Vatican Ambassador (15 page)

BC finally makes it to his rooms. Once there, he does the only thing he can: He lies down and tries to sleep the headache away. While all around him the population of Lunar Prime celebrates 2111, BC

greets the New Year literally lying down, debilitated by his latest monster headache. BC doesn’t miss the party entirely. He wakes up headache free the next morning, the first day of the New Year, and a Friday. The New Year’s celebration seems to go one for another three days, right through the weekend. BC joins in some of the fun, but by Sunday afternoon he’s had enough. He begins to plan his week ahead, and for his meeting Monday night with Governor Erskine.
Might as well hit the ground running tomorrow. Feels like it’s when the New Year
really
starts.
The New Year marks the beginning of the easing of the travel restrictions negotiated in the October Peace Conference. Some tentative commercial activity is scheduled to start, too; trade between the UIN

and UTZ on semiofficial levels, mostly. The visitation clause is in place, but the logistics of making it work aren’t. The UTZ Council seems to be dragging its collective feet.

BC knows the visitation rights will come up again in the February conference if they aren’t worked out sooner. His first priority Monday morning is to try to get the UTZ moving.
There's still a lot of work that needs to be done just to get this thing started. I'm afraid both sides
will accuse the other of dragging their feet if we stay stalled. And maybe rightfully so! I don’t
want to spend the next peace conference all mired down discussing the
last
peace conference.
Maybe Governor Erskine can help. Might be a way to engage her. Have to see how it goes
tonight. Interesting. A one on one business dinner. Very civilized. We'll see what she's all about.
Hmmm. Incoming communication.

Mr. Richard Wentworth! My favorite species of pond scum! It's been too long! Well, I had to talk
to him today anyway. Rumor has it he’s been elected the chair of the UTZ council!

"Richard Wentworth! How are you?"

"Happy New Year, Campion."

"Happy New Year. So. Is it true what I hear? Are you the new Chairman?"

"Me? God, no! Never! I never enjoy the exercise of overt power, Campion; you should know that by now. I much prefer my work behind the scenes. The power behind the throne, and all that. No, DeMag is the new chairman of the UTZ board. Folsom decided he'd had enough."

"Will DeMag honor the truce agreement?"

"Naturally. But that's not what I called about."

"No?"

"No. I'm calling to confirm that we will be attending the February follow up conference. Has the UIN

confirmed yet?"

"Not yet. But it’s early yet. Only the first week of the New Year, Wentworth, give them time. Patience is a virtue, they tell me," Campion gibes.

Wentworth changes the subject. "You are to be congratulated, Campion. This truce seems to be holding."

"I need you to move on the visitations," BC says, not missing a beat.

"Yes, you do," Wentworth apparently agrees. "Folsom was falling behind on a
few
things. This is one of the areas DeMag is focusing on first. We want progress before we meet again in February."

"The faster the better. Get something in place before the February conference or we’ll just find ourselves revisiting old discussions. You know that. Will you be representing the UTZ again this time, Wentworth?"

"No. DeMag wants to do it himself. Sign of new hands-on leadership, that sort of thing. He'll be coming this time. I'll stay here. We want to be sure he looks like his own man."

"'Looks like' being the operative words?" BC prods.

"Clever. DeMag is first among equals, as we all are on the UTZ Board. We serve each other. Speaking of serving, is your Pope Linus going to make the journey this time?"

"I haven't been able to get him to commit to it
.
The ayatollah won't commit either. Each of them is waiting for the other one to go first."

"Both stubborn bastards, eh? What, now that it’s not his idea Linus doesn’t want to come?"

“He didn’t come last time, either.”

“Maybe he doesn’t travel well,” Wentworth quips.

“I’m tempted to just tell each of them the other one has already committed."

"Then do that,"
Wentworth encourages BC.

"What?"

"Try it, anyway. See what happens. What have you got to lose? Worse things have been done in the name of peace. The ends will justify the means."

"Wow. I don't think I can be that devious..." BC shakes his head.

"Don't kid yourself. You? Remember who you’re talking to Campion! I know what you’re capable of!

