hard to tell if he was scowling, because of his pronounced brow, but Jellico certainly liked to think that the Thallonian was annoyed. “That took longer than I thought it would,” said Tusari Gyn.
“These things take as long as they take,” said Jellico, waving once again to the chair opposite his desk. Tusari Gyn once again started to remain standing, but then he seemed to think better of it and took a seat. “So… you have something to say to me?”
Gyn regarded him thoughtfully. “If I may be forward, Admiral: I sense a bit of hostility coming from you.”
“I wonder why in the world you’d be sensing that,” said Jellico. “After all, all you did was lead an attempt to steal an infant from its mother because you considered the child a threat to consolidating your power base. You followed that up by threatening a major diplomatic incident if mother and child were not immediately turned over to you.”
“That is a gross distortion, Admiral. A grotesque rewriting of history—”
“And furthermore,” Jellico continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that you were complicit in the assassination of the infant’s father.”
Tusari Gyn sharply sucked in air and then let it out slowly. “Is it customary to hurl calumnies at all new ambassadors?”
“It’s a pilot program we’re breaking in. How’s it working for you so far?” said Jellico. He heard the words coming out of his mouth, and he thought, My God, Calhoun is rubbing off on me, but he couldn’t help it. Gyn’s people had caused him no end of grief, and had threatened a former member of Starfleet besides. He wasn’t inclined to cut Gyn even the slightest bit of slack.
“I have to say I resent it,” said Gyn, keeping his voice carefully even.
“And I have to say that I don’t care,” replied Jellico. “Thanks to the Thallonians, Robin Lefler is effectively a woman without a world.”
“It’s a large Federation, Admiral, with lots of worlds. There are many places that she could go…”
“She should be allowed to go anywhere, but because the Federation has to remain neutral in your dispute, let’s just say that her options are limited.”
“And my job here,” said Tusari Gyn, “if we could put aside your obvious antipathy for a moment, is to open her options once more.”
“You’re going to suggest that she return to New Thallon?” Jellico shook his head. “That possibility was already floated and rejected. There is absolutely no reason for Robin Lefler to think that matters will go any differently than they did before. She doesn’t trust anyone there, and I don’t blame her.”
“Nor do I,” said Tusari Gyn.
That comment surprised Jellico. “You don’t.”
“Admiral,” said Gyn with the air of someone possessing great forbearance, “my feelings on this matter mirror yours. The problem is that, as prime arbiter, my job was to carry out the will of the Council. My voice has no more weight than anyone else’s. In this case, the truth is that I was loath to attempt taking the child from Robin Lefler. But my wishes were set aside in favor of the Council’s preference, and I had no choice save to do as they bid. And their bidding was—whether you and I wish to admit it or not—entirely within Thallonian law.”
“Then I don’t see what there is to talk about, unless you’re here to issue new threats—”
“I’m here to suggest changing the law.”
Jellico looked at him askance. “Excuse me?”
“We are many things, Admiral, but a lawless society we are most definitely not. If the laws are changed, if accords can be worked out in alignment with them, then Robin Lefler would be able to live her life on the world of her husband with impunity. She would be fully entitled to raise her child however she saw fit, and the child’s life—and his relationship with his mother—would be sacrosanct. Anyone attempting to come between them or in some other way threaten the well-being of mother and child would be subjected to the maximum penalties we have to offer. And I assure you those penalties can be quite stiff.”
“Then change the laws,” said Jellico, “and we’ll see if we can sell the idea to Robin.”
“It is not that easy.”
“These things never are,” Jellico said with a sigh. “So what would be impeding it?”
“Because right now the Council is intransigent on the matter and would never consider making any sort of changes.”
“Well then,” and Jellico spread his hands in an exasperated manner, “why are you bringing