Chuan

The Fleet Of Stars.

Chuan, a human being and a human-AI interface, has some features in common with two characters in Poul Anderson's The Day Of Their Return. Like High Commissioner Chunderban Desai, Chuan tries to manage a planetary sociopolitical conflict. Like the Merseian agent, Aycharaych, he tells lies about the existence of a cosmic civilization.

Chu(nderb)an = Chuan?

Chuan cannot mask his feelings. When Kinna questions him about some sensitive issues:

"'Fenn, he grew so sad. I felt as if I had stabbed him.'" (12, p. 149)

Kinna continues:

"'...I have just written how sorrowful he became. Not that he said he was, but I could read it on him, how he looked away from me and his shoulders slumped and his voice drooped.'" (p. 150)

Much later:

"Below [Chuan's] smile, behind his eyes, Fenn sensed that immeasurable sadness of which [Kinna] had spoken." (14, p. 173)

On a still later occasion, Chuan's tranquility breaks and he screams at Fenn that he will say no more. (20, p. 264)

What Chuan is sad and most on edge about is the suppression of data from a solar lens. When he finally gives Fenn an account of the data, Chuan can:

"...no longer look into [Fenn's] eyes. He got up, went to the viewport, clasped hands behind his back, and stood staring out at the night." (26, pp. 331-332)

That is because every word that he is about to say is a lie.

When Fenn turns eagerly to look at Chuan, the latter:

"...saw him from the corner of an eye but did not look back." (p. 332)

Eye contact would give him away.