Are you getting soft, Campion? I worry about you losing your edge," Wentworth chides.

"Go fuck yourself."

"Ah, much better. Spoken like a true diplomat."

"Right. You’ve confirmed DeMag for the conference. Now, get moving on the visitation rights for the UIN’s top five holy places and maybe we can get down to some real discussions next month.

“Was that it, Wentworth?"

"So dismissive! Your position going to your head, Campion?
"

"Good day, Wentworth."

Click.

“And off.”

Wentworth. What an ass. But he's got a point. Why not tell the Ayatollah and the Pope what
they each want to hear? They don't talk to each other, that's for sure. How would they know I was
blowing smoke?

"Give me a com line to Vatican City
,
please,” BC calls out to his room’s com unit. “Office of the Pope."

"Opening communications," the com informs him.

"Vatican. Office of the Pope. Hello, Ambassador Campion."

"Greetings. Is Pope Linus available?"

"Just a moment. Yes! The Lord's looking on you with favor, father. Pope Linus is available. He's had a very busy day today, but you're fortunate. He has time for you. Hold a moment, please."
Don't tell me how lucky I am to...

"Ambassador?"

"Your holiness."

"What's going on?"

"Well sir, it's the peace conference. The Ayatollah has confirmed that he is willing to come to the next one, in February. He won't admit this publicly until you announce your intent, but he is going to attend, he assures me."

"Really, now." The Pope answers, then a pause. "So, are you saying that, if I decide to go to the Moon for this conference in the first place, I have to announce publicly that I'm going before the Ayatollah will announce publicly that he's going? That still doesn't strike me as fair or..."

"No, your holiness, not exactly,” BC interrupts him. “You see, sir, he's suggested that you make simultaneous announcements. So neither one of you goes first or last."

"Really? That's impressive. When would this happen?"

"Well, we have to set a time," BC tells him.

"Tomorrow some time?" The Pope asks BC.

He's asking me? I've got him! But when? Jeesh, uh...

"uh… Good! We'll try to set it up for 12 Noon Greenwich Mean Time tomorrow, then," BC says, committing to the bluff in full.

"Excellent. Get back to me when you have the Ayatollah's confirmation of the time. And Campion?"

"Yes?"

"I like this idea. It's workable. It's likely I'll be at your conference next month. But it is not official yet, got me?"

"I understand. So we'll speak later?" BC asks.

"Yes. I'll call you in six hours."

"Good enough. Thank you, sir."

There's silence as the connection ends.

Now for the really tough one...

"
Get me Mars Central, UIN Command, please," BC asks the com.

"Opening communications," the com informs him.

There's a delay. Communication takes longer to Mars.

"Greetings, Ambassador Campion."

"Greetings, Mars Command. May I ask the favor of a communication with the Ayatollah Al Salid, please? It is a matter of great urgency."

"I see. A moment, please."

This will be a harder sell.

"Hello, Ambassador Campion," the Ayatollah says.

"Greetings, your excellency."

"You flatter me. I am Ayatollah, no more. All praises to Allah."

"All praises to Allah, Ayatollah."

"Why do you disturb me?" The Ayatollah asks him directly.

"The Pope has agreed to attend the peace conference. But he is unwilling to make that official announcement until you announce that
you
are willing to attend."

"So, we remain at this foolish impasse."

"Not exactly. Please hear me out. He is not suggesting that you must make the announcement
first
, before he does, but, rather," BC pauses for effect, "you'll both announce your intentions to attend simultaneously."

"Simultaneously? Hmm... Interesting. An interesting idea. When would this be?"

"Tomorrow. Twelve noon, Earth Greenwich Mean Time."

"I see. This has promise, this idea. I will consider this and call you back. This is a step in the right direction. I believe we will be there for your conference."

"Excellent. I eagerly await your call. Thank you, Ayatollah." Again the silence of the ended connection echoes in Campion's chambers.
I may actually pull this off after all!

BC hears back from Pope Linus in the afternoon.

“I will be attending with a full staff contingent of 50 people,” Pope Linus tells BC. “We will require rooms for the entire weekend of the twelfth through the sixteenth. I will make a simultaneous announcement to this effect tomorrow at Noon, GMT. You will coordinate this with the papal communications office. Thank you, Campion.”

