"Except the Special status that would protect her subject from what happened to Bok. I agree with her on the matter of not not using someone inside Reseune. The clone will be at Reseune, but not Rubin. Rubin is young. using someone inside Reseune. The clone will be at Reseune, but not Rubin. Rubin is young.

That's a prerequisite. He's brilliant, he was born on a station, and every move he's ever made down to buying a drink out of a machine is there in station records. He was also born with an immune deficiency, and there are extensive medical records that go back to his infancy. That's the most important part. Ari can do it without the Council's approval; but she can't keep Fargone's local government from doing something that might compromise her results."

"Is Rubin supposed to be aware of this?"

"He'll be aware he's a blind control on an experiment at Reseune. More significantly, his clone won't know Rubin exists until he's the same age Rubin is now."

"Do you think it's a valid project?" Corain asked.

Warrick was silent a moment. "I think whether or not one equals the other, the scientific benefits are there."

"You have reservations," Lu said.

"I see minimal harm to Rubin. He's a scientist. He's capable of understanding what blind control means. I would oppose any meeting of the two, at any future date. I'll go on record on that. But I wouldn't oppose the program."

"It's not yours."

"I have no personal work involved in it."

"Your son," Corain said, "does work closely with Dr. Emory."

"My son is a student," Warrick said, expressionless, "in tape design. Whether or not he'll be involved is up to Dr. Emory. It would be a rare opportunity. Possibly he might apply for the Fargone office, if it goes through. I'd like to see that."

Why? Corain wondered, and wished he dared ask it. But there were limits with a hitherto friendly informant, and there were persistent rumors about Emory that no one proved. Corain wondered, and wished he dared ask it. But there were limits with a hitherto friendly informant, and there were persistent rumors about Emory that no one proved.

"Student," Lu said, "at Reseune, means rather more than student at the university."

"Considerably, yes," Warrick said. All liveliness had left his face. It was guarded now, extremely careful of expressions and reactions.

"How do you you feel about the Hope project?" Corain asked. feel about the Hope project?" Corain asked.

"Is that a political question?"

"It's a political question."

"Say that I avoid politics, except as a study." Warrick looked down and up again, directly at Corain. "Reseune no longer depends on the azi trade. We could live quite well off our research, whether colonies go out or not, -there'll be a need for what we we do, never mind the fate of the other labs-who couldn't undercut us. We have too great a head start on other fields. We wouldn't be as rich, of course. But we'd do quite well. It's not economics that troubles me. Someday we should talk." do, never mind the fate of the other labs-who couldn't undercut us. We have too great a head start on other fields. We wouldn't be as rich, of course. But we'd do quite well. It's not economics that troubles me. Someday we should talk."

Corain blinked. That was not what he expected, a feeler from a Reseune scientist. He put his hands in his coat pockets and looked at the others. "Can Dr. Warrick miss that meeting-without it leaking?"

"No difficulty," Lu said; and added: "If Dr. Warrick wants to miss it."

Warrick drew a long breath, then set the briefcase on the floor and pulled a chair back at the conference table. "I'm willing," he said, and sank into the chair.

Corain sat down. Gorodin and Lu took the chairs at the end.

Warrick's face held no expression still. "I know these gentlemen," he said with a slide of the eyes toward the military. "I know your reputation, Councillor Corain. I know you're an honest man. What I'm going to tell you could cost me-considerably. I hope you'll use this-only for what it contains, and I hope you won't lay it to personal dislike. Dr. Emory and I have had our differences. You understand-working at Reseune, you have to make a lot of critical decisions. Our material is human. Sometimes the ethics of a situation are-without precedent. All we operate on is our best estimation, and sometimes those estimates don't agree.

"Dr. Emory and I have had-more than the average number of confrontations. I've written papers opposing her. We have a conflicting view of-certain aspects of her operations. So if she finds out I've been talking to you, she'll believe I've tried to do her damage. But I hope to G.o.d you give her this program at Fargone. It doesn't cost the government anything but that Special-"

"It creates a dangerous precedent, to create a Special just to satisfy a research project. Just to keep a subject in your reach."

"I want myself and my son transferred out of Reseune."

Corain stopped breathing a moment. "You're a Special, the same as she is."

