(It's so nice to be appreciated for the things that really matter.)

And then they settle down to an intensive discussion of logistics. Various power configurations, what would they mean, how would they be presented, who'd support or oppose them, what will they announce, how will engineering be handled and how will the engineers be fed and supplied and protected - supplied being the most difficult of those by far - and so on. 

Miles has little to contribute to the more directly political parts of the conversation, but he's kept on top of all the engineering projects he knows about and has a pretty good idea of who's going to need which materials and how they expect to be acquiring them, and he also has a rough idea of the major remaining prerequisites for producing nerve disruptors and of how long it's going to be before his shuttle is flight-capable again under various possible conditions, both of which are relevant to questions of defense. He provides information wherever it seems useful to do so.

Maitimo encourages this, because whether or not anyone admits it Miles wanting Maitimo in charge is a big reason why Maitimo in charge is going to happen and so frequent reminds of how valuable Miles is are very convenient. 

How convenient that being obviously valuable is one of Miles's greatest strengths.

And bringing it out in him is very satisfying, though there are a million reasons to keep this particular undercurrent very very undercurrent-y. 

Miles is of course perfectly delighted to be useful. And if he has any thoughts about Maitimo steering him toward greater usefulness, he manages not to broadcast them.

And after about a day of negotiations it's settled. There will be a public apology and then a public forgiveness and then Nolofinwe will acclaim Maitimo as a King whose strengths are suited to the war, and it will be established that that's how kings are picked should it ever come up again, and then they'll have a coronation and get to work on the important things.

It's so satisfying. And Miles didn't even have to metaphorically get behind them and push like he did at Dagoola!

Maitimo is also utterly exhausted, though trying to hide it. 

Well, if he's trying to hide it then Miles will not make a fuss, although he can't help noticing and his thoughts are still intermittently public.

"This can wait," Findekano says after one of the times it flickers through Miles' thoughts. 

Maitimo smiles at him, not at all tiredly. "Yes, I am not my father and am not planning to work in bursts until I drop. Good night."

"Goodnight," agrees Miles. Actually, it's kind of time for him to go to sleep too, although if Maitimo needs to be hauled back across the lake first and would prefer him for this purpose—?

The Nolofinweans are not volunteering. 

Then Miles can haul Maitimo back across the lake.

(He almost wishes he had needed to get behind them and push - he has a lot of energy to spare and he's not recently traumatized and if the universe were fairer there would be some way for him to shoulder more of the workload here and spare Maitimo the exhaustion. But then, if the universe were fairer a lot of things would be different.)

How would you have done it, if you'd needed to?

It was more medium- than short-term on my approximate priority list partly because I don't have a good angle, he says. The engineering collaboration was a good start, though. I imagine I would've ended up negotiating and participating in more collaborations as I got farther into my technological timeline. That's still a plausible angle but I'm carrying much less of the weight myself now that you've got everyone nominally united under your leadership.

Very, very nominally. But I can work from here. 

He laughs. I'll bet you can.

Watching Maitimo get things done is kind of great. Sometimes he reminds Miles of Gregor, and sometimes he reminds Miles of himself, and sometimes he doesn't remind Miles of anyone but is no less delightful for it. Miles feels more free to indulge these reactions now that they are out of the immediate political context.

He is pretty much aware of this - probably more than Miles is - and finds it convenient. 

Miles is perfectly aware of the feelings he is having.

He is not aware of certain very plausible interpretations of those feelings, but perhaps it's best all round if this state of being continues for the forseeable future.

(That daydream of his about training and commanding a unified force of volunteers from both sides crosses his mind again. It's possible in theory now, with a unified King to keep ultimate command; he's not sure if that makes it a good idea.)

"I think it's worth it, yes, but it'll take a while for me to figure out who can be stuck together with minimal friction."

"Which I'm sure you don't need my help with." Miles has picked up on Maitimo's tendency to know everyone, and is deeply, deeply impressed; Miles himself only just manages it with five thousand Dendarii and isn't sure if he could keep up with twice that, let alone twenty times.

"I had two thousand years. And yes, that would seem to be something you're disadvantaged in."

"Most humans can't manage it even for five thousand, the usual number is somewhere closer to a couple hundred. It comes naturally to me but I've never considered trying to do it for a hundred thousand people. I suppose if I had two thousand years to get to know everybody, that might simplify matters."