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be hiding beneath the carefully controlled inflections of his voice。
〃However；〃 the other continued； 〃in the past few days something new has e to light； something which I felt should be presented immediately to this body； before even any follow…up studies were initiated。〃 Glancing at the Cobra guard standing by the door； Stiggur nodded。 The man nodded in turn and opened the panel 。。。 and a single Troft walked in。
A faint murmur of surprise rippled its way around the room； and Corwin felt himself tense involuntarily as the alien made its way to Stiggur's side。 The Trofts had been the Worlds〃 trading partner for nearly 14 years now； but Corwin still remembered vividly the undercurrent of fear that he'd grown up with。 Most of the Council had even stronger memories than that： the Troft occupation of the Dominion worlds Silvern and Adirondack had occurred only 43 years ago； ulti…mately being the impetus for the original Cobra project。 It was no accident that most of the people who now dealt physically with the Troft traders were in their early twenties。 Only the younger Aventinians could face the aliens without wincing。
The Troft paused at the edge of the table； waiting as the Council members dug out translator…link earphones and inserted them。 One or two of the younger syndics didn't bother； and Corwin felt a flicker of jealousy as he adjusted his own earphone to low volume。 He'd taken the same number of courses in catertalk as they had； but it was obvious that foreign language prehension wasn't even close to being his forte。
〃Men and women of the Cobra Worlds Council；〃 the earphone murmured to him。 〃I am Speaker One of the Tlos'khin'fahi demesne of the TroFte Assemblage。〃 The alien's high…pitched catertalk continued for a second beyond the translation； both races had early on decided that the first three parasyllables of Troft demesne titles were more than adequate for human use； and that a literal transcription of the aliens〃 proper names was a waste of effort。 〃The Tlos'khin'fahi demesne…lord has sent your own demesne…lord's request for data to the other parts of the Assemblage and the result has been a triad offer from the Pualanek'zia and Baliu'ckha'spmi demesnes。〃
Corwin grimaced。 He'd never liked deals involving two or more Troft demesnes； both because of the delicate political balance the Worlds often had to strike and because the humans never heard much about the Troft…Troft arm of such bargains。 That arm had to exist…the individual demesnes seldom if ever gave anything away to each other。
The same line of thought appeared to have tracked its way elsewhere through the room。 〃You speak of a triad； instead of a quad offer；〃 Governor Dylan Fairleigh spoke up。 〃What part does the Tlos'khin'fahi demesne expect to play？〃
〃My demense…lord chooses the role of catalyst；〃 was the prompt reply。 〃No fee will be forthing for our role。〃 The Troft fingered something on his abdomen sash and Corwin's display lit up with a map showing the near half of the Troft Assemblage。 Off on one edge three stars began blinking red。 〃The Cobra Worlds；〃 the alien unnecessarily identified them。 A quarter of the way around the bulge a single star； also outside Troft territory； flashed green。 〃The world named Qasama by its natives。 They are described by the Baliu'ckha'spmi demesne…lord as an alien race of great potential danger to the Assemblage。 Here…〃 a vague…edged sphere appeared at the near side of the flashing green star… 〃somewhere； is a tight cluster of five worlds capable of supporting human life。 The Pua'lanek'zia demesne…lord will give you their location and an Assemblage pledge of human possession if your Cobras will undertake to eliminate the threat of Qasama。 I will await your decision。〃
The Troft turned and left 。。。 and only slowly did Corwin realize he was holding his breath。 Five brand…new worlds 。。。 for the price of being mercenaries。
He wondered if the Troft had any idea of the size snakepit he'd just opened。
If the alien didn't； the Council certainly did。 For the better part of a minute the room was silent as an isolation tank as each member apparently tried to track through the tangle of implications。 Finally； Stiggur cleared his throat。 〃While we of course have no intention of replying to this offer today； or even to fully discuss its relative merits； I would nevertheless appreciate hearing whatever initial reactions you might have。〃
〃I； for one； would like a little more information before we listen to any hard…wired…reflex ments；〃 Governor Lizabet Telek said。 Her perennially gravelly voice gave no clue to her own reaction。 〃Something about these new aliens would be nice for starters…bio specs； tech level； specifics of their alleged threat； that sort of thing。〃
Stiggur shook his head。 〃Speaker One either doesn't have any more data or won't give it away free…I've already pressed him on that。 I suspect the former； personally； there's no particular need for the Tlos demesne to buy what would be little more than abstract knowledge to them。 Same goes for information on these five alleged worlds the Pua demesne's offering； before anyone asks。〃
〃In other words； we're being asked to sign an essentially blank agreement？〃 one of the newer syndics asked。
〃Not really。〃 Governor Jor Hemner shook his head； the movement looking risky on one so frail。 〃There are lots of intermediate possibilities； including buying the Baliu's data or sending our own survey team out to take a look。 Standard Troft trade procedure assumes we'll e up with these suggestions ourselves。 What I'm worried about is whether setting a precedent of this kind is a good idea。〃
〃Why not？〃 someone else spoke up from Corwin's side of the room。 〃It's the fear of the Cobras that keeps the Trofts friendly； isn't it？ How better to show them that kind of caution is good policy？〃
〃And if we lose？〃 Hemner asked stiffly。
〃The Cobras haven't lost anything yet。〃
