Chapter 23

The next morning, Abby, Andy, Sto, and I went to the State Department, so Abby could deliver her report. I met her boss, Ryan Charles, and Abby introduced me as Ambassador Doug Smith. I suggested that we be informal and use first names, which he agreed to.

Her boss was surprised by my being an Ambassador and wanted to know where I was from. Abby gave him her written report, and said, “Mister Charles, I think you need to read my report. It will answer many of your questions in an efficient manner.”

Ryan accepted the report and began rapidly reviewing it. Several times, he looked up and started to say something, but stopped and returned to reading the report. After reviewing the report, Ryan said, “It appears that your assignment has been very interesting so far, Miss White.”

“Err, yes, Sir. It’s far more than I had expected when you assigned me to be Doug’s liaison.”

“That’s very true. I felt that you needed a low profile assignment and this seemed very low profile at the time. If I had known then, what I know now, I would have given the assignment to someone else. Fortunately, our Ambassador has been able to resolve the circumstances that necessitated me giving you a low profile assignment. Are you satisfied with Miss White’s performance, Doug?”

“I am very satisfied, Ryan. She has been able to cut through the bureaucratic red tape on more than one occasion. My life would have been far more complex, if she had not been assisting me.

“I don’t believe it’s necessary for me to say this, Ryan, but to prevent the possibility of a misunderstanding, Abby was in no way responsible for the error that led to her being identified as Earth’s Ambassador while we were in the Multiverse. That situation occurred because we have a highly respected, senior legislator who fills a hereditary Council position and he is senile. He cannot be removed from his position as a Council Member, so he was assigned to a committee where he would not be able to create a serious problem for the Multiverse Government. The committee chairwoman who oversees his department assigned a caretaker as the Councilor’s assistant. Unfortunately, the caretaker was called away by a family emergency. On the surface, the Councilor appears to be rationale and cognizant of his surroundings. With the exception of his caretaker, the people in his department were not aware of the extent of his senility, so they followed his instructions.”

“Doug, Abby is one of my better Foreign Service officers. She hasn’t been with us for very long and doesn’t have the experience of our more senior officers. However, I know that she would not knowingly do anything inappropriate.

“Abby attached a personal note to her report to inform me that she has unwittingly become involved with you in a personal relationship. She is concerned that this relationship might be interpreted as inappropriate conduct on her part, since her official position is that of your liaison officer. Abby, I would like to know how someone unwittingly becomes involved in a personal relationship.”

“Well, Sir, while we were in the Multiverse, I found myself becoming attracted to Doug on a personal level, but nothing happened between us. When we returned to Earth, I was exposed to his companion’s sexual pheromones, and I became overwhelmed by a desire to have sex with him. I feel that our sexual activity changed our relationship, and I am not certain if I want to return to a platonic relationship. I also feel that if we allow our relationship to take its natural course, people will feel that I am guilty of inappropriate behavior.”

“Yes, that does put you in a rather difficult position, Miss White. How do you feel about the situation, Mister Ambassador, and please explain Miss White’s reference to sexual pheromones?”

I could tell by the formal mode of address that Ryan felt he was in a difficult situation.

“Some women in the Multiverse exude sexual pheromones when they first reach their sexual maturity. That happened to one of my ladies just before our return. She attacked me sexually, and in the process, Miss White and another lady in my party were exposed to the pheromones. The pheromones create an irresistible need to have sex with the people who are near you. The result was the four of us having group sex with each other. The circumstances, which led to the situation between Miss White and I, was a one-time thing and it’s unlikely to reoccur.

“I believe that Miss White is a professional who can perform her duties independent of any personal relationship that may develop between us. With that in mind, I would like to request that Miss White be allowed to continue as my liaison officer.”

“I am going to add a letter to your personnel file, Miss White. The letter will state that on this date you voluntarily notified me of the change in your personal relationship with Ambassador Smith. It will state that after investigating the situation, I decided that you would be able to satisfactorily perform the duties associated with your position in a professional manner. I will also note that, in my professional opinion, you should remain in your current position.”

Ryan seemed more friendly when he said, “I hope the two of you will be discrete should you choose to continue your relationship and not make me regret my decision.”

“Yes, Sir,” Abby said, “I will do my best to warrant the faith you have in me.

“As far as my report goes, Sir, do you have any questions regarding the other aspects I described?”

“No, at least not at this time, Abby. I basically skimmed through it, so I need to reread it with more care, and I may have some questions for you to answer at that time.

