Barry Longyear - Enemy Papers

The Timan examined the face of the USE ambassador. "Ambassador Rafiki, the United States of Earth has sworn to defend the humans upon Amadeen. There are promises."

Rafiki nodded, then looked into the camera. "The promises have been broken."

"Broken?" The Timan looked at another face. "Jetah Indevah!" The Timan sat forward. "What of the pledges made by the Dracon Fleet to the Mavedah?"

The Drac shook its head as it continued to look at the tabletop. "The pledges have been withdrawn. Amadeen is on its own."

"I find this… hard to understand-" Hissied 'do Timan studied the blind woman for a moment. "Nicole, everything appears to be decided already. What is this meeting’s purpose?"

"To inform you, Hissied 'do Timan."

"Jetah Indeva, Ambassador Rafiki… you both must be aware that this treaty-abandoning your peoples upon Amadeen-will outrage both of your races."

Ambassador Rafiki answered. "Both Jetah Indeva and I have been granted plenipotentiary powers regarding Amadeen. Most of our peoples will go along with the treaty, because most people will go along with anything. Our governments will go along with it for two reasons: they are bound to our decision by law; and violating the treaty resumes the war. The treaty won’t be popular, but it is preferable to the alternative."

"You must both know that you can never defend your actions."

Indeva faced the camera. "We know that not keeping silent would serve your plan, Timan, but talma must be observed. It will ruin me, but it will end the war. A small price."

"Your respective governments cannot afford to allow this treaty to go into effect. Both the Dracon Chamber and the United States of Earth subsist upon popular favor. Ambassador Rafiki?"

"Your words are true. Our decision may even cause our governments to be brought down. But that too is a small price. You see, both of our governments find it easier to break agreements with friends than with enemies. The price of breaking this treaty is too horrible for either government to contemplate-whatever the domestic political costs."

Joanne Nicole spoke. "Hissied 'do Timan, no matter how unpopular this treaty will be, it is still a treaty-a formal agreement between governments. Both governments will observe its terms, because failure to do so would violate laws, honor, pride, integrity, trust -" Nicole laughed. "You see, Timan, we are rulebound into this treaty. And you understand that, don’t you?"

The Timan glanced at Mitzak, then looked back at the screen. "Nicole, do you not comprehend that my plan is served just as well if it becomes known?" He again turned toward Mitzak. "And the plan is also served if all of us die within the next moment. I can cause this to happen before your Mitzak can take a step across the deck." Hissied 'do Timan faced the screen. "Do you think that I am afraid to die for my race?"

"We count on it." Nicole shook her head. "You are a patriot, Hissied 'do Timan. I believe you would happily die that your race might survive."

"Then… what is all this? You have been outplayed at each turn. Your treaty changes nothing."

"At this moment, Hissied 'do Timan, units of the Dracon Fleet and the USE Force are moving toward Timan under orders to turn your planet into a cinder and your race into a memory. This force is under the direct joint command of Jetah Indeva and Ambassador Rafiki, and it will carry out its orders unless new orders are received. If you kill us all, those new orders cannot be sent. And we would buy your silence at the same price."

Mitzak walked across the deck, stopped next to the Timan, and held out his gloved hand. In the hand was a pink and blue capsule. Hissied 'do Timan looked up at the human as he took the capsule. "Throwing in your lot with the winners, yes, Mitzak?"

"Yes. Please wait while I call in your guards."

Hissied 'do Timan studied the capsule as Mitzak left the compartment, then he looked at the screen. "Timan is a Ninth Quadrant planet. If you attack it, Nicole, your war will be with the entire quadrant instead of with each other."

"Nevertheless, Timan would be ashes."

"Nicole, what if there are others; confederates who know the plan?"

"They will remain silent, Hissied 'do Timan. If they do not, they will look like fools. There is no evidence to connect you, the Ninth Quadrant, or Timan to the plan; in fact, there is no evidence of any plan. All of the commercial records have been… adjusted."

"And if I communicated your plans to your respective governments; do you not think they would strip you of your powers and call back the forces you two have sent to Timan?"

Rafiki rubbed her eyes and faced the screen. "Hissied 'do Timan, the attack group will have reached and cinderized Timan long before orders countermanding the attack can reach them." The Ambassador leaned back in her chair. "As a matter of fact, our orders countermanding the attack won’t reach the force in time, unless they are issued quickly."

Hissied 'do Timan sat back in his couch as two Timan guards entered the compartment. One of the guards spoke. "The one called Mitzak said you wanted us to witness something, Excellency."

"Yes. Stand there and be silent." Hissied 'do Timan reached out a hand. "You… you will be traitors to your own peoples. Traitors!"

When no one in the compartment answered, he cut off the screen and communications link. Still looking at the blank screen, he spoke to the two guards. "You will report what you see to the missions of the Dracon Chamber and the United States of Earth."

"Yes, Excellency."

"And tell the human named Joanne Nicole that the game is not yet over. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Excellency."

He examined the capsule, then placed it in his mouth and crushed it between his mandibles. There is a lot of silence to keep, thought Hissied 'do Timan as the light faded.

Do they have the will to keep it, I wonder…

To the

THREE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH

JETAI DIEA

of the

TALMAN KOVAH

Pomavu, Planet Draco

I am able to come before the Jetai Diea to tell you this story because the silence was kept until the secret could no longer cause harm. But the silence carried Aydan’s price. The Timan spoke the truth when he said that the game was not over.

Upon returning to Draco, Jetah Indeva Bejuda was censured and expelled from the Dracon Chamber. Indeva returned to its estate in disgrace and died from its own hand a year later.

The Jetai of this Talman Kovah demanded Tora Soam’s resignation as Ovjetah. Tora Soam, and its child, Tora Kia, returned to the Tora estate to rear Kia’s child, Tora Voe. Three years later, Tora Soam was murdered by a supporter of the Amadeen Mavedah.

Tora Kia took its child to the planet Lita and assumed a new identity. Kia entered its child in the Talman Kovah on Lita and gave lessons on the tidna. Tora Kia died four years after its child graduated from the kovah. Tora Voe is now the Jetah of this Talman Kovah here in Pomavu known to you as Hadsis Jiia. With this announcement, Tora Voe resumes its rightful name.

Ana Rafiki returned to Earth and was dismissed from the United States of Earth’s diplomatic service. She lived for a year on Earth, but after the second attempt on her life by supporters of the Amadeen Front, she left her home planet and dropped from sight.

Joanne Nicole returned to Earth, stood court-martial for aiding the enemy, was found guilty, and was dismissed from the USE Force and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. After three years, her sentence was commuted for compassionate reasons and she was released. She then began a search for the child she had abandoned. While this search was in progress, Joanne Nicole founded Earth’s Talman Kovah.

Leonid Mitzak, replacing with faith the talma he had helped to devise, eventually went to Amadeen in an attempt at achieving peace between the Front and the Mavedah. He was executed two days later. That was almost thirty years ago, and they still fight upon Amadeen.