A minute later, the two Chiss were back out in the rain. “Whatever you were hoping to accomplish,” Thalias said, “I don’t think it worked.”

“As I said, I hoped to learn more about the Vaks,” Thrawn said. “And, perhaps, to make them aware that as they decide their course with the Nikardun, they should also figure the Chiss into their calculations.”

Thalias gave a small snort. “Not that the Syndicure is likely to ever lift a finger to help them. I suppose you also realize that if we keep walking around town this way, we might as well call Yiv and announce ourselves?”

“There will likely be a response,” Thrawn agreed. “That, too, may work in our favor. If the Nikardun are sufficiently heavy-handed in their search for us, the Vaks may see less friendship and more dominance in their presence on Primea.”

“Only if the leaders notice,” Thalias said. “I doubt the people who visit art galleries have much say in their nation’s affairs.”

Thrawn leaned out from under his hood to give her a puzzled look. “You don’t see it?”

“See what?”

He turned back under the hood and for a few steps was silent. “You heard me tell the gallery curator that the Vaks seek unity while still honoring the individual. That’s true enough. The problem is that their leaders have carried that philosophy too far. They spend so much time listening to all points of view—I believe they refer to them as thought lines—that they have difficulty arriving at decisions.”

“You can’t mean all thought lines,” Thalias said. “There must be billions of Vaks. All of them can’t be equally important.”

“In theory, yes, they are,” Thrawn said. “In actual practice, of course, the number must certainly be limited. But it still leaves the Vaks with a longer decision process than that of most species. That hesitation, as they gather and weigh all opinions, makes the leaders appear weak.”

“Well, they won’t have that problem if they let the Nikardun move in,” Thalias said grimly. “The only thought line that’ll matter will be Yiv’s.”

“Indeed,” Thrawn agreed. “We’ll attempt to pass that message on to a few more citizens before Yiv or Vak security track us down. After that—or sooner, if it seems prudent—we’ll retreat to the hideout I set up two days ago and wait for Admiral Ar’alani.”

“Someplace nice and quiet and away from the spaceport, I hope,” Thalias said. “The first thing Yiv will probably assume is that we’ll try to steal a ship.”

“Indeed he will,” Thrawn agreed.

“So where are we going?”

Thrawn leaned forward, giving her a smile around the edge of his dripping hood. “To the spaceport,” he said. “To steal a ship.”