“Now if there is nothing else, I have several serious matters that need my attention.”

I could tell that he recognized the seriousness of the situation, but was trying to minimize it.

I said, “Yes, there is one more minor matter, Ryan. Tomorrow morning I am to present my Ambassadorial credentials to the United Nations, and there will be a reception tomorrow evening.

“Miss White’s position in working with my official staff is such that I consider her to be an honorary member of my staff. I have instigated a tradition of my staff wearing a symbol of the Multiverse, and I would be honored if Miss White were allowed to wear this symbol to indicate that she has an official association with my Embassy. Do you have a problem with her wearing this symbol?”

“I will have to give that more consideration and will have to determine the legality of her doing so. What is this symbol?”

“The symbol is a rather expensive pair of earrings that I will issue to the female members of my staff just prior to their attending a diplomatic function. The ladies must return the earrings at the end of the function. I would allow them to keep the earrings, but I am concerned that thieves might harm them in an attempt to steal the earrings.”

“I don’t see this as a problem as long as Miss White is not being given the earrings as a gift. Until I determine otherwise, Miss White has permission to wear the earrings. In case I am asked about liability issues, how much are the earrings worth?”

“I am not holding any of my people liable for loss or theft of their ring or earrings, Ryan, since they are very inexpensive for me to replace. These items were selected for their beauty and for the symbolism of differing values. In the Multiverse, the earrings Miss White will wear are worth about thirty dollars. I am having a pair appraised by an Earth jeweler out of curiosity. From what I have been told by that jeweler, they appear to be worth over a hundred million dollars on Earth.”

Ryan just sat there looking from me to Abby and back to me.

“One hundred million dollars! What type of earrings is worth a hundred million dollars?”

Before Abby could speak, I intervened with, “Each earring of the pair consists of a platinum setting with very high quality, tanzanite and red diamond gems. The diamonds are about fourteen carets each. The jeweler told me that prior to my showing the earrings to him, the largest red diamond known on Earth was a 5.11-caret gem, and it was worth twenty million dollars.”

Turning to Abby, Ryan asked, “How do you feel about wearing a pair of earrings worth over a hundred million dollars?”

“It makes me a little nervous. I didn’t find out the value of the earrings until after Doug had all of us ladies select a pair from the box he passed around. When the box got to me, I just picked out a pair, and passed the box on to the next person. I sat there admiring the earrings, and then Doug explained why he wasn’t going to just give them to us.

“It’s an understatement to say that I was shocked at the value of the earrings here on Earth. It felt very odd to be sitting there holding a pair of earrings that were worth more money here on Earth, than I will ever earn in my lifetime. It was even more unsettling when Mary Crane told me that she would have Doug take us to a costume jewelry shop on Vora so I could buy a pair for myself. She showed me some of the jewelry she purchased in the Multiverse and it was gorgeous. I had a hard time accepting that on Vora it was costume jewelry.

“I guess what I am trying to say is, now that I know their value in the Multiverse, their Earth value doesn’t impress me like it otherwise would.”

“Yes, I think I understand what you are saying, Abby. I recall a passage in your report about Doug buying things cheaply on Earth, or in the Multiverse, and selling them at an extreme profit at the other location. I guess that’s the symbolism that the earrings are supposed to represent.

“I think I’ve had all the surprises that I can take for one day, so I suggest the two of you get out of here, so I can do the paperwork to document this meeting. That will probably take me the rest of the day.”

Abby told me about a little restaurant that she liked, which wasn’t too far from the State Department. We went there for lunch after I stopped in to say ‘Hi’ to Ken and Charlie.

After giving our orders to the waitress, I asked, “Why did you include that note about our personal relationship?”

“I was very conflicted, Doug. In my position, I am to refrain from having a personal relationship with the people I have been assigned to as a liaison officer. What happened between us was not voluntary on either of our parts; however, I enjoyed it very much.

“I like you, Doug, and I am not opposed to investigating the possibility of a more permanent relationship with you. That’s what’s causing me to have mixed feelings. If I were sure that I would not have sex with you in the future, I would think of what happened as a one-time thing that didn’t need to be reported. However, I suspect I am going to end up in a very torrid love affair with you for I can tell that my feelings for you are headed in that direction.

“Like you said, I am a professional. I feel that a professional should acknowledge such a change in their relationship to their superiors, and allow them to make a decision regarding possible reassignment. So that’s what I did.”

“That’s probably the only way you could handle the situation, Abby. I have similar feelings about you, and I have been trying to avoid them to allow you to do what you feel is best for you.