"I'm not political. I don't have her pull. She'll claim I'm essential, under the very terms that make me a Special-I'm bound to stay where the government needs me. And so far it arranges to need me at Reseune. Right now my son is working in her program for two reasons: first because it's his field and she's the best; second, because he's my son and Ari wants a hold on me, and in the politics inside Reseune, there's nothing I can do about that. I can try again to get myself out of there, and if I'm I'm out from under her direction, I can request my son over to the other project on a personal hardship transfer. That's one reason I'm anxious to see this Fargone facility built. It would be the best thing for the state. It would be the best thing for Reseune. G.o.d knows it would be the best thing for Reseune." out from under her direction, I can request my son over to the other project on a personal hardship transfer. That's one reason I'm anxious to see this Fargone facility built. It would be the best thing for the state. It would be the best thing for Reseune. G.o.d knows it would be the best thing for Reseune."

"Perhaps some things would come out. Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm not making any charges. I don't want to go public with any of this. I'm saying that Ari has too d.a.m.n much power, inside Reseune and out. There's no question of her scientific contributions. As a scientist I have no quarrel with her. I only know the politics inside the house and politics outside it is the only way I see to get free of a situation that's become increasingly-explosive."

One had to be careful, very careful. Corain had not spent twenty years in government to take everything at face value. Or to frighten a cooperating witness. So he asked softly: "What do you want, Dr. Warrick?"

"I'd like to see that project go through. Then I'm going to transfer. She's going to try to prevent that. I'd like support-in my appeal." Warrick cleared his throat. His fingers were locked, white-edged. "The pressure at Reseune is considerable. A move would be-everything I want. I'll tell you,. . . I'm not not in agreement with this colonization effort. I agree with Berger and Shlegey, there is harm dispersing humankind to that degree, that fast. We've just finished one social calamity; we're in agreement with this colonization effort. I agree with Berger and Shlegey, there is harm dispersing humankind to that degree, that fast. We've just finished one social calamity; we're not not what left Earth, we're not what left Glory Station, we're not going to be what our founders antic.i.p.ated; and if we make this further push there's going to be a critical difference between us and our descendants-there's no miracle, no Estelle Bok, no great invention going to close up this gap. That's my view. I can't express that from Reseune." what left Earth, we're not what left Glory Station, we're not going to be what our founders antic.i.p.ated; and if we make this further push there's going to be a critical difference between us and our descendants-there's no miracle, no Estelle Bok, no great invention going to close up this gap. That's my view. I can't express that from Reseune."

"Dr. Warrick, are you telling me your communications are limited there?"

"I'm telling you there are reasons I can't express that view there. If you leak this conversation to the press I'll have to take Reseune's official position."

"Are you telling me, Dr. Warrick, that that transfer is what you're holding out for?"

"The transfer, Councillor. Myself. And my son. Then I would have no fear of expressing my opinions. Do you understand me? Most of us in the field that could speak with authority against the Hope project-are in Reseune. Without voices inside Science, without papers published-you understand that ideas don't gain currency. Xenology is strongly divided. The most compelling arguments are in our field. You do not not have a majority in the nine electorates, Councillor. It's Science itself you have to crack, Ari Emory's own electorate. have a majority in the nine electorates, Councillor. It's Science itself you have to crack, Ari Emory's own electorate. This, This, this psychogenesis project is very dear to her heart-so much her own, in fact, that she doesn't let her aides handle it. It's the time factor again. On the one hand, there's so very little in a lifetime. On the other-a process that involves a human life has so many hiatuses, so many periods when nothing but time will produce the results." this psychogenesis project is very dear to her heart-so much her own, in fact, that she doesn't let her aides handle it. It's the time factor again. On the one hand, there's so very little in a lifetime. On the other-a process that involves a human life has so many hiatuses, so many periods when nothing but time will produce the results."

"Meaning we'll still have her to deal with."

"As long as she lives, definitely, you'll have her in Council to deal with. That's why the Fargone project is an advantage to both of us. I'd like to take a public position, on your side. An opposition from inside Reseune, as it were, particularly from another Special-would have considerable credibility in Science. But I can't do it now, as things are."

"The important question," Gorodin said, "aside from that: is is the Rubin project likely to work? Is it real?" the Rubin project likely to work? Is it real?"

