After talking briefly with Jilsomo, the Kalif called the Minister of Justice and told him he wanted the affair investigated. Starting that night, with questioning of the producer of the evening news. The ministry was to call him with every piece of information they got, till midnight. If possible, he wanted to attend the Diet tomorrow with something more than unsupported denials to offer.

Without supporting evidence, though-at least a little bit-he'd stay away from the Diet, he told himself. His failure to show up would bring angry ranting, he had no doubt, and quite possibly an actual, formal denunciation. Those he could live with. If he did show up, things would be shouted in his face that could hardly be retracted and would make future collaborations extremely difficult. There might even be a walkout by part of the House-a much greater possibility in his presence than if he wasn't there. Historically that had happened several times, blocking even minimal appropriations and largely stalling government. The first two times it had happened, the reigning Kalif had declared himself dictator "for the duration of the walkout," and the result had been insurrections, one expanding into armed revolt, the other into a civil war whose ravages on several worlds had taken decades to heal.

No, he'd stay away until he had evidence to offer that it hadn't been he who'd released the cube-evidence that at least pointed elsewhere. Or, lacking that, until the temperature of the House had dropped a few degrees.

Finally he called Elder Dosu himself. It was desirable that the Elder's message to the Pastorate not go out yet. It would be impolitic to have the pastors begin their campaign until this particular fire was out. It would look as if the two were coordinated, and tend to discredit the Pastorate's campaign.

Before he went to bed at midnight, he'd had a report from the Justice Minister. The chief archivist at the Library of the Sreegana had been questioned under instrumentation, and had sworn he'd had a call from the Kalif, telling him to release a copy of the cube to the Imperial Broadcasting Network. Yes, the call had been on visual, and by hindsight, the visual had been unusual; usually the Kalif sat close to the pickup. This time he'd sat or stood several feet back from it, and the lighting had been poor.

No, he'd noticed nothing different about the Kalif's voice.

The investigator had then checked the computer for the time and origin of the call: it had been placed a little before noon, at 11:17 P.M. But not from a Kalifal office; from a conference room in the Sreegana administration building. There'd been nothing scheduled in the room at the time; anyone could have used it who had access to a staff security card.

Eleven-seventeen, the Kalif thought now. He recalled Elder Dosu's comment just before he'd left that noon: it had been eleven-fifteen. No doubt others of the Elders would remember it, too. And from there he'd walked them to the palace entrance. He couldn't have called from the Admin Building at eleven-seventeen. But to cite them as witnesses would bring up the question of why they were meeting with the Kalif.

For now he'd simply have to take the heat.

Fifty-two

Early the next morning, he informed Partiil and Jilsomo that he wanted no further appointments for the day, short of real emergencies. He wanted to be available for any calls from Justice. Then he handled the three petitioners already scheduled, and had turned his attention to the morning's backlog of communications, when a call from Jilsomo interrupted him.

"Your Reverence, there's someone in my office whom I think you'll want to see."

A note in the exarch's voice said even more than his words. "Bring him in," the Kalif answered, then sat back and waited. In half a minute they were there. The man who entered with Jilsomo was the Klestronu colonel.

"Your Reverence," Jilsomo said, "Colonel Thoglakaveera."

The Kalif regarded them for a moment, saying nothing, and when he answered, his voice was cool. "Colonel, please be seated."

The colonel sat. Jilsomo stepped to the Kalif's desk and handed him a cube. "I'll let the colonel tell you about this. I haven't seen it yet; he brought it to me only minutes ago."

The Kalif's eyes shifted to Veeri.

"Your Reverence," the colonel began uncomfortably, "a few days ago a man came to my apartment with an offer for me. Of 100,000 dromas and-an opportunity, as he put it, for revenge. Also a place to stay, with an assumed identity, until you were removed from office, which he implied would be soon." The colonel's mouth tightened for a moment. "He also offered what he called 'subsidiary benefits' that I won't elaborate. I found them insulting, but they made me curious.

"In return for these incentives, I was to answer questions, first privately, and later in front of a camera. I answered the questions. He already had the basic features of what had happened; that was obvious from the questions themselves. He wanted details he could use to write an interview script. An interview that I would star in."

He gestured at the cube on the Kalif's desk. "That's the result. He took what I'd told him and twisted it. Badly. We did the interview yesterday evening before a camera. I'd had the foresight to carry a concealed stunner with me; the man seemed like a criminal. When the interview was over, I stunned the interviewer, the cameraman, and the door guard; actually the door guard first. Then I took the cube from the camera and got out of there. Walked to a thoroughfare and caught a taxi.

"It was late, and it seemed unwise to return to my apartment, so I stayed in a hotel. And came here when I finished breakfast. The gate notified Alb Jilsomo for me." He gestured at the cube. "If you'll play that, you'll see what this is all about."

The Kalif inserted it into his terminal and keyed in an instruction. The wall screen took life and color. There was no lead-in material, of course; it was the raw interview. It opened on a comfortable living room with an interviewer and the colonel. The interviewer smiled at the camera and spoke.

"I have here with me Colonel Koora Thoglakaveera of the Klestronu marines. The colonel was on the Klestronu expedition to the Confederation, and it might be interesting to ask him some questions about it."

He turned to Veeri. "Colonel, what sort of fighting men were the Confederation troops?"

"The best term to describe them is-Well, it takes more than one term. They are skilled, they are savage, they are cunning, and they do not surrender. They fight to the death. Our casualties were remarkably high."

"Hmm. It sounds as if an invasion army might have its hands full. Is it possible that the Confederation troops might, in fact, defeat an invasion force?"

"If the invasion force was strong enough and well led, no. But they would definitely inflict heavy casualties."

The interviewer showed polish before the camera, but his face was not familiar to the Kalif. The colonel came across fairly natural, although his eyes moved repeatedly to a point just off camera, as if there was a prompter there, with his lines.

"Interesting," the interviewer said. "Earlier, I understand, it was you who captured the female enemy soldier who is now our kalifa. How did you happen to take her alive?"

"Actually it wasn't I who captured her. She'd apparently been knocked semi-conscious by a blow on the head, and was captured by a squad of marines who didn't kill her because they recognized her as a woman, and, well-A little later she was taken from them by an officer."

The interviewer's brows arched. "Those marines that had held her-I hope they were gentry."

"No, they were peasants. But presumably she was rescued before anything, uh, serious happened to her. They'd pulled off her clothing, but the officer said he'd gotten there in time. I didn't hear about her till the next morning, and because we were anxious for a live prisoner, I was there in minutes. To find her somewhat bruised and in a confused state of mind."