Birthright

“I'm not a politician, Ambassador Krotar,” said Mallow. “I'm just an architect. I was told to erect it on

Deluros IV, and that's where it will go. If I might offer an unofficial opinion, I would estimate that the cost of placing the Bureau on Deluros VIII, which has a far greater gravity, would be so high as to make such a move impossible.”

“Are you trying to tell me that a race that could build the Floating Kingdom and the Deluros VI planetoids, and can keep a standing army and navy numbering in the tens of billions, could not find the economic and architectural means to erect a single dwelling for nonhuman races on Deluros VIII?” “I'm not trying to tell you a damned thing, Ambassador!” said Mallow in exasperation. “If you want to create a scene, why not hunt up Verlor? He's in charge of racial incidents. I just design buildings.” Krotar stood up, towering over both Mallow and the Tri-D image of the 288th floor. For just an instant Mallow feared for his safety, but the Castorian merely stared at him. If there was any expression of rage or indignation on his face, Mallow couldn't detect it. “I think,” said Krotar, and his tones came out infuriatingly flat and unemotional through the T-pack “that you need not bother adding any Castorian artwork to your Bureau.” “I hadn't really planned to,” said Mallow. “Now suppose you tell me just what you came here for.” “That is my business,” said the Castorian. “Yours, as you pointed out, is designing buildings.” After he had left, Verlor came back in. “Well?” he asked.

“Well what?” asked Mallow.

“What did he want?”

“I haven't the foggiest notion,” said Mallow. “He came in, acted uppity as all get-out, looked at the plans for the Bureau, found out that the security police will be Men, and told me that he didn't want any part of it.”

“I thought so,” said Verlor. “He's the ninth one to back out—and he wasn't even in.” “I don't understand,” said Mallow.

“Neither do I,” said Verlor. “But, for whatever reason, there seems to be some movement afoot among the aliens. It's not open rebellion or anything like that. It's more that they've decided to make some trivial gesture of independence, and they've hit upon the Bureau.” “That sounds awfully farfetched.”

“Maybe,” said Verlor. “And yet, not one of them has given a decent reason. The Canphorites backed out because they wanted four entire floors, and we only offered them one and part of a second. The Lemm objected to having to import members of their own race to prepare their food. The Emrans didn't want the Bureau to be anywhere near the Deluros system. And so on.” “Why didn't you tell me before?” asked Mallow.