Hootings of support rose from other delegates. Matthias saw quickly that she would have to nip this new line of thought in the bud.
“Are you talking about armed resistance?”
The young Deyzara was not intimidated. “If we do not defend our property and ourselves, then who will?”
“The Commonwealth Authority on Fluva will,” she told him quietly. “I will.”
Trunks and arms gestured. There was a moment of silence; then another delegate spoke up. “When?”
“Right now. Today. This afternoon. I’m scheduled to conference with my military people in a little while.” She wasn’t, but it was a meeting she had been intending to set up, and she might as well call for it in an hour or two.
“And Commonwealth soldiers will be deployed to defend the Deyzara?” a senior delegate inquired. “Or are you going to attempt to halt this continuing outrage with strong words?”
“You’re asking me to make a decision before the decision makers have met. Everything takes time.”
Several of the delegates conferred. She could see their trunks swaying hypnotically, hear the soft chirp of their alternating hoots. After a few minutes, the improvised caucus broke. Tasumandra adjusted his burgundy, gold, and hot pink wrappings.
“We do not wish to appear obdurate. We understand most clearly what you say when you declare that you need time to evaluate and render decisions on such weighty matters.” With great dignity, he flipped a loose fold of sparkling gold material over his sharply sloping right shoulder. “We will give the Commonwealth Authority until tomorrow to respond, and not with trunk-twisting messages bemoaning its anguish over the continuing catastrophe. The Deyzara will expect action of a kind sufficient to keep people from being driven from their homes, or being murdered in their beds.