Corwin glanced at Governor Howie Vartanson of Caelian； wondering if he'd ment。 But the other merely curled his lip slightly and kept silent。 Politicans from Caelian tended to adopt that low…profile position when they came to Aventine； Corwin had noticed； but the point； he felt； ought to be made。 Subtly； if possible。。。。 〃I'd like to point out；〃 he spoke up； 〃that one or more new planets would enable us to solve the problem of Caelian without depriving the 19；000 people there of the right to their 〃own〃 world。〃
〃Only if they'd be willing to leave；〃 Stiggur said；
but the mention of Caelian； as Cowrin had planned； seemed to bring the members〃 thoughts to the current stalemate between the Cobras and that strange world's hostile ecology。 〃Fluid genetic adaptation；〃 the official reports elegantly called； it。 The Caelians〃 own term was considerably cruder： Hell's Blender。 Every species on the planet； from the simplest lichen to the largest predator； seemed mindlessly determined to hold onto his ecological and territorial niche against all efforts to dislodge it。 Clear some land and soak it with vegebarrier； and within days there would be a dozen new plant variants attempting to reclaim it。 Build a house where a thicket had been； and before long the local fungi would be growing on the walls。 Create a city； or even a small town； and the displaced animals would find their way in somehow 。。。 and not only the small ones。 A world under perpetual siege； Corwin had once heard Jonny call it。 Only the Caelians themselves knew how…or why…they put up with it。
For another long moment the room was again silent。 Stiggur looked around； nodded at what he saw。 〃Well。 I think we can safely agree with Governor Telek that considerably more information is needed before we can even consider acting。 For the moment； then； you're to keep this proposal a secret from the general populace while you work out the various pros and cons for yourselves。 Now； then…one final item and we'll be adjourned。 I have a list of Cobra applicants awaiting final Council approval。〃 The twelve names…an unusually high number…appeared on Corwin's screen； along with their home towns and districts。 All the names were familiar ones； the Cobra Academy screeners had sent in their test results nearly a month ago。 Justin Moreau was the seventh one listed。
〃Do I hear any votes against these citizens being Cobras； either individually or as a group？〃 Stiggur asked the standard question。 A couple of nearby heads turned in Corwin's direction； clamping his jaw tightly； he kept his eyes on the governor…general and his hands in his lap。 〃No？ Then this Council affirms the decision of the Cobra Academy officials； and hereby directs them to begin the irreversible stages of the Cobra process。〃 Stiggur pushed a button and the room's screens blanked。 〃This Council session is adjourned。〃
Irreversible stages。 Corwin had heard those words at least twenty times before at these meetings； but somehow they'd never sounded so final。 But then； he'd never heard them applied to his own younger brother before； either。
Justin Moreau let the car roll to a stop in front of the house； feeling the tension in his shoulders translate along his arms to a brief white…knuckled squeeze on the wheel。 The word had e by phone only an hour ago that the Council had given final approval to his application。 Tomorrow the surgery would begin that would finally and firmly set him down in his father's footsteps 。。。 but tonight he would have to face his mother's pain。
〃You ready？〃 Joshua asked from the seat next to him。
〃As ready as I'll ever be。〃 Opening the door； Justin got out and headed toward the house； his brother falling into step beside him。
Corwin answered Joshua's knock； and despite his tension Justin found himself enjoying the inevitable half…second it took their older brother to figure out which was which。 Even among identical twins Joshua and Justin were unusually hard to tell apart； a fact that had caused untold confusion throughout their lives。 Family and close friends were generally able to manage the trick； but even with them a secret swap of tunics could sometimes go undetected for hours。 They'd pulled such stunts innumerable times when they were younger； a game they'd given up only after their father threatened to color…code them with liberal applications of paint。
〃Joshua； Justin；〃 Corwin nodded； looking at each in turn as if to prove he'd gotten them straight。 〃Abandon all hope of light conversation； you who enter here。 The Moreau War Council is in session tonight。〃
Oh； great； Justin groaned inwardly。 But Corwin had stepped aside； and Joshua was already heading in； and it was too late to back out now。 Squaring his shoulders； Justin followed。
His parents were already seated together on the living room couch； and from long habit Justin gave his father a quick once…over。 A little weaker…looking； perhaps； than the last time he'd seen him； but not much。 Of more significance was the slight flicker of pain that crossed Jonny's eyes as he gave the twins an abbreviated wave in greeting。 The pain pills for his arthritis really didn't affect his mental facilities all that much； if he'd opted to do without them there was some high…powered thought going on in here indeed。 A glance at his mother's grim face confirmed it； and for a long minute Justin wondered if he'd drastically underestimated the level of family opposition to his Cobra ambitions。
But that assumption didn't last long。 〃Dinner'll be ready in about half an hour；〃 Jonny told the twins as they chose chairs and sat down。 〃Until then； I want to feel you out on a proposal Stiggur dropped on the Council session today。 Corwin？〃
Corwin took a seat where he could see all the others〃 faces。 〃This is all to be kept secret； of course；〃 he said 。。。 and then launched into the damnedest story Justin had ever heard。
Jonny let a few seconds pass after his eldest had finished and then cocked an eyebrow at the twins。 〃Well？ Reactions？〃
〃I don't trust them；〃 Joshua said promptly。 〃Especially the Tlos demesne。 Why shoud they offer their set…up services for nothing？〃
〃That much is obvious；〃 Jonny told him。 〃 i ？ 。is what's known as a free sample…and running both ways。 If we take the job and the Baliu demesne likes our work； the Tlossies will undoubtedly offer themselves as our agents to any other interested demesnes。〃
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