For ostensible allies united against the re-opening, Lanier thought Mason was being remarkably uncongenial to Korzenowski.

Korzenowski was unfazed. “I’ve asked the four of you here because this is so unusual a circumstance, and I’d like a kind of rehearsal before we go on to the full Nexus.”

“Will we need aspirin?” Hoffman asked Lanier, leaning in his direction.

“Probably,” Lanier said.

Negranes’s design as a homorph was a little too extreme for Lanier’s tastes; her facial features were too small on her head, and her body was proportioned in ways that exceeded the natural—emphasis on length of legs and thickness of thighs, extremely long fingers, an almost masculine chest. Yet her bearing was regal and it was obvious she knew her place in this room, and on Thistledown. “Is this evidence designed to discourage re-opening, Ser Engineer?”

“I think it may allow us to reach a compromise,” Korzenowski said.

That’s a bit optimistic, Lanier thought.

Mason squinted with unconcealed suspicion. Obviously, Korzenowski was not completely trusted in his own camp. That was hardly surprising; he had designed the Way in the first place.

“Then let’s have it,” Par Jordan said.

“This time, I will not use a projector,” Mirsky said. “I will spare Sers Korzenowski and Lanier…They have suffered my story once already.”

When the presentation was over, Hoffman laid her head on the table and sighed. Lanier rubbed her neck and shoulder gently with one hand. “God,” she exclaimed, her voice muffled. Par Jordan and Negranes seemed stunned.

Mason stood, hands trembling. “This is a farce,” she said, turning on Korzenowski. “I’m amazed you believed this willful deception. You are certainly not the man my father put his confidence in—”

“Eula,” Korzenowski said, facing her coldly, “sit down. This is not deception. You know that as well as I.”

“What is it, then?” she asked, voice shrill. “I don’t understand any of it!”

“Yes, you do. It’s quite clear, however amazing.”

“What does he want us to do?” she continued. Korzenowski raised his hand and nodded his head, asking for patience. Mason found just enough patience to fold her arms and sit rigidly back in her chair.

“Do you have any questions?” he asked Negranes and Par Jordan.

Par Jordan seemed the least disturbed of them all. “You think the president should see this? I mean, experience it?” he asked.

“It must be the entire Nexus, please, for a decision,” Mirsky said. “As soon as possible.” They looked at him as if he were an unexpected ghost—or perhaps a very large insect. They were noticeably reluctant to speak to him directly.

“Ser Korzenowski, that’s going to be difficult. I sympathize with Ser Mason’s reaction…”

She slapped her open hand on the table, vindicated.