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Meeroush regarded me for a silent moment, then came over to my cell and put a hand through the bars. "Give me the ZEE."
Yeah. I would rather not. If he wanted to take the thing, however, he only had to come into the cell and cuff me aside. I retrieved it and carried it to him.
He handed it to Shoff, who had moved to join us. Saura got up and came to the bars as the other female spoke to the device.
"The Grip," Shoff said.
A 3-D image bloomed above the Jerk's surface, revealing a dazzling blue gem set in a delicate silver lacework.
"I saw it from the spaceport," I exclaimed. "What is it?"
"The Whooex Trade Congress," Meeroush said. "The blue structure is the Saalyu, the Financial Congress of the Whooex Union. The silver bracketing houses the Trade Complex. Better to pay attention to the structure arching over it."
A massive, thin black arch soared above the jewel. My memory flashed to the structure I'd seen above the street during their raid on the Carquetchians. "What is that?"
"We call it the Grip. The Endar call it the Bawo. It's the Whooex Union Trade Consortium Security Facility."
I stared at the structure towering above the Saalyu. "They take their role seriously."
"More than you can imagine."
"I thought you said their role did not extend outside the Zones."
Shoff made a sound of derision. "They are in charge of anything related to security for the Whooex Union Trade Consortium and its supporting areas in the Das."
"Your spaceport is the Das?" I exclaimed. The place was legendary for its immensity. It had looked vast when the two Endar hauled me onto the ship, but I never thought— heck, I'd been in the Das!
Hooray for me, Human tourist on the Moneyworld, jeopardizing the future of the Earth Alliance. The thought pulled me back to reality. I looked at the area around the blue jewel and its ugly accessory. The buildings were towering skyscrapers, closely packed together, similar to the financial districts on Old Earth.
"That is the Trade Zone. Next to it sits The Diplomatic Zone, similarly close-packed with trade embassies representing dozens of worlds in each member star association, along with all their supporting personnel." Shoff's disgust was clear. "Everyone inside them burns with the desire to succeed and gain a financial advantage for themselves, their world, or their star association."
I could almost feel the ambition radiating from the image.
There were Humans who burned with that same fire to get into the midst of this quagmire. "So, why is the Tabi Empire embassy located outside that steaming pile of...life?"
"It's a long story." Shoff's ears dropped into wariness, but Meeroush's turned forward and tilted slightly out.
He really wanted to tell it.
I really wanted him to. "Why?"
"The founding members, Rhom, the Endar Primacy, and Jhampoon Coalition, set up the Trade Consortium Compound with the Trade Zone and the Diplomatic Zone. They located it at the edge of T'lek T'la, in an isolated area with plenty of room to expand. That was two thousand years ago. As other star regions advanced their technologies and gained admission, both the Consortium and the city grew. Twice the city ceded land for Zone expansion. The third time, the citizens of Rhom protested the confiscation of their property. The city had not prospered as much from the Trade Consortium as they expected. In fact, the influx of non-residents, poverty, and crime was a terrible strain on their system. They rejected the expansion, and the Consortium had to restrict the compounds to their existing size. Everyone built upward.
"Five hundred years ago the Tabi Empire established our embassy on the last available piece of land inside the Diplomatic Zone, and T'lek T'la refused to grant the Trade Consortium any more land for expansion."
"But you're not the newest members," I said.
"No. The Xix and Ritto-ssa were admitted after us. They had to share space in other members' compounds. Apparently everything still went well—until tension escalated between the Proambu and the Endar over Scylla Quadrant." Meeroush sighed. "Then, a little over two hundred years ago, the Endar Primacy expressed an ambition to take charge of Consortium security. Most members, including the Tabi, were leery of giving a single member so much control. It went to a vote. We lost."
"Wait. If most members were reluctant, how did that happen?"
"Some members unexpectedly capitulated at the last moment."
"Did they tell you why?"
"No, but we sensed their unhappiness with their choice. Before anyone could organize an investigation into the vote, the Endar asserted their new authority, demanding approval to build their security structure. Again, despite resistance, the vote went their direction." The big guy's ears dropped in a frown.
