The Vekken were now attending to their wounded. 'Do you want me to provide them with doctors?' Stenwold asked, seeing the opportunity for a peace offering.

'They require no Collegiate doctor,' the Vekken ambassador snapped, without hesitation.

'At least let us attend to your wound then…'

The look he received was poisonous. 'My own people will tend to me in due course. For now, should we not be returning, as you have solved your mystery?'

Stenwold took ten minutes' respite from diplomacy, as the automotive began to rumble its way back to Collegium, to think every vile thought he could about both the city of Vek and its bloody-minded inhabitants. After that satisfaction he leant forward to address the envoy again.

'Do you at least see now, though, why your presence in our city is so necessary? Misunderstandings occur so very easily, between our people. Surely you must understand that there is no need for this violence, not any more?'

There was no hint of understanding in the Vekken's face, in fact no expression of any kind. Stenwold sighed again.

'You are here in Collegium for a purpose.' A purpose other than spying on us, surely, he added to himself.

'Master Maker,' the Vekken replied, 'we are here for now, but how long do you think your plan will work? We are here because you have spoken so many words that some within our city have become curious. We know that your people hate us. We know that support for you in your ruling body wanes. Matters will soon resume their natural course. What do you hope to accomplish?'

It was a surprisingly long speech, for one of his kind. Stenwold sat back and reflected. The Vekken initiative had been his idea, true, and almost a single-handed effort. He had traded a lot of the prestige he had accumulated during the war for this chance at a lasting peace.

And he's right, the bastard. He sees it very clear. It wouldn't take much of a shift of opinion in the Assembly to have us rattling our spears again.