She wiped off the two drops of blood with a tissue and placed the syringe in the sink. Franz looked distraught. “Cheer up,” Katie said, patting him lightly on the cheek. “You haven’t lost your bed partner. I’ll still be here for whatever kinky things we can dream up together.”
Franz turned away and placed the velvet box back in one of the pockets of his uniform. Katie walked over to the table and took one final drag from the cigarette that had been left burning in the ashtray. “Now, Captain Bauer,” Katie said, *Ve have a hearing to attend.”
The hearing was held in the ballroom on the main floor of Nakamura’s palace. About sixty chairs had been set up in four rows along the walls for “special guests.” Nakamura himself, wearing the same Japanese costume in which he had appeared on television two days earlier, sat in a large, embroidered chair above a raised platform at one end of the room. Two bodyguards, also in samurai dress, were beside liim. The ballroom was completely decorated in a sixteenth century Japanese motif, adding to the image Nakamura was
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trying to create of himself as the all-powerful shogun of New Eden.
Richard and Archie, who had only been told the hearing was going to occur four hours before they left the basement, were brought in by three policemen and instructed to sit on small pillows on the floor twenty meters in front of Nakamura. Katie noticed that her father looked tired and very old. She resisted an impulse to run out and talk to him.
A functionary announced that the hearing was now under way and reminded all the spectators that they were to say nothing and interfere in no way with the proceedings. As soon as the announcement was completed, Nakamura stood up and swaggered down the two broad steps connecting his chair to the raised platform.
‘This hearing has been convened by the New Eden government,” he said gruffly, walking back and forth, “to determine if the alien enemy representative is prepared, on behalf of his species, to accept the unconditional surrender that we demand as a necessary prerequisite for ceasing the hostilities between us. If ex-citizen Wakefield, who is able to communicate with the alien, has been able to convince the alien of the wisdom of accepting our demands, including relinquishing all weapons of war and preparing for our occupation and administration of all alien lands, then we are prepared to be merciful. As a reward for his services in ending this terrible conflict, we would be willing to commute Mr. Wakefield’s execution sentence to life imprisonment.
“If, however”—Nakamura now raised his voice—”this convicted traitor and his alien accomplice surrendered to our victorious troops as part of some treacherous plot to undermine our collective will to punish the aliens for their aggressive attacks against us, then we will use these two as examples to send an unambiguous message to our enemy. We want the alien leaders to know that the citizens of New Eden stand steadfast against their expansionist aims.”
Up until this moment Nakamura had been addressing the entire audience. Now he turned to face the two prisoners isolated in the middle of the ballroom floor. “Mr. Wake-
field,” he said, “does the alien beside you have the authority to speak for his species?”
Richard stood up. ‘To the best of my knowledge, yes,” he answered.
“And is the alien then prepared to ratify the document of unconditional surrender that you have been shown?”
“We only received the document a few hours ago and / have not yet had time to talk about all its contents. I have explained the most important parts to Archie, but I don’t yet know.”
“They are stalling,” Nakamura thundered, addressing the audience and waving a piece of paper in the air. “This single sheet contains all the terms of the surrender.” He turned again to face Richard and Archie. “The question requires only a simple answer,” Nakamura said. “Is it yes or no?”
Color bands rolled around Archie’s head and there was a murmur in the audience. Richard watched Archie, whispered a question to his octospider colleague, and then interpreted Archie’s response. He looked at Nakamura. “The octospider wants to know,” Richard said, “exactly what happens if the document is ratified. What are the events that take place then, and in what order? None of this is spelled out in the agreement.”
Nakamura paused briefly. “First, all the alien soldiers must come forward with their weapons and surrender to our troops now in the south. Second, the alien government, or whatever is its equivalent, must turn over to us a complete inventory of everything that exists in their domain. Third, they must announce to all members of their species that we are going to occupy their colony and that all aliens are to cooperate in every way with our soldiers and citizens.”
Richard and Archie had another brief conversation. “What will happen to all the octospiders and the other animals who support this society?” Richard asked.
“They will be permitted to resume their normal lives, s’ with some constraints, of course. Our laws and our citizens .-” will be put in place as the acting government of the c occupied lands.”
“And will you, then,” Richard said, “write an amend-
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ment or an appendix to this surrender document, guaranteeing the lives and safety of the octospiders, as well as the other animals, providing they do not violate any of the laws promulgated in the occupied territory?”
Nakamura’s eyes narrowed. “Except for those individual aliens who are found to have been responsible for the aggressive war that has been launched against us, I will personally guarantee the safety of those octospiders who obey the laws of occupation. But these are details. They do not need to be written in the surrender document.”
This time Richard and Archie engaged in a long discussion. From the side of the room, Katie watched her father’s face closely. She thought in the beginning mat he was disagreeing with the octospider, but later in the conversation Richard seemed subdued, almost resigned. It looked as if her father were memorizing something.
The long pause in the proceedings was irritating Naka-mura. The special guests were starting to whisper among themselves. Finally Nakamura spoke again. “All right,” he said. “That’s enough time. What is your answer?”
Colors were still streaking around Archie’s head. At length, the patterns stopped and Richard took a step forward toward Nakamura. Richard hesitated a moment before speaking.
“The octospiders want peace,” he said slowly, “and would like to find a way to end this conflict. If they were not a moral species, they might agree to ratify this surrender document just to buy some time. But the octospiders are not like that. My alien friend, whose name is Archie, would not make an agreement for his species unless he was certain both that the treaty was proper for his colony and that his fellow octospiders would honor it.”
Richard paused. “We do not need a speech,” Nakamura said impatiently, “just answer the question.”
“The octospiders,” Richard said in a louder voice, “sent Archie and me to negotiate an honorable peace, not to surrender unconditionally. If New Eden is not willing to negotiate and to make an agreement that respects the integrity of the octospider domain, then they hav*e no choice. Please,” Richard now shouted, looking back and
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forth at die guests on both sides of the room, “understand that you cannot win if the octospiders really fight. So far they have put up no resistance at all. You must convince your leaders to enter into balanced discussions—”
“Seize the prisoners,” Nakamura ordered.
“—or you will all perish. The octospiders are much more advanced than we are. Believe me. I know. I have been living with them for more than—”
One of the policemen struck Richard on the back of the head and he fell to the floor, bleeding. Katie jumped up, but Franz restrained her with both arms. Richard was holding the side of his head as Archie and he were ushered out of the room.
Richard and Archie were in a small jail cell at the police station in Hakone, not far from Nakamura’s palace. “Is your head all right?” Archie asked in color.
“I think so,” Richard answered, “although it is still swelling.”
“They’ll kiil us now, won’t they?” Archie asked.
“Probably,” Richard said grimly.
“Thanks for trying,” Archie said after a short silence.
Richard shrugged. “I didn’t do much good. Anyway, it’s you who should be thanked. If you hadn’t volunteered, you would still be safe and sound in the Emerald City.”
Richard walked over to the washbasin in the corner to clean the cloth he was holding against his head wound. “Didn’t you tell me that most humans believe in life after death?” Archie asked after Richard had rejoined him in the front of the cell.