Chapter 16: Kador's Table

Kador's trade representative was a woman named Voss, who arrived at Soleth's council hall with the contained energy of someone expecting a simple extraction negotiation and received instead a three-hour seminar on hydrothermal drainage systems. Sera had spent two weeks preparing. Not performing preparation — actually preparing, learning the specifics of Kador's northern mine complex from the geological surveys her tutor had made her read at fourteen, updating her understanding with the current intelligence Addo had gathered. She knew the drainage problem better than Voss did, which she could see Voss registering in real time. 'You have been studying us,' Voss said, after the first hour. 'I have been learning what might benefit both parties,' Sera said. 'Which requires understanding both parties.' 'What do you want in return for the drainage expertise?' Sera had her list. Permanent open-pass rights, codified in a bilateral agreement. Recognition of her people's sovereignty — not a favor, a fact, but documented and witnessed. Preferential trade terms for three specific mineral categories that her people had expertise in extracting. And one additional item: a formal commitment from Kador not to support or enable any claim against her people's residence in the valley. Voss read the list. 'The last item,' she said. 'That is aimed at the eastern empire.' 'It is aimed at anyone who might believe they can apply pressure to a people who have already lost everything once,' Sera said. 'I don't intend to lose again.' Voss looked at her steadily. 'The drainage problem has cost us four years of reduced output,' she said. 'If your solution works—' 'I will guarantee it in the agreement,' Sera said. 'If the solution doesn't produce measurable improvement in two seasons, the trade terms revert to neutral.' 'You're confident.' 'I know volcanic mineral systems,' Sera said. 'I've known them my whole life.' A pause. 'The mountain was my home. Everything I know came from it. I intend to make that worth something.' Voss was quiet for a moment. 'I'll need to bring this back to the council,' she said. 'But I believe they'll approve.' She met Sera's eyes with something that was not quite respect but was its immediate predecessor. 'You came to this table better prepared than most nations we negotiate with.' 'I had a very good tutor,' Sera said.