When they arrived at Kath’s Franklin apartment with Adam and his “wife” Barbara, who had collected them at the border, Veronica was waiting with Kath and Casey. Colman already knew everybody, and while he and Kath were introducing Bernard and Lechat to those they hadn’t met previously, Veronica and Celia greeted each other with hugs and a few more tears from Celia,
The atmosphere became more serious as Bernard and Lechat informed the Chironians that they now knew what the Kuan-yin was and what it could do. “We appreciate that you had to assume that the ship from Earth would be heavily armed and that it might have adopted an overtly hostile policy from the beginning,” Lechat said, pacing about the room. “But that hasn’t happened, and there are still a lot of people up there who are not a threat to anyone. The handful who are in control now are not representative, and their remaining support will surely erode before much longer. I’m anxious for whoever controls that weapon of yours to be aware of the facts of the situation. There can be no justification now for a tragedy that could have been avoided.”
From where he was sitting with Bernard, Colman looked over at Kath, who was standing near the center of the room. “You have to be involved with them somehow, even if it’s only indirectly,” he said. “You must know these people, even if you’re not one of them yourself.”
“What would you wish them to do?” Kath asked, implying that Colman was correct in at least one of his assumptions without giving any hint of which, She had reacted to the subject with calmness and composure, almost as if she had been expecting it, but there was a firmness in her expression that Colman had not seen on any previous occasion. Her manner conveyed that what was at stake went beyond personal feelings and individual considerations,
“They may be a handful,” Adam added from across the room, “but they control the ship’s heavy weapons. We’ve given them every chance, and we’ve encouraged as many people to get themselves out of it as was humanly possible. Our whole world is at stake. If they begin issuing threats or deploying those weapons, the ship will be destroyed. They’ can be no changing that decision. It was made a long time ago.”
Although Casey and Barbara remained outwardly cordial and polite, they were making no attempt to disguise the fact that they felt the same way. Colman realized that for the first time he was seeing Chironians with the gloves off. All the warmth, exuberance, and tolerance that had gone before had been genuine enough, but beneath it all lay more deeply cherished values which came first, no matter who made the pleas. On that, there could be no concessions.
“That’s true,” Bernard agreed. “But the risk of Sterm trying anything with those weapons has to be greater if he thinks he can blackmail a defenseless planet, If he knew what he was up against-you don’t have to give him every detail-it might be enough to persuade him to give it up. That’s all we’re asking. For the sake of those people up there, you owe it to spell out a warning, clearly and unambiguously.”
“Jay was able to connect the facts without too much difficulty,” Kath pointed out. “We didn’t try to hide them. Haven’t the scientists on the ship done the same?”
“I don’t know,” was all that Bernard could reply. “If they have, they haven’t published it. But does it seem likely? Would Sterm be moving the way he is if they had? But you have nothing to lose by spelling it out to them. It has to be worth a try.”
Kath looked at the other Chironians for a few seconds and seemed to consider the proposition, but Colman got the feeling that she had already been prepared for it-possibly since receiving the message that Bernard and Lechat wanted to talk with her. Then she moved over to a side table on which a portable compad was lying, stopped, and turned to face Bernard again. “It isn’t a matter for me to decide,” she said. “But the people concerned are waiting to talk to you.” Bernard and Lechat exchanged puzzled looks. Kath seemed to hesitate for a second, and then looked at Lechat. “I’m afraid we have been taking an unpardonable liberty with you. You see, this was not entirely unexpected. The people you wish to speak with have been monitoring our discussion. I hope you are not too offended.”