Chapter 16

Matt, Bill, Sue, and I were waiting for Aaron when we heard a knock at the door. Rita answered the door. “Good afternoon, I’m Aaron McCaul. Is Doug Smith available?”

“Yes, please come in.”

Rita’s English was getting better, especially the standard phrases we use in our interpersonal communications.

Aaron and a woman in her mid-thirties came into the room.

“Doug, this is Miss Abby White. Abby, this is Mister Doug Smith.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mister Smith.”

“And it’s my pleasure to meet you, Miss White.”

Turning to Sto, I said, “Sto, this is Miss Abby White, she is a friend. Miss White, this is Sto. I suppose you could say Sto is my pet, but he is actually much more than just a simple pet.”

She had a perplexed look on her face as she said, “Hello, Sto, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Sto like Abby. Abby nice woman. May be good woman.”

As Aaron and Miss White moved into the room, I said, “Please sit wherever you can find a place.”

They both moved toward the couch, and I noticed they stayed well clear of Sto.

“Please call me Doug, Miss White. Do you have any pets?”

Glancing at Sto and interpreting my thoughts, she said, “Not at the current time. I had dogs and cats as a young girl, however Sto is a bit intimidating to someone not prepared for the experience of coming face-to-face with him.”

Noticing that she gave Aaron a dirty look, I said, “Didn’t you warn Miss White about Sto?”

Aaron had a slightly guilty look on his face, when he said, “Well, I considered it, but Miss White said she adored animals. I decided to let her just meet him. I’m not sure I could describe him in a way that could do him justice. Either I would scare her, or she wouldn’t believe me. Besides, I was curious how she would react to the unexpected.”

“Did I pass your test, Mister McCaul?”

“Actually, it was curiosity, not a test. If someone had walked me in cold like I did you, I don’t think I would have handled myself as well as you did.”

While we talked, I had been explaining to Sto that Miss White might be working with us for a long time if we decided to accept her.

“Sto say keep Abby. Abby do good job. Doug like Abby.”

“What has Aaron told you about the position, Miss White?”

“Very little, actually, and please call me Abby. He told me that you were an important man with your government, and that your government had sent you here to represent them. He told me that the culture in your country was very different from that of the US, and that you and your associates would need assistance in adapting to the American culture. The only other thing he mentioned is that you were currently experiencing some diplomatic difficulties, and my first task would be to assist you in resolving those difficulties.”

I could see from the nods I got when I looked at Matt, Bill, and Sue that they were favorably impressed with Miss White. I asked, “Do any of you have any questions for Abby?”

All three indicated No with a shake of their heads, so looking at Aaron, I said, “Abby is acceptable to us. I think it would be best if you were to brief her on the details of her assignment.”

I could see that Aaron was gathering his thoughts. “Miss White, before I proceed, I would like to know if you would have a problem working with Doug and these other people, or if you have any other reason for not accepting this assignment.”

“No, Sir.”

“What I am about to divulge to you Miss White is currently classified as Top Secret information. You are not to discuss this information with anyone other than the President, the Secretary of State, Ken Smythe, myself, and Doug’s family and immediate associates. Do you understand this restriction?”

“Yes, Sir, I have dealt with classified information before and know what is expected of me.”

“Miss White, Mister Smith and most of his associates were not born on this planet.”

Aaron stopped to let that sink in. Abby’s expression was of surprise. “Sir, I am assuming that you are serious. If I understand what you just said, Doug and some of the other people in this room are from another planet. Is that correct?”

I answered with, “Actually, Abby, my home world is in a different universe. Matt, Bill, and Sue were born on Earth; but I, my bodyguards, and all the remaining ladies in this room come from other universes.”

Abby was looking around the room with a look of amazement on her face. “Doug, none of you are what I would have expected an alien to look like. As far as I can tell you are human.”

“Actually, we are human. There are many universes and humanity has spread to those universes. In my society, we collectively refer to these universes, including Earth’s universe, as the Multiverse.

“I took Matt, his wife, Bill, and Sue to several worlds in the Multiverse. The first thing we did was to have them undergo some medical tests. One of those tests indicated that humans from Earth are ninety-eight percent compatible with the rest of the Multiverse.”

