A Dark And Hungry God Arises 21 - Min [2]

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Cord Hurn
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A Dark And Hungry God Arises 21 - Min [2]

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Min Donner's hearing is slowly coming back as she rides the shuttle from Earth's surface to the orbiting space station of UMCPHQ. She unbuckles herself from her g-seat before the shuttle docks on the station, then orders a crewmember of the shuttle to message Warden Dios that she needs to see him as soon as possible. Five minutes after her shuttle docks, Min is in one of Warden's secure conference rooms, ready to discuss what happened in the offices of Sixten Vertigus.

After Min brushes aside Warden's concerns about her injuries, he has her describe the kaze (suicide bomber) she encountered. Min comments that the kaze had recent surgery and had access to Security bypass measures, ruling out his being sent by an outside protest group such as the native Earthers. Warden wants to dispute this, saying the native Earthers could have wanted to assassinate Sixten to make him a martyr. Min swats down that speculation by her boss.
"I've got another idea," she rasped, "one that doesn't require us to assume the native Earthers are capable of faking that kaze's id. We have a high-level traitor--someone so high up he has access to genuine chips, so high up he knows or can get all the pass codes and verifications. Producing valid Maintenance id was easy for him. But he didn't have a kaze ready because until today he had no intention of attacking Captain Vertigus."
Warden again raises the possibility the native Earthers sent the kaze to give the Bill of Severance a chance of passing by making Sixten a martyr. Min brashly snaps that Warden may have sent the kaze to kill off both Sixten and herself to rid the galaxy of two people who believer in the Severance bill. Warden looks vaguely hurt as he declares he's choose something more honest than a kaze to kill her. Min believes him, sure he wouldn't assassinate a subordinate.

Warden then surprises her by raising the possibility the police make places like Billingate possible, and that the police put Angus and other illegals in the situation of trading with the Amnion. To me, this sounds suspiciously like Donaldson trying to create more sympathy in the reader for Angus. Min asks, why do the police work so hard for a cause they don't promote in their hearts? Warden's answer is revealing, in why he wanted a Bill of Severance to be introduced in a session of the GCES.
"Because the people we're supposed to serve and the people we do serve aren't the same. We don't serve humankind. We serve the United Mining Companies. And the United Mining Companies profits from piracy. Piracy reinforces the UMC's hold on its markets."
Warden confides in Min that he wants her to be the next director of the police. Min's faith in Warden's integrity is restored by learning this, though she suddenly realizes that Warden thinks his career is finished, and says to to him. Warden explains he thinks he's finished because he persuaded Holt to let Hashi's department finish Intertech's research on the mutagen immunity drug, rather than quash the research entirely.
"That was my idea." The director closed his fists, knotted them on the desktop in front of him. "Fasner wanted to stop the whole project. I persuaded him to let Hashi finish it--to let me have it and keep it secret.

"If that comes out, I won't just lose my job. I'll be executed for treason.

"But it's the only lever I have with the Dragon. It's the kind of collusion he understands. It implicates me. More than anything I've ever done, that convinced him to trust me--convinced him to let me make my own decisions.

"He would kill me if he knew I'm responsible for that bill. He might kill me anyway, if he thinks the bill could pass--or if he even starts to suspect I might tell anybody else what I know."

___________________________________________________________

"How does it help UMC profits?" he continued. "It preserves the conflict with the Amnion. It scares them--that's what Hashi is using it for--which makes hem both more hostile and more cautious. Which in turn makes them more dependent on trade. With the UMC, of course--but also with illegals. And that makes the cops more necessary. More violent. More self-righteous. More dangerous. Which produces more hostility and caution.

"Anything that escalates the conflict short of actual war increases UMC profits.

"What do I get? I get to keep my job. right now that's more important to me than my life."
Min wants to know why Warden is telling her this, and he replies that she probably feels guilty for Marthe's death, and so is owed an explanation. (I don't quite follow the reasoning, I admit.)

Min thinks explanations that make her want to distrust Warden are really not much for being explanations, but she doesn't want to protest and make Warden look more defeated than he already looks right now. So, she instead informs Warden that Sixten has agreed to introduce the Bill of Severance to the GCES on the following day.
The director shrugged. "Too bad. You haven't heard the latest news. Abrim Len has already announced that the Council won't reconvene until Security has a chance to investigate the kaze, Until the Members can be sure they're safe. Another day or two at least."

The keening in Min's ears seemed to grow louder. She began to think it would never go away.
This last revelation of Warden's causes me to be suspicious that perhaps the kaze was sent to cause delay if not outright cessation of the bill's introduction.
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Post by Cord Hurn »

While this chapter shows Warden's concerns for Min's worries, it seems to cast doubts about Warden's integrity, as he admits collusion with Holt to suppress/limit the immunity drug knowledge and use, and he doesn't question Min about who the traitor who sent the kaze might be.

This shading of doubt around Warden's character explains why the following chapter is placed, to assert what are Warden's true values.
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