“Thank you, your holiness,” BC says. An underling from the communications office replaces Pope Linus on the line. He coordinates the timed announcement with BC.

BC has to cut that conversation short to accept the call from Al Salid confirming that he will attend with 30 staff members. An underling of Al Salid’s makes the final arrangements after the ayatollah’s message to BC.

It’s all beginning to fall into place…

BC nods off at his desk, tired after his interplanetary negotiations. He falls asleep, only to wake up then the com unit beeps.

"What? Yes?"

"Ambassador Campion?"

A woman's voice...Who?

"Yes? This is Campion."

"It's Governor Erskine, Ambassador. I thought we were to meet?"
She sounds pissed! What time is it? Oh shit... She’s going to hate me even more!

"Governor! My apologies! I… I fell asleep at my desk! I didn't realize the hours had passed. But I have some great news to share with you! Can you forgive my tardiness and can we still have dinner?" BC

tries to salvage his meeting and his honor.

She waits before she answers. "I'll order pizza in. Meet me in my office, and we can still do this." She sounds more than a little put off.

"I'll be there soon!" BC tells her.

BC freshens up and heads off, making for the Governor's Offices.

He's buzzed in and puts on his best "so sorry" look as he walks into Amanda Erskine's office. She stands up behind her desk to greet him.

Huh. Forgot how short she was. She always seems taller. She's got a no bullshit presence. I
like that.

Erskine is about five foot five. She wears her straight brown hair in a sensible cut at her shoulders. She seems to favor standard issue jumpsuits over fashions, although BC has seen her in sensible suits at formal events. She's wearing a neutral gray jumpsuit today.

Very sensible. Everything about this woman screams sensible. She makes me think of my old
schoolteachers, or the ladies at the library. But with more drive or something.

"Hope you have a good excuse. I suppose it's backed up by your great news?" Governor Amanda Erskine says with a dismissive, accusatory tone in her voice.

She can be a hard ass. She doesn't talk like a librarian!

Just gotta tell it like it is.

"Yes, it’s all tied together!" BC starts with some urgency. "It's been extremely difficult for me to get to see you. You know that. I had no intention of messing this up, believe me, but... well, stuff happened today! It's important we talk about it, now, tonight."

“Okay, fine,” Erskine says. “Sit down. I’ve already ordered the pizza.”

BC lays it out, "Look, I’m sorry I'm late, but I was speaking with the Pope, The Ayatollah and a top UTZ CEO trying to make this upcoming Peace Conference mean something."
So there!

"And will it?" Erskine challenges him.

"Well, strangely enough… that's now up to you," BC admits.

Erskine smiles.

Maybe not such a hard ass...

The pizza arrives. While they eat, BC fills Governor Erskine in on the day’s successes. He doesn't tell her exactly how he got the two sides to agree, but she seems to figure it out. It remains unspoken, but she nods knowingly when he doesn't answer her questions in every detail.

“I already knew that the new head of the UTZ Council, DeMag, put out a press release today saying he would be here in one of his first official capacities for the UTZ,” she tells him as he finishes. “And now you’ve arranged this simultaneous announcement for tomorrow by the Ayatollah and the Pope?”

“Tomorrow at Noon, GMT.”

“So,” Erskine closes her eyes, adding things up in her head. “I guess you’ll be needing some rooms for all these folk?”

“Probably around 150 rooms, altogether,” BC figures.

“Right. We can open up the unused residential section. That’ll work. Needed to be done, anyway. It’s just been sitting vacant since last June, not enough people to warrant opening it up,” she says, thinking out loud.

BC is grateful.

“That’s even better than I’d hoped for,” he says, smiling.

“Great. So, who’s gonna be paying for all this?” she asks him.

“Paying?”

BC stops smiling.

“It costs money to power up and pump air into a new section,” she explains.

“But… wait,” BC stops her, “didn’t you just say you’ve been needing to do that anyway?”

“Sure. But we wouldn’t be doing it
yet
,” she tells him.