Vatican Ambassador (14 page)

"I've met her a few times, talked to her a little,” BC tells him. “She seems level headed, apparently neutral. Why?"

Wentworth smiles a Cheshire cat smile, but says nothing. He turns and walks away without another word, disappearing down the passageway to his ship.

Wentworth must have worked over McEntyre. Did he get the security videos? Did he leak the
stuff on McEntyre?

BC suddenly finds himself thinking of Fiza and feeling guilty for his friendliness towards Wentworth.
I conveniently forgot about Fiza while I tried to make this conference work… while I was
working with Wentworth. It was good to be on his side, to see how he does business. I don’t think
I’d want to be on an opposing side from him! Although maybe I am…

This thing with Fiza and him could end badly if I force it. And, come to think of it… think of all
the things he could leak about me! Gotta face it, when it comes to Wentworth and Fiza, there’s
not much I can do for her, even now.

Pathetic. And I almost started to like the guy. Not trust him... But I’ve got to deal with him. Can’t
forget what he’s capable of.

Two news items break as the peace conference breaks up. The first is an announcement from Earth, from Vatican City: Pope Linus announces his extreme pleasure and regard for his ambassador, Father Bernard Campion. The Pope lauds his ability to broker the fragile peace in the war between the two long feuding enemies. Pope Linus announces that Campion is hereby raised to the status of full Ambassador to Lunar Prime for the Vatican and his Holiness the Pope.”

The second news item concerns Daniel McEntyre. Wentworth’s people seem to have found what they needed: video leaked from unknown sources to the media from McEntyre’s office security cam show repeated visits to McEntyre’s office by a known UIN assassin, Nita Bendix, still at large and wanted for the death of his wife Meredith McEntyre. The media have a field day speculating on the relationship between McEntyre and his wife’s supposed killer. BC notes there’s no mention of the Asian girl from McEntyre’s past.

If that didn’t come out, maybe McEntyre made a deal… but if Wentworth is letting the rest of
this out, I can’t imagine McEntyre cooperated too much at all.

BC has enjoyed the reports, but not the attention that he’s been getting as a result of being the peace conference’s power broker. He’s not used to being in the public eye.

News organizations have already started trying to dig up dirt on BC. Some reports have made mention of

"an apparently shady past", but most haven't gone any deeper. Of course, the UTZ does sponsor most of the news.

Maybe Wentworth is keeping them from going any further. Something’s holding them back. Guess
I appreciate it. Enough scrutiny is enough!

I used to be good at not being seen. This is so much the polar opposite, it’s weird. At least
McEntyre's news is distracting some of the media glare.

Wentworth is good, I'll give him that. Damn, people eat that stuff up! You don't have to work hard
to make them believe it. They want to believe it, or at least think about it. The world runs on
rumors. And I'll take this as a lesson never to cross Wentworth… sorry, Fiza.
By week’s end the rumors about Daniel McEntyre are flying fast and furious, planted, BC has no doubt, by Wentworth's people. Rumors of love, and jealousy, and the death of Meredith McEntyre. Horrible stories BC couldn’t think up are circulating as if true. The video of Nita Bendix leaving McEntyre’s office is playing repeatedly on the news.

BC tries to avoid the man himself.

Thursday night, BC ducks out of McGrady’s when McEntyre makes an entrance.
He looks horrible… looks like he might already be drunk… and I’m not looking for a fight!

The news on Friday morning confirms BC’s instincts: McEntyre had to be taken away from McGrady’s by the LSC after starting a brawl with some other patrons. Friday afternoon, Daniel McEntyre tenders his resignation as Governor of Lunar Prime, citing "personal health reasons".

BC's first gig as full ambassador is attending the swearing in the new Governor of Lunar Prime, Amanda Erskine, the following Monday, October 20th. In contrast to the events staged by McEntyre, Erskine’s swearing in ceremony tries to be a low-key affair. The attempt is somewhat thwarted by the swarms of news media covering the swearing in as part of the sordid McEntyre story. BC decides to take advantage of the media zoo. As the news media buzz around him asking questions, BC makes an announcement:

“Thank you all for joining us for this next great step in the future of Lunar Prime. I’d like to be the first to congratulate the new Governor of Lunar Prime, Amanda Erskine!” BC starts clapping, leading the group to join in his applause.

