Crisis of Faith Read Free

already said they were unquestioningly loyal to their Queen,” Balkin reminded him. “What good would talking to them do?”
     
    “I said the /Soldiers/ were loyal,” Nyama shot back. “The Soldiers and Workers are barely even intelligent, let alone able to make their own decisions. I never said that was the case with the Circlings and Midlis.”
     
    “But they’re still loyal, aren’t they?” Balkin persisted.
     
    “I /said/ they can think for themselves,” Nyama all but bellowed. “Are you deaf, you bald-skinned—”
     
    “What Council Liaison Nyama means,” the conciliator interrupted hurriedly, “is that there’s a small but growing opposition to the Queen of the Red’s alliance with Nuso Esva. If we can contact them, perhaps they can obtain the information you seek.”
     
    Nyama glared at the conciliator, but gave a reluctant nod. “Provided you want something within their capabilities,” he growled.
     
    “What /are/ their capabilities?” Fel asked.
     
    “Not much,” Nyama said. “Circlings are the Queen’s advisers and upper-tier breeders. They’re the most intelligent Quesoth, but they deal in words and thoughts, not actions. Midlis are tasked with overseeing the Workers, so they’re not /that/ intelligent. But they can be reasoned with, and can handle equipment to a limited extent.”
     
    “The task should be easy enough,” Thrawn assured him. “All I want is for one of them to smuggle a holocam into Nuso Esva’s chambers.”
     
    “A /holocam?”/ Nyama echoed disbelievingly.
     
    “Nuso Esva had little of his own artwork with him when he fled to Quethold,” Thrawn explained. “Most of what he has will be from the Queen’s collection. I need to see which pieces he’s chosen.”
     
    Nyama snorted and shook his head. “Your obsession with art, Grand Admiral Thrawn, is more unsettling than your obsession with Nuso Esva himself.”
     
    “His obsession with both is what drove Nuso Esva off Oristrom and gave you the freedom to be here today,” Fel said.
     
    Nyama glared at him. But he had no answer, and everyone in the room knew it. “You have this holocam with you?” he growled, turning back to Thrawn.
     
    “It will be ready whenever you confirm that one of the disaffected Circlings or Midlis can get it into Nuso Esva’s chambers,” Thrawn said.
     
    “And can then bring it out again, I suppose,” Nyama growled. He stood up abruptly. “I return now to my ship and will attempt to communicate with the dissidents. How large will this holocam be?”
     
    “Very small,” Thrawn said, holding up his hand. “The size of one joint of my finger. We can disguise it in any way necessary to facilitate entry.”
     
    “Perhaps it could even be planted on one of the Workers or Soldiers who attend the Queen,” Parck suggested. “I understand twelve of each accompany her wherever she goes.”
     
    “You understand correctly,” Nyama said. “I’ll inquire as to the best way to achieve this goal, and will communicate with you when I have more to say.”
     
    With a brisk nod to Thrawn, he turned and strode from the room, the young conciliator hurrying to keep up. The door slid shut behind them, and Thrawn looked around the table. “Comments?” he invited.
     
    “It could work,” Parck said cautiously. “The number of variables is still uncomfortably high, though.”
     
    “And if Nyama is typical of Stromma attitude,” Fel added, “we’d better assume we’ll be tackling Nuso Esva without them.”
     
    “They /are/ allies with the Quesoth, after all,” Balkin murmured. “It’s not easy to make a stand against one’s friends.”
     
    “Especially when they figure they can just stall down the chrono,” Fel said. “Two years, isn’t it, until Nuso Esva’s time in Red City runs out?”
     
    “Yes, if Nyama’s numbers are accurate,” Parck confirmed.
     
    “His numbers are accurate, but his reasoning is flawed,” Thrawn said. “Nuso Esva could do an