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the Emperor must consider. There are many other factors &  Janis let her voice
trail off.
 Ah, yes, I understand  other factors. While I would prefer the nine and
threequarters rate, for the sake of agreement, we will accept ten percent.
What else can I do? The Ecolitan shrugged.
 For the sake of making progress, let us close the discussion on this item,
suggested Jansen.  Of course, we will have to clear this with the Emperor and
the full Ministry staff.
Nathaniel made appropriate notations on his file.  I will also check.
 The next item, droned JanisDu-Plessis,  is &  Nathaniel fumbled through the
files again. It was going to be a long afternoon.
& XXXVI&
The negotiation sessions went on and on, with weekend interruptions,
scattered breaks for  clarifications, then, like everything else in New
Augusta, ended abruptly on a mid-week day.
The whole agreement had been packaged and readied for transmission to the
Imperial Senate and the tender mercies of Senator Helmsworth and his
colleagues.
Nathaniel found himself behind his Envoy s desk with a full day looking at
him. After more than a standard month, Marlaan was still on vacation, and
Witherspoon, reputed to have just finished his  consultations on Accord, was
planning to take home leave before returning to Terra.
 They certainly gave me enough vine to swing cliff clear, he muttered to no
one in particular.
He glanced out the wide window at the clear sky, absently wondering why the
Imperials had preferred to negotiate in a windowless room, then looked back at
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the faxscreen and the authentication lists for the outgoing communications. He
suspected that Mydra piled up the lists whenever she thought he spent too much
time staring out the permaglass. The intercom buzzed. Nathaniel looked up from
the second faxscreen, punched the accept stud.
 Marcella Ku-Smythe for you.Lord Whaler.
 Thank you. He jabbed at the flashing plate.  Ms. Ku-Smythe?
 Yes, Lord Whaler. Let me be among the first to congratulate you on the
progress I hear you have been making with External Affairs.
 Only talks, dear Lady, long and involved, wherein everyone must check with
everyone. He shrugged.  And progress? Who can tell?
 You re too modest.
 A merefumbler with numbersam I. Nathaniel glanced up at the bare wall, out
through the open portal to the staff office, looked back at his fingers, and
finally clasped both hands before looking back into the screen.
Marcella dropped her eyes for a moment.  How long do you think it will take
you to complete the talks?
 If nothing unforeseen arrives, if no further difficulties are observed, then
most of the work is done, he hedged.  But for your sake and mine, I hope
nothing unforeseen occurs.
 For my sake?
 We are what we are, Lady, not what we would like others to see or what they
would like to see.Me& a mere fumbler of numbers, a professor doing what he
can.You& a most competent Special Assistant.
 Were the Commerce Department to take a more active role?
 I defer to your superior knowledge and to that of your associates and
family. Doubtless you know best. For my part, humble as it is, so long as the
talks result in the mutual agreement of Accord and the Empire on tariffs and
the continued independence of Accord, your presence would always be welcome,
whether in an official or in an unofficial capacity.
He half bowed to her image on the screen.  Thank you for yourgraciousness.
Lord Whaler. While I could not accept under the circumstances, I appreciate
your understanding.
He looked at the blank faxscreen for several minutes, shook his
head.Desirable woman but definitely the strong-willed type.
He shook his head again, violently.Enough woolgathering. Getting involved
with anyone, Sylvia or Marcella, at this stage of the game, while the final
terms of the agreement were hanging before the Senate, could be highly
counter-productive, to say the least.
He flicked back to the scan screen and the list of authentications Mydra had
dredged up. They had helped fill the hours, not necessarily pleasantly, while
External Affairs had wrangled with the staff of the External Relations
Committee to ready the package for full Senate consideration. He tapped on the
intercom.  Yes, Lord Whaler.
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 Sergel?Isn t he due for release shortly?
 I checked this morning, and he could be sent back to Accord any time now.
 Would you make the arrangements?For later this week?
 I ll take care of it and let you know. The Ecolitan froze the seemingly
endless stream of authentications on the second screen, putting them in
temporary storage, and flicked on one of thefaxnews channels.
 & in one of the more surprising developments during the hearings on the
Purse, Senator Helmsworth proposed close to a fifty percent increase in the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]