Turning to Sue, Abby asked, “What’s it like?”

“Very different in some things, but in most ways it’s the same as Earth. The people seem more polite and courteous. Bill and I experienced many things that we weren’t expecting. We liked most of those things, but there were a few that we didn’t approve of.”

“What type of thing did you disapprove of?”

“I’d rather not go into it at this time. I will admit that looking back on things now, I don’t think they are as bad as they seemed at the time.”

I gave Sue a smile to let her know that I had noticed that she seemed to have changed her opinion about what she had experienced.

Aaron said, “Miss White, Mister Smith’s diplomatic difficulties are that the Multiverse has appointed him to be their Ambassador to Earth. He needs to present his credentials, but Earth does not have a single government. Therefore, it seems appropriate for him to present his credentials to the United Nations. He will also be establishing an Embassy on Earth, but the United Nations cannot grant him the right to establish that Embassy in any of Earth’s countries. Mister Smith would like to establish his Embassy in the United States. Those of us who are aware of Mister Smith’s situation are in favor of his establishing his Embassy here in the US.

“Your first task will be to see that Mister Smith presents his credentials to the United Nations. Your second task is to aid Mister Smith is establishing his Embassy in the United States. Your third task is to aid Mister Smith and his associates in adapting to the American culture. After you have completed those tasks, let the Secretary of State know so he can decide if Mister Smith needs any additional assistance.

“I talked with the Secretary of State about your assignment and we estimate that it will take you somewhere between three and seven years to complete these tasks.”

“Are you interested in accepting this assignment, Miss White?”

“Yes, I am, Mister McCaul.”

“Then it’s my pleasure to appoint you to the position of Foreign Service Specialist in Charge of Extraterrestrial Affairs. However, I do not recommend that you make your new job title known until after Doug’s presence on Earth is made public. In case you do not realize it, that position means that as far as the US Government is concerned, everything that happens between Earth and the Multiverse is your responsibility.”

The look in Abby’s eyes when Aaron said that was one of momentary panic. I don’t think the importance of her new position had registered with her until he had expressed it in that manner.

“Welcome to our group, Abby. I hope you will be happy with us and aid us in my mission of helping the Earth to join the other planets that are part of the Multiverse.”

Changing topics, Aaron said, “You mentioned that you wanted to discuss the Special Investigator that the President assigned to investigate the situation with that Special Agent.”

I could tell that Abby had shifted gears into her professional mode. I said, “Yes, Aaron, we did. There are several other things about Senator Belton that Matt, Bill, Sue, and I plan to tell the Special Investigator. We have a plan for doing that, but I don’t want the President to be caught unaware.”

“I see. The President and I are very well acquainted with Senator Belton’s political power plays. Are these things that Senator Belton did illegal or improper?”

Instead of replying directly to Aaron’s question, Matt replied with, “As you know, Bill, Sue, and I were Homeland Security Agents. We had annual refresher briefings regarding the rules concerning acceptance of gifts from the public.

“Bill and I were in the meeting in Denver when Doug offered Senator Belton a ring as a thank you present for what he was doing for Doug. Senator Belton had arranged for Ken Smythe to provide Doug with an ID and other documentation that he would need to live in the US.

“At the time, Doug stated that the ring was a thank you gift for making the arrangements. It’s my understanding that at that point, the Senator should have refused the gift, since his actions were part of his duties. I am not an expert on jewelry and I do not like gaudy jewelry, so I didn’t examine the ring closely. From what I noticed, the ring’s workmanship was exquisite, so I knew the ring was valuable. I suspected the ring’s value significantly exceeded the dollar limit placed on gifts that public officials were allowed to receive. I didn’t know the ring’s true value until after the meeting ended and the Senator had left. The bottom line is the Senator had to know that he should have refused the gift for at least those two reasons, but he accepted it.”

“If I understand you, Matt, Senator Belton knowingly accepted a gift for using his official position to do Doug a favor, and that the gift exceeded the fifty dollar limit on gifts that public officials can accept from a member of the public. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Sir, that is correct.”

