"I have little doubt that they are," he confessed, either taking the strangeness of the desire in stride -- or finding it perfectly natural. "But we know they've done this before. That's what Holiday claims, isn't it? The other imPorts, the mysterious figures that have come before us."

Chilton leaned back in his chair, picking idly at his food. He didn't resume eating, choosing instead to wait until his company was mutually served his own identical dish. Besides, the conversation at hand was far more interesting that how soft any creamily-treated French beets could taste. That distinction was more likely because Chilton was growing so tired of beets.

"Whatever mistakes the government had made before, with the others, we can assume they learned how not to repeat such failures. Which means," he said, nodding at Revan. "We really ought to be more concerned. Just as you said, it's highly frustrating that most of our number isn't overtly worried about this situation. Or maybe they're too afraid to express it? Maybe they've indulged in cognitive dissonance."

It was a thought worth a paper or two.

"Have you met anyone else here, who is willing to talk about this?"