Barry Longyear - Enemy Papers

Nicole nodded and released her Blade of Aydan as she clasped her hands together. "And your boss is a wimp."

"I see we’re going to get along just fine. Out of curiosity, why are you working for the Dracs?"

"I’m not. I’m working for peace. What are you working for, Moore?"

There were the sounds of fingers drumming upon the table. The sounds stopped. "You’re blind."

"Sightless, but not blind."

"Hmmm. Well, I hope you can see this. The two negotiation teams have been hammering out the terms of this treaty for a long time. It would be signed and in effect right now, except for the Dracs breaking off everything because Heliot died. We don’t want to start over from the beginning."

"Colonel Moore, I can’t possibly explain to you the meaning of Heliot Vant’s death. However, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. I can assure you that the Dracon Chamber is both willing and able to resume the war. In addition, the Chamber and the Drac negotiating team will follow Tora Soam’s recommendations."

"When should they meet again ?"

"As soon as your team has the power to make decisions and agrees to take the limits off of the negotiations."

The sounds of fingered drumming again started; then stopped. "What’s it going for nowadays, Nicole?"

"What’s what going for?"

"Treason."

She had been waiting for the question; the same question that she had asked Mitzak a thousand years ago. Countless responses competed for the use of her tongue; but in the end she could do no more than Mitzak had done. She laughed.

Later, seated in Tora Soam’s quarters next to Kia, Joanne Nicole listened as Mitzak put his conclusions before the Ovjetah. "According to the commander of the Tsien Denvedah security complement, Fourth Officer Hajjis Da, the night before the signing ceremony Heliot Vant and Ana Rafiki met informally in Heliot’s quarters. Rafiki had brought with her a bottle of bourbon-"

"Explain."

"It is a beverage containing a form of the drug alcohol. Tests showed that Heliot’s portion of the beverage contained the poison. There were no traces of the poison either in the bottle or in ambassador Rafiki’s portion of the beverage."

"Emmmm. A question, Nicole?"

"Yes. Mitzak, who poured the drinks, and where?"

"According to Hajjis Da’s interview with Na Chanji, Heliot’s duty guard, Rafiki’s duty guard poured the drinks in the galley immediately off of Heliot’s quarters. Na Chanji observed the human guard do this. Then Na Chanji carried the drinks into Heliot’s quarters."

Nicole frowned. "The glasses-containers-who provided them?"

"The containers came from Heliot Vant’s galley."

Nicole nodded. "Go ahead."

"Hajjis Da concludes that there were only four who could have administered the poison to Heliot Vant. The first is Ambassador Rafiki."

Tora Soam grunted. "The news has just been announced that Rafiki is being recalled by her government. The next Mitzak."

"Next there is Heliot Vant’s duty guard, Na Chanji. Na Chanji is dead-a suicide that took place shortly after the security commander interviewed it."

Nicole faced Tora Soam’s direction. "That could indicate guilt, remorse -"

"-Or sorrow. Go ahead, Mitzak."

"Next is Ambassador Rafiki’s duty guard, Ivor Kroag. He was a military police private with the USE Force." Mitzak was silent for a moment. "Kroag was transferred to the USE Forces stationed on Amadeen eight days before we arrived. He was reported killed on DMZ duty three days ago."

"And the fourth?"

"The fourth, Ovjetah, is Heliot Vant, itself. A suicide."

Kia spoke: "Probability laughs at you, Mitzak."

"I agree, Tora Kia; but possibility is another matter."

No one spoke as Tora Soam stood. Its footsteps moved about the compartment for a moment, then stopped. "Mitzak does the interview with the human duty guard agree with Na Chanji’s interview?"

"I don’t know. Drac security was never allowed access to Kroag. In the same manner, the commander of the USEF military police on the orbiter was not allowed access to Na Chanji."

Tora Soam’s footsteps began again. "Each player hides its pieces of the puzzle from the other. This is of interest, since each side’s behavior presumes the possibility of its own guilt. Yes, Mitzak?"

"Ovjetah, this parallel security organization rulebounds the investigation."

"Yes. That is obvious. Emmmm, let us construct the beginnings of a talma that will allow the investigation some movement." The footsteps stopped. "Nicole?"

"Yes?"

"Has the next meeting been arranged?"

"Moore and I settled on three days from today, providing the conditions you demanded have been met."

"Good. There are two additional conditions. In return for like cooperation from the Drac security team, the USEF military police must make its investigative materials and results concerning the death of Heliot Vant available to Fourth Officer Hajjis Da."

"I understand. And the second condition?"

"The recall order concerning Ambassador Rafiki must be rescinded. Rafiki will continue to represent the United States of Earth at the talks. Is there anything more? Mitzak?"

"The lists of persons on the orbiter at the time of Heliot’s death, until the present, in addition to their records-as much of their records as Hajjis Da could assemble."

"Have you copied the information into the mission’s central computer?"

"Yes."

"And the information I requested on the orbiter?"

"Yes, Ovjetah."

"Give me the codes. I will study them at a later date. Give Nicole the codes, as well. Nicole, do you have anything to add?"

She held the tips of her fingers to her temples. "Perhaps." She faced Mitzak. "You said that the tests determined the presence of pronide in Heliot Vant’s beverage."

"Yes."

"Who did the tests?"

"Londu Peg. Heliot’s personal health master."

"And Londu Peg also did the autopsy that determined the cause of Heliot’s death?"

"Yes. Do you see a fifth possibility in Londu Peg?"

"Mitzak, we are relying upon nothing more substantial than Londu’s word both as to the cause of death and the evidence indicating how the poison was administered."

"Why would Londu misrepresent the truth?"

"What law of the Universe, Mitzak, prevents Londu from misrepresenting the truth-or from murdering Heliot? And if we doubt Londu’s word concerning the cause of death, the suspects are no longer limited to those we have discussed. We are even in doubt that there was a murder." She turned her head and faced Tora Soam. "Where is Heliot’s body?"

"At the present: it is in Sindievu on Draco. It was sent home immediately after the autopsy." The Ovjetah paused. "Emmmm… I see. I shall at once order another autopsy done at the Chin Kovah in Sindievu. And now both of you may go. Kia, I want you to stay. We must talk."

"About what, my parent?"

"It is a private matter."

Nicole stood up. "There is one more thing, Tora Soam."

"What is that?"

"We know that this war is rulebound. You told me that my task was to determine how it is rulebound. To continue this investigation into the death of your friend will necessarily take away from the time I can spend on the more important problem."

"What law of the Universe prevents knowledge of the circumstances concerning Heliot’s death from being a possible path to achieving the larger goal?"

Nicole held out her hand. "Mitzak, please help me to my quarters. I haven’t been there since we arrived, and I am tired."

She felt Tora Soam’s hand on her arm. "My view is not as narrow as you suspect, Nicole. Do not close paths simply because another wants them explored. You must have better reasons."

"Just as you must have better reasons than your friend’s death to commit all of our resources to exploring only one path."