“At the time Doug gave him the ring, how much did you think it was worth?”

“As I said, I’m not a good judge of jewelry and didn’t examine it closely, but I have seen rings that looked similar to Doug’s ring that were worth between two and five hundred dollars.”

“Do you have any idea of the ring’s actual value?”

I interrupted Matt by answering, “Aaron, during the meeting’s lunch break, I took the ring to a jeweler to find out what it was worth. Matt was not told of the ring’s value until after the Senator had left. The jeweler told me that based on his abbreviated appraisal of the ring, it was worth somewhere around eleven million dollars.”

I now had Aaron and Abby’s full attention. “I decided during the meeting that I didn’t like Senator Belton, or his attitude. I suspected that at some time in the future, it might be necessary for me to take action against him. I wasn’t aware of the details regarding the value of gifts a public official was permitted to accept, but I knew it was far less than eleven million dollars. Yes, I set him up, but he cooperated by knowingly violating the rules he was sworn to abide by, because he wanted the ring I offered him. I used his greed to place him in a position that I could use, if it became necessary for me to act against him. He has interfered in my business and hurt my friends in the process of trying to control me. I will not tolerate his continued interference in my affairs.”

“Doug, in giving him this ring, did you say or do anything that would cause him to believe that the ring was not valuable?”

“Aaron, you know that to a man in my profession, value is a relative thing. Despite the fact that I have been appointed Ambassador, I am still a trader. I know that merchandise that has a low value at one location, can have a much greater value when it’s moved to a different location. I explained this fact in the meeting with Senator Belton, so I know he was aware that value is relative.

“To answer your question more directly, to me the ring is a piece of cheap jewelry. Its loss was not important to me, and I told Senator Belton that I had purchased the ring in a costume jewelry store, but I didn’t mention the price I paid. I also neglected to inform the Senator that the store was on my home planet of Vora. Anyone here on Earth could look at that ring and see that it was valuable here on Earth. I believe that he knew the ring was worth more than fifty dollars, but he didn’t ask and I didn’t tell.”

“I’m quite sure the President will appreciate your information, Doug. I happen to know that he has never liked the Senator, and he was furious at the Senator for lying to us about you. I suspect that he will laugh his ass off when he learns how you set the Senator up for a fall. For the record, as far as I am concerned, you never said anything about intentionally setting up the Senator.

“Personally, I hope I never upset someone who is willing to use a ring worth eleven million dollars as bait in a trap. I want those types of people as my friends; they are too dangerous to have as enemies!”

I noticed Abby was smiling.

“Abby good woman. Abby think you hurt Senator. Abby not like Senator. Abby think you friend.”

We had finished our business, so Aaron said goodbye and left. Abby stayed with us to talk about what I needed her to do first.

Turning my attention to Abby, I said, “Since you are now attached to my mission as our official liaison, I have several things for you to do. We live in Denver, Colorado, and my family and I are in the process of moving to a ranch that I purchased. The ranch is about halfway between Greely and Fort Morgan. You will need to move to Colorado, so I want you to take care of any professional or personal obligations that you may have so you can join us in Colorado.

“I believe it will be necessary for you to reside near our future home, so I am inviting you to reside at my Embassy. At the moment, that facility doesn’t exist. But shortly, it will be a group of mobile homes and portable buildings. I am having an Embassy compound designed for my family and staff; but I do not expect the Embassy building (which will also be my home) to be ready for occupancy, for at least a couple of years. It will probably take an additional year or two to complete the construction of the entire compound.

“I would like for us to meet with the Secretary General of the United Nations or his representative before we return home, so we can inform him of my circumstances. It’s my understanding that no one has ever presented diplomatic credentials to the United Nations. Since it has never happened, there is no established protocol for doing so. We need to determine what the proper procedure should be, so I can present my credentials.”

“Once I return home, I will attend to whatever needs to be done. Then I will need to make a quick trip back to the Multiverse to take care of some business. I want you to go with me so you can personally experience the Multiverse. If you remain in this position, you will get to know the Multiverse very well for we will make many business trips to take care of my Ambassadorial duties, and to take care of my personal and professional affairs.”