“Now that the issue is out in the open, I plan to pursue a closer relationship between us. I doubt that I would ever just toss you over my shoulder and carry you off to my bed. However, if you decide to join me there, you will be very welcome. Between now and then, I hope we become very good friends.

“You know, Abby, it’s going to be a relief to finally present my credentials. Recently, my entire life has been centered on making that presentation. My schedule has been driven by whether I should perform an action before or after I make the presentation. Now that I will no longer have to maintain the secrecy of my origin, I will be able to do what needs doing as quickly as possible.

“Unfortunately, I fear that I will now have to deal with all of those crackpots that Matt has been telling me about. We will need to get the Embassy Compound built as soon as possible. That’s the primary area where you can assist me at this time. Do you recall that Building Department Manager that we met in Greeley? I think he may try to create a problem for us. If he does try, is there anything that you can do to negate his attempt?”

“Yes, I recall that idiot. I don’t think that there is anything that I can do directly to overrule any decisions that he may make. An indirect approach to the potential problem may be a better way to gain his cooperation, and I will check into it when we get back.”

“What do you have in mind, Abby?”

“Well, I saw Mister Mason, at least I think that was his name, in his office before we ran into him. The photos on the wall seem to indicate that he is married to one of Greeley’s socialites. His demeanor reminds me of a hen-pecked man who is under his wife’s thumb. Most socialites like to get their names and faces in the papers. If his wife is a socialite, then I will start a rumor indicating that the county’s senior administrative personnel who are involved in the construction of the Embassy will be invited to the Embassy’s Grand Opening. She will automatically assume that her husband will be on the list of attendees, since he is the head of the Building Department.

“If Mister Mason is the type of man I think he is, then he will be very diligent to avoid upsetting his wife. He will need a very valid reason for causing us any problems once his wife makes her desires known to him. Of course that means it would be a good idea for you to invite the local politicians to the opening.”

“I know. I had planned to invite the Federal, State, and local County politicians. Good relations with them will be imperative in the future. I will also be inviting a number of International political figures, especially those that I will be dealing with in the coming years. You will be very helpful in assisting me with determining who to invite.

“How to hold an opening for the number of people I want to invite is going to be a problem. I expect that we will have around eight hundred American politicians invited and I would not be surprised if the international guest list exceeds a thousand people. Those numbers don’t include their companions. I want the event held at the Embassy, but the Embassy will be too small to hold a sit-down dinner for over thirty-six hundred people.

“Furthermore, placing someone like Mister Mason in a captive environment with the royalty of Europe sounds like it would be a social disaster. The only solution that I can come up with is, divide the invitees into multiple groups and hold the opening on three or four nights. Then the problem will be which group to invite for the first night, and who will be there on the last night. I suppose that I will be insulting someone whichever way I do it.”

“I agree it can be a problem. I suppose the only way you are going to please everyone is to hold the Grand Opening as an open house from let’s say nine-to-nine. If you want, you could make it an informal event and combine it with a Texas Barbecue that would serve barbecued beef, beans, and coleslaw from say five to nine PM. That way everyone will be free to mingle, and won’t be stuck sitting next to a Mister Mason.

“You can also send out invitations to the people you will be dealing with the most to meet with you on other occasions. That way everyone gets to come to the Grand Opening, and you will be able to hold a series of small dinner parties afterward to discuss specific business matters.”

“Yeah, I like that idea. I suggested to Sandy that she be our social secretary and event planner. That idea will give her a lot of work to do. It will also allow me to have a larger guest list.”

Abby was right. The food at the restaurant was very good. After I paid our bill, we headed back to the hotel. No one was in the room when we arrived. I called Bill to find out what was going on. My group had gotten tired of waiting for Abby and me to return, so Bill and Sue took everyone to lunch in the hotel dining room. They would be finished eating soon, and would come back to the room then.

We had to get to New York City and check-in at the hotel that was reserved for us. When everyone was back, I said, “We need to get going, so we can be at the hotel in New York City. Once we get checked-in, what should we do for the rest of the day?”

Rita said, “We don’t know about you men, but we ladies need to get our hair done; and that includes you, Abby. Sue called for appointments at the hotel beauty parlor, and we are all going to get our hair done, facials, manicures, and pedicures this afternoon.”

I looked at Bill, who said, “I have no plans, what do you have in mind?”

When I turned to Fitz, he said, “I’m security for the ladies, so I will be busy until they are done.”

