Chapter 12

"But why, Carlos?" She was shaking her head, still stunned by what he'd showed her. "Why would they do this?"

"You agree, then? It was premeditated?"

"I ... when I look at it through your eyes, it's hard not to believe so. But it seems so senseless! Why on Earth would they—"

"That is perhaps the point," he interrupted her. "However similar to Earth this planet may appear, it is not Earth and the experience and motives of those who inhabit it need have no parallels with our own. Quite obviously it is for this reason that I require a lengthy period of unseen observation before we will be ready for our initial landing. And that landing must be in an uninhabited area so that my task force may gain first-hand surface experience and knowledge before we attempt any contact. You see why now?"

"Well ... I certainly agree that more than a few days of observation is needed. We need to gain a great deal more insight into the Edenite civilization before we try to make contact again."

"Yes," he said. "I am sorry to disappoint your group, but the contact will simply have to wait until we have maximized our information and therefore our chances of success. I would hope you can explain this acceptably to your people, but even if they do not agree I am adamant about withholding my permission—"

"Um, Carlos, the situation isn't that way, I'm afraid," she cut him off. "In fact, that was one of the things I needed to talk to you about."

"'Not that way?' But of course it is; it is clearly in the mission statement. The military, which devolves to me, is to have charge of the landing."

She looked at him for a moment. "After you left last night's meeting so abruptly with your declaration that the landing would take place at your convenience—"

"I did not phrase it so," he said defensively.

"Close enough, and you know it. After you left there was, as I'm sure you'd have expected, a complete uproar. The scientists, even the technicians, kept asking if you could do what you said. Bernard—Mr. Shaw—got out the mission statement and read it to them word for word. Then he pointed out that, while the statement is clear that the military will assume command for the landing, it also says the scientific group will have control until that time—which meant, in his view, that we and not you will choose the time and location of the landing."

He stared at her uncomprehending. "This is nonsense!" he erupted. "A critical part of any military engagement is when and where that engagement will occur. One cannot simply thrust soldiers into combat on conditions and terrain favorable to the enemy and expect—"

"Please, Carlos!" she stopped him. "From a purely military standpoint I can't disagree. But this isn't, at root, a military issue, it's a political one—shipboard politics. And they are, I'm sorry to say, against you."

"All right," he said harshly. "We must take this before the captain, who will resolve the matter."

"I'm sorry again, Carlos," she told him. "You're too late. Bernard went to Captain Ziang immediately. He's her second-in-command; she accepted his interpretation. You can try to persuade her to change her mind if you like, but I doubt you'll succeed."

"I see," he said slowly. "Then who under this perversion of the mission statement makes the landing decision?"

"I do," she said.

He took a deep breath and exhaled in relief. "Then it is still all right. You have seen the scan, Amanda, you understand my reasons, you can tell them why the delay is necessary."

"No, Carlos. You hold your position by virtue of established rank. May I ask if you've given your task force the guided tour of the Argo landing that you gave me?"

"I have gone over some parts of it to explain what we need to beware of, what we may expect—"

"But did you give them the same reasons you gave me why you believe the attack was premeditated?" she persisted.

"No, not in any detail. I simply told them it was, that was enough. If any of them cared to pursue the matter independently, I would assume they came to the same conclusions for the same reasons. But it is not up to them to question the intelligence given them, and of course none challenged me."

"Exactly," she said. "You're a military commander, your rank is your authority. I, on the other hand, am an elected leader, and those who elected me can depose me as readily. If I make decisions they don't like they'll do just that and it will be someone else who chooses when and where to land. And while you've made me see the scan through your eyes, they haven't had that advantage—"