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difference in the outcome. While the temporary tunnel is open to bring the emissaries here, we’ll send a sort of an exchange delegation in the opposite direction.”
    “Well, I’ll try my best, but arranging confidential sleepovers for advanced aliens who rule star systems isn’t something I do every day. We could put a few up in Mac’s Bones, of course, maybe the whole bunch if they have small enough ships to park in the campgrounds.”
    “The idea is to get as many tunnel species involved as possible. Even if it was practical for you to provide lodging for all of the emissaries, it would be tantamount to putting all of our eggs in one basket, not to mention arousing the jealousy of the other ambassadors who already have issues with EarthCent.”
    “So I need to convince the least friendly ambassadors from the Naturals League to host an alien emissary from the Cayl Empire?”
    “I knew you’d agree,” Libby said, choosing to ignore the question in Kelly’s tone. “I have a presentation on the emissaries ready to show you, but I thought you might want to bring in some of your support staff.”
    “Donna for sure, and she should be arriving at any minute. Daniel has enough to do getting ready for CoSHC, but I’d want to get somebody from EarthCent Intelligence in here. Maybe Chastity as well, since her paper will be covering the event.”
    “Do you want me to contact them and see if they’re available now?”
    “Yes, please,” Kelly replied. “Is there a precedent for calling a meeting with the other ambassadors for the sake of discussing who is willing to put up a visiting emissary?”
    “Such a meeting takes place every open house, though none of the current ambassadors were present the last time we had one on Union Station. If you’d like, I’ll contact the ambassadors whose living quarters offer a potential match for our guests and arrange for a meeting.”
    “That will be a great help. For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to go around begging.”
    “Begging may still be required,” Libby informed her. “Donna just arrived in the outer office, and Chastity and Clive are on their way. Chastity was just wrapping up her morning practice with Marcus, and I caught Clive as he was dropping the twins off at my school.”
    “Don’t you think three hours a day after school is a bit much for six-year-olds to spend practicing ballroom dancing?” Kelly blurted out the question before she could stop herself. “I know they have a lot of energy, but still…”
    “As their godmother and school teacher, I admit I do monitor their sessions,” Libby replied thoughtfully. “Vivian would gladly dance twice as long, but Jonah will probably quit before he turns seven. According to Jeeves, he’s only stuck it out this long because he knows how much his sister enjoys it.”
    “They do get along well for siblings. Sometimes it goes the other way with twins.”
    “Knock, knock,” Donna said, entering the office. “Libby told me that we’re having a meeting. I put on the coffee for Chastity and Clive, and it looks like you already bought donuts.”
    “Donut. It was just the one and I didn’t have breakfast,” Kelly added defensively, crumpling the empty bag to dispose of the evidence.
    “Who else is coming?”
    “Clive and Chastity are it unless—hello, Thomas. Are you here for the meeting?”
    “Clive pinged and asked me to come,” Thomas replied. “With Lynx and Woojin checking up on the new field offices and Blythe only working part-time, I’m sort of number two in the organization.”
    “Two and a half,” Kelly corrected him.
    “Anyway, Herl was on the station last night and we had a meeting about the Cayl Empire,” Thomas said. “It turns out that the Grenouthians sent a documentary crew to visit the Cayl less than ten thousand years ago, so I spent the whole night watching the episodes that Libby dug up for me. It seems that one of the species, the Shuga, once went so far as to