"It's very likely that it will, Admiral. Certainly it's a much more valid effort than the Bok project was. You may know, we don't routinely create from the Specials' genesets. Even our genetic material is protected by statute. On a practical level, it's the old 'fine line' business-genius and insanity, you know. It's not total nonsense. When we create azi, the Alpha cla.s.ses take far more testing and correction. Statistically speaking, of course. What went wrong with the Bok clone was what could have gone wrong with Bok, give or take her particular experiences, and influences we don't have record of. Our chances of recovering a currently living Special are much better. Better records, you understand. Bok came here as a colonist, her records went with her ship, and it was one of the de-built ones: too much was lost and too much just wasn't recorded. I'm not sure we ever will get Bok's talent back, but it certainly won't be in the present project. On the other hand-recovering, say, Kleigmann . . . who's, what?-pushing a century and a half. . . would be a real benefit."

"Or Emory herself," Corain said under his breath. "G.o.d. Is that that her push? Immortality?" her push? Immortality?"

"Only so far as any human might want progeny like himself. It's not immortality, certainly no sense of ident.i.ty. We're talking about mental similarity, two individuals more like each other than identical twins tend to be, and without a dominant twin. Essentially the recovery of an ability latent in the interface between geneset and what we call tape in an azi."

"Done by tape?"

Warrick shook his head. "Can't "Can't be done with tape. Not by present understanding." be done with tape. Not by present understanding."

Corain thought it through again. And again.

"Meaning," Gorodin said, "that with our lead in genetics and reconstructive psych, we might replicate living Specials as well as dead ones."

"That is a possibility," Warrick said quietly, "if certain laws were changed. Practically-I'd speak against that. I understand why they're starting with one. But the potential for psychological trouble is very strong, even if the safeguards keep the two from meeting. Even dead ones- If I were such a subject-I'd worry about my son, and that individual-who would not, in any meaningful sense, be his brother; or his father. Do you see, it's very complicated when you're dealing with human lives? The Nine took a strong interest in the Bok case. Too strong. In this much I agree with Dr. Emory: only the Bureau of Science, in specific, only Reseune ought to have any contact with the two subjects. That's what she wants on Fargone. We're not talking about an office or a lab. We're talking about an enclave, a community Rubin will not leave except as I leave Reseune: rarely and with escorts for his protection."

"My G.o.d," Gorodin said, "Fargone will veto it."

"A separate orbiting facility. That's what she's had to promise Harogo. A compartmentalized area. Reseune will pay the construction."

"You know, then, what deals she's made."

"I happen to know that one. There may be others. That's a fat contract for certain construction companies at Fargone."

It rang true. All the way down. Corain gnawed his lip.

"Let me ask you a difficult question," Corain said. "If there were other information-"

"I would give it."

"If there were other information yet to come-"

"You're asking me to be an informant."

"A man of conscience. You know my principles. I know yours. It seems there's a great deal in common. Does Reseune own your conscience?"

"Even the admiral hasn't been able to requisition me. I'm a ward of the state. My residencies have to be approved by the Union government. That's the price of being a Special. The admiral will tell you: Reseune will call me essential. That's an automatic five votes of the Nine. That means I stay in Reseune. I'll tell you what I'm going to do, Councillor. I'm going to slip Adm. Gorodin a request for transfer, just just as soon as that Special status is voted for Rubin, as soon as that Special status is voted for Rubin, before before the appropriations vote for the Hope Station project. Officially-that's when it will happen." the appropriations vote for the Hope Station project. Officially-that's when it will happen."

"G.o.d! You think you're worth a deal like that?"

"Councillor, -you can't win the Hope Station vote. DeFranco is in Ari's pocket. Or her bankbook, via Hayes Industries. The arrangement is- deFranco's going to try to abstain, which at least is going to show a little backbone for her const.i.tuency. Forget you heard that from me. But if you don't don't throw the vote into a tie and send the business into the General Council, it's inevitable. You buy me throw the vote into a tie and send the business into the General Council, it's inevitable. You buy me and my son and my son out of Reseune, Councillor-and I'll start talking. I'll be worth far more-outside her direct surveillance, in the Reseune facility on Fargone. She might get Hope Station. But she can be stopped, Councillor. If you want a voice inside Science, I can be that." out of Reseune, Councillor-and I'll start talking. I'll be worth far more-outside her direct surveillance, in the Reseune facility on Fargone. She might get Hope Station. But she can be stopped, Councillor. If you want a voice inside Science, I can be that."

