“They’re all thunder and no lightning, sir. It has been so long since the Ildirans confronted an actual enemy—if ever—they are so deep in a rut they cannot even see the top edges.”

Basil had pondered this. “Do you recommend that I cancel my trip to Mijistra? Should I not bother to attempt an alliance?”

Lanyan had switched off the display screens. “Oh, I’ll be glad for Ildiran support, don’t misunderstand me—we can use their pretty ships for cannon fodder, if nothing else.” He tapped his fingers on the desktop. “But don’t be fooled. The Solar Navy is composed of peacocks. Right now, what we need are hawks.”

When he stood face-to-face with the alien leader, though, Basil Wenceslas would be careful to keep this information to himself.

He took a moment to groom himself in his private cabin, making certain that his formal suit was impeccably clean, every steel-gray hair in place, his manicured hands carefully scrubbed. He peered into a mirror and was pleased to see no bloodshot lines in his gray eyes, though he had not slept well for many nights. Even in private meetings, appearances were vitally important.

As he looked out upon the alien metropolis, Basil’s heart pounded. Despite his various briefings, he still considered the Ildirans a vast mystery. Before leaving Earth, Basil had received another detailed report from his sociocultural spy on the abandoned colony of Crenna. Davlin Lotze had been sent there to comb through the remnants of the plague-stricken settlement but, expert though he was, Lotze had gleaned only a few tidbits, no revelations of great economic or military significance.

The empty Crenna town had yielded a blurry glimpse into the mundane parts of Ildiran society, the way some kiths lived, how they designed and built their structures, what old-fashioned communal agricultural methods they used. Unfortunately, the anthropological spy had been unable to discover any weaknesses or flaws that the Hansa could exploit against the Ildirans.

And now they had to work together. Basil steeled himself to proceed, despite the level playing field.

When he caught his first breathtaking glimpse of the curves and pinnacles of the Prism Palace, dazzling under the light of seven suns, Basil understood why some Ildirans joked that the name of the Whisper Palace was fitting, since it was only a whisper of their Mage-Imperator’s citadel.

When he and his delegation entered the Prism Palace, a uniformed Ildiran military officer quickly met them. Basil recognized Adar Kori’nh of the Solar Navy, who had flown formal observation ships to Oncier for the Klikiss Torch experiment.

Basil spoke quickly. “I am pleased that a leader of your stature has come to greet us, Adar Kori’nh. We have important things to discuss with your Mage-Imperator, and I would be honored if you would join us. We are faced with substantial military implications.”