Seems like a nice person, reasonable woman. I don’t think she had any real ties to McEntyre.
She was never on any of the OPO watch lists. Her record is clean, no sign of UIN collaboration.
No apparent religious affiliation, though there’s a note she paid some lip service to Buddhism.
Never suspected of anything by the OPO, or there would be a bigger file. Seems they hardly knew
she existed, just kept a file on her because she was in politics.
Born here on the Moon. Native daughter. Edwards liked her, trusted her, so she could be okay. Of
course, Edwards liked and trusted me, and look where that got him!

Before they can start shouting questions at him again, BC raises his voice.

“And speaking of our next great steps into the future, I’d like to announce today a second peace conference, to be held here on the Moon in the coming months. This is the first word
anyone
has heard of it!” BC says with a grin. “But I believe we need to move now, while we have the momentum!”

They shout questions at him:

“Does Al Salid agree to this?”

“He’s just finding out. I don’t know,” BC admits.

“Has Pope Linus directed you to…?”

“The Pope, I’m sure, will support any efforts we make towards peace,” BC assures them.

“Isn’t it risky just announcing a conference like this? What if no one agrees to come?”

“Then everyone else will know they’re the problem. Look, by announcing it now, everyone finds out at once,” BC points out. “No one can complain that they heard about the conference before or after anyone else. I thought it was a good place to start. And anyone who backs out will have to explain to the rest of us and the public why.”

“Does the UTZ intend to come back to the table ready to deal?”

“I sure hope so. That’s all for now, everyone. Thank you!” BC says. He looks over at Governor Erskine and shrugs. The news media continue firing away with questions.

“Let’s talk later,” BC tries to yell to Erskine over the din of reporters questions. She nods. BC ducks out of the auditorium and heads back into the safety and quiet of the Vatican Mission.
Let ‘em chew on
that
for a while! It’s not the smartest, most diplomatic way to propose
another conference, but I’m thinking it might make one inescapable. We’ve got to keep the
momentum going!

Governor Amanda Erskine calls on the com soon after BC settles in at his office.

“That was some stunt,” she says, but she doesn’t sound happy about it.

“Thank you,” BC says.

“It wasn’t a compliment,” she snaps. “Don’t take it as one. I don’t like to be surprised like that. And it was kind of rude of you to upstage my inauguration!”

“I didn’t think it would offend you to have your swearing in and a peace conference linked together in the public’s mind,” BC tells her.

“Fine,” she says. “Okay. But it made me mad. Ambassador,” she says, finally using his title.
Heh… “Ambassador”. That sounds good…

“I wasn’t intending to slight you, governor,” BC explains. “I don’t think I upstaged you either, ma’am, but if you feel that I did, I certainly want to apologize. That was not my intent. I merely hoped to use the very public opportunity given me by the media to move the peace process along.”

“Huh,” Erskine says. “Was that really an apology?” BC starts to protest but she cuts him off. “Look, BC, I know you’re a powerful man. But I’m a powerful woman. I play fair, though. All I want to do is make sure
you
fair, too.”

“Is it ‘playing fair’ to make you the first I ask to confirm you’ll join in? And, of course, agree to host the upcoming, follow-up peace conference?”

“So
now
you ask?” Erskine questions him. “What if I don’t give you an answer yet?”

Oh man, I hope I haven’t burned this bridge too early!

“That’s fine,” BC tells her, “it’s certainly your prerogative. I would ask you to please let me know your answer soon, though, only because if you don’t agree to join in I’ll need to find a new location for the conference.”

“That would make me look good, wouldn’t it?” Erskine says sarcastically. “The new Governor of Lunar Prime and one of my first acts is turning my back on a peace conference?” She pauses. BC doesn’t say a word.

She laughs a humorless ironic laugh. “You bastard. You’ve squeezed me into a corner on my first day on the job!”

“Sorry you see it that way,” BC tells her, “but I’m hoping everyone feels the same pressure to join in. It’s a great cause...”

“I’m in,” Erskine says, surprising BC with the abrupt announcement. “But only so I don’t have to speak to you for a while, Ambassador. I’m not impressed by this whole reckless thing. And I’m not impressed by
you
. Please, keep your distance for a while. Contact my office with any scheduling needs. Good day.” She signs off.

