Judge Read Online Free PDF Page B

unsmiling. “I think we’ve all been caught out by the arrival of the Eqbas. Are you prepared to update us on that?”
    Bari aimed for studied indifference and picked up his coffee. “I was rather hoping you’d want to discuss the carrier you’ve got rather close to our waters, Michael. Your GPS had better be very accurate.”
    â€œAs we were saying…Eqbas?”
    â€œThey’re here. We noticed. It shouldn’t be a surprise, seeing as they gave us a pretty accurate estimate of their arrival years ago.”
    â€œAnd you still plan to allow them to use your territory as a base.”
    â€œThat’s what we’ve been saying for the last twenty-odd years, yes…” And I can’t un invite them. We found that out too late. “Do you still have a problem with that?”
    â€œIt’s massively destabilizing for the region.”
    â€œThe Antarctic? Because we’re all just fine about it down here.”
    â€œOur carrier group is simply observing.”
    â€œLook, the Eqbas are going to land. We’ve got accommodation for them, and no pressure is going to prevent them landing here. You think that they’ll just drive around the block and then go home because they can’t find a parking space? Just accept it and back off.”
    â€œThere has never been any international agreement on this invitation.”
    Diplomacy had long since given up on the FEU relationship. “There wasn’t any agreement when the FEU invited the isenj here way back when, either. If you cherry-pick international law, Michael, you just encourage the small fry like us to misbehave too.”
    â€œYou could always come to an agreement with us.”
    â€œOver what? ADD land? I think not.”
    â€œNo, that you don’t allow them to carry out climate modification that’ll disadvantage other states.”
    Bari looked at Nairn and just got raised eyebrows. Allow? He hadn’t even spoken to the Eqbas yet, but Canh Pho had in 2376, and it was clear even then that the Eqbas didn’t negotiate. They had their own agenda in which the conditions laid down by Earth governments didn’t play a part. The sane response was to cooperate and hope to be the survivors.
    It is, isn’t it? To accept that there’s no other way to win?
    â€œI don’t know exactly what they have in mind now,” Bari said. “But I do know they want to try some of your people for war crimes.”
    Zammett wasn’t fazed. He had a habit of simply ignoring any point he didn’t like with an ease that made Bari wonder if he’d actually heard him at all. “We expect our returning military personnel to be handed over immediately.”
    â€œAs soon as they’ve passed quarantine.”
    Andreaou caught Bari’s eye with a raised finger and pointed to the status display of the Antarctic waters.
    â€œOn the move,” she mouthed.
    If Zammett thought the Australian Defense Force or any of its Pacific Rim allies were too stretched to deal with an FEU incursion, he’d get a rude awakening.
    â€œMichael,” said Bari. “I’m asking you to keep out of our waters, because we will respond. You know that. There’s nothing to lever out of us now. It’s just a good way of getting the wrong sort of attention from the Eqbas.”
    Again, Zammett just didn’t react. “We’d like to be kept informed of the situation with the Eqbas. Good day, Prime Minister.”
    Bari knew dismissal when he heard it. Nairn yawned, feeling the long hours as keenly as the rest of them, and they stood in silence waiting for someone to state the obvious.
    What do they really want from us?
    â€œThey’re just skimming the territorial line,” Andreaou said, jerking her thumb at the status chart. “It’s pointless. Maybe they think we can dictate to the Eqbas what environmental measures they’re going to implement.”
    Bari