Vatican Ambassador (16 page)

Hardass, indeed.

“I don’t know how it will be paid for,” BC admits. “I can try to find a way, maybe through corporate sponsors or other donations, I don’t know.”

“Huh,” Erskine says. “I appreciate your honesty. Well. I’m willing to work under the premise that you’ll somehow attempt to compensate Lunar Prime for costs and any damages.”

“I promise to
try
,” BC says.

“Good enough,” she tells BC.

She grins a little.

“Look,” she says, softening her tone, “we want an end to this war as much as anyone. I want this peace conference to succeed, even if I still don’t appreciate how you roped me into it,” she says with a frown.

“The Moon has a lot to gain in a lasting peace,” she admits, “But that’s because we’ve paid a LOT!

Lunar Prime has been beat up by both sides! You guys do the fighting, and we pay for it!”

“I see where you’re coming from,” BC tells her.

“How empathic of you,” she says with some sarcasm.

“Do you want me to pay for this pizza?” BC asks with a smile, trying to lighten things up.

“It’s a start,” Erskine jokes, finally cracking a smile.

They finish eating the pizza. Erskine agrees to support BC’s peace conference efforts with proper security arrangements and her full participation. As long as BC agrees to pay for it. Somehow. BC shakes her hand as he leaves, and thanks her for everything.

“Don’t thank me yet,” she says. “You haven’t seen the bill!”

“Jeesh,” BC jokes, “How much does a cheese pizza cost these days?”

She laughs and sends him on his way.

BC makes the pre-announcement of the impending simultaneous announcements at 11 am the next morning, an hour before they occur.

News services are alerted. A communications whirlwind ensues. Amazingly, everyone is where they’re supposed to be when the announcements begin.

At Noon GMT, The Pope and The Ayatollah both announce they will attend the next conference themselves, in person. Both will travel to the Moon in five and a half weeks, on February 12th. The announcements are shown side by side in most media, giving BC the image he was hoping for.
And all I had to do was stretch the truth, just a bit.

Don't know how else I could have gotten around the stubborn bastards!

On the twelfth of February, the "stubborn bastards" arrive for the conference on the Moon, also at the same time.

The sudden, simultaneous appearance of two entourages sends the LSC into overdrive, and BC finds himself wishing he could be in two places at once.

I should have called Wentworth… gotten him to make me one of those greeting drones like he
has... damn it, who do I see first?

He settles for simply calling Pope Linus as his ship arrives, from a booth near the port where Ayatollah Salid's ship is likewise approaching.

"Your holiness," BC says, greeting Pope Linus.

"Father Campion! Hello! I didn't think I'd hear from you again before we arrived."

"You are arriving, sir. Welcome to the Moon!" BC says with mock enthusiasm.

"Why thank you, Father. Does this mean you won't be meeting us?"
Urgh. He's on to me immediately.

"I'll be meeting you, sir, just not at the port. My secretary is there with an honor guard and a group of parishioners to greet you and show you to the Vatican Mission. I'll meet with you there," BC tries to explain.

"So." The Pope lets the silence echo for a while. "You're meeting
him
first, then, aren't you?"
God, the man sounds like a jealous girlfriend or something... Well, can't lie.

"Yes. I worried more about the Ayatollah taking offense than you, sir. I knew you would understand."

"Hmmph. Okay, then, I'll see you at the Mission," he says, clicking off.
Okay, so you're pissed off. You pissed off I can deal with. I don't know that the Ayatollah
would shrug off a slight like no greeting. Speaking of... Gotta go!

BC leaves the booth and rushes over to the port where Ayatollah Salid is arriving. Governor Erskine is there waiting as well.

"Ambassador," she says, inclining her head. "So glad you'll be here with me to greet our guest. I wondered whether you'd be here or greeting your Pope."

"As you say, he's 'our' guest. It would be impolite not to welcome him properly, now, wouldn't it?" BC

says defensively.

"Glad to see you get it, Campion, that's impressive," she cracks sarcastically. The port's airlock doors open. In march several rows of UIN soldiers, two-by-two. They fan out around the port area, surrounding BC, the Governor, and her accompanying LSC officers. BC can't see out past the UIN soldiers for a moment. Then the crowd parts and the Ayatollah Salid walks up.

