Chapter Fourteen    

     "Contact The Humes.  Tell them that from now on they are not to address me by my name, but by my title.  Tell them no other action will be tolerated."
      The Commander was totally perplexed, but he answered "Yes sir!  Immediately, sir!"
     The Ambassador hurried off the bridge.  "What was that about?"  the communications officer asked.
     "I don't know," the Commander answered, "but I think you'd better do as he asks."
     They quickly performed the task.  The Humes did not seem surprised at receiving the instructions, simply acknowledged them and said they would be followed.  The time period passed and the Ambassador was annoyed that he had not been summoned.  But finally the Speaker requested he appear.  This time the outer office was empty.  Only the female creature that wasn't even Hume tended her station.  His escort took him directly into the inner chamber.  The Speaker greated him warmly.
     "We have verified what you told us," he announced, "and it makes great difficulties for us!  Our purpose in establishing this colony here is that we plan extensive mining at the black hole four systems away, and intended to use this system as a receiving point for matter that we extracted from the black hole.  We had planned an extensive operation!  We need this material for some extensive scientific research in the use of heavy matter.  May I make a suggestion, Ambassador?" The Speaker went to the wall and activated a holographic map.   "We have, on the edge of your Empire here, two systems a little bit smaller than this one, but with considerable material in them, and we also have another system inside The Republic, here.  We will offer these three systems in trade for this one, and give you the right of passage in and out of this sector of The Republic to reach this system.  We consider it a very fair exchange."
     "Indeed!"  the Ambassador agreed.  "I think if I took the proposal back to my government they would most certainly agree!  But you must answer a question for me.  You are an emensely powerful people.  You could have very easily simply have said 'This place is ours, we're keeping it!  Tough!'  Why didn't you?"
     The Speaker got a very odd expression on his face, but finally managed to answer.  "Because, Ambassador, that would simply not be our way.  We do not take what belongs to others, that would create hard feelings that would simply never go away.  We make fair bargains for everything we acquire, oftentimes giving more than is required.  We have found over the ages, that this is the very best practice.  We have an expression 'That taken by force is eventually lost.  That fairly acquired is yours forever."
     The Ambassador nodded.  "You are the most perplexing people!  I will take this proposal back to my Emperor, and return with his reply as soon as possible."  He looked at the holographic map.  "You're going to mine a black hole, extract matter from it, and, send it towards this system?"
      "Yes," the Speaker answered.  "This is the only open passage where we have enough distance to decellerate the matter and put it into orbit.  All the other systems are either too close, or, too far away to create accurate trajectories."
     "Absolutely incredible!"  the Ambassador managed.  "I take leave of you, Speaker."
     He quickly departed, got back to his ship, and ordered it on its way.  He explained to the Commander what TheHumes intended to do. 

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