"I am tired," Creek said. "I want this whole thing to go away."

"It's not going to go away," Brian said, as gently as he could. "You know that."

"I know," Creek said. "But I'm telling you what, Brian, the next time your brother comes to me asking me to run a computer search for him, I'm going to punch his goddamn lights out. Where is he, by the way?"

"He's on the way to Nidu with the secretary of state for the coronation, for whomever it will be for, whenever it may happen. Where's Robin?"

"She's outside, talking to a new friend of hers," Creek said. "Or should I say, a new follower?" Creek outlined the events of the last several minutes.

"Never a dull moment with you around," Brian said.

"Despite my preference to the contrary," Creek said.

"Are you sure she's safe with that thing?" Brian said.

"He could have let Acuna kill me and take her," Creek said. "If he wanted to do anything bad to her, that would have been the time. I also gave her Acuna's gun. How is the Neverland?"

"She's safe," Brian said. "Safe as can be expected, anyway. The British Columbia is keeping the Nidu off of her. And the Nidu are keeping the British Columbia from sending a shuttle to pick you up. Everyone up there has taken the safety off the trigger but they're keeping their iron in the holster. I think they're waiting to hear about you and Robin."

Creek sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I'm going out to talk to her now. She's going to like all of this even less than I do."

"It's the only thing that will work," Brian said. "And it will work. We'll make it work."

Creek smiled. "We better," he said. "Don't go anywhere, Brian. I'll be right back."

"I'll be here," Brian said.

Creek got up gingerly so as not to bump his injured arm, which was now in a sling; at Robin's request Takk had gone to the pod and retrieved the first aid kit. Creek went outside to see Robin and Takk standing and talking; seeing him approach, Robin turned to Creek and smiled.

"Tell me you got everything to work," she said.

"Everything works," Creek said, and turned to Takk. "Would you excuse us for a moment, Takk? I need to talk Robin for a minute."

Takk reached over and touched Robin on the arm. "We'll talk about this some more later," he said.

Robin squeezed his paw. "I'd really like that," she said. Takk departed.

"Nice to have a fan club," Creek said.

"No kidding," Robin said. "Although all this stuff about the 'Evolved Lamb' makes me nervous. Takk seems really nice—as nice as you can be and eat people, I mean—but I hope he's not going to be too upset when he eventually figures out I'm not some sort of mystical creature."

"Hold that thought," Creek said. "Because there have been some interesting developments."

"Yeah?" Robin said. "They can't be any stranger than hearing that you're supposed to be the divine object of worship."

"Robin," Creek said. "Do you trust me? I mean, do you really trust me. Trust me as in if I tell you something you'd be willing to do it, even if it seems irredeemably insane."

Robin stared at Creek for a minute, then started laughing. "Oh, God, Harry," she said, finally. "Since I've met you what have we done that's not been insane? Do you even realize how ridiculous your question is at this point?"

"So that's a 'yes,'" Creek said.

"It's a 'yes," Robin said. "I trust you with my life, Harry. It's worked for me so far. So hit me with what you've got."

"Well, let's start with the big one," Creek said. "You're your own nation."

Robin considered that for a moment. "For your sake, that had better not be a comment about the size of my ass," she said.

The shuttle landed inside the natural amphitheater and deposited Narf-win-Getag and Jean Schroeder, whose relationship to the Nidu Robin and Creek had learned from Takk. The two approached Creek and Robin when Takk stepped forward. "That's far enough," Takk said.

"Back off," Schroeder said. "Remember that you're working for me."

Takk leaned into Schroeder. "I don't work for you any more, little man," he said.

"Takk," Robin said. Takk eased back from Schroeder. "Thank you, Takk," she said.

"Are we going to play intimidation games all day," Narf-win-Getag said. "Or are we going to get to our negotiations? There is very little time, and I am quite busy."

"Yes, we're well aware of how busy you've been," Creek said. "Seeing that we spent some time earlier in the day avoiding some of your business."

"And well done, I must say," Narf-win-Getag said, to Creek. "You live up to your billing, Mr. Creek."

"That's Prime Minister Creek to you, Ambassador," Creek said.

"Is it now?" Narf-win-Getag said, bemused. "Well, isn't this interesting. An entire nation right here in front me. All two of you."

"Three," Takk said.

"But of course," Narf-win-Getag said. "Three it is. And I suppose you're the minister of defense."

"It's funny that you mock us," Robin said. "Considering that from what I hear, you were the reason this little nation exists."

"You are quite right, Miss Baker," Narf-win-Getag said. "Or is it Queen Robin? By all means, I don't wish to violate protocol by addressing you incorrectly."

"Miss Baker is fine," Robin said.

"Well then, Miss Baker, if you know that you are your own nation, then you may also know that my nation is at war with yours," Narf-win-Getag said. "Considering we outnumber your nation by about three billion to one, that's not good news for you."

"I thought we weren't going to play intimidation games, Ambassador," Creek said.

"My apologies," Narf-win-Getag said. "By all means, let's get to it."

"I'm going to make this simple," Creek said. "You want to take the crown of Nidu. Your flunky here"—Creek motioned to Jean Schroeder—"wants the Earth. You need Robin to make it happen."

"That's not quite true," Narf-win-Getag said. "I can make it happen without her help. It will just be… messier."

"And not guaranteed," Creek said. "Whereas with her, your ascension is uncontested and incontestable."

"Yes," Narf-win-Getag said.

"You realize now there's no way you can take her by force," Creek said.

"I would prefer to say that at this point it is impractical to do so," Narf-win-Getag said.

"However you want to say it, these are the facts before us," Creek said. "So let's make a deal. We—all three of us—are willing to accompany you to Nidu, in your ship. When we arrive at Nidu, Robin will take part in the ceremony to crown a new Fehen. But there are four conditions."

"Name them," Narf-win-Getag said.

"Condition one," Creek said. "Call off the war on Robin."

"I'm not Fehen yet," said Narf-win-Getag.

"But you control the Glar destroyers," Creek said. "Which means you control the Nidu military. You have it within your power to call off the dogs."

"So I do. You've done your homework, Minister Creek," Narf-win-Getag said.

"I am a diplomat by profession, Ambassador," Creek said. "I know how to do my job. Do you agree to the first condition?"

"I do," Narf-win-Getag. "I will have it formalized when I become Fehen."

"Condition two," Creek said. "Your gunship up there stands down and the Neverland is allowed to leave Chagfun intact."

"Not before you two are on my ship, and we've jumped into n-space," Narf-win-Getag said. "I don't want to risk the two of you—three of you, excuse me," Narf-win-Getag corrected himself, "nobly sacrificing yourself for the UNE."

"We'll arrange to have your ship and the Neverland make the jump into n-space simultaneously," Creek said. "Will you accept that?"

"Yes," Narf-win-Getag said. "Your third condition, Minister Creek."

"That Robin survives the coronation ceremony," Creek said. "The sheep used in the ceremony have always been slaughtered. Not this time."