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to note rare species. He's on the board of a number of foundations on Accord-
mostly in the education and political awareness fields. Ah . . . the Good
Government Coalition, FORT-that's the Foundation for Restoring Traditions-the
Business Support Fund . . ."
"They all contain politically aware and active individuals, I assume?" asked
Ferro-Maine. "Oh) very politically aware and active."
"And financially solvent, too," added the Prime. "Does Verlingetti solicit for
them?"
Restinal wanted to wipe his forehead, but did not. "That is not certain."
"What is certain, Werlin?"
"Contributions to their efforts have increased since he joined their boards."
"Do you have any idea what kind of contributions?"
"All kinds. Businesses like Flinsew and AgriTech, wealthy individuals like
Linsin and Bastien . . ."
"Why would Verlingetti be interested in an economic study on Artos? His
interests are all linked to Accord and public policy and ecology matters here
in the Coordinate." Ferro-Maines eyes were hard as she watched Restinal.
"We . . . I don't know, Ecolitan. It might have been a political ploy. We were
in a difficult position. Elder Quaestor suggested that with Ecolitan Whalers
status, he might consider a study beneath him . . . after the trade agreement.
The implication was that the government . . . thought helping a smaller
outsystem was beneath us."
"And you swallowed that?"
Restinal shrugged. "What harm could an economic infrastructure study do? Who
pays any attention to economics?"
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"As opposed to a charge of running an arrogant and highhanded government that
cuts deals with the Empire and ignores small systems who have nothing to
offer?" asked the Prime. Restinal nodded.
"Can you add anything else about the study?" asked FerroMaine. "Why did Elder
Torine agree?"
"He said he couldn't see any harm in an economic study." Restinal did wipe his
forehead, as the questions continued, seemingly endlessly.
L
Nathaniel shifted his weight in the inclined hospital bed and adjusted the
lightweight dark goggles that protected his eyes. Lightweight or not, they
tended to dig into his nose and cheeks. Sylvia had said she would be back-but
not when. Why had the Prime wanted her this time? Then, while he'd been
recovering, Sylvia had been spending a lot of time with Pittsway.
"Jealous . . . ?" he murmured to himself. Why? It was clear she loved
Nathaniel, both from actions and words. "Insecure?" Definitely. He wasn't the
dashing effective Ecolitan, just an invalid, and he hated being an invalid.
Especially one with too much time on his hands to brood.
The nightmares continued-boiling rain, screaming people, and various other
imaginary, yet realistic scenarios-and he had few doubts that they would
continue for a long time. Yet. . . given all the circumstances, what else
could he have done to guarantee that the Conglomerates evils were stopped?
"Great-create an evil, larger evil . . ." His head turned at the faint click.
The door opened, and Sylvia-and the Prime-slipped inside, but not before
Nathaniel saw the guards that had accompanied them. "Guards . . . oh, of
course."
"I can no longer afford to travel unaccompanied," said the Prime in a
humorously dry tone, "now that my anonymity has been destroyed." He gestured
toward the inert trideo set in the corner. "They're just about everywhere, and
I understand that some faxcasters are flocking in from across the entire
Galaxy. To get a profile on the leader of the most villainous Institute in
human history."
"I'm sorry . . . oh, sorry, is such . . . what does it mean? You didn't do it.
Prime. I did. I took the ship-"
"Ecolitan," interrupted Pittsway, firmly, but not harshly, "I told you to make
contingency plans. I ensured that the Secession plan for the Old Earth mission
was in those briefing books. I ordered you to take whatever steps you thought
necessary. And I told you not to take half-measures. Did I not?"
"Yes, sir. But I was the one-"
"You were the one to follow orders. That's correct. And you will pay for that
. . . in due time. You will always share in that responsibility, and I could
not lift that from either of you. Nor would I, nor will I. At the moment,
however, we have an even more immediate problem, and that is to determine who
on Accord facilitated the Conglomerates efforts." He smiled sardonically. "We
just finished an intriguing, but highly inconclusive interview with Werlin
Restinal that sheds more light, but not more proof, on the situation."
"And our study," added Sylvia, "which was a setup, plain and simple. We
suspected that, but Restinal confirmed as much."
"This just wasn't someone trying to uncover-" began 'Nathaniel. "No," said
Sylvia. "The study was designed to cover up what really happened by tying the
Institute to the bean plague and the rebellion on
Artos."
"Well . . . there was a rebellion," pointed out Nathaniel. "It didn't turn out
quite the way most people planned, either," added Sylvia. "I can't imagine
Camelot likes the idea of a Frankan system there."
The Prime looked toward the door and cleared his throat. "That can wait . . .
for now." Sylvia nodded.
"Then where did the study fit? Why did it trigger everything?" asked
Nathaniel. "Did you find out who wanted the study-for real?"
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"Quaestors number two, one Delegate Verlingetti," answered Sylvia.
Nathaniel turned. "He's the one who placed Spamgall."
"I told the Prime. We were supposed to get killed, and then the bean plague
that had already started on Artos would be linked to us, and the Institute."
"And another seed would have been planted discrediting the Institute."
Nathaniel wanted to shake his head at the inadvertent pun. "And strengthening
the Empires resolve to take military action."
"That would have also discredited Elder Torine and the Normists," pointed out
Pittsway. "Because they would have been tagged as the Institute's lackeys.
That would have caused the government to fall, and Quaestor and Verlingetti
and the Orthodoxists would have taken over."
"But why did Torine go with the suggestion? Or Restinal?"
"We don't know, but I can surmise," said the Prime. "Torine respects the
Institute. His hold on the House is too fragile to survive the next election,
but he knows that the Institute usually delivers. So he had nothing to lose.
He gambled on agreeing to it."
"Verlingetti?" prompted Nathaniel.
"That is interesting. He and Quaestor had to know that they stood a good
chance of winning the elections, but they worried that Torine might pull
something out of a wormhole." The Prime frowned. "This is speculation now, but
I surmise that was the way Verlingetti suggested the idea of the study to
Quaestor."
"There's more." Sylvia turned to the Prime. "After you left, I put a team on
the bean plague," added the Prime. "I've followed their progress, and we've
got a couple of resistant strains. But it's a nasty bug, one that's there's no
effective remedy for, once it hits an area. All you can do is replace the
beans with the resistant strains. There's already a resistant strain out
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