Barry Longyear - Enemy Papers

Her dark eyes aim at Davidge but her face is still turned toward me. "And Timan Nisak?"

"There is a new book of The Talman ," I answer. "It will probably be published to all worlds in the near future. It describes how, under the direction of a quadrant diplomat, Hissied 'do Timan, Timan Nisak was used to begin Amadeen’s war."

Her eyebrows go up. "The USE-Draco War?"

"Yes."

Mirili Sanda’s mouth hangs open in astonishment. Equally astonished are Jeriba Zammis and Ty. Estone Falna sits studying the female investigator. Davidge leans forward and raises his gaze to the woman’s face. "Since their prehistory the Timans have survived and achieved superiority by manipulating stronger species into destroying themselves. The Koda Nusinda is called The Eyes of Joanne Nicole. It has been withheld from publication for all this time because ten or twenty years ago what is in the work would have probably initiated a war of Dracs and humans against Timan and the entire quadrant. At the very least, the bad feelings would have shattered quadrant interplanetary economic and defense agreements."

"What about its publication now?" asks Zammis.

"Enough time has passed so that its interest for most persons now is mostly historical." Davidge looks at Yamagata. "The Timans, though, might find the widespread publication of the Nusinda very embarrassing, and perhaps threatening. It outlines very effectively how some Timans function in regard to other species as well as how far some Timans are willing to carry it."

Kita Yamagata narrows her eyes as she says, "If the talma based on this book fails, perhaps the book will be rejected by the Jetai Diea."

Her partner frowns. "Even if it is published," adds Sanda, "it will be discredited. How better to make it fail than by removing those who are necessary to its success?" The investigator looks around at the persons in the chamber, and says, "This investigation, like your talma, seems to lead to Timan."

After a long silence, Yamagata says, "This is going to be expensive."

Sanda waves its hand back and forth. "J ACHE has placed a substantial line of credit at our disposal. I’m sure they will increase it when I include this new information." It looks at Davidge. "May I have a copy of the Koda Nusinda?"

"Yes," answers Davidge. "The Ovjetah asked me if I thought I should supply copies to you. I answered that I thought I should. Then perhaps it is talma, it said."

"What about the talma?" I ask Davidge. "JACHE might fund Aakva Lua’s investigation on Timan, but what about ours?"

Davidge, unaware that he is doing so, scratches his beard. "I don’t know. You have the funds from the Jetai Diea. I must have some money on the reprints of my translation." He looks at Zammis and both Zammis and Ty appear stunned. Zammis looks at the investigators. "May we have a moment alone?"

"Of course," says Sanda. It bows and both it and Yamagata leave the room. I begin to follow, but Davidge restrains me with a hand upon my shoulder.

"Uncle," Zammis begins, "you may go anywhere you wish and mount virtually any size and type of expedition you have in mind short of an armed invasion of the quadrant."

"This might take hundreds of thousands," warns Davidge.

Jeriba Zammis leans forward in its chair and assumes the expression of one attempting to explain something to a retarded child. "Uncle, it is this frustrating attitude of yours regarding money. Every time any of us attempt to talk to you about it, you make jokes or grow impatient and cut us short. I have tried to explain this to you before―"

Davidge holds up a hand. "Can we have the short version?"

"See?" says Zammis. It shakes its head and lets out a breath it seems to have been holding for all of its sixteen years. "The short version, Uncle, is that there are sufficient assets in your name to purchase a small planet."

Now it is Davidge who looks stunned. "I know the translation went into its sixteenth printing, but―"

Ty reaches out a hand and places it on Davidge’s arm. "Jeriba Gothig, your friend Jerry’s parent, when it moved the line to Friendship to settle here, put a quarter of every new Jeriba enterprise in your name, a practice that all of us have continued. The port in First Colony, hotels, stores, hospitals, apartment complexes, ski resorts, toll roads, farms, airlines, spacelines, shipping, flyers, investments in more things than I could possibly recall. The businesses, investments, and properties have been managed, and you spend very little."

"Here," interrupts Zammis holding up its pocket computer. "Uncle, your assets right now amount to just under two hundred million credits. Your only liabilities involve bills for almost ninety-five credits in overdue lift tickets and ski tuneups that you haven’t paid." Zammis lowers its little computer and looks at the human.

Davidge scratches his head, looks around the chamber, and shrugs. "Yazi Ro, I guess we’re going to Timan." He looks at Jeriba Zammis, a guilty note in his voice. "I’ll take care of those skiing bills." He purses his lips, thinks a moment, and we watch as his eyes glisten. "I remember Gothig saying something about taking care of me before it died. I wonder how far into the future Gothig could see." He glances at me, frowns, then faces Zammis. "Am I invested in Timan Nisak?"

Zammis nods as it picks at its pocket computer. "Forty-nine percent of the stock is open for investors other than Timan citizens, and you hold half a percent of that. Almost forty million." Zammis raises his brows and looks over its computer at Davidge. "Between your holdings and those of the Jeriba estate’s, we are the largest single alien investor in Nisak."

"Why such a high percentage of all his holdings?" I ask.

Zammis raises an eyebrow and swings its gaze in my direction. "A steady twenty-two percent annual dividend."

Davidge stares at the floor for a moment, then turns to Zammis’s child. "Ty, I need somebody who knows about money. Zammis can’t be spared from its business interests, and it’s getting a little long in the tooth anyway. Would you come with us to Timan?"

Ty sits silently for a moment, then nods. "I will come, Uncle. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your talma."

"I would come, as well," says Falna as it moves to stand at my side.

Davidge frowns and looks at Estone Falna. "Do you want to go?"

"I do, Uncle."

"Why?"

The young Drac’s eyebrows rise and then lower. "Uncle, I have gone to considerable trouble and expense to acquire the skills to treat humans. My primary motive for this was and is your continued good health."

"I’m fine."

"Yes, and I insist on keeping you that way."

"Uncle," Ty interjects, "besides its medical knowledge, remember that Falna has been to Timan, when it attended the Ri Mou Tavii."

Zammis nods in agreement and says, "As a deputy of the Jetai Diea, Falna’s presence can add a lot of clout to your investigation. It would cut the paper wizards down to size."

"Please include me," begs Falna. "Give me the chance to make up for what a terrible child I was in the cave."

Davidge laughs, holds up his hands, and grins at Falna. "I’d be pleased to have you. Pack your bags. And you were not such a terrible child, Falna. I was, and am, very proud of you."

Falna grins, places a hand on my shoulder, and squeezes it. "Thank you, Uncle."

Davidge nods toward the door and looks at me. "Ask the two investigators to come in." After I call them in, Davidge faces Yamagata and Sanda in turn. "It, appears that I have sufficient funds to go to Timan. I think we are after different ends of the same rope. Will you combine your investigation with our expedition?"

Sanda raises its head and says, "I’ll have to clear this with Aakva Lua and with JACHE, but I can see no objection. I think it is an excellent thought."