He looked back up from the sheet of paper and shrugged.

“That seems explicit enough to me,” he observed mildly.

“Expressing doubt about the viability of negotiations is scarcely the same as actively withdrawing from them,” High Ridge pointed out. “Or that, at least, is the position someone like William Alexander or his brother will certainly take. And let’s face it, Edward—when they make that argument, the typical voter is going to agree with them.”

“Then the typical voter will be wrong,” Janacek said flatly.

“Wrong or right doesn’t really come into it,” High Ridge said patiently. “Public perceptions do. No, Edward. I appreciate the courage it took to make your recommendation, but this Government can’t possibly contemplate such a preemptive strike at this time.”

“You’re the Prime Minister,” Janacek said after a moment of pregnant silence. “If that’s your decision, then, of course, I have no option but to abide by it. I’d like to state once again for the record, however, that I believe the strategy I’ve just outlined represents the Star Kingdom’s best opportunity of nipping this new war in the bud.”

And you’ve gotten that viewpoint on record to cover yourself if that war breaks out after all, High Ridge reflected. That’s a bit more sophisticated than I expected out of you, Edward.

“Your position will certainly be noted,” he said aloud.

“But in the meantime,” New Kiev said, making no effort to keep her enormous relief out of her voice, “we still have to decide what sort of response we’re going to make to Pritchart.”

“My initial reaction,” Descroix growled, “is to tell her we refuse to negotiate at all in the face of such a blatantly implicit threat!”

“If we tell them that, we only confirm their accusations that we’re the ones who have sabotaged the peace process!” New Kiev snapped.

“And if we don’t, then we cave in,” Descroix shot back. “Do you think there’d be any serious chance of ever resuming talks successfully if we just roll over and let them get away with talking to us this way?”

“Talking is always preferable to killing people,” New Kiev said icily.

“That depends on who you’re talking about killing, doesn’t it?” Descroix snarled, glaring at the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a way which left very little doubt about who she would have preferred to nominate for victim. New Kiev’s face darkened with fury, but once again High Ridge hastily pushed himself between the two of them.

“We’re not achieving anything by snapping at each other!” he pointed out sharply.

Descroix and New Kiev clamped their jaws and looked away from one another in almost perfect unison, and the temperature in the conference room slipped back a notch or two from the point of explosion.

“Thank you,” the Prime Minister said into the ringing silence. “Now, I agree with you, Elaine, that we can’t allow the provocative language of this note to pass unremarked. But I also agree with Marisa that breaking off the negotiations ourselves is unacceptable. Not only is talking preferable to shooting, but we cannot afford to be labeled with responsibility as the party which finally withdrew from the peace process, no matter what provocation was offered by the other side.