"Governor Amanda Erskine? Ambassador Bernard Campion? I am Ayatollah Salid."
Impressive. He's got a real presence in person. Charisma.

"I'm honored to meet you," BC says, "I'm Ambassador Bernard Campion."

"I'm honored to meet you, too," Governor Erskine adds. "Ayatollah Salid, I am Governor Amanda Erskine. Welcome to Lunar Prima and the Moon."

"Thank you," Salid says almost absent-mindedly. He begins looking around, absorbing his surroundings, mastering his personal territory. His gaze comes back to BC and Erskine just as they look at each other, wondering.

Okay...

"I hear the Pope is arriving now, too, at the same time," Salid says sharply, snapping their attention back to him.

"Er, yes, he is. He has," BC tries.

"We have tried to treat you and the Pontiff with equal respect, and your entourages are both equally welcome to utilize the resources of Lunar Prime while you are here for the conference," Erskine says formally.

This draws a small smile to the lips of Salid.

"Thank you," he says, with a small bow to Erskine, "You are a most gracious host." He turns to BC.

"Ambassador, I thank you for the honor of your presence here and now, for seeing the wisdom in greeting myself upon landing. It may not sit well with your
employer
," Salid says the last with a hint of a snarl, "and so I know you've done this on your own, and done me honor. I think it is a good start, eh?" Salid's smile returns, larger this time.

Phew...

"Thank you, sir," BC says with a small bow to Salid.

A short man in LSC garb appears at Governor Erskine's side.

One of her assistants. What's his name? Used to work for Edwards, too if I remember right.
His appearance is Erskine's cue.

"Ayatollah, if you'll follow me we'll show you to your accommodations," she says to Salid. "We followed your requests in preparing your lodgings. I hope they'll suffice." She turns to BC. "Ambassador, I trust we'll see you first thing in the morning?" she asks him.

"But of course," BC says, nodding, appreciating Erskine's giving him his out.
The woman has skills.

"Ayatollah Salid, I shall see you in the morning as well. A new dawn, eh?" BC tries to engage Salid with hopeful humor.

"We are on the Moon, Ambassador," Salid replies. "There's neither dawn nor dusk, and our 'days' here are at best artificial. And, we'll not be keeping a Martian day, but an Earth day, as agreed to," Salid says with simmering intensity. "I consider that a concession to us, confirming the primacy of Earth as the home for us all, our home, denied to us as of now."

What kind of can of worms did I... fuck, he's not done...

“So I will see you tomorrow, at your earth’s morning.”

Salid, finished, turns back to Erskine. "Shall we go?" he asks, and Erskine leads Salid away. BC watches the Ayatollah's entourage pass by.

Did that go well or badly? Did he say earth's morning or earth's mourning? I'm not sure. And
now I get to deal with the angry Pope. Off to the mission.

No way!

Once again, BC catches a glimpse of a woman who looks like the UIN spy, disappearing into the space port crowd.

That was her again!

I'm sure of it! That Nita woman!

Here in the spaceport!

As the UIN arrives, of course! She looked a little different… but it sure looked like her. She’s got a
lot of nerve showing up again!

BC casually tries to follow the woman he saw. He catches another glimpse of her as she turns around.

Maybe she felt like she was being followed… she looks just like Nita Bendix!

The woman sees BC looking her way and ducks behind a short man in long robes. The two of them disappear behind a group of UIN underlings moving through the terminal. BC tries to follow her, but the crowd is too big. Ayatollah Salid travels with a large entourage, laden with luggage and travel gear
.
BC doesn't get far before he reminds himself he has to get back and see to the Pope.

How does she keep showing up and disappearing?

How does she dare?

How does the UIN dare expose her again after the McEntyre fiasco?

BC finds the Pope in his quarters surrounded by staffers unpacking luggage. BC takes it as a good sign when he's let right in to see the old man.

"Campion! Good. Finally,” he says grimly. “And how is the Ayatollah?" Pope Linus asks BC, almost sarcastically.

"He strikes me as a no nonsense sort of man, much like yourself," BC says with a bit of a barb. Pope Linus arches and eyebrow and answers.

"You dare to compare us?" The Pope challenges BC.

Ooopses...

"You're both powerful men, both religious leaders. I wasn't trying to be snide or disrespectful, your Holiness," BC says modestly, trying to emphasize the capitol H.