"They sacrificed their embassy property for one of the Grip's support struts, but the other property they required was occupied by the Tabi embassy. Our ambassador—a true warrior of diplomacy—snatched the opportunity to request a permit from T'lek T'la to relocate our facility outside the Trade Compound."
"We are Tabisee. We do not create problems," Shoff growled defensively.
Meeroush nodded. "The city recognized that. To the chagrin of the Endar, it granted us permission to seek an appropriate property outside the Diplomatic Zone. At the time, the Xix, who were already running most of the medical facilities in the city, also secured an exemption. The Ritto-ssa, who were sharing space with another member, promptly followed suit. Which also provided an opportunity for the Proambu. They took a more drastic action. They closed their embassy and declared they would conduct their activities from the sovereign territory of their ships in the Das.
"The Endar were furious. They blamed the Tabi Empire for starting the exodus. But our move gave them the property they needed for the base of their security tower, so they clenched their jaws and pretended to fully sanction the moves.
"Of course, there were rumbles of protest and threats from them—how they would deny everyone outside the Diplomatic Zone their protection—which we actually welcomed, but knew would never happen. They warned we were putting our people in danger from the citizens of T'lek T'la. But the threat is not from the citizens of this world.
"Newly admitted star associations were grateful for the embassy space the Xix, Ritto-ssa, and Proambu freed up. Poor fools! We are ashamed to this day that we put new and fragile systems into that situation."
"It was either them or you," I said.
His ears tipped back. "You are not allowed to offer that reasoning for us. It is our burden, for the Tabisee to declare, with the appropriate regret."
"I apologize if I crossed a line."
He nodded. "Accepted." He sighed before continuing. "That is easy for you and me to say. Endar, however, continue to resent the loss of control over four member associations and view the situation as instigated by the Tabi Empire. It is one reason they are openly aggressive toward us. But," his teeth flashed in grim humor, "We do not bow to their will. We are free to support whatever policies we choose, unaffected by their influence."
That seemed an odd thing to say. "You think they wield undue influence inside the Zones?"
"Are you listening? Of course they do! We suspect some sort of blackmail, but no one will say. What fool admits to selling out their people for personal gain or to hide personal weakness? They come, they fall victim, they betray, and they leave. The cycle never ends. The Endar gain some hold on them and they bend to their will. We believe the victims do not know how it happens. They only fall into the trap. No one inside the Zones will speak of it, and we are here, beyond it."
"Nothing destroys the power of secrets like exposure to light," Saura said.
"These are proud people," Shoff said. "We suspect some of their secrets are capable of destroying prominent houses and corporations, and harming the economies of whole Star Associations."
"The deeper you dig your grave," I muttered.
The Tabisee outside the cells gave me a sharp look.
"Nothing." Truisms on how far Humans were willing to go to hide their greed and betrayals were not helpful here.
"The fact we support Human membership on the Moneyworld does not help our situation," Shoff observed.
"Where will the EA embassy locate?"
Meeroush looked at me.
Yeah, that's what I thought. We wouldn't be on the Moneyworld three days before the Endar had some of our representatives under their control.
"But that doesn't make sense. If the Primacy can snare the EA inside its influence, why is it fighting our membership? Wouldn't they want us here, under their chitinous thumb?"
"We suspect the benefits would not offset the trouble you bring," Shoff said.
Yeah, I'd pick that one, too.
"And they claim you are telepathic," she added.
I would swear we weren't, but the kid would be proof positive for that argument.
I could suddenly feel the eyes of the whole Earth Alliance Star Association glaring at me in accusation. I glared back in hypothetical defense.
This conversation filled in a bigger picture on who held jurisdiction over what on this world, and the things I was up against if I got out there to look for the kid. The clock was ticking. I had to persuade the Tabisee to cooperate with me.
"The kid—"
The image of the beautiful blue gem and its ugly counterpart disappeared as Shoff turned Jerk off and passed it back to me. "The Cheel will find the young Human."
My heart squeezed with fear. "What will happen to her?"
"Not Tabi concern." She shrugged. "Our mission is to protect the autonomy of the Empire against Endar influence. We will not jeopardize that for anyone or anything." She glanced at Saura. "Schaa drika will go back to the fleet very soon."
Saura hissed at the larger female, but Shoff ignored her as she looked at me. "Vivi Zant, we hope you are not a problem we will remember."