he would describe how a careful - and very minor - adjustment to mayor branno 's mind had turned her thoughts from imperialistic grandiosity to the practicality of commercial treaty ; how a careful and rather long-distance - adjustment of the leader of the sayshell union had led to an invitation to the mayor of a parley and how , thereafter , a rapprochement had been reached with no further adjustments at all with compor returning to terminus on his own ship , to see that the agreement would be kept .