Final Inquiries by Roger MacBride Allen

whatever was there. "I think that's optimistic. Really optimistic. The kind of rush they've put together here seems a little too panicky for that. And yeah, Brox seems friendly, but he's scared as well. I still get the sense not just that something bad has happened, but something even worse still might happen."
    The planet had swollen to fill the entire upper hemisphere of the command sphere. Jamie had to turn his head to one side to catch a glimpse of the Great Ring, and even that vanished as he watched.
    "Brox!" Hannah called, without getting up or taking her eyes off the terrifying view overhead. "Maybe now we're close enough that you could at least tell us where we're going. It's on the planet, not on the Great Ring. That much we've figured out. Give us something more."
    "If for no other reason than to distract us from the view a little bit," Jamie suggested.
    "Yes, certainly. We are headed toward what amounts to the planetary capital, though that's not exactly accurate. The city bears two names, which are not interchangeable, but are based on the city function to which one is referring. The correct name must be used at all times in order to avoid giving offense. The city is called Rivertide when referred to as a home, a place to live, and the Grand Warren of the Conclaves--or simply the Grand Warren--in the context of being the seat of power."
    "And where in the Grand Warren are we going?" Jamie asked. "I mean, assuming we live through atmospheric entry?"
    "I share your nervousness and discomfort. For what it is worth, Greveltra has a perfect safety record as a pilot. Our first destination is a building in the center of the city. You will submit yourself there."
    "Submit ourselves for what? Approval? Accreditation?"
    "Formally, you are submitting yourselves to the will of the Preeminent Director of Tifinda. 'Accreditation' is close enough. I have heard some of the humans refer to it as hazing or initiation--or ritual intimidation, which I gather is much the same thing in some human organizations. Think of it as a welcoming ceremony--though perhaps not the most enjoyable one you have ever attended.
    "Once that formality is complete, we will travel in a smaller vehicle to the diplomatic quarter of the city--I should say a diplomatic quarter. It is an isolated section where the representatives of lower-ranking races are invited to house themselves. Perhaps 'diplomatic ghetto' would be a more descriptive term."
    "Let me guess. The human and Kendari embassies are in that zone."
    "Right next to each other," said Brox. "Each diplomatic mission has an assigned piece of land, in adjoining walled compounds."
    "Why did they put us right next to each other?" Hannah asked. "They'd have to know your government and mine don't get along."
    "You would have to ask the Vixa that question. For what it is worth, we do not inconvenience each other as much as you might think. The walls are high."
    "How big are these compounds?" Hannah asked.
    "I'm told the human compound is about the size of a city block in Center City. The Kendari compound is slightly larger."
    "A city block is a pretty fair size," said Jamie.
    "Not so large when you consider that both embassies have fairly large staffs, and that all personnel must be housed in that space, along with all provisions, equipment, and so on. And also consider that our hosts often confine the staffs of the embassies to their respective compounds for security reasons, or for no specified reason at all."
    "And you've been posted to the Kendari embassy, right?" Jamie asked. It wasn't exactly much of a deductive leap, given the circumstances, and how much Brox knew about the situation on the ground.
    "Yes. Thanks to you two."
    "What?" That was a surprise. "How do you mean?"
    "After I collaborated with the two of you on Reqwar, it was noted in my file that I had demonstrated a capacity--even an aptitude--for working with humans. And so when the Inquiries Service established a sort of Kendari-human