“If, on the other hand, he’s decided not to take her suggestion, then all of the data ONI has amassed on Andermani deployment patterns suggests that it will take some time, probably at least a couple of months, for the IAN to redeploy for offensive operations against Sidemore. They can probably push her back from the systems we’ve been patrolling in the Confederacy itself, but the Fleet base is a much tougher nut than that. Even with the delay in communications between here and there, we should know within no more than another week or so whether or not he decided to go along with her. At that point, we can think seriously about sending additional forces to Sidemore.”

Assuming, he carefully didn’t add, that we haven’t found out we need them much worse closer to home.

“So you think we’d have enough time to respond?” High Ridge pressed.

“That’s the consensus at Admiralty House,” Janacek assured him… almost accurately. In fact, Admiral Chakrabarti was far from agreeing. His steadily growing concern over how thinly spread the Navy’s assets had become in the face of its commitments had only been made sharper by Harrington’s news. But there was no point bringing that up just now.

“In that case,” the Prime Minister decided, “I think we should draft fresh instructions for her to restrain her martial instincts and continue her efforts to keep a lid on the situation. To be completely honest, I must confess that at this moment the situation in Silesia is clearly of secondary concern. In the end, we could afford to simply let the Andermani have the entire Confederacy without suffering any irreparable damage to our interests. Even our commercial interests would survive with only minor losses, especially in light of the offsetting access we’ve just gained to the Talbott Cluster and the shipping lanes on that side of the League.”

“I agree,” Descroix said decisively. “And if that’s settled, I suggest we turn our attention to a matter of primary concern.”

No one needed to ask which matter she had in mind.

“Very well,” High Ridge agreed. “Would you care to open the discussion, then, Elaine?”

“If you want.” Descroix folded her hands on the document holder in front of her and looked around the conference room.

“My staff has completed its analysis of Pritchart’s latest note,” she announced. “Needless to say, the distracting effect of Harrington’s report from Silesia has scarcely helped, but I set up three separate teams to evaluate it. After they’d finished their initial work, I had all three reports combined for final analysis by a fourth study group.”

“The conclusion those analysts have reached is that this note represents an effort to set up the moral justification to support its threat to break off negotiations if we don’t accede immediately to their demands.”

Complete silence greeted her announcement. It was the heavy silence of gloom, not the silence of shock, because everyone in that conference room had already guessed what the “experts” were going to tell them.