It was a moment before Corain felt in command of his breathing. He looked at Lu, at Gorodin, suddenly trying to remember how Lu had maneuvered him into this meeting, suspecting these two dark eminences among the Nine, who played behind a screen of secrecies.

"You should go into politics," he said to Warrick then, and suddenly remembered to his disturbance who he was talking to: that this was a Reseune psychmaster, and that this mind was one of those twelve Union considered too precious to lose.

"Psych is my field," Warrick said, with a disturbing directness to his gaze, which no longer seemed ordinary, or harmless, or average. "I only want to practice it without hara.s.sment. I'm fully aware of politics, Councillor. I a.s.sure you it never leaves us, at Reseune. Nor we, it. Help me and I'll help you. It's that simple."

"It's not simple," Corain objected, but to Warrick it was. Whoever had drawn him into this meeting-be it Lu, be it Gorodin-be it Warrick- He was not sure, suddenly, that it was not Emory. A man could grow insane, dealing with the potential in the Specials, especially those Specials who dealt with perception itself.

One had to trust someone sometime. Or nothing got done.

"The first bill on the agenda is number 2405, for the Bureau of Science. Ariane Emory sole sponsor, regarding the regular appropriations for the Bureau of Science, under the provisions of Union Statute 2595, section 2. . . ."

Emory looked Corain's way. Well? that half-lidded stare said. Will you defy me, over something so routine?

Corain smiled. And let the b.i.t.c.h worry.

The gavel hammered down, again early: "We are in recess," Bogdanovitch said. The murmuring in the Council chamber was subdued.

Ariane Emory drew a whole breath, finally. The first stage was pa.s.sed. Rubin had his status, barring a veto from the Council of Worlds, and there would be none. Corain might orchestrate a double-cross, but he would save it for something important. Something Corain Corain considered important. The Hope Station project could serve as a decoy until then. DeFranco might want to abstain. But she would not, when the heat came on. considered important. The Hope Station project could serve as a decoy until then. DeFranco might want to abstain. But she would not, when the heat came on.

Aides surged doorward, accompanying their Councillors. The press was, thank G.o.d, held downstairs, away from the chamber as long as there was no adjournment. A two-hour lunch and consideration of the dispensation of the rest of the Science permissions afterward, a tedious long list of permissions which, in the way of a good many things in a government which had started small and cozy and grown into an administrative monster within a single lifespan, the executive Nine were supposed to clear, but which in fact had devolved to the Secretarial level and which had become routine approval.

Still, she would not breathe easy until that clearance was given-until the obfuscated facts of permission to use a geneset from a living Special went through in the list of Reseune projects that required routine permissions.

There had been, each year, an attempt to cancel the whole Science permissions grant from the floor of General Council. Every year the Abolitionists or some other lunatic group got up a proposal to outlaw azi and to outlaw human experimentation. Every year the Council of Worlds sensibly voted it down. But there was that lunatic element, which the Centrists could in some attempt to exert leverage against the Hope project-use against the Science bill. If the fringes and the Centrists did did combine on an issue in that body, it came dangerously close to a plurality against the Expansionist party. combine on an issue in that body, it came dangerously close to a plurality against the Expansionist party.

She was worried. She had worried ever since her informers told her that the Centrists were talking walk-out. Corain's sudden willingness to deal bothered her.

And if it would not have raised the issue of an unseemly haste, she would gladly have urged the chair to put the Science bill up before noon. As it was, obstacles were falling too fast, things were going too well, everything was sliding on oil. What had looked to be a lengthy session would end in a record three days, sending the Nine back to their civilian lives for at least another six months.

It had been intended as a means to speed up government, that the Nine would meet and pa.s.s all measures that impacted their various spheres of interest, then leave the staff of the Bureaus and the elected representatives of the Council of Worlds and the various senates and councils to handle the routine and the ordinary administrative detail.

