I entered the council session already knowing Elder Raeth's proposal was on the agenda.
Mara had mentioned it at seven in the morning, in the tone she used when she was telling me something she considered relevant but did not personally endorse. "Raeth intends to bring the leverage question formally," she'd said. "How you approach the parley with Voss — whether the social dynamics of the meeting are part of the operational toolkit." A pause. "I'm not recommending it. I'm warning you."
I'd sat in the chair near the east office window for a moment after she left. I didn't need twenty seconds to decide what I thought of the proposal. I needed twenty seconds to decide where to sit in the session so I could see both the room and the door, because I was already deciding whether I would need to
