Finally the Uinta's name appeared. She'd been ruptured and melted down.

When the rundown was complete, he left the bridge, the victor of the most important battle in human history. His back was straight, his head high, and his eyes dry. When he reached his stateroom, he drank himself to sleep.

Proposal

Morning sunlight slanted through ten-foot windows, causing the polished table and walls to glow a deep golden mahogany-a product of more than expensive veneer and thorough polishing. There were also the window fields. It had been years since David MacDonald had been exposed to advertising, but he recalled the trade name: Rich Light. Because you have to be rich to own them, he thought wryly. The light itself was free though: sunlight. But altered to order. The window fields controlled the intensity and wavelengths transmitted.

A gavel tapped lightly. The president had gotten to his feet. "We have asked you here," he said, "to help us through a dilemma. A situation much preferable to yesterday's, but… We have a choice to make that on the one hand threatens humanity with centuries of trouble and grief, and on the other, a burden of guilt very difficult to bear. We need a third alternative, one that avoids both.

"Under our Emergency War Powers, the prime minister and I have the authority to make that choice ourselves, and in fact there is no time for parliamentary debate and clearance. So we especially want and need your counsel now."

Chang Lung-Chi scanned the assemblage: Admiral Fedor Tischendorf, Admiralty Chief; Dr. Arthur Shin, Minister of War; Melani Honghi, Commonwealth Minister; Dorje Lodro Tulku, Chaplain of the Office of the President; and Ambassador Qonits. With their principal aides, including David MacDonald.

Just now it was Qonits at whom Chang looked. "Mr. Ambassador, last night a great battle was fought in the Eridani System," he said. "A decisive battle. Analysis of battle recordings indicates that none of your warfleet survived, or even undertook to escape. They fought till the last was destroyed."

The words stunned Qonits; it was Quanshuk's vision realized.

"But that was the warfleet," Chang went on. "Your armada's noncombat ships-estimated at more than three thousand-still sit parked in warpspace, neither fleeing nor able to defend themselves. Experience suggests they even lack force shields. And we have the task of deciding how to deal with them."

He sipped honeyed tea, allowing Qonits a moment before he continued. "How many of your people do they carry? Ten million? Call it ten million in stasis. And their crews number what? Another quarter million? Along with the colonists you've set down, they are all the Wyzhnyny that exist in this galaxy."

His gaze was on the mahogany table now, but his attention was on his thoughts. "Do we destroy them? If not, what do we do with them? A month ago, when the question was rhetorical, I would have said destroy them. Said it regretfully. But alive in this galaxy-certainly in this sector of it-they pose a threat to the human species. Already they've murdered some twenty million of us. Given another week or two, they'd have killed more than a billion on Eridani Prime. A billion! Why should we feel compassion for them?"

Why indeed? thought Qonits.

"The answer," Chang said, "is that you are a sapient species. And in our various philosophies, almost without exception, the destruction of an ensouled life-form is a grave crime. We call it genocide. The word itself is considered obscene.

"And to commit it against your people is ugly to contemplate, although they-you-intended it for us."

Again he scanned his audience. "I will ask all of you to comment, but first I would like to hear Ambassador Qonits' thoughts. If you will, sir."

There was a long silence-twenty seconds at least-then Qonits swayed his head, a negative. "There is nothing I can say now. Perhaps after others have spoken."

David MacDonald exhaled softly. Having Qonits here makes it harder to say "kill them." He wondered at his own calm, his objectivity. Yukiko was lost to him, at least until he died himself. Probably, he thought, it was Tualurog who killed her. Tualurog himself was surely dead, and while that didn't lessen the loss, it had quenched the thirst for vengeance.

Chang's gaze moved to Admiral Tischendorf. "What do you have to say, Admiral?"

Frowning, Tischendorf pursed his broad mouth. "To stand off and fire torpedos at unarmed ships…? If I order it, our people will do it. And for the life of me, I can't see any way around it. But doing it will… leave a scar on everyone's soul, even beyond this lifetime. As you said, we would carry it forever.

"On the other hand, if we start firing, I suspect that those not in the first target set will generate hyperspeed and leave. Then we'll have the long job of hunting them down; a long, unpleasant, unpromising job."

He sat back, finished.

"Dr. Shin," Chang said, "what do you have to say?"

"At this point, Mr. President, I can only echo Admiral Tischendorf. Perhaps next round." Shin knew Chang's style. The rounds of comments or questions would continue until he'd heard all he felt was needed.

"Ah. Ms. Honghi?"

"Mr. President, my concern is for the evacuees, and freeing their worlds of Wyzhnyny occupation so they can go home again. Those who want to. Considering all the relatives and friends who died, and the farms and towns destroyed, many may not want to."

The president nodded gravely. "I'm sure that's true." His gaze paused on Qonits, then moved to Dorje Lodro. "Your Wisdom," he said, "what guidance do you have for us?"

"Guidance?" Her tone was mild. "You and the prime minister are quite able to make your decision on this without my input. But since you ask… Consider. The Wyzhnyny are dangerous only if armed. Presumably they have weapons and munitions aboard their troopships and ordnance ships. If you can collect those, and launch them by gravdrive into the sun, the Wyzhnyny are no longer dangerous."

You hope! David thought.

"Of course, if you spare them, you must decide what to do with them. They cannot go home. And if you do not spare them… " She paused. "As has been said: they are ensouled. You will bear great karma." She looked at Qonits. "Ambassador, within the Commonwealth boundaries, has your armada colonized planets which had no human occupants?"

Qonits looked at Dorje with the first glimmer of hope. "Three," he said.

"Ah." She turned to Chang. "If all the Wyzhnyny in the armada were landed on one of them-perhaps the most favorable, or that nearest Terra-they would be relatively easy to monitor and police. Then the Wyzhnyny colonists on other planets could be offered tranportation to that world."

She bowed slightly. "I have said enough."

Chang nodded, then looked at Qonits again. "Mr. Ambassador, you were sent to negotiate with us. Could you speak for us? Talk your people into surrendering, and settling on a world of their own? We of course would dictate the terms, but if those terms are not punitive… " He paused, waiting.

Dorje Lodro's words had revived Qonits. "I can try," he said quietly, "but I cannot guarantee success. It depends on who has taken command of the colonization fleet, if anyone has.

"The colonization fleet has no admiral of its own. It was commanded by the grand admiral-Lord Quanshuk and then Lord Tualurog. Each of the colony tribes had a commanding general and a governor, both of the master gender, but-"

Foster Peixoto raised a hand and interrupted. "What do you mean by master gender?"

"Let me first finish answering the earlier question. Those generals should all be in stasis, and at any rate are unqualified to command a ship, let alone a fleet. It is unlikely they've been revived, but the possibility is worrisome: We could find ourselves dealing with a commander strong in pride but weak in understanding.