In fact, the Nine, being top professionals, were very efficient. They met briefly, did their job, and went away again to be what they were-but some of them exerted an enormous control over the Bureaus they oversaw, wielding Power that the framers of the const.i.tution had not entirely foreseen, no more than they had foreseen Reseune's work in in the war, or the fact that population would become what it was, or the defection of Pell from both Sol and Union, and the developments that had entrained. The Bureau of State had been conceived as carefully controlled by professionals in diplomatic service; but distances pushed it into greater and greater dependency on the Defense Bureau's accurate reporting of situations it was not there to see. the war, or the fact that population would become what it was, or the defection of Pell from both Sol and Union, and the developments that had entrained. The Bureau of State had been conceived as carefully controlled by professionals in diplomatic service; but distances pushed it into greater and greater dependency on the Defense Bureau's accurate reporting of situations it was not there to see.

The Bureau of Science, considering the discovery of alien life at more than Pell's Star, had to take on diplomatic functions and train potential contact specialists.

The Bureau of Citizens had become a disproportionately large electorate, and it had elected an able and dangerous man, a man who had still the sense to know when he was trapped.

Possibly Corain did not know that deFranco was solidly hers. That would explain his willingness to risk his political life on a walk-out. Surely he did not think he had any hope of swinging the Pan-paris trade loop, which Lao dominated. He could do nothing but cost the government money, with which other interests would not be patient. It was certainly not likely that he would create any objection on the Science bill.

Surely.

"Dr. Emory." Despite her aides and her bodyguards a touch reached her arm, and Catlin was there too, instantly, her body tense and her expression baffled, because the one who had touched her was no one's aide, it was Adm. Gorodin himself who had just brushed by Catlin's defense. "A word with you."

"I'm on a tight schedule." She had no desire to talk to this man, who, already with an enormous share of the budget at his disposal, with sybaritic waste in his own department, argued with her about the diversion of ten ships to the Hope project; and and sided with Corain. She had other contacts inside Defense, and used them: a good section of Intelligence and most of Special Services was on her side, and a new election inside the military might unseat both Gorodin and Lu: let Corain consider sided with Corain. She had other contacts inside Defense, and used them: a good section of Intelligence and most of Special Services was on her side, and a new election inside the military might unseat both Gorodin and Lu: let Corain consider that that if he wanted a fight. if he wanted a fight.

"I'll walk with you," Gorodin said, refusing to be shaken, his aides mingling with hers.

"One moment," Catlin said, "ser." Florian had moved in. They were not armed. The military were. But it did not prevent them: they were azi, and they answered to her, not to logic.

"It's all right," Ariane said, lifting a hand in a signal that confirmed what she said.

"An inside source tells me," Gorodin began, "you've got the votes on the Hope project."

d.a.m.n. Her heart raced. But aloud, with a stolid calm: "Well, then, your source might be right. But I don't take it for granted." Her heart raced. But aloud, with a stolid calm: "Well, then, your source might be right. But I don't take it for granted."

"Corain's upset. He's going to lose face with this."

What in h.e.l.l is he up to?

"You know we can stall this off," Gorodin said.

"Likely you can. It won't win you anything. If you're right."

"We have a source on deFranco's staff, Dr. Emory. We are right. We also have a source inside Andrus Company; and inside Hayes Industries. d.a.m.n good stock buy. Are they finally going to get that deep-s.p.a.ce construction?"

My G.o.d.

Gorodin lifted a brow. "You know, Hayes has defense contracts."

"I don't know what you're getting to, but I don't like to talk finance anywhere near the word vote. vote. And if you've got a recorder about your person, I take strong exception to it." And if you've got a recorder about your person, I take strong exception to it."

"As I would to yours, sera. But we're not talking finance. As it happens, I set my people to talking to people in Hayes when we heard that. And we know very well that the Reseune extension is connected to the Rubin bill, and and when my staff spent last night investigating the Reseune Charter, a very helpful young aide came up with a sleeper in the articles that gives Reseune the unique right to declare any subsidiary facilities part of its Administrative Territory. That means what you're going to build at Fargone when my staff spent last night investigating the Reseune Charter, a very helpful young aide came up with a sleeper in the articles that gives Reseune the unique right to declare any subsidiary facilities part of its Administrative Territory. That means what you're going to build at Fargone won't won't be under Fargone control. It's going to be under yours. An independent part of Union. And Rubin has something to do with it." be under Fargone control. It's going to be under yours. An independent part of Union. And Rubin has something to do with it."

This is more than he could come up with on his own. d.a.m.n, but it is. Someone's spilled something and he keeps naming Hayes and Andrus. That's who I'm supposed to blame.