King David's Spaceship

CHAPTER THIRTY

DEFINITIONS

There were three senior civil servants with Ackoff and Captain Greenaugh when Jeff arrived at the High Commissioner’s office. The massive conference table was littered with overflowing ashtrays and dirty coffee cups.

Ackoff was preoccupied and his introductions were perfunctory. That was telling; Ackoff was generally impeccably polite. “Lieutenant, you know our First Secretary, Dr. Boyd? And Madame Goldstein and Mr. Singh. I presume you’ve completed your inspection of that colonial craft?”

“Yes, sir.”

“An official inspection,” Greenaugh said. “By our official observer.”

Jeff winced at the irony in his commanding officer’s voice.

“Report says the pilot’s not in good shape. Is she all right?” Greenaugh asked.

Boy, and how! Jeff wanted to say. “She was shaken up rather badly, sir. They have her in Tombaugh’s sick bay. She’s cheerful enough. I think she’s rather flattered by all the attention…”

“Hardly surprising,” Goldstein said.

“We will need your observations, Lieutenant,” Commissioner Ackoff said. “We have a problem. What do we do with this?” He held up a parchment. “As you suspect, it’s King David’s formal application for admission of Prince Samual’s World as a second-class space-faring planet. I expect it comes as no surprise to learn it begins with great professions of loyalty to the Empire… He’s got his prerogatives right, too. Self-government under Imperial defense and Imperial advice on extra-planetary policy. Official observers at Court. Representative in the lower house of Parliament. Willing to accept reasonable trade restrictions. And while this doesn’t ask for it, you can be certain the next document we get will be a request for technological assistance. I would be interested in knowing how they learned so much about Imperial politics.”

Dr. Boyd was a tall man, well rounded, going to fat but not quite there yet. “To be precise, about the structure of Imperial government as it existed before the last Reform Act,” Boyd said. “They obtained excellent information, but much is somewhat out of date. A deficiency I think Mr. Soliman’s people will remedy shortly.”

Jeff muttered something.

’"Yes, Lieutenant?” Ackoff asked.

“Nothing, sir. It doesn’t seem to me that Trader Soliman’s firm would be too happy at losing a colony world since they’ve got the trade concession.”

“On the contrary,” Dr. Boyd said. “Trader Soliman’s on-planet factor has already attached a letter recommending that this application be approved.”

“I don’t understand,"Jeff said.

Ackoff smiled grimly. “The situation is rather delicate … Tell me, Lieutenant, how much of that craft represents imported technology?”

“It’s hard to say, sir,” Jeff answered. He spoke carefully, knowing his career was at stake in this meeting. And not just mine, he thought. All of us. We let them do this right under our noses, and someone’s going to pay — “The, uh, craft is unbelievably primitive. I wondered why they were so mass-conscious, but it’s obvious as soon as you board the thing. Take the gyros for instance. They’re huge. They have to be, because they’re mechanically coupled to the attitude jets.”

“Mechanically coupled?” Rosa Goldstein said. Her voice was incredulous. “Mechanically?”

“Yes. They didn’t know how to do it electronically. The whole craft is that way. Good ideas, but very primitive in implementation. Some of the workmanship is splendid, but it was all done by handcraft.”

“It was implemented well enough to get to space,” Ackoff said.

“It’s ridiculous on the face of it,” Third Secretary Singh said. “A tiny handmade capsule able to put one person in orbit is not a spaceship!”

“Have you found a technical definition of a spaceship?” Ackoff asked.

Singh looked chagrined. “No, Your Excellency.”

“Nor have I. I suspect there is none,” Dr. Boyd said. “Therefore we may accept their definition or not, as we choose. If we do not, they will certainly appeal.” He paused thoughtfully. “I wonder just how we’d look pleading this case before a high tribunal?”

“Fairly silly,” Goldstein said. “Some of the Lords Judges have a sense of humor. And of course we would have to explain how we let it happen.”

“Not to mention the time and trouble involved in preparing the case,” Boyd continued. “Transportation of witnesses. Investigations. Depositions. The cost would not be trivial.”

“Returning to my previous question,” Ackoff said. “Lieutenant, would you swear that ship was locally designed without benefit of knowledge obtained on Makassar?”

“No, sir. I’m certain it’s not. Do they say it is?”

“No,” Greenaugh said.

“Which is why this is no small matter,” Ackoff said. “And why Trader Soliman’s firm will provide them with the best possible legal assistance if it comes to trial.” He smiled thinly. “Very clever, that Lord Dougal of theirs. He pointed out to Soliman’s factor that if Prince Samual’s world is admitted as a Classified Member, then their importation of space-flight technology is quite legal. If not — then we’ve all failed in our duties. Especially Soliman.”

“And the Navy,” Greenaugh said. “We inspected their cargo on return.”

Jeff nodded. He’d been ready for that one. “To be exact, I did.”

“Not that you’ll be the only one with his arse in a crack,” Greenaugh said. “I’ll have to stand up with you.”

Dr. Boyd cleared his throat. “I really see little to discuss,” he said. “If we accept their application, we will look slightly ridiculous, but it’s not likely to become a notorious decision. Few families have been selected as colonists, and no important ones. The ITA won’t be troublesome. Quite the opposite; it’s very much in Soliman’s interest to keep things quiet. The Church has never approved of colonization, and I understand King David is preparing the documents submitting his state church to New Rome, which ca

“Sir, I’d hate to defend calling that thing a spaceship,” Jeff said. “At least not in a courtroom.”

“With any luck, you won’t be in court,” Ackoff reminded him.

And it’s obvious what answer they want, Jeff thought. How the devil did I get in this mess? But there sure as hell doesn’t look like but one way out. “I just don’t know.”

“Let’s see how to put it,” Goldstein said. She looked thoughtful. “The supporting documents ought to be signed by Captain Greenaugh as well as the lieutenant. Captain, will you accept this: ‘In the absence of challenge by any interested party, we conclude that the craft qualifies as a spacecraft of marginal performance characteristics, and may be accepted as evidence of limited space-faring capability existing on Prince Samual’s World at the time of application for membership.’?”

Greenaugh thought for a moment. “Yes. I can sign that. Jefferson?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Then are we agreed?” Ackoff asked. “Good. Madam Goldstein, if you would be so kind-”

There was a slight whirring, and a paper emerged from a slot in the end table next to Ackoff. He took it and sca

Greenaugh signed and handed it to Jeff.

“If you please, Lieutenant,” Ackoff said. “Thank you.” He took the document and laid it carefully on top of King David’s parchment. “That’s settled, then.”