At nine local time, after sending Sylvana on her errand, Sci and Aran turned in. They had an appointment for ten o'clock the next morning, and one looks one's best when going to a special session of the Security Council.
Especially if one is going to be chewed out.
"Damn, I hate wearing these clothes," Sci muttered the next morning.
"You always have," laughed Aran. Sci grinned.
"I've never understood 'Western business attire.' I don't see how a suit and tie do anything except make you look ridiculous."
"Says the man who now conducts business in commando gear."
Sci grinned. "That commando gear is more comfortable than any suit, and more useful by far. I mean, the jacket I'm wearing now does absolutely nothing, the pockets are too small to hide anything, the tie is nothing but a noose that I am conveniently wearing, the entire ensemble is designed to be bulky and inconvenient without giving me places to secrete private information..."
Aran held a hand up. "I get the point."
"You have your ID?"
He held up a small piece of plastic that looked like a blank driver's license. "How does this thing work?"
Sci held up his own. "Like this." He pressed his thumb against the part of the card that the picture would be, and spoke into the back. "Mendellian Special Envoy to the United Nations, Ysat Nafics." The ID's front morphed into a picture of Sci with the specified criteria. "It only responds to commands it's had programmed, and yours only has your persona for this one." Aran looked hurt. Sci sighed. "I trust you, but you never know what will happen. Orders."
Aran pressed his thumb to the picture. "Assistant, Mendellian Special Envoy to the United Nations, Leht Ienara." The ID changed to match.
Sci grabbed his satchel and pocketed the ID. "Come on, we have an appointment to keep."
"Go right through, gentlemen." The security guard scrutinized the IDs very carefully, but they appeared flawless.
Sci and Aran ran through the halls of the UN to the correct door and opened it to a tirade. "Furthermore, their refusal to turn over a known felon to our jurisdiction is a sign that the nation of Mendellia is...Ah, here they are."
Sci bowed to the United States Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador John D. Negroponte. "Ysat Nafics, Special Representative of the Nation of Mendellia to the United Nations. This is my assistant, Leht Ienara." He sat down.
Negroponte placed a piece of paper at Sci's desk. Sci picked it up and read it. "One: Mendellia's attempted interference in the United States' 2000 Presidential election is a violation of the national sovereignity of the United States. (Charge withdrawn at direct order of United States commander-in-chief.) Two:" Sci sighed and passed it to Aran. Aran had been briefed rather thoroughly on the events of Project Boussh, and merely smiled as he read the list of complaints.
Negroponte glared. "As I was saying, the refusal of the government of Mendellia to turn over a known felon to the jurisdiction of the United States is indicative that you want little to do with the rest of the world. Your isolationist policy up until now is supportive of this suspicion, and your extremely recent and reluctant emergence onto the world stage suggests that you still do not wish to be a member of a more global community. This can be accepted; however, you are still responsible for actions you take that have an international effect. Harboring former Lieutenant Cochran is one of those actions.
"Furthermore," continued Negroponte, "several other actions of suspicious nature in the past year have occurred throughout the globe, and every time a Mendellian citizen is involved. If I were a suspicious man, I would suspect that you are using your people to manipulate the events of the world."
Sci, unsurprised but presenting the face of a shocked politician, stood, "The nation of Mendellia demands Right of Reply to the comments of the Delegate from the United States."
Aran stood. "As I understand it, your major complaint is that you suspect Mendellia of harboring a felon, wanted in the United States for assault and theft of government property. Now, we will concede that a USAF fighter jet participated and was subsequently destroyed in the revolution in Mendellia last year; we have already offered to compensate you for the loss, and you have refused. However, you have given us no evidence that any theft or assault took place; second, the man you claim to be the felon is a member of the Mendellian government, and therefore not a US citizen, and most significantly, Mendellia does not have an extradition treaty with the United States. Your continued attempts to ignore these facts are infringements on our national sovereignity."
"As to your other allegations, they smack more of paranoid conspiracy theory than even suspicion. Come back with solid facts, and we will consider what you say."
Negroponte turned to Sci. "And you?"
Sci merely smiled. "Leht, as my attaché, puts voice to the position of the government of Mendellia. I find nothing in his statement to refute or add to."
With nothing further to add, the matter of Mendellia was tabled. Sci and Aran stayed for only a few hours until they finally left.
"And that's how it goes, Irene."
"Well, I must say, Major, you and your friend--thank you again, Aran--"
"Don't mention it."
"As you say. Well, you have done a good job of quelling the complaints. I'm sorry we had to rope you into this; it wasn't a minor matter, but there was no one in New York."
"No problem. See you later."
*click*
Sci hit the speaker button and turned off the dampening field, yawning. "Well, we have a free day for what's left of today, and the next two or three days, then my team heads to our next location."
Nat beeped. "Well, might I recommend a quick excursion? I won't be able to come along, but I can monitor you from here..."
Sci smiled. "Fine by me. Aran?" Aran nodded, grinning.
"Damn it, when is Jordan going to finish..."
"Should I bother with the third Martin?"
"Go for it, I'd heard it was excellent. Hey, I've been looking for this!"
"Roger Zelazny?"
"Yeah. And--here we go--some of Card's Alvin Maker stuff, and Le Guin's books, and Heinlein..."