Wingut went to see Professor Trill on his way back from the Travel Department. Trill was not alone in his office. Professor Droka was with him, sitting on the couch in his office while Trill sat behind his desk. Wingut had to wait outside of the office for ten tox before being allowed to enter.
“I know you have agents down on Earth 7,” he said as he walked into the room and sat down on one of the two chairs across the desk from Trill. Droka quickly got up and sat in the other chair beside him.
“I have no such thing,” replied Trill in an annoyed tone. He remembered the old saying “Only a fool argues with a historian.”
Wingut slid a piece of paper across the desk. It was the travel vouchers for Collins and Hope. At least Wingut didn’t know about the long-term agent on Earth 7.
“OK. I sent two agents down there. But their sole purpose was to take a survey of conditions in the event of a transfer of custodial power to the Sociology Department. I felt it was important to know what we had to deal with. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Except your attempt to conceal it,” replied Wingut.
“You know the tension between our departments,” said Droka. “Why cause problems when a little stealth avoids the conflict?”
“Right you are,” added Trill. “I know you get information about us. But I don’t know how you get it.”
“In this instance, your men tried to kill one of mine. A mission I sponsored.”
“Trust me, Professor, I would never, ever give the order for my men to kill a historian. Put me in one of your recertification rooms and you’ll see it’s the truth. I don’t want a dead historian any more than you do,” replied Trill.
“Indeed,” replied Droka. “It would be a stupid move.”
“Here, let me show you the latest report,” replied Trill.
He started a holocast of a report less than two revs old. It contained data on communicable diseases on the planet and the recommendations for adjustment to the atmospheric meds. It looked in order. This was one of the many cover activities conceived by Trill and Droka during a retreat at a Nebula resort planet.
“Professor Wingut,” said Droka with his usual whiny tone, “it seems that you are most capable at knowing the activities of the Sociology Department. I would be most interested in knowing how you obtain your information. We would like to bring in the Management Department to study the informal communication channel.”
“Ugo,” replied Wingut, dropping the polite formality, “if I told you about the people that tell me things, people would cease telling me things.”
“Most likely the case,” replied Droka. “But it would assist the Sociology Department, and that comes with rewards.”
“I’m sure it does,” replied Wingut.
“You should consider taking advantage of them. You support our cause, so why not?”
“Because then it would appear that I have been bought. And that violates the second and the eleventh Articles of Historians. I am in no way inclined to proceed in that direction.”
“Others of your department don’t share your conclusion,” replied Trill from behind his desk, leaning back on his chair with a smirk on his face.
“I have enough work being responsible for one historian,” Wingut replied.
“So why are you here?” asked Trill confidently.
“To learn the things I didn’t know before. And to issue a warning. As soon as I heard of your agents, I gave Koven Modi authorization to kill them,” Wingut said.