Страница 170 из 170
Tap of the gavel. Time to settle. Ari had told him he shouldn’t sit yet. He had to beseated, by a vote. The Nine–eight, this afternoon. Ari among them, took their places, and Harad rapped the gavel–possibly even the real gavel–three times.
“Council is in session,” Harad said. “First item of business is to seat Justin Warrick as Proxy for Science. Does someone want to make the motion?”
“Moved,” Ari said.
“Seconded.” From Mikhail Corain. Thatconstellation of agreements was a new one. Even a novice on Council knew that.
“All in favor. All opposed. None objecting, record a unanimous vote, Defense being absent this afternoon, no proxy in attendance.” The gavel banged. “ Seconditem of business. The Councillor for Information is deceased, as of 0300h this morning. The Proxy for Information succeeds automatically to the seat.” Bang of the gavel. “ Thirditem of business. The Proxy Councillor for Defense is deceased…”
A strong murmur broke out among the reporters, and the gavel went down again, twice.
“At 0211h on this date, Admiral Vladislaw Khalid was discovered dead in a hallway of PlanysLabs, along with four of his aides. A force of Marines acting directly under the command of General Klaus Awei landed at adjacent Pierce Field and Fleet Command at 0131h this morning, and General Awei is en route to Planys, pursuant to Council directives. General Awei will take personal command of operations at and near Pierce, pursuant to the Council Directive of the eighth of September, 2424.”
Understatement, Justin thought. It had been messy what happened at PlanysLabs: they’d gotten the images. And nobody officially knew who had shot Khalid, but Ari had told him privately it had been ReseuneSec, and they didn’t want any investigation, so Science should stand with her if there was any suggestion of it.
“There being no Councillor present for Defense, the Chair of the Council moves a resolution that if Councillor Jacques does not personally and within twenty‑four hours make contact with Council, Council will deem that the seat for Defense is vacant and that the Secretary for Defense, Hariman Leontide, will serve pending elections in that Bureau. The Chair has received notice from General Awei’s office that he has begun a filing for that seat. We will accordingly be holding elections for Defense.”
Thatwas a lengthy process. Notice of filing had to reach all stations, a matter of months; and then anyone at those stations also filing had to communicate that news to reach all stations, for everybody’s consideration. Three months for campaigning, and the months of voting…not only for Defense, but also for Citizens. Corain was assuredly going to file to keep his seat, and the man who’d filed against him would have a hard time out‑campaigning the long‑serving Councillor who’d opposed Khalid in Novgorod, stowed away in a cargo container, and left a hospital bed to be here for today’s public session in front of the cameras. The opposition wasn’t going to top that one.
And there’d be elections in Information. Ari wanted to appoint another Proxy, and said she had in mind one of the senior reporters who’d been covering Reseune all her life; that man would then file for the seat–file for it, and win, if they were lucky. Reseune had had a lifelong ally in Catherine Lao, and without Lao–they needed an ally, to keep the balance on Council what it was.
Himself, he just hoped Ya
He caught Grant’s eye, while business proceeded. Didn’t quite look at Jordan, didn’t want to give him any encouragement, or start anything.
But Jordan had showed up. To see his son sit where he had wanted to be. Justin was convinced of it.
BOOK THREE Section 6 Chapter xii
NOVEMBER 24, 2424
0745H
The tanks changed, contracted, tilted– pushedtheir contents out onto soft foam.
Abban AB and Seely AS came gently into the world within seconds of each other–were severed from the umbilicals, caught up in azi arms, encouraged to draw their first breaths, again, within seconds of each other.
They were wrapped in soft blankets, hugged in living arms, carried, separately to cradles, which, sealed, would speak to them reassuringly and insulate them from all shocks, all stress, on their way to the creches. They were not scheduled to meet for years. And then the records would see they did.
Giraud slid down into the tray–slid onto foam, startling sensation, and once the nurses had gotten him free of the umbilical, and gotten him breathing, Nelly wiped him vigorously and hugged him.
She was older, Nelly was, years older than when she’d been Ari’s na
She worried just a little that Giraud was going to be a handful for Nelly–but Nelly was experienced, no question, and she’d made the assignment herself; Ya
Nelly carried Giraud over to Ya
And that was that. Giraud was in the world. He had his CIT number from birth–the law had changed; she was why it had. He’d be Giraud Nye from this day on, and systems would recognize him–if they weren’t locked against him; and they were, thank God and Base One.
She cast a look at Florian and Catlin as they fell in with her, on her way out of the labs. “I think we’ll walk across,” she said. She’d had enough of the tu
“You didn’t bring enough coat, sera,” Florian said.
“I won’t freeze,” she said.
There might be a nip in the morning air, weather advisories said so. But the pale sun had warmth, still, in autumn.
They went out in the daylight, under Cyteen’s morning sky. There was color still in the east, a warm blush of dawn on the cliffs that rimmed Reseune, and a gentle breeze was moving. Florian was right, the coat wasn’t quite enough, and the chill got through, but that was proof the world was random and she was alive in it.
That was all she asked of the day.