Well, I’ve certainly honked her off! Hope my announcement is received better elsewhere.
It is. Both sides are surprised, but forced by the publicity to work with BC once again. He manages to set up the follow up conference for mid-February. With plans in the works, BC takes some time off from the diplomacy around Christmas.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that Christmas holds too many memories, old ones for the
Muslims, new ones for the rest of us. This time of year used to be a happy time, a time for gift
giving and loving your fellow man and all that. Now it’s a time that reminds us how cruel we can
be to each other. Not a good time of year for diplomacy, at any rate.
BC turns to the Vatican Mission and more traditional duties over his “Christmas break”. The NcC

congregation on the Moon has actually grown in the last year. The staff has grown as well. Jim Fitzgerald is finally studying for ordination to the priesthood. Father Daycomb stayed with the mission even after BC

returned from the Vatican, and has taken over most of the day-to-day Masses and sacraments.
And he’s probably filing daily reports with Pope Linus, too. No matter. I’ve got nothing to
hide! Report away on the glorious goings-on of the Ambassador for the Vatican!

With all the masses and rituals surrounding the celebration of Advent and Christmas Father Daycomb has scheduled, BC doesn’t have many chances to worry about the upcoming peace conference. The conference itself is scheduled. Commitments are in place, to be firmed up in January. Travel plans are being finalized. It’s definitely happening. BC can relax and pretend to be a priest. He says Mass the Sunday before Christmas, meets the congregation at the back of the chapel afterwards to mingle and make small talk.

It’s funny, I still feel like I’m fooling everyone. I’m no priest! I just play one in real life. But if
I’m not a priest, and I’m not really an assassin anymore, what am I? Who am I?

The Ambassador for the Vatican? I guess. That’s real enough. I’m making peace! Me! Who knew I
could be a diplomat? Even though I’m not always diplomatic…

BC would like to go over some of the details of the upcoming conference with Governor Erskine. But Erskine, evidently, is still mad at BC for the stunt that set the peace conference wheels in motion. The new governor claimed to be unable to meet one on one with BC in either November or December. Her last communiqué did express concern about the security and travel ramifications involved with the conference. She suggested they meet some time in early January.

BC finally gets himself scheduled on Governor Erskine’s calendar for the first Monday in January. Her schedule’s nearly full, but BC convinces her to join him for a dinner meeting.
At least she’ll finally meet with me. It probably doesn’t hurt her image to keep her distance from
me. Heh, maybe she learned from Edward's mistake. Well, at least she's finally agreed to see me.
Happy New Year? Let's hope 2111 is a good year.

As the Christmas week activities begin to die down, BC begins worrying about the upcoming peace conference again. The last major NcC related function BC has to attend is Wednesday night’s New Year’s Eve Mass.

BC begins to feel nauseous midway through the Mass. He struggles to get through the rest of Mass as a headache begins to pound behind his eyes.

Damn! I haven’t had a headache in months! I thought they were gone! Argh!

As the congregation launches en masse into the Profession of Faith, their droning voices reciting the rote text join forces with BC’s headache to split his head clean open.
I just want to yell, “SHUT UP! STOP TALKING INTO MY BRAIN! IT’S FULL ALREADY!

IT’S GONNA EXPLODE!”

He rubs the bridge of his nose, trying not to look as bad as he feels. Despite BC’s attempts, Daycomb notices BC’s condition from the side of the altar. He approaches BC as the Profession draws to its close.

“Father BC? Are you alright?” Daycomb asks in a loud whisper.

“I’m… no, I feel like I’ve got a bug coming on, all of a sudden,” BC tells him.

“I can take over here, if you’d like,” he whispers.

“That… that would probably be good,” BC says. BC shakes Daycomb’s hand, and then makes his way off the altar. Daycomb steps in to finish the Mass for BC.

BC gets out of his vestments in the chapel sacristy and half walks, half lurches to his rooms.
Fucking headache! Damn!
I hope nobody sees me like this… they’re going to think I’m drunk… or
worse. I can hear it now, “Little early to be celebrating the New Year, isn’t it, Father?”