“I’m afraid I can’t quite go along with that argument,” Spencer said. “Leaving aside the political or diplomatic side of the equation, look at where Talbott lies. It’s almost a third of the way around the periphery of the League from Manticore. When you add it to the connections we already have through Phoenix, Matapan, and—via Gregor—Asgerd, our shipping lanes will cover well over two-thirds of the League’s total periphery, with huge reductions in transit times for cargos between points as distant from one another as, say, New Tasmania and Sondermann’s Star. And that doesn’t even consider the Beowulf terminus, which already gives our shippers direct, immediate access to be very heart of the League. That makes this terminus of literally incalculable value, completely regardless of the potential market in the Talbott Cluster itself. And that reality isn’t going to go away simply because we decided not to allow it to ‘dictate our attitude,’ Ms. Houseman.”

“I think I have to agree with that portion of your analysis,” DeMarco put in. “But by the same token, the potential for further straining our relations with the League also needs to be carefully considered. After all, the extent to which we’re able to exploit the astrographic possibilities you’ve brought up is going to be influenced to a major degree by the attitude of the League government.”

“Why?” Spencer asked. “It’s not as if the League government were a particularly coherent entity, Ellen. And whatever it might attempt to decree by government fiat, reality will be driven by the potential utility of the connection. Not simply for us, but for all the shippers who will be able to cut months off of their transit times and reach markets they otherwise never could have. So, in my opinion…”

· · • · ·

“What do you think, Elaine?” Baron High Ridge asked.

He and the Foreign Secretary sat before the HD in the Prime Minister’s residence, watching the roundtable discussion. They’d been joined by Edward Janacek, and Stefan Young was also present in his capacity as Trade Secretary. Technically, High Ridge supposed, New Kiev ought to have been present, as well. Certainly, the Exchequer had a very strong natural interest in anything which promised to have this great an impact on the Star Kingdom’s economy, and in this instance, the Prime Minister had made no particular effort to hold New Kiev at arm’s length. In fact, he’d invited her to attend, and he wasn’t entirely certain why she’d declined the invitation. Her official reason had been her daughter’s wedding, and High Ridge was inclined to think the official reason was also the actual one. Of course, one could never be completely confident of that.

“What do I think about what?” Descroix asked. “About Spencer’s argument? Or about whether or not Reginald’s sister is an idiot?”

“I was thinking about Spencer’s analysis of the situation,” High Ridge said on a slightly reproving note. She hadn’t exactly said “as big an idiot as Reginald,” but the implication had been clear enough.