“Doug, you mentioned that you are a trader when talking with Aaron. Are your trading trips very profitable?”

“Yes, they are very profitable, Abby. The ring I gave the Senator is a perfect example. I don’t recall what I paid for the ring but it was the equivalent of about thirty dollars on Vora. Here on Earth, its value is around eleven million. If I had sold the ring, I would have made an enormous profit. So far, I normally buy sugar and sell it in the Multiverse, and I buy gold and platinum bullion to sell on Earth. I am in the process of adding to my lines of merchandise. During the trip I took with Bill and Sue, I made a net profit of around fourteen million dollars. I haven’t calculated my net profit for the trip I took with Matt and his wife Mary, but I estimate it will net me around twenty million dollars. I should mention that a trip normally takes about three weeks from the time I depart until I return, for I attend to personal business while in the Multiverse. If I pushed myself, I could complete a trip in less than one week.”

“If you can make that much money trading, why are you working as an Ambassador?”

“I am a very wealthy man here on Earth. I am an even wealthier man in the Multiverse. I no longer need to work to survive. Trading made me wealthy both here and in the Multiverse. I feel that I owe the people of Earth a debt, and by fulfilling the post of Ambassador, I have a chance to repay the people of Earth for the wealth I earned by my trading activities between Earth and the Multiverse.

“There is more to that story, and you will probably learn it over the next year or so, but for now that is all I have time to share with you.”

“It’s getting close to dinner time, Abby. Join us for dinner so I can introduce you to the rest of our group.”

The hotel was very accommodating. Our party was so large that they had gotten in the habit of providing us with seating in a private dining area that was typically used for birthdays and other celebrations. After putting in our orders, I began introducing Abby.

“Listen up everyone, this lady is Miss Abigail White, and she prefers Abby. Abby is on loan to us from the State Department. She is going to be our liaison and help make our lives a little easier.”

Of course, I had to say that in English and in Trade Speak. I will be happy when everyone in my group can speak English.

“Abby, the two men seated at the end of the table are Andy and Fitz, and the one standing behind us is Mac. These three men are members of my security staff, and they are currently serving as my bodyguards. They are usually happier, but they are uncomfortable without their stunners.”

That got a bit of a laugh, for we knew it was an understatement of how they actually felt. Abby said Hi, and I continued.

“You met Matt in our meeting, and the lady next to him is his wife Mary. Matt was with Homeland Security until Senator Belton pulled his power play. He resigned in protest over how HS treated Bill and Sue.

“You met Bill and Sue, and I think you got most of their story in our meeting.”

Abby nodded and said hello to them.

“The two women sitting next to Art and Fitz are Sereine and Sandy. Sereine is the one with the Bushbie sitting next to her. Sereine now would be a good time for you to introduce Coral.”

Sereine smiled and looked over at Coral, “Coral, this is Abby White and she is a friend. Abby, this is Coral.”

Abby waved to Sereine, and said, “Hello, Coral.

“Doug, why am I being introduced to your pets?”

“Abby that is a long story and I will tell it to you later. For now, the short version is Bushbies are sentient beings. Coral is bonded to Sereine and Sto is bonded to me. They are extremely protective of the person with whom they are bonded. Introducing you to them lets them know you are a member of the group. They accept that you are supposed to be here, so they are less likely to misinterpret your actions.”

“Are you saying that they are dangerous animals?

“Animal is not a word appropriate to a Bushbie; at least in the sense you mean it. They may look like an animal and act like an animal, but as I said they are sentient beings. They are less intelligent than humans are, but they are capable of logical thinking and they satisfy most of the criteria for being labeled sentient beings. We think of them as friends, companions, or partners.

“As far as them being dangerous, they are only dangerous to those who would harm a person they are defending. Would you be dangerous to someone who was attacking a friend?”

“Point taken, and I apologize if I offended anyone.”

“Well, Sereine is a Police Officer with the Multiverse Law Enforcement Agency. She is here to establish and manage a Trade Checkpoint. That’s something else that I will explain later.