Birthright

“They don't want to do that, Josh,” said Hill. “With the magnetism you've got, they'd back any action

you took. The legislature would be much happier with you than without you but you've got to play ball with them.”

“I'm still as popular as ever in the polls,” said Bellows. “What if I force them into a showdown, make them put up or shut up?”

“You'd lose,” said Hill promptly. “Your popularity is due, in large part, to stories I've leaked to the media about how are forces are massing and how we're ready to begin reasserting ourselves. The day they find out that those are phony, you won't have to wait for the legislature; the voters'll throw you out on your ear.”

Bellows excused Hill for an hour while he attended another meeting, then summoned the gnarly adviser back to his office.

“Where would you begin?” asked the Governor bluntly. “Ah,” said Hill, smiling. “Someone else told you the same thing.” “What they told me is my business,” said Bellows. “Your business is to make suggestions.” Hill chuckled. “They must really have spelled it out for you, huh? Okay, Josh, how's this for a bloodless starter: Convert every T-pack so that it'll just translate Terran, rather than Galactic-O.” “You're crazy!” exploded Bellows. “Do you know what that would do to our commerce and trade, to say nothing of our Diplomatic Corps? No one would be able to understand a word we said!” “They'd learn,” said Hill softly. “Or better still, get rid of T-packs altogether, and make it illegal for any Man to speak Galactic. Force the other races to start playing in our ball park. We're still the most potent single military and economic entity in the galaxy; sooner or later it'll become essential to their self-interest to give in.”

“But in the intervening time we speak to nobody except Men, is that it?” said Bellows. “How much time do you think will elapse?” countered Hill. “More than two thousand worlds depend on us for medical supplies, and almost ten thousand more require produce from our agricultural planets. Now, maybe some of the others will drag their feet, but that's a hard twelve thousand worlds that will learn Terran within a month. And don't forget, this is just symbolic, simply a means of asserting our identity.”

“Consider it vetoed,” said Bellows. “It would cause too much confusion, kill half the methane-breathers we tried to communicate with, and I'll be damned if I'm going to cut off vital medical supplies to millions of beings just for the sake of making a gesture.” Hill took a deep breath. “All right, then. Instead of taking them all on at once, take on the biggest.” “Meaning?”

“Canphor VI and VII.”

“Are you seriously suggesting that I start a war with the Canphor Twins?” demanded Bellows. “That we