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“But the Regents-”
“Nothing said here will be reported to the Regents,” Dougal said. He sounded like a man accustomed to being obeyed. “If it comes to formal meetings with the Regents, we’ll have an entirely different conversation. One you and they won’t much care for. Better we settle matters here.”
“Honesty is important,” Sir Giles said. “But we can remain polite. However, we stray from the subject, which is your word on the secrecy of this meeting.”
That wasn’t a hard decision to make, for the same reasons that has brought him here in the first place. He could guess Dougal’s next move. He’d already hinted at it by addressing him as “Professor.” The title was used by the faculty in addressing their rector, but others generally employed more honorific phrases. Angus sighed and submitted to the inevitable. “You have my assurance. This meeting will remain confidential.”
“Excellent,” Sir Giles said. “Now. Let us sum up the situation. Prince Samual University has been an independent institution since just before the Plague Years. You have your own laws and courts and you set your own policies, and you share knowledge equally with all. That’s worked well. We don’t want to change it, even if you are in the middle of Haven. God knows there have been times when your privileges of sanctuary were dreadfully abused, but we’ve always put up with it.
“But times have changed. When there wasn’t any unity to Prince Samual’s World it made sense to have super-national entities like the University and the Brotherhoods, but we’re putting an end to national entities. Haven’s treaties granting you independence were for the large part with states that are now part of Haven. The rest will be soon. So it’s to talk about the future of the University under the new order here.”
“I see,” Volker said. “We have expected this, of course. But I do not see why you have not come to the Regents…”
“Because we need your help,” David said. “And we’ve agreed that you can be trusted.”
“And it is very much in your interest to work with us.” Dougal said. “You can negotiate with us. We understand each other. Your alternative is the Imperials — and they won’t leave you a damned bit of independence.”
Imperials. Interesting, Volker thought. Certainly they would have something to say about Haven’s rule of Prince Samual’s World. Curious that they’d never told anyone their intentions. Even more curious that a Haven cabinet officer would speak that way … “They are your allies, not mine,” Volker said. “Of course you probably know that the Regents have granted the Imperial officers the privileges of visiting scholars. They often come to use the library.”
“We know,” Dougal said. “What you don’t know is why they’re here.”
What’s wrong with the man? Volker wondered. He looks like he’s about to be executed. That’s not a happy thought, given where I am … “No, of course I don’t know. We have always assumed Imperial intentions to be a Haven state secret.”
“I think there’s no choice but to tell him, Sire.” Dougal said.
“We agreed on that some time ago,” King David said. “There’s no real choice in the matter.” “No. I suppose not,"Dougal said. “Very well…”
Volker listened with growing amazement. There was a lot to think about here. Did he believe the part about the Empire’s intentions for Prince Samual’s World? But why shouldn’t I? he wondered. It’s almost reasonable. They have been damned secretive about the way their government works, and they’ve studied our science but given our people very little in return …
“I gee,” he said when Dougal finished. “But what has this to do with me?”
“Everything,” Dougal said. “I won’t say how, but we expect to have a lot of their science and technology soon. Books and books of it. Much of it so far advanced over what we have that most of us can’t even comprehend it. Yet we must comprehend it. If anyone can understand, it will be your people at the University — but we have to keep everything secret. We even have to conceal the fact that we have a secret to keep.”
“How shall we do that?” Volker asked.
“Some of your scholars can be trusted,” Dougal said. “You’ll help us choose them. But we’ll need others even though they can’t keep secrets. Those will have to transfer to one of His Majesty’s research stations. To our naval facilities, or elsewhere. They’ll have to go willingly — or seem so, at any rate. Some of your best students will be cloistered, kept away from the others, so they can study this new science. And—”
“My God, man, that’s the end of the University!” Volker protested.
“Do you see another way?” Sir Giles asked. “If our world is colonized, what do you think will become of the University?”
A good question, Volker thought. I wonder if the Imperials would bargain? Would it be worth something to them to learn of this plot? But that, he decided, was not likely. What use independence for a University on an enslaved planet? With Imperial agents watching his faculty, suppressing discoveries—
And there was the new knowledge itself, new discoveries that Haven was somehow to steal from the Empire. That alone was a deciding factor. But first—
“There remains the matter of confirmation of the University’s ancient privileges,” Volker said.
“You’ll get that. Most of it.” Dougal snapped.
“All,” Volker insisted.
“If we succeed,” King David said. “If we succeed, I will reconfirm your privileges.”
“And if we fail?” Volker asked.
“Then we all fail,” Dougal said. “You can deal with the Imperials, for all the good it will do you. But we won’t fail.”
“I wish I were certain,” Volker said. “I have seen the Imperial landing boats. We’ve never built anything like them.” And that struck a nerve, he thought. In Sir Giles at least.
“Nothing is certain,” King David said. “Yet we must try. Will you help us?”
This might go well, Volker thought. The University might come out of this very well indeed. King’s promise or not, once Haven governs the entire world, the University will never keep all its ancient privileges, but we’ll have a good bargaining position when that’s accomplished. And we’ll have all their new science … “Of course, Your Majesty.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
PROMOTIONS
There was a large map of Prince Samual’s World on Malcolm Dougal’s office wall. It had to be changed at frequent intervals.
Too frequent, Dougal thought. The unification war — if you could call desultory mop-up actions a war — was going all too well. There was very little fighting now. There hadn’t been a lot since the fall of Orleans, although for the first year it had been necessary to march Haven’s armies to the border of a state before it was willing to commit political suicide. Now, though, many of Haven’s victims were ready to negotiate without a visible show of force at all.
It was hardly surprising. For over a century Orleans had been the rock against which Haven’s expansionist ambitions had foundered; with that republic out of the way it was to be expected that a number of other states would surrender. Even so, the speed at which Haven’s Sunburst and Cross spread across the planet was astonishing.
Not that Dougal could blame the others for capitulating. A major point of the treaties of unification put each absorbed state’s military forces at’ Haven’s disposal. Most had to be disbanded, but there were professionals in every army, and they could be recruited. And there was always the military equipment, the artillery and warships … It was an effective way to build power.
The treaties were drafted by the Imperial High Commissioner’s staff. Of course they were only being helpful — but their help was impossible to refuse. Malcolm’s plan to buy time by delaying the final unification of Prince Samual’s World simply wasn’t going to work.