Free Poseidon's Wake by Alastair Reynolds

Garudi.’
    ‘So shall we. But out of this calamity, perhaps some greater good can come?’
    Irritated by the triteness of this sentiment, Kanu snapped shut the book. This in turn made him feel irritated with himself, as if he had lost Dalal’s place in the text. Where on the Earth did her family live? he wondered – Madras? Perhaps he should make a point of returning the book to them. It would be a small kindness, and his bones could do with a dose of Earth gravity now and then.
    ‘And they say I’m the optimist.’
    Swift was at the high-fretted window. ‘There has always been disunity regarding how best to deal with extremists. Now, perhaps, it will not be so hard to make a persuasive case for clamping down on the Reclamationists.’
    ‘Be careful someone doesn’t make an equally persuasive case for clamping down on you.’
    ‘I thought that had already occurred.’
    A console chimed with the small, annoying tone that indicated a stored message was waiting. Kanu guessed it had been making that chime for some time.
    ‘This might be a private diplomatic matter, Swift. Do you mind stepping out of the room?’
    ‘I would be overjoyed to accommodate your request.’
    ‘And don’t try to listen in, either.’
    ‘Very well.’ Swift made an impatient gesture with his hand as he headed for the door. ‘Pray take your precious call.’
    When he was alone, Kanu stood before the console and used his diplomatic authority to accept the message.
    A face appeared above the console. It took Kanu a second or two to recognise it as belonging to his old colleague Yevgeny Korsakov. The ambassador for the United Orbital Nations had changed quite markedly in the three weeks since the terrorist attack. His hair had been shaved to the skull, perhaps in connection with emergency surgery. His face, craggy and gaunt at the best of times, now looked ghoulishly drawn.
    The recording began to play.
    ‘May I offer my warmest congratulations on your return to life, Kanu. Given the circumstances, it is remarkable.’
    ‘Thank you, Yevgeny.’ The playback paused as soon as it detected Kanu’s intention to speak. It would embed his response into the flow of Korsakov’s words exactly as if the two men were speaking normally, without the hindrance of light-minutes of separation and time lag.
    ‘But I am afraid I must temper my congratulations with news that you may find less than agreeable,’ Korsakov allowed. ‘You know full well that your relationship with Swift had become problematic. It was possible to turn a blind eye to that error of judgement, at least until now. The machines should have handed you over to human medics, but instead they opted to heal you themselves. Worse, they neglected to keep us properly informed of your condition.’
    ‘I’m sure you were most concerned.’
    ‘I can only speak for my delegation, Kanu. You are compromised. I have even heard it said that you have been tainted – that your basic loyalty to humanity can no longer be relied upon. I do not believe that myself – of course not – but it is the wider perceptions that count. And because of those perceptions I am sorry to inform you that you must reconsider your position as ambassador. We are seeking a unanimous cross-governmental vote to have you replaced, for the sake of confidence in the embassy. I do not think we will have too much trouble. Even your own government has come to view you as a soft-liner.’
    Kanu was not surprised; he had been expecting as much from the moment Korsakov began speaking.
    ‘I will resign if I am required to do so by the United Aquatic Nations or the intergovernmental panel,’ Kanu stated. ‘Until then, I will continue to fulfil my duties as ambassador.’
    While his reply was on its way to Korsakov, Kanu called Swift back into the room.
    ‘I’m sorry for shutting you out of that.’
    ‘Forgiven and forgotten. Judging from your demeanour, though, the news wasn’t good?’
    ‘Not exactly. That was Korsakov