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is exhilarating, swooping over this endless expanse of waving arms and
upturned faces, a human sea teeming with life.
Not bad, Aiah thinks, for a ministerial assistant.
And then she swoops over the speakers' platform and sees Constantine, a little
sullen twist on his lips, a considered calculation in his eyes. His own
reception from the crowd had been somewhat less rapturous than this.
Perhaps, she thinks, he is beginning to view the Golden Lady as a rival.
The Third Shift interview goes well. The Wire interview is tougher they have
built an interesting, though circumstantial, plasm theft case against her.
But she denies everything, and they have no evidence.
Her heart gives a little lurch as Gil's name comes up. Apparently they have
interviewed him, but he declined to say much, and wisely did not mention the
ten thousand dalders she had wired him.
The elections are held with a certain amount of confusion, but with no
violence, no suggestion of large-scale tampering.
The New City Party wins 40 percent of the popular vote. Parq's Spiritual
Renewal Party comes in second with 12 percent, and Adaveth's Altered People's
Party takes slightly under 10 percent.
The Liberal Coalition, the party to which President Faltheg has lately
attached himself, takes less than 8 percent of the vote, and a host of smaller
parties split the rest.
Faltheg, presumably concluding from the totals that he had failed to kindle
the enthusiasm of the electorate, resigns his post as president of the
triumvirate to his relief, Aiah suspects though he remains one of the
triumvirs, and also continues as Minister for Economic Development, a post for
which he has genuine ability.
Constantine becomes president of the triumvirate, first among the three
alleged equals. With his own party, Faltheg's, Adaveth's, and as many of the
smaller parties as he can tempt to his side with promises of rewards and
offices, he reforms the cabinet and government. He promises on taking office
that martial law will be relaxed in stages and the normal processes of justice
and government resumed.
On the day following the Caraqui elections, the government of Adabil falls as
its parliament discovers a gap in the budget twenty-two billions wide. The
new government is much less hostile to Caraqui, and much less friendly to the
Provisionals.
Other neighbors, Aiah trusts, are taking note.
Negotiations with the Polar League continue, and Lanbola and compensated
demobilization is much discussed. The envoy Licinias returns and is cordially
received. When he meets Aiah, he bows in his courtly way and expresses his
pleasure at meeting the Golden Lady.
"I am very pleased to see you here," she says. "I hope you negotiate for us a
hundred-year peace.
He looks doubtful. "I will do my best," he says. "Certainly things seem to
be falling President Constantine's way I am pleased I was wrong in my
predictions of a stalemated war. But Constantine's swift passage to power may
have left turbulence in his wake dangerous whirlpools, I fear and these may
yet prove troubling to his state.
Aiah can only hope that Licinias remains a poor prophet.
HANDMAN FOUND DEAD IN LOUNGE BARFRIENDS ALLEGE "PARTY SICKNESS
"Oh, no. I'm not disappointed.
Aldemar is a sufficiently good actress that Aiah can't really figure out
whether she is telling the truth or not.
"It's a shame," Aiah says. "I wouldn't mind having the world thinking I look
as good as you on screen.
Aldemar, acting as her own producer, has lost the bidding war for a chromoplay
based on the story of the Golden Lady. Aiah, delicate golden headset pressed
to her ears, is calling from her apartment to express condolences.
"They would have made it a sequel to the chromo I just finished," Aldemar
says, "and it would have been as dreadful as the first.
"It's not very good?" Aiah is dismayed. Aldemar has sent her tickets to the
premiere, which is taking place in Chemra. A visit to Chemra would also give
her a chance to visit her agent, a man she's never met.
"It had promise, but they wrecked it in the editing." There is resignation in
Aldemar's voice. "Don't worry if you come for a premiere, I won't make you
watch the whole thing. You can slip out early and go to the party.
"If you can watch it," Aiah says bravely, "I can.
"You'll be luckier with your production," Aldemar assures her. "You've got
more money behind it, and Olli is a first-rate producer. He always does a
high-class production.
There is a moment's pause. "You'll get quite a bit of money, you know.
Aiah will, in fact, receive a sum that, as a girl in Old Shorings, she would
have thought beyond her wildest imagination. If she is not quite able to
consider herself rich, she can certainly consider herself very, very lucky.
"With some competent management," Aldemar says, "the money should keep you
comfortable for the rest of your life.
"I'll keep myself in less comfort," says Aiah, "because I'm going to give half
the money to charities for refugees here in Caraqui.
"That's admirable.
"They did all the suffering, and I got all the glory. It's their story, too,
and they deserve some of the profits.
"In that case," Aldemar says, "it's more important that the money you keep be
handled well. I can introduce you to some good money managers they've made me
a lot over the years.
"Thank you, yes," Aiah says. "It's not a world I know much about.
Her world, she thinks, is beginning to overlap with others in interesting
ways. Requests for interviews, people who want her as a speaker at various
functions, the continuing demands of her job ... She needs a manager for
everything, she thinks, not just her money.
Perhaps she can talk Constantine into allowing her an assistant.
THE GOLDEN LADYA SPECIAL DOCUMENTARY THIRD SHIFT ON CHANNEL 51!"There is
someone to see you." Aiah's receptionist Anstine, unusually pale, slides into
Aiah's office and quietly closes the door behind him.
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