His words seemed to have a sobering effect on Meyer, who widened his eyes and pushed himself up in his seat. “No, Your Excellency. It isn’t.”
“Then comport yourself accordingly,” Jetanien said before turning to Karumé. “May I presume, Ms. Karumé, that the invitation you extended to Ambassador Lugok was accepted with a dash more civility?”
“Um, as youmight define it?” Karumé asked. “Or as Lugok would?”
“I would settle for either,” Jetanien said as he reached for his broth.
Leaning back in her seat, the envoy nodded. “Then, yes, he very politely accepted our invitation to meet with the Tholians, and followed his acceptance with an offer to let me watch as he pulverized Sesrene into the ambassador’s ‘orthorhombic component structures,’ as he put it.” Shrugging, she added, “Frankly, I was a bit surprised to hear that Lugok knew that much about crystallography.”
Allowing a moment for Meyer’s bout of laughter in reaction to Karumé’s deadpan observation, Jetanien said, “I’d hardly recommend you start trusting the ambassador’s prowess in the sciences, though it does offer us some insight as to Ambassador Sesrene’s reticence to attend our summit, now, does it not?”
Turning in her seat so she could face him, Sandesjo replied, “That’s hardly surprising, Your Excellency. Given that our intelligence suggests the Tholians have been the aggressors in every recent confrontation with the Klingons we’ve been able to document, they’re likely itching for a fight. Further, their tactics of sneak attack and retreat are probably adding insult to injury. That’s certainly not what a Klingon would view as—”
“Honorable conduct,” Jetanien said, anticipating what his aide was about to say. “Yes, of course. One day soon, I shall undertake a comprehensive course of study as to what precisely constitutes Klingon honor. I assume such things are written down, on sacred parchment or stone tablets or some such thing. I further gather that such sacrosanct documents must be viewed by very few Klingons, given their propensity for redefining their notions of honor more often than I don fresh undergarments.”
A chorus of polite laughter echoed in the meeting room for a moment, before Meyer leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows atop the conference table. “Isn’t it safe to say that their actions might enrage anyone, Anna, Klingon or not? Even with Lugok not at the table, what makes us think that Sesrene would be any more forthcoming to us as to the Tholians’ motives lately?”
It was Sovik who replied, “The Federation has held to its declaration that no armed action would be taken against the Tholian Assembly in the wake of the Bombay’s destruction. That should have earned us a modicum of trust with Ambassador Sesrene by now.” Clasping his hands before him and interlocking his fingers in what Jetanien recognized as a Vulcan meditative posture, the envoy added, “The Tholian delegation may be more inclined to a series of discussions apart from the Klingons. While more lengthy, such an approach may prove more fruitful.”
“Not acceptable,” Jetanien said, slapping his webbed manus on the table. “We do not have that kind of time, Mr. Sovik. With that in mind, how do we proceed in getting the ambassadors face to face?”
Sandesjo frowned. “Short of lying to them?”
Shrugging, the ambassador replied, “Let’s hold that strategy in reserve as a final option.” His remark brought a sly smile to his attaché’s face, a gesture that he returned as best he was able given his lack of malleable facial features.
“It’s more of a function of getting the Tholians here,” Karumé said. “As I mentioned, Lugok is more than interested in sitting down.”
His brow furrowing in obvious concern, Meyer asked, “But will he stay down?”
“That may depend,” she answered, looking into the envoy’s bleary eyes, “on whether you can keep your comments about his family to yourself.”
As Meyer opened his mouth to respond, Jetanien rose from his glenget. “It’s enough that I have to prepare myself for such bickering between the diplomatic delegations,” he said in a loud voice, bringing Karumé and Meyer to pause. “This summit is too important to the Federation to jeopardize with posturing and pettiness amongst my staff. Am I clear?”
What he did not say, however, and what burned within him was his heartfelt belief in the importance of the summit’s success to himself. This was an unprecedented opportunity which had been handed to him, and he was well aware of the necessity to craft a positive, lasting resolution that would benefit not only the Federation but also its interstellar neighbors for decades to come. He was acutely aware of the situation in which he found himself, and that he—as well as any decisions he made here—might very well be judged in historical texts and classrooms long after he had departed this mortal plane.
I came to the Diplomatic Corps to make a difference, to leave a legacy of some sort,he thought as he looked around the table to see each envoy nod in response to his harsh question. Nothing I have done until now is as vital as what I must do here. I must not fail, nor can I allow my staff to failme.
“Mr. Sovik,” Jetanien said after a moment and as he returned to his perch, his usual calm demeanor once again reflected in his voice, “we’ve each had our dealings with Ambassador Sesrene, and I’m sure you’ll agree that he’s a very guarded being. However, what is the one thing that even Sesrene cannot shield from us during our conversations with him?”
The Vulcan nodded, obviously understanding the track the conversation was taking. “His desire for information, Your Excellency, particularly pertaining to the motives of anyone with interests in the Taurus Reach.”
“Correct,” Jetanien said, capping the word with a few satisfied clicks before looking once more to the rest of his staff. “Therefore, as part of our effort to make this summit more enticing to its participants, we tell the Klingons that the Tholian delegation intends to offer an explanation for their aggressive strikes against the empire…”
Smiling, Karumé finished the thought for him. “While a well-placed suggestion to the Tholians that the Klingons are coming to the table with a willingness to reveal details of theirplans for the Reach just might prove tempting enough that they would attend if only to learn something new.”
“As they say,” added Meyer as he offered an approving nod, “you’re more likely to draw flies with honey than with vinegar.”
“Are you trying to make me hungry, Mr. Meyer?” Jetanien asked, releasing a deep basso laugh as Meyer returned a sour expression. “A lesson in appropriate comedic timing as well as in diplomacy. You’re doing quite well today.” To the rest of the group, he said, “Now, let us try again to persuade our respective delegations that there is something to be gained for all of us by sitting down and settling these matters of conflict. I expect reports from each of you as soon as you’ve succeeded in establishing a meeting time and agenda. Dismissed.”
Lingering as her colleagues rose from their seats and filed out of the room on their way to attend to their respective tasks, Sandesjo approached Jetanien as he finished his broth. “If I may, Your Excellency,” she said with a hint of a grin, “shall I presume that our final option turned out to be…?”
“The best choice?” Jetanien said, rising again to his feet. “No, you should not. I view this course of persuasion as less of a lie and more a case of wishful thinking. I’d hope that our guests, once we gather in an atmosphere of cooperation and goodwill, might rise above their reactive natures and come to an objective understanding that the Taurus Reach has room enough for us all.”
Frowning, Sandesjo replied, “That is a lofty expectation, Your Excellency.”
“Well, I should expect no less of them than I do of myself, yes?”