“I fully appreciate your feelings where Grayson is concerned, Edward. And while I may not share them entirely, I don’t reject them out of hand, either,” Descroix replied. Which, High Ridge knew, was less than accurate. Descroix might not like Graysons any more than Janacek or he himself did, and she certainly didn’t care for their uppity independence of attitude. But despite that, she was firmly of the opinion that bringing Yeltsin’s Star into the military alliance against the Peeps had been one of the smarter moves the Cromarty Government had made.

“But whatever Grayson’s actual value to us may have been,” she continued, “the example of what Grayson has accomplished with our help, like the example of Sidemore, isn’t lost on any underdeveloped star system which might find itself falling into our economic sphere. Which may not be such a bad thing, when you come down to it. Frankly, speaking as Foreign Secretary, I think that’s a perception we ought to be encouraging, not just for the additional diplomatic pull it gives us with minor star systems, but in our own ultimate economic interest, as well.”

Janacek’s expression had turned sourer than ever at the mention of Sidemore, and he glowered at her. High Ridge could wish she’d chosen another moment and another way to make her point, but that didn’t make what she’d just said untrue, and he shrugged.

“There’s undoubtedly something to that,” he conceded. “But what, exactly, are you suggesting, Elaine? That we extend the same sort of commercial relationship we have with Grayson to Lynx and the rest of the Talbott Cluster?”

“No,” she said. “I’m suggesting that we go further than that.”

“Further?” Janacek asked suspiciously.

“Precisely.” She shrugged. “We’ve just agreed that our mere presence in the region is going to create problems for us where the Sollies are concerned. So I don’t see any reason to be particularly careful of their exquisite sensibilities. But what I do see is an entire cluster of star systems, most of whom would much prefer to find themselves in our custody rather than ending up as Solly protectorates under the compassionate management of the OFS. And we’re also looking at a domestic situation in which public opinion has found itself whipsawed between its negative reaction to the combination of the Havenites’ new naval units and their new, more confrontational attitude, on the one hand, and the excitement and enthusiasm Harvest Joy’s voyage has whipped up, on the other. What I see here is an opportunity for us to take the lead in exploring the possibility of offering the Talbott Cluster’s star systems some sort of protectorate status—or even actual membership in the Star Kingdom.”

Janacek made a sound of protest, but she continued over it, speaking directly to High Ridge.

“I understand your party’s fundamental opposition to expansionism, Michael. But this is a God-given chance to recapture any public support we may have lost in the wake of developments in Haven. For that matter, if we play it properly, we should be able to do one hell of a lot better than simply regain lost ground!”