“It used to be a secret, very closely held,” Korzenowski said. “But even the deepest secrets can be declassified when the ruling powers think it expedient. We have immensely powerful offensive weapons stored in Thistledown. They were too ungainly for pure defense; useless in the Way fortresses. No military planner gives up weapons that might someday have a use…. So they were kept in the asteroid walls. Ancient, but still effective and deadly.

Ram Kikura covered her nose and mouth with prayerful hands and shook her head. “Star, Fate and Pneuma,” she murmured. “I didn’t know. The people were told—”

“All politicians will lie,” Mirsky observed, “when it is politically expedient. The people demand it of them.”

Lanier’s face had gone pale. “Weapons?”

“Surplus from the last Jart War, stockpiled in Thistledown’s secret chambers,” Olmy elucidated.

“They’ve been there all along? When we first boarded?” Lanier asked.

Olmy and Korzenowski nodded. Ram Kikura watched his reaction with grim irony.

“What if we had found them…?” He did not finish his speculation.

“The Death happened anyway,” Korzenowski said, waving a hand, irritated at being sidetracked. “Even if the Jarts are in the Way, we can at the very least establish a ‘beachhead,’ I believe the strategic term is.”

“Unless they’ve progressed beyond our old technologies,” Ram Kikura said dourly.

“Indeed. At any rate, I have been given a Nexus command to render technical assistance. That I cannot refuse. I’ve had my special research privileges for too long to play the upstart now. Our problem is, how to change the Hexamon’s collective mind…”

“Go around the Nexus,” Ram Kikura said. “Go directly to all citizens, including terrestrials.”

“Without the Earth, a bare majority would agree with the re-opening,” Lanier said. “We’ve done opinion modeling. Or rather, Ser Olmy did.”

“They cut the Earth out because it’s too ignorant?” Karen asked.

“Too provincial and too self-absorbed,” Korzenowski said. “Which, of course, it is…but the procedure is very irregular. The threat of encountering Jarts could be made more evident…. Even the existence of the weapons might be used to convince the mens publica to vote against the advisory. Ser Ram Kikura’s suspicion that the Jarts have advanced beyond us—that could make a useful counter-argument. And before the advisory is made, I think we can attack it through the judiciary on the grounds that no segment of the Hexamon should be disenfranchised.”

Mirsky had taken a seat in one of the conference room chairs. He clasped both hands in front of him, then lifted his arms over his head. “Delicate job,” he said. “No doubt Garry understands how delicate?”

Karen looked at her husband.

Lanier decided to emulate the Russian’s familiarity. “Pavel says the Way must be dismantled.”

“And if it isn’t?” Ram Kikura asked.