. Another button camera was trained on the conference room to broadcast to the second screen– the conference room was empty. The third button camera was on the platform and console and served the third screen.
Even as he looked, the Tolnep emissary arrived. He was in shimmering green; even his cap was green. But he had on dirty blue boots. Huge glasses hid his eyes. He carried a sort of scepter with a large knob at the top and a green hamper on green wheels for his food and supplies. A reptilian creature although he walked upright and had a face and arms and legs. A genetic line from dinosaurs that had become miniature and sentient?
He made his speech much like the Hockner, accepted the reply with an evil smile, folded his shimmering green cloak about his steel hard body, and was led away to a private apartment.
He looked like trouble.
Jo
Two Chinese had followed Mr. Tsung in. They had a steaming bath sitting on a mine dolly which they pushed to an empty spot on the floor before vanishing.
“I happen to be just about exhausted,” said Jo
Mr. Tsung slid around in front of him with a mirror. “Look!” demanded Mr. Tsung.
Jo