“I don’t know that I’d put it quite that strongly,” she temporized cautiously. “That’s certainly what I think right now, but at the moment our information about these additions to their navy seems to be extremely incomplete. If it turns out they really have narrowed the military gap—or even if they only think they have, whether or not they’re correct—I’d have to reconsider my position.”

“That’s reasonable,” he agreed, and turned back to Janacek.

“Assuming the ship numbers Theisman announced are accurate, and further assuming that the Republic does become more confrontational in the wake of his announcement, then I think it will be incumbent upon us to reconsider our own naval stance,” he said. “How soon will you be able to recommend any appropriate changes, Edward?”

“I can’t say at this point,” Janacek admitted. “It’s going to take time for us to verify Theisman’s claims, and even longer for us to get any realistic appreciation for possible changes in their hardware. I wish that weren’t the case, but it is.”

“Couldn’t we begin considering possibilities while we go about getting that verification?” For a change, New Kiev’s question was untainted by her habitual dislike of the military. She was simply considering their options, and Janacek made himself smile at her.

“Certainly I can—and will—put my people to work considering best-case and worse-case scenarios, Marisa. And I’m sure they’ll be able to give me detailed proposals for dealing with either of them. The problem is that once a set of proposals has been presented and adopted, it tends to become self-fulfilling. I think that as important as it is for us to formulate the proper response to the new situation, it’s equally important that we not go off half cocked and adopt radically new policies of our own before we’re certain we’re justified to do so.”

“I fully agree that we need to avoid panicking,” High Ridge responded. “But at the same time, we can’t afford to do nothing, Edward. For one thing, I think we can be confident that Alexander and White Haven and their cronies are going to insist—loudly—that this news validates their continual criticism of our naval policies.”

“I know,” Janacek growled in what was very nearly a snarl as the Prime Minister put an unerring finger on a consideration which had occurred to him the instant Jurgensen screened him with the information.

“Well,” High Ridge continued, “when they do, we have to be ready to respond. I think it’s equally important that we demonstrate not only that we’re prepared to realistically modify our policies in the light of new information, but also that our existing policies have been basically sound. Which, of course, they have.”

He looked around the conference room, and no one chose to dispute his last sentence.

“I understand.” Janacek sighed, and sat back in his chair.

“I’m afraid that the first thing we’re going to have to do,” he said, manifestly unhappily, “is reconsider the present naval budget. I don’t want to do it, especially after the amount of grief the Opposition gave us over adopting it in the first place. Worse, I’m not at all convinced at this point that a decision to reconsider it is justified by the actual situation. Unfortunately, we can absolutely count on White Haven, if no one else, to seize upon any excuse to demand that we do so. In light of that, it seems to me that our only real option is to make it clear that we’ve already done it. If we take the lead ourselves, we can exert more control over the process. And if we present our own suggestions in a reasoned, calm sort of way, we may even be able to make him and his cronies look as hysterical as they actually are.”