"I see," says Pope Linus. “So...” he says, leaving it hanging. BC stands, waiting. He finally says, "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to brief me?" Pope Linus says.

"About what?" BC asks.

"About what to expect… What's going on? Tell me about this Ayatollah, for example. What can I expect from him? What is he like?"

After all this time, he finally asks for my analysis... I wonder if he
has
been reading my reports?

"Salid is a mullah, a teacher of the law, and is regarded as a holy man by his people,” BC tells Pope Linus. “They call him Ayatollah, a Shiite term of respect, though he leads all of the Muslims of the UIN. He commands a great deal of power and respect in the Muslim world. It's a real sign of progress that he's here at all,” BC notes.

“I’m afraid he seems to see
you,
your holiness, as an ally of the UTZ at best, a puppet at worse. And he probably doesn't think he needs to deal with you directly on any political matters."

"Is that so?" the pope says, pondering, quiet. "Then why am I here? Why did I need to be here for him to be here?"

"Because you represent his opposite number in at least one regard,” BC informs the pontiff. “You are the NcC's religious head, as he is the UIN's. But he is also the political head of the UIN, and so he regards DeMag as his political equivalent. I think Salid views this as a political conference with religious overtones. You need to be here to witness and be included, but the real give and take will be between the UIN and the UTZ," BC tells him, boiling it down for the pope.

"Okay," Linus says. "So he's really here to see DeMag. Fine. I will still be at the table, and I will not be slighted, do you hear me Campion?" Pope Linus wags a finger at BC. One of the pope’s assistants interrupts with a communiqué for the pope from the Vatican. The pope looks over the tablet and okays whatever the communiqué requests with his thumbprint. Something on the tablet makes the pope laugh a small laugh.

“You’re not a superstitious man, are you, Campion?” Pope Linus asks him.

“Superstitious?” BC asks. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”

“Do you know what tomorrow is?”

“Friday?” BC guesses. “The start of our future? A new beginning?”

“Tomorrow is Friday the Thirteenth,” The Pope tells BC. “People used to think it was unlucky.”

Great. Cursed by superstition from the outset, just my bad luck…

“I’m glad to hear you’re not superstitious,” The pope says. “As a follower of Jesus Christ, you shouldn’t believe any of that poppycock anyway!”

“Yesssir!” BC says.

Poppycock?

"I want to see DeMag tonight,” the pope tells him. “Before tomorrow's proceedings get underway. Please arrange it, won't you? Thank you, Campion. You’ll let me know when we'll meet with DeMag, won’t you?”

BC nods.

"Good,” Linus says. He turns his back on BC.

So... it's like that. Fine. Off I go, holy rollin' errand boy. So, Mr. DeMag, let me introduce you
to his holiness Pope Linus...

BC sets off to set up the requested meeting.

The next three days are a blur for BC, meetings upon meetings: Pope Linus meets with DeMag, DeMag and the Pope meet with Ayatollah Salid, Salid and DeMag meet alone, then with their staffs, then with Linus and his staff. BC is sometimes involved, sometimes left outside the doors to ponder what the three men inside are discussing.

Governor Erskine has an undefined role as an objective observer, either involved or excluded depending on some unspoken agreement between the primaries involved in the talks. Eventually, Erskine's help as a mediator is enlisted, as agreements begin to be hammered out. She seems to be level headed enough to deal with the large issues and even larger egos. The grinding monotony of the sessions hurts BC’s head. He’s glad of Erskine’s expertise and help. The meetings grind on, but by Sunday there are some results. BC takes one result personally. As a goodwill gesture, Pope Linus has offered to officially and permanently dismantle the OPO, and the offer has been accepted and agreed upon.

Other news coming out of the conference is more positive. Ayatollah Salid and Chairman DeMag commit to a business agreement between the UIN and the UTZ: The UTZ will assist the UIN with the terraforming of Mars.

Salid admits their own terraforming efforts have not been as fruitful as hoped, and says the UIN

welcomes the assistance of UTZ technology and know-how.

They hash out free trade and free travel and visitation zones around the ruins of Jerusalem and Mecca, and the official reopening of Medina to UIN visitation. Some UIN citizens will even be granted temporary residency to cater to the needs of UIN visitors.