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.""Did you want a riot? The people were enjoying her.You were there.You knowthey were.If I had forced her down, they would have mobbed the stage.Afterall, Director, you didn't try to stop her."Pandaral cleared his throat."I had that in mind, actually, but each time Ilooked back, I'd catch the eye of her robot the one who looks like a robot.""Giskard.Yes, but what of it? He wouldn't harm you."Page 183ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"I know.Still, he made me nervous and it put me off somehow."Well, never mind, Director," said D.G.He was fully clothed now and heshoved the breakfast tray toward the other."The coffee is still warm.Helpyourself to the buns and jams if you want any.-It will pass.I don't thinkthe public will really overflow with love for the Spacers and spoil ourpolicy.It might even serve a purpose.If the Spacers hear of it, it mightstrengthen the Fastolfe party.Fastolfe may be dead, but his party isn't-notaltogether-and we need to encourage their policy of moderation.""What I'm thinking of," said Pandaral, "is the All-Settler Congress that'scoming up in five months.I'm going to have to listen to any number ofsarcastic references to Baleyworld appeasement and to Baleyworlders beingSpacer lovers.I tell you," he added gloomily, "the smaller the world, themore war hawkish it is.""Then tell them that," said D.G."Be very statesmanlike in public, but whenyou get them to one side, look them right in the eye - unofficially - and saythat there's freedom of expression on Baleyworld and we intend to keep it thatway.Tell them Baleyworld has the interests of Earth at heart, but that if anyworld wishes to prove its greater devotion to Earth by declaring war on theSpacers, Baleyworld will watch with interest but nothing more.That would shutthem up."Oh, no," said Pandaral with alarm."A remark like that would leak out.Itwould create an impossible stink."D.G.said, "You're right, which is a pity.But think it and don't let thosebig mouthed small brains get to you."Pandaral sighed."I suppose we'll manage, but last night upset our plans toend on a high note.That's what I really regret.What high note?"Pandaral said, "When you left Aurora for Solaria, two Auroran warships wentto Solaria as well.Did you know that?""No, but it was something I expected," said D.G.indifferently."It was forthat reason I took the trouble of going to Solaria by way of an evasive path.""One of the Auroran ships landed on Solaria, thousands Of kilometers awayfrom you -so it didn't seem to be making any effort to keep tabs on you -andthe second remained in orbit.""Sensible.It's what I would have done if I had had a second ship at mydisposal."Page 184ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"The Auroran ship that landed was destroyed in a matter of hours.The ship inorbit reported the fact and was ordered to return.-A Trader monitoringstation picked up the report and it was sent to us.""Was the report uncoded?""Of course not, but it was in one of the codes we've broken."D.G.nodded his head thoughtfully, then said, "Very interesting.I take itthey didn't have anyone who could speak Solarian.""Obviously," said Pandaral weightily."Unless someone can find where theSolarians went, this woman of yours is the only available Solarian in theGalaxy.""And they let me have her, didn't they? Tough on the Aurorans.""At any rate, I was going to announce the destruction of the Auroran shiplast night.In a matter-of-fact way-no gloating.Just the same, it would haveexcited every Settler in the Galaxy.I mean, we got away and the Auroransdidn't.""We had a Solarian," said D.G.dryly."The Aurorans, didn't.""Very well.It would make you and the woman look good, too.-But it all cameto nothing.After what the woman did, anything else would have come asanticlimax, even the news of the destruction of an Auroran warship."D.G.said, "To say nothing of the fact that once everyone has finishedapplauding kinship and love, it would go against the grain-for the next halfhour anyway-to applaud the death of a couple of hundred of the Auroran kin."I suppose so.So that's an enormous psychological blow that we've lost."D.G.was frowning."Forget that, Director.You can always work the propagandaat some other, more appropriate time.The important thing is what it allmeans.-An Auroran ship was blown up.That means they weren't expecting anuclear intensifier to be used.The other ship was ordered away and that maymean it wasn't equipped with a defense against it-and maybe they don't evenhave a defense.I should judge from this that the portable intensifier-orsemiportable one, anyway-is a Solarian development specifically and not aSpacer development generally.That's good news for us-if it's true.For themoment, let's not worry about propaganda brownie points but concentrate onsqueezing every bit of information we can out of that intensifier.We want tobe ahead of the Spacers in this-if possible."Page 185ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlPandaral munched away at a bun and said, "Maybe you're right [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]