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Thing is, there already seems to be something fishy going on. It could very much be that Tempo went along for the ride to make sure that Alex would disappear or have some accident on the way - or to pass on special orders to the captain of the Clearbrook if everything would have gone to plan.

But, the Clearbrook bailed out, the station is floating debris and the shuttle is dead in the water. Perhaps Tempo is as well aware that the Prophet's Reason would be the most likely chance to get out of this bind, and is forced to make her move before it is taken out of her hands.

Alex already noticed that she seemed to ignore him ever since the lights went out, but at that point he put it down to her passing on orders to the assembled Loroi. Perhaps she actually did, but the question is... what kind of orders?

I wouldn't be surprised if she turns out to be the antagonist in this story in the long run, and the upcoming pages would define the moment where the front lines become clear, setting the stage for chapter three.

If Tempo wanted Alex to quietly disappear, then publicly granting him diplomatic status, and making a point of doing it in front of allied witnesses, doesn't make much sense. If Stillstorm wanted Alex to disappear, entrusting this task to the very person whose actions have been working against this goal doesn't make much sense either.

I'm not sure why people would expect a foreign diplomat (and a male at that) to be intimately involved in crisis management. At best he should be expecting a short briefing at some point, and Beryl's taken care of that.

He's also a 'captain' and that might have a cultural significance.

Polite things like keeping the other party informed might not hold any meaning in Loroi society. They're telepaths. Their intend should be more or less clear to read to each other.
So a nicety that boils down to "busy rn, lol u blind pinko?!", is a waste of time for Loroi.

zircher wrote:He's also a 'captain' and that might have a cultural significance.

That title seemed to ensure his protection from what I assume would have been further "aggressive" interrogation techniques.

Alex seems more and more to be in a Bren Cameron type situation. Effectively a minor functionary who will attain higher importance due to his abilities in dealing with situations that are imposed on his society (or his transplanted society) due to factors completely outside his control.

boldilocks wrote:Alex seems more and more to be in a Bren Cameron type situation.

Glad I'm not the only one who read that series!

Only part I didn't like was that Cherryh took the 'humans are assholes' trope a little too far.

Arioch wrote:If Tempo wanted Alex to quietly disappear, then publicly granting him diplomatic status, and making a point of doing it in front of allied witnesses, doesn't make much sense. If Stillstorm wanted Alex to disappear, entrusting this task to the very person whose actions have been working against this goal doesn't make much sense either.

Author's prerogative - Though, to those not knowing how the story pans out, the events so far might allow for a different interpretation, as in...

Alex was about to clam up and do the standard POW routine, offering nothing more than name and rank. And except Tempo, the Loroi know very little about proper interrogation techniques which don't involve mind-raping him. Tempo as a Mizol might have a somewhat better insight into alien psychology.

So, Stillstorm saw little use and lots of risks in keeping Alex around, and was about to do the sane thing in her position - get rid of him. Tempo, on the other hand, saw a bigger value in a tractable, docile Alex rather than a dead one and

1. had to act fast to keep Stillstorm from doing something that Tempo herself believes to be a colossal mistake
2. needed to earn some brownie points with Alex to garner his trust

So, even if her further intentions might be detrimental to Alex's wellbeing, that move on Tempest's bridge had been sort of desperate and rushed, but nonetheless brilliant. Then, she might have planned for Alex to be shipped off to some secret facility, as well as pumping him for any information he might freely offer for now and deflect any enquiries about his whereabouts until the dust settles.

It could have worked if the Shells hadn't picked that moment to launch a massive assault.

But, when it comes to 'Bedroom eyes', Spiral is definitely not the first one. Far by not.

http://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider123.html
http://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider124.html

and, to a lesser extent..

http://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider116.html

novius wrote:But, when it comes to 'Bedroom eyes', Spiral is definitely not the first one. Far by not.

http://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider123.html
http://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider124.html

and, to a lesser extent..

http://www.well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider116.html

*Barry White plays in the background*

To be honest, though, I think those adorable guys would have even more of an edge in diplomatic relations with humans than Loroi would.

boldilocks wrote:To be honest, though, I think those adorable guys would have even more of an edge in diplomatic relations with humans than Loroi would.

Until the Mizol picked up hints from Victoria's Secret and learned how to chat and shit talk with human females.

dragoongfa wrote:and shit talk with human females.

That would mean war in 20 minutes.

boldilocks wrote:

dragoongfa wrote:and shit talk with human females.

That would mean war in 20 minutes.

Not if they learn from one of the greatest philosophers who ever graced us on 20th century entertainment:

That's a great line... but I would dispute that women understand each other.

Still looking for answers regarding Loroi sleep patterns and bathroom accommodations.

Turrosh Mak wrote:Still looking for answers regarding Loroi sleep patterns and bathroom accommodations.

Loroi have similar sleep requirements to humans. There is a toilet in the cockpit.

The toilet is at the other end of an unheated ship that's going to reach near freezing temperatures soon (tm). I don't envy them. I've been camping in subzero weather and it requires a lot of intestinal pressure to overcome the dread of a frozen run to the facilities.

Turrosh Mak wrote:The toilet is at the other end of an unheated ship that's going to reach near freezing temperatures soon (tm). I don't envy them. I've been camping in subzero weather and it requires a lot of intestinal pressure to overcome the dread of a frozen run to the facilities.

At least men don't necessarily have to make physical contact with the equipment. Well, in a space ship they might have to.