"The White Elder had no intention of making peace with Earthmen. He was going to use you as a tool to cause my resignation and your own destruction while the sect's attitude would not change a bit. I think that this decision was made in Inissa during the same sect's meeting that you beloved Ashinik attended."
"This is bullshit," Bemish said, "This is bullshit that you don't believe, because if it had happened this way, you would have just talked and told me that the White Elder was leading me by my nose. Instead of that you killed him, because they came to another decision at the sect's meeting."
"Actually, I was going to talk to you," Shavash replied, "today, after your meeting with the White Elder. But somebody outwitted us both."
"Who is it?"
"It's Yadan."
"Who?"
"He is the teacher of your Ashinik, the number two man in the sect who will become the first one now. I bet that he was the only one who knew or suspected about the White Elder's plan to throttle you with your own hands. He killed him to take his position, knowing that in the current circumstances half Weia would blame me for the murder and the other half would blame you."
"Bullshit! I saw enough to be sure that it was a professional assassination. Should I believe that the same people who call all the Earth technology a phantom, used sinex explosives?"
"They call it a phantom but they can use it quite well, Terence. Don't worry. And they have many more opportunities to organize an assassination; I can bet my life that it was a suicide bomber."
Ashinik spent this night in the company director's bed with Inis, as he spent all the other nights when Bemish was away from the spaceport. He learned about the accident from the morning news report, right from one of the multiple screens hanging in a lounge that Ashinik was passing through.
Ashinik stood in silence boring the screen through with his eyes. A worker passed by and slid a note into the lad's hand. He unwrapped and read it; the note ordered him to attend a meeting at one of the sect's secret places — an old temple next to a tavern three hundred kilometers to the north from Assalah.
Ashinik paled and hurried to an exit.
They waited for him at the exit — two people in black and white uniforms of the security service silently blocked his way. Ashinik made an attempt to turn aside.
"Follow us, vice-president," an officer said quietly, "the boss would like to talk to you."
He raised his hand to his mouth and spoke into a round badge on his wrist,
"We are going upstairs, sir,"
Richard Giles, the spaceport security head was waiting for Ashinik in his white soundproof office on the tower's twelfth floor. When Giles saw the vice-president who actually outranked him, he didn't even move.
The people in black and white uniform seated Ashinik in an armchair and left at a sign from their boss. The office doors slid towards each other behind their backs with a soft hiss; Ashinik and Giles were alone.
"Have you introduced the White Elder to Terence?" Giles asked.
It was useless to deny it.
"Yes."
"Why haven't I been notified?"
"It's Mr. Bemish's prerogative," Ashinik answered, "If he had liked to, he would've let you know. When I came to work here, Bemish promised me that I didn't have to answer any questions and I haven't been asked anything so far."
"That was under different circumstances. What did Bemish and the White Elder talk about?"
"I don't know."
"What was discussed at your sect's meeting in Inissa?"
"I won't tell you."
"Either you, Ashinik, tell me what happened in Inissa or I will tell Terence in whose bed you sleep every night that he spends outside of the spaceport, including tonight."
Ashinik paled.
"And I can even show him some pictures." Ashinik sat motionlessly.
"What happened in Inissa?
"We… we agreed not to consider Earthmen to be demons."
"How interesting… Why?"
"It was my suggestion."
"Did everybody support it?"
"The White Elder agreed. That was enough."
"What about the others? Who was against it?"
"Yadan, Akhunna and a man nicknamed Garlic Dan were against it."
"Why did the White Elder agree?"
"He said that he would make peace with the spaceport's boss if the latter broke up with Shavash."
"Aha. So, who killed the White Elder, Shavash or Yadan?"
"I don't know."
"What will happen to you?"
Giles was silent.
"Ashinik, have you received anything from the sect after the assassination?"
"No."
Giles looked at the youth carefully.
"When you receive anything, let me know."
Ashinik was silent.