[Lauchenoiria]

Lauchenoirian Embassy, Grapevale, Kerlile

Susan Baxter, the Lauchenoirian Ambassador to Kerlile, was sitting in her office reading through the latest local newspaper, smiling. She was reading an article that was critical of the Greenwood family’s use of localised torture in Iletina Province. Even a single year ago, such open criticism of a Council family would have been impossible. Baxter used to loathe Kerlian newspapers, but now she was thrilled each time she managed to see the evidence of increasing reforms in black-and-white. There was a knock at her door.

“Come in!” she called distractedly.

“Sorry to bother you, Ambassador, it’s only that… well, you know Finlay Hale?”

“Councillor Hale’s cousin, the man she sent to Jinyu on her behalf causing outrage among traditionalist Kerlians and threats of a civil war that kept me up for nights? That Finlay Hale?”

“The very same.”

“What about him?”

“He’s here, requesting a tourist visa and an audience with Prime Minister Alvarez.”

Ambassador Baxter looked up, slowly lowering her newspaper to the desk, and folding it neatly. “I see.”

“What should we do? He’s filled out all the forms.”

“And nothing is wrong with them?”

“No, there’s nothing in there that would cause us to deny him entry.”

“Then process his request,” the Ambassador said. “I can’t guarantee that Alvarez will want to see him, but there’s no reason to keep him out of Lauchenoiria. Except, perhaps, for his own personal safety from the Sonja conspiracy theorists, but that’s his problem.”

“Yes, Ambassador. It’s only…”

“What?”

“Why would he want to speak to Alvarez? And on a tourist visa, rather than going through formal diplomatic channels?”

“Perhaps he merely means to visit his cousin-in-law on holiday,” smirked Baxter. “More likely, though, he means to speak with her on unofficial business, something the Council overall cannot hear about. Or, potentially, a personal matter relating to his cousin. It is not for us to decide, grant him the visa and he can seek to contact Alvarez if he wishes.”

“Yes, Ambassador.”

*

In the front room of the embassy, Finlay Hale went through a few pages of paperwork and chatted with a Lauchenoirian woman on the desk, who kept looking nervously behind him as if she expected Kerlian police to barge in to arrest him. She was not used to men coming with visa requests on their own behalf and actually being allowed to cross the boundary onto legal Lauchenoirian territory.

“Apologies for the wait, Mr Hale,” came the same voice who had spoken to the Ambassador. “We can proceed now, if you’ll come through to this room with your passport?”

Finlay smiled, following the woman, who took the passport and went through the process of granting him the visa, which would be valid for three months from the date of issue. While Lauchenoiria usually did not require visas for short-term travel, it was necessary in the case of Kerlians, who needed proof they could enter another country in order to get permission to exit theirs. The woman handed him back his passport at the end, smiling.

“Thank you,” he said upon leaving. He was pleased that Lauchenoiria hadn’t caused hold-ups. Now all he had to do was pay a visit to Councillor Robinson, since his own cousin wouldn’t help if she knew his plan. And then, he would go and see Alvarez, and hopefully a miracle would save them all from the danger posed by Jennifer’s own mind.