Chapter 30

It went much the same, albeit of course without quite so much emotionalism, in the original nest. At first Gagugakhing proved herself adroit at trying to duck responsibility for Meiers­dottir's ordeal; she repeatedly protested that it was "others" who had imprisoned the woman and her child and that "Ghotagatogulagunga never do this, now or ever."

But Igwanda wasn't buying into this sort of verbal jinking. He reminded her bluntly that "Ghotagatogulagunga are one people, not many," and noted that what one group might do in a time of perceived need another might also do in the same circumstance. After a time, and some careful maneuvering by Meiersdottir, the native mother retreated from her position and reluctant­ly acknowledged at least the possibility, and it was left there. He repeated his warning that such "mistakes" were altogether too frequent for his taste, and they parted on seemingly good terms.

"Whew," said Meiersdottir as they walked alone back toward the pavilion, having called Cherney to tell her they were ready to receive the first wave. "This is getting really exhausting."

"It appears that diplomacy is a demanding discipline," her husband said sympathetically.

"You have no idea how really tempting it is to just turn it off and start calling everybody around you the dipshits that they actually are," she agreed. "But of course it's my job to keep them from finding out."

"Finding out what?"

"That they're dipshits, of course. If an asshole knows you're aware he's being an asshole he's a lot less likely to want to do what you want him to do. But I get so damn sick of coddling everybody's tender little feelings. That's why it was more fun dealing with that damn major. I didn't have to soft-pedal anything, I could just ram it right up his ass."

"Proctology is an underrated medical specialty," he observed.

She burst out laughing. "Carlos, you brighten every moment of my every day," she said.

"As do you mine," he replied. "To have lost you would have been ... unacceptable."

They shared a very enthusiastic kiss.

Joe and Akakha were waiting for them at the pavilion, and in short order they saw the lander approaching. "They sure didn't waste much time," Meiersdottir said. "Must've been all loaded up and raring to go."

Zo was first on the ramp carrying a squirming Meier, who wanted to be set down immediately. But the sergeant carefully negotiated the slope before releasing the boy to run (well, as fast as a 16-month-old can run) to his parents, who immediately scooped him up again. The four troopers—Edmundson, Accorda, Liam Connaught and Thomas Josephs—followed immediately, trailed by O'Brian, Singh, Sviatoslavski, al-Jira, Plantz, Mantegna and Hill from the original party.

Hill was carrying Meier's potty chair and walked over to hold it out to him. "See, baby, I told you I had it," she said. She turned to his mother. "How'd you get him to start using this so early, Amanda?"

Meiersdottir smiled. "Diplomacy, Rory. Applied sociology. Beats hell out of having to change him every hour on the hour, doesn't it?"

Laughing aloud, Hill nodded agreement.

The troopers gathered quickly to Igwanda. All were dressed as Zo was, laser sidearms only. They'd brought the rest of their gear as instructed, but left it stowed.

"Get your things off the lander," the colonel told them. "Zo, please position them around the pavilion at proper dispersal for defensive purposes. Those will be your sleeping positions, lady and gentlemen. We will go into more after that is done. And Zo," he called the sergeant back as he started to follow the others. "Umm ... I see no overpowering reason for your own sleeping arrangements to change if..."

The sergeant grinned. "Thank you, sir. Aurora asked me about that. I'll tell her."

"In due course I may make similar accommodations for the troopers if they wish," Ig­wanda told him, "but for now I think they will take their protective role more seriously if we retain the trappings of discipline. Go on now."

The colonel was aware that he faced a steep learning curve for his troopers, inculcated as they'd been by the rigid Miller into thinking of the Edenites as implacable enemies. On board the Gardener the previous evening he'd laid down his expectations.

"You will be joining us on the planet primarily for contingency purposes," he'd told them. "In light of the way matters developed the other day I want some in discipline with me in the event that ... problems arise. There will be a weekly rotation, four on planet, four aboard ship. Sgt. Zo and I will probably remain mostly on the surface. But I emphasize that I do not expect such problems to arise. I repeat that: I have no expectation of any trouble whatever. The internal difficulties among the Edenites that gave rise to the one unfortunate incident have been fully resolved, with no likelihood at all that they will re-surface.

"So the Edenites are friends and are to be treated as such, not as enemies, incipient or otherwise. Any action that any of you initiate down there must be only in response to the clearest and most incontrovertible provocation, do you understand?"

"Sir, what do you regard as provocation?" asked Accorda.

"It is easiest to explain if you bear always in mind that the Edenites do not act individually," he told her. "They have no independent intellects, all is collective via their telepathic linkage. All are governed by one mentality. Therefore it is all but impossible that a single Edenite might be aggressive whereas his fellows would not."

"A little sexist there, sir," the trooper bridled.

The colonel rolled his eyes. "My God, did the major not teach you anything?" he muttered. "No, Accorda, all those that you see will be males. It is not so visible as it is with us, their sexual organs are not on display, but those in the open will be one hundred percent male. The females are sequestered in subterranean nests with the young, and you will probably never meet one. I used the accurate pronoun."

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, flustered. "I didn't mean—"

"Yes, you did, Accorda, but it is understandable and forgiven. My point, however, is that if there is aggression it will be rampant and unmistakable. And until and unless you see that, you will not draw your weapon, much less discharge it. With a very great deal of expended effort we have reached an accommodation with the natives, but it is a fragile one and I will not have it disrupted by the precipitate action of one of my troopers. Is that entirely clear?"

Although all had responded with a firm "yes, sir!" the colonel could tell, watching them move awkwardly through the growing crowd of natives in and around the pavilion, that they remained ill at ease. As had become customary the Edenites had matched the human numbers one for one, and the troopers were casting uncertain glances at individuals who appeared to be track­ing them.

Igwanda needed a way to dispel that quickly, and it was readily to hand. As they re-assembled behind him he gestured to Akakha, who was as usual by his side.

"Lady and gentlemen, this is my friend Akakha," he said. "You may recognize him from his picture," he added pointedly. He named each of them to the alien. "And these four"—he pointed to the others, now themselves gathered near—"are those who will be your Edenite liaison. The usual way it is done here is that the natives designate individual counterparts for each human. They do not use personal names, but you may either choose names for them or allow them to do so for themselves."

He turned to Akakha and the four other Edenites. "I hope you will understand that my soldiers are unfamiliar with you and with our practices here. It is my hope that you will help them learn." To his troopers he added, "Please feel easy interacting with them as well as any other natives. You will not find the experience unrewarding. Mingle as you see fit, but do that— mingle. You should certainly not remain clustered together in a human knot. I will let you know if and when I need any of you." Deliberately he walked away.