"They're all special," said Graff. "But this one--his tests are good, top range. Not the very best we've seen, but the tests aren't as predictive as we'd like. It's his negotiating skill that impresses me."
Helena wanted to say, "Or Colonel Sillain's lack of it." But she knew that wasn't fair. Sillain had tried a bluff, and the boy had called it. Who knew a child would have the wit to do that?
"Well," said the Indian, "it certainly shows the wisdom of opening Battle School to noncompliant nations."
"There's only one problem, Captain Chamrajnagar," said Graff. "In all these documents, on this vid, in our conversation, no one has even suggested that the boy is willing to go."
There was silence around the table.
"Well, no, of course not," said Col. Sillain. "This meeting came first. There is some hostility from the parents--the father stayed home from work when Helena--Captain Rudolf went to test three of the older brothers. I think there may be trouble. We needed to assess, before the conversation, just how much leverage I'm to be given."
"You mean," said Graff, "leverage to coerce the family?"
"Or entice," said Sillain.
"Poles are stubborn people," said the Russian general. "It's in the Slavic character."
"We're so close," said Graff, "to tests that are well over ninety percent accurate in predicting military ability."
"Do you have a test to measure leadership?" asked Chamrajnagar.
"That's one of the components," said Graff.
"Because this boy has it, off the charts," said Chamrajnagar. "I've never even seen the charts, and I know that."
"The real training ground for leadership is in the game," said Graff. "But yes, I think this boy will do well at it."
"If he goes," said the Russian.
"I think," said Chamrajnagar, "that Colonel Sillain should not carry out the next step."
This left Sillain sputtering. Helena wanted to smile, but instead she said, "Colonel Sillain is the team leader, and according to protocol..."
"He has already been compromised," said Chamrajnagar. "I make no criticism of Colonel Sillain, please. I don't know which of us would have fared any better. But the boy made him back down, and I don't think there is a helpful relationship."
Sillain was careerist enough to know how to hand them his head, when asked for it. "Whatever is best to accomplish the mission, of course." Helena knew how he had to be seething at Chamrajnagar, but he showed no sign of it.
"The question Colonel Sillain asked still remains," said Graff. "What authority will the negotiator be given?"
"All the authority he needs," said the Russian general.
"But that's precisely what we don't know," said Graff.
Chamrajnagar answered. "I think my colleague from the Strategos's office is saying that whatever inducement the negotiator feels is appropriate will be supported by the Strategos. Certainly the Polemarch's office has the same view."
"I don't think the boy is that important," said Graff. "Battle School exists because of the need to begin military training during childhood in order to build appropriate habits of thought and movement. But there has been enough data to suggest--"
"We know this story," said the Russian general.
"Let's not begin this argument again here," said Chamrajnagar.
"There is a definite fall-off in outcomes after the trainees reach adulthood," said Graff. "That's a fact, however much we may not like the implications."
"They know more, but do worse?" said Chamrajnagar. "It sounds wrong. It is hard to believe, and even if we believe it, it is hard to interpret."
"It means that we don't have to have this boy, because we won't have to wait for a child to grow to adulthood."
The Russian general was scornful. "Put our war in the hands of children? I hope we are never that desperate."