gave a wry smile. “Did you think I just collect these things,” he waved a hand around the room, “because it’s a hobby?”
“Of course not!”
“You did. Everyone does. But let me tell you, all the things you see in my home play an important role in my missions. Do you know why I’ve never had a mission fail? I’ll tell you. It’s because of these things.” Sanery looked around the room with obvious pleasure. “Yes, these antiques are my best helpers in the difficult work of diplomacy. How else could I gain such a deep understanding of a foreign culture? You must know more than what is on your partner’s mind. That’s the first mistake most diplomats make – they try to calculate everything, as if people were pieces in a board game. Remember this: even the most influential people live by feeling, emotion, faith, and all sorts of other irrational things. Only the Heavenly Deity can possibly know everything about a culture!”
Uni’s head was swimming. “You mean the things you collect help you take on the character of the people you negotiate with?”
“Of course. You can’t begin to understand a Torg if you’ve never run your hand over the skin of a wild animal he just brought down. And you’ll never understand a Mustobrim if you’ve never tried tea. I won’t even start on the Arincils. I see you’ve understood me perfectly. I will take that as a sign that we will work well together.”
“I’ll do everything to keep from disappointing you, I promise!”
“I have no doubt that we will enjoy the greatest of trust. You’ve never been on a delegation before, but don’t let that worry you. Everyone has to start somewhere. I know next to nothing about Virilan, so you will be my teacher.”
“How could I ever be your teacher?”
“I mean exactly what I said. You aren’t just my interpreter. One of your most important jobs will be to keep all of us from making mistakes.”
“Do you mean…”
“Exactly! Every culture has unwritten rules of behavior. Imagine some sort of prohibition that a local would never think of violating, but a foreigner would know nothing about. You will be responsible for keeping us out of hot water.”
Uni nodded. “Because there’s no one else who can do it.”
“Precisely. I will not bore you by reminding you of the heavy responsibility on your young shoulders. I will just warn you that there will be times that you will have to be my eyes and ears.”
“I understand. This is amazing…and unexpected. You are too kind to me, Enel Sanery!”
Sanery beamed. “You aren’t afraid of hard work, I see. I hope that’s because you are young and strong and not because you’re flighty and lacking in experience.” He let that sink in for a second. “And here’s another rule of diplomacy. The entire delegation must act as one. There is no room for personal ambition, keeping score, or worship of rank. All of that must be left at home. All of us must help each other and work together to ensure the success of the mission.”
“It sounds so noble, Enel Sanery!”
“There’s nothing noble about it. It’s survival, my friend. I don’t know how you imagine it, but a delegation is nothing pretty. It’s two dozen men torn from their home country and sent to a far-off land where the people may be hostile. The road there takes months, and you spend each and every day of that time with the same people. Can you imagine it? Everyone’s usually sick of each other by the second week. The smallest conflict can spark trouble and ruin everything. Add in danger, brigands, excessive cold or heat, unfamiliar food, illness – everything conspires to work against the mission. Here at home, in our lovely capital, we bow to men of rank and ignore those without it. But when you’re in a foreign land, your servant may be the one who ends up saving your life! Of course, we retain our ranks, but we leave the ceremonies and the snobbism at home. Actually,” he coughed, “there will be plenty of formality during the negotiations. Once those start, you’ll have to stay on your toes.”
Uni was elated. “Thank you for telling me these things! All I can say is that my friends and coworkers have always found me to be friendly and easy to get along with. I promise I won’t cause any trouble. The success of the mission is my only goal, and I swear by the Heavenly Deity that I’ll do everything I can to help achieve it!”
“Very good, young man. I have no doubt that you will. I have dealt with all sorts of people in my time, and I can tell that you are sincere. Working with you will be a pleasure. We leave in five days, so I suggest you prepare yourself for the trip.
“Five days?” Uni gasped.
“I, too, was surprised,” Sanery admitted. “But they say you were at the council meeting, so I suppose you already know the reasons behind the urgency…”
Uni did his best to look intelligent. “Ah, of course. It’s obviously a matter of government importance!”
“Then let us lose no time. You will be informed of the time and location of our departure ceremony.” The ambassador stood up. “I expect to see you again at the palace, Enel Virando!”
He walked Uni to the gate and saw him off most politely.
“What a delightful person!” Uni reflected. “He talked to me quite as if I were his equal. That’s a true diplomat for you, nothing like the arrogant fools in the chancery!”
Warmed by these thoughts, he raced home to pack for the trip. His first thought was that he should treat his friends to dinner the night before he left. A few painful memories presented themselves, however, and he decided it would be a better idea to host his friends two days prior to his departure to avoid showing up at the palace hung over. “From now on,” he told himself, “wine will only be a sign of good things to come. I’ll throw a party to bury ‘Little Uni’ and show all my friends what I’m capable of in this life!”
As soon as Uni was gone, Sanery’s face fell. He turned from the gate and went back to his study, where he was met by his secretary. Obviously impatient, Zimius Groki had brought in a heavy scroll.
“Well, what do you think?” the ambassador asked without prelude. The polite smile was gone from his face, and even his prominent ears seemed to fold back against his head.
“He’s too sure of himself, Enel Sanery. If you want to know my opinion, he’s too young. He immediately gave himself away!”
Sanery sneered and walked over to a large window with carved casings that looked out into a small courtyard. Colorful fish lazily swayed in the dark water of a decorative pond carved out of Vuravian stone. Tall cypress trees cast long shadows that divided the pond into a grid pattern that was ignored by its phlegmatic inhabitants.
“The boy’s eyes were the size of dinner plates the whole time I was talking. Do you really think he’s Ronko’s spy?”
“I have no doubt of it, Your Honor! It makes sense. Ronko wasn’t able to get one of his own men appointed ambassador, but he is counting on the interpreter to be a key figure. The boy will keep his patron informed, and he will try to influence the outcome. I’m confident he has already received his instructions. I heard that Ronko was dead set against having a second interpreter, even though that goes against all the rules for diplomatic missions.”
“I never expected a boy of that age to try and catch me by the gills.”
