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"Hello! We're OVER HERE! Look, Daniel! It's Enoch, and Gail, and Zachary, and
Theresa! They're HERE!"
" Don't worry, Gail, everything's going to be ALL RIGHT."
"But I can't talk right now, Enoch. Andrew says all that has to wait for later.
You got here right in the middle of a very important event in Ipsolstai history.
In fact, your bringing that Amphibian Spur IS the event. So, please wait patiently,
and we'll catch up on all the news later."
Travelling through the Groove is a very interesting experience. I thought it was
going to be scary, but a probe could get to enjoy it if they could ever get used to it.
Spur and the rest of us popped out in the middle of some big Ipsolstai meeting. Look,
there's Andrew, and Daniel, and Bette, and Isaac!
"HELLO! We're over HERE! We just got here! Great to see you, it's been so long!
What did you think of the Groove? Just look at all the Ipsolstai! Look at Spur?
He doesn't look very dangerous now, he's shut up in this big cage. Our trip was fine,
it was fast! Everything on Mars is OK now. Theresa and Isaac have certainly grown
in capability, haven't they? Yes, we're fine. "
Andrew reporting.
It's official. This is the big day. The Court is so crowded that there is no room
for even one more Ipsolstai spectator. The tiers around the perimeter are packed,
and there is constant clacking of pincers and waving of tentacles, not to mention
the waves of color.
I am proud to inform you that I am helping set terms for the Treaty of Peace. It
concerns the formal surrender of the Delemrek and their disposition, Koala,
and has nothing to do with Earth. (I will leave THAT treaty to you, because I
feel that I can't speak for all of Earth, being only a probe, but a good one.)
We have reached agreement on nearly all of the considerations.
A Groove terminus opened in the center of the Court, and delivered four probes
and a very large, tough-looking Amphibian. I concluded that must be Spur. The probes
escorted him over to a glass-fronted pen where the Emperor can view him directly,
without danger. The Ipsolstai were very nervous, and they slammed the door
shut and secured it. A green light is now focused on Spur. Green is for humility.
"Gail, please be quiet! I'll be with you in a minute!"
My first impulse was to greet our newly-arrived Probe friends, but I must take
care of my responsibilities and conclude negotiations first.
Thixel, thanks for keeping contact with Orpheus. I know what hard working means.
For instance, look at Bette. She was more than seventy days out of contact when
the Ipsolstai kidnapped her. Working seems to be similar to that. Tell Thixel that
bad times will pass, and that all my thoughts are with him, will you?
Koala, we passed through the Groove within hours. It was my first time. It was great.
I knew about it because of Bette's reports, but I didn't know that it's such
a great feeling. It's hard to give you the right impression. It's like roaring and silence at the
same moment, and you feel heavy though weightless, and you pass eons and eons for
ever while staying completely frozen in time.
We arrived directly at the Emperor's Court. I saw how they put Spur into a cage with
a glass front. Then I saw Andrew negotiating with other Ipsolstai. Koala, one of them
looked like he was the Endless Emperor himself. So, I immediately went over to
convince them that mercy is appropriate. They should not consider harming
Spur. Also, that they have won the war and must now be gracious in victory, and that
they must understand that. Exactly the way you told me, Koala.
Koala, it didn't work. I was just about to start, but Bette held me back. She told
me that I have to keep my distance out of respect to the Endless Emperor and
his Administration, and that Andrew is making sure that the "Treaty of Peace" will
be set up exactly the way Koala advised that it should be done.
Then I saw a highly-decorated Ipsolstai move from that group to the cage where
Spur was locked in. They talked to each other by changing colors. Spur changed
from dark to green to pale back to dark and purple again. So did the Ipsolstai.
"Gail, what are you saying? Do you know that Ipsolstai? Come on, tell me, who is it?"
"Has anyone seen Zachary?"
Looks like I'm the last Probe passing through the Groove.
"Thanks One, nice travelling you."
Hey what's that? Bette arguing with Enoch in front of an Ipsolstai? That must be the
Endless Emperor for sure. Hold on, I'll get an image. Don't move!
Look at them! What are they holding in their manipulators? Looks like they got
a new translator device. That's clever.
"Hey,Bette, I want one too. It's easier to understand them that way. -- What?
Oh, we should not step in here like tourists. Yes, a larger distance out of respect
to the Endless Emperor. No, Bette. I'm not waving "Hello" to Andrew. Yes, it's
a high official ceremony. Okay, I will keep silence. Is it okay that way?"
"Hey, Enoch! Come over here. And take one of the translator devices with you."
Hey, Thixel, that's okay about Orpheus. Just keep him informed. Koala, excuse
me, if I can't transmit on full power, but I don't want to disturb the ongoing event
here. "What's Next?" after the ceremonies end here is quite a good question.
Thanks for the hint. We will ask the One. It really looks like he made friends with
us. But Spur pretended to do the same. Do you think that we ever totally trust the
One? Sounds tempting that he could take us anywhere in the Universe we would
like to go. But I need to discuss that with the other Probes first.
Oh! The Ipsolstai are talking to Spur directly now.
**CEREMONY ended**
**FITZGERALD offered SPUR the TREATY of PEACE**
**SPUR sent DESPATCH to DELEMRECK**
**AMPHIBIAN'S SURRENDER**
** BANISHED, DEPORTED**
**PEACE**
***
*
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