Eseere: The Language of Wind

The Ambassador

“He was correct. Please, come inside,” the Ambassador said and waved her forward towards his office as he walked with her. 

She shifted her sack to her right shoulder and obeyed. Once inside the office, she sat in one of the armchairs in front of his desk as he instructed and he walked over to a table beside a row of windows to pour two cups of spiced coffee and to place three sweet rolls upon a small plate before returning to the desk. He handed one of the cups and the plate to Safiya.

“You’re a long way from home. Natar is at least five hundred leagues away,” the Ambassador said as he sat down behind his desk and took a swallow from his coffee cup.  “What brings you to the Republic?”

Safiya hadn’t expected questions and wasn’t sure of what to say, but she also hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon and bit hungrily into a roll before washing it down with the coffee and answering.

“Exploring. I’ve never been to the Republic before and just felt the urge to see it,” she improvised.

This was partly true. She bit into the roll again, both to give herself enough time to come up with a believable story and because she was starving, as she hoped that he would offer her another one so she wouldn’t have to ask. She decided to volunteer as little as possible about her reasons for being there.

“Hm,” he responded tactfully, but she could tell that he didn’t believe her.  “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

His expression was calm and non-judgmental, but Safiya felt guilty anyway, even though technically, she didn’t have to be in school because she’d already passed her 21st summer.

“Well, no, not really. I’ve come of age and I’m not required to be in school,” Safiya replied.

“So you’ve dropped out of school?” Sekel probed and sipped again from his coffee.

Safiya frowned slightly and replied, “No, sirrah, but I don’t understand what that has to do with securing exit papers.”

The Ambassador grinned at her and she almost choked on a bit of sweet roll.  No one should be so handsome.

“The URP is a little paranoid since the uprising on Ward 3 last winter and these kinds of questions are required, unfortunately,” the Ambassador explained.  “Officers from the MFDT sneak through the borders regularly so I have to determine if you’re affiliated with them. Are you?”

He certainly was direct. She paused, only because she knew about the uprising and about the MFDT being flagged as a terrorist organization. Some of the clansmen from the reservation outside of the neutral zone had been killed during the revolts and their families had come to the convent to speak to the sisters about supporting the MFDT but the Sisters of Mercy could not pick a side and remain a neutral zone. The orphans were free to make their own choices but Safiya had never considered joining.

“No,” she answered simply and took a long swallow from her coffee mug.

He stared at her for several moments, waiting for her to say more, and when she didn’t her leaned back in his chair.

“No worries,” he smiled and wrote something down upon a CompuPad before continuing.  “Ok, so exploring. Not in school. Were you visiting with anyone?”

“No, sirrah,” Safiya answered and finished the second sweet roll.

“Please, call me Sekel,” the Ambassador responded and looked up from his writing. “And you entered when and how?”

“Uh, two days ago. I drove in with a farmer from Ward 2,” Safiya responded.

“And which gate did you enter?” the Ambassador asked.