Synopsis
Congresswoman Kristy Toresito must somehow take the Domans’ astonishing trade proposals discreetly forward to the U.S. Government, while her financiers tear their sorry Brighter Vale enterprise to pieces, and Raymond Graves tries to keep everybody on their toes. But the State Department is none too happy with any of it.
Toni and Maelene press on with their fine, ad hoc support to the Mater, and also have plenty of time to see America and get to know each other for better or worse. But Maelene is far from carefree, and Homeland Security still can’t seem to leave Toni alone.
A string of ill-conceived Earth-Dome summits, permeated with mistrust and denial, is making very little progress. Quo amuses herself, in her spare moments, by gaining new insights into both American political truth and what ordinary human beings really think about their modern world. And the Mater, meanwhile, continues to receive further challenging Orders from Dome, mixed in with news both bad and good.
Many hearts will need to change, or be changed, if this is not to end in a sea of tears...