“Then I suggest that Bill, Andy, and I go get haircuts and massages. Perhaps you can get a haircut and massage once the ladies are done, Fitz.”

Three hours later, we arrived in New York and checked into the hotel. The ladies left to get their hair done and we gentlemen took care of our needs also. We were a very stylish looking group over dinner that evening. After returning to the room, I called Matt and Mary. We discussed picking them up at their house tomorrow morning. They would have to be here no later than 7:00 tomorrow morning. That meant that Sereine and I had to pick them up at 5:00 in the morning, Denver time. We settled on Sereine and me hopping into their living room at a quarter to 5:00. Later that night, I found that none of my ladies wanted to ruin their hairstyle in bed. All we did was sleep.

I didn’t know it, but my ladies had asked the desk for a 4:30 wakeup call. They had to get ready to go to the United Nations, before going down for breakfast. When they got back to the room, the only thing they would have to do is slip into their dresses and put on their earrings.

We made it to breakfast a little before 6:00. Everyone was excited and rushed through breakfast. When we got back to the room, I hopped Sereine and myself to Matt and Mary’s home. They were ready and waiting for us, so after exchanging greetings, Sereine hopped us back to the hotel room. A few minutes later, our room phone rang and it was the desk letting us know that our limousines were here to pick us up.

Sereine and I had discussed this presentation with Coral and Sto. They would have caused too much of a stir at the United Nations, so Sereine and I had decided it would be best if they remained behind.

I don’t know when the President and his party got into New York City, but Aaron greeted us in the hotel lobby. He and the President were to attend this event with me. The President was waiting in his limousine for Aaron to return. There were three empty limousines waiting for my party and me. The police and Secret Service escort got us through the morning traffic quickly. We arrived at the United Nations building in plenty of time.

Everyone in the area noticed when the caravan of Presidential limousines arrived at the United Nations. The Secret Service escorted the President, Aaron, their wives, and us through the crowd, and into a waiting area that Amir had reserved for us.

While we waited, the President and Aaron’s wives started a conversation with my ladies. My ladies’ English was just barely adequate to maintain a conversation, so I was occasionally called upon to translate.

After twenty minutes of conversation, the First Lady said to Mary, “I have been admiring the earrings you ladies are wearing. I think they are gorgeous and I wouldn’t mind getting a pair for myself. Where did you buy them?”

Mary took her earrings off handing them to the First Lady to examine. “Doug bought the earrings in the Multiverse, for the Embassy ladies to wear at official functions. They were quite reasonably priced, but if you were to get a pair for yourself, you might cause problems for your husband.”

“Why would my getting a pair of earrings cause him problems?”

Mary smiled and said, “They were very inexpensive in the Multiverse, but they would cause him problems, for here on Earth they are very expensive. Doug told us that a jeweler, who is appraising a pair like mine, estimated their value at over one hundred million dollars per pair.”

The First Lady was stunned, but said, “My God! I would love to have a pair, but my husband would kill me if I were to pay that much for earrings. If I wore them in public, the newspapers would be all over him screaming bribery and corruption.”

She reluctantly handed them back to Mary. I could see Aaron’s wife counting the number of women in the room wearing those earrings. Turning to the First Lady, she said, “My God, do you realize we are sitting in a room with almost a billion dollars of jewelry.”

Before the First Lady could respond, Bashira stepped into the room and asked us to accompany him. He led us to the seating area along the side of the General Assembly room and asked us to wait there until he returned. It was still early, but the delegates were beginning to take their seats. We received numerous curious looks from the members, for they all recognized the President of the United States.

A little before 9:00, Secretary-General Amir Jahrud and his aide Bashira Temba joined us. Bill had briefed me on the procedure that he and Bashira had agreed upon, and Amir reviewed it briefly with me. It was very short and simple. Amir would make a very brief opening statement defining who I was and my purpose for being here. I would then state that I wished to present my credentials, and Amir would accept them. After that, I would make a brief statement regarding my future intent, and we would end the ceremony. Amir and I would then adjourn to his office where we would take care of the remaining formalities. Bashira would take the podium as we departed to announce that I would make a short appearance at the pressroom at 11:00, to answer a few questions from the press.

At exactly 9:00 o’clock, Amir mounted the speaker’s platform, and walked to the podium.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

“Today, we are gathered here to participate in an unparalleled event. Last month the American State Department contacted me requesting a meeting to discuss a very important matter.

“My aide Bashira Temba met with the American delegation to determine what they wished to discuss. When he was informed of the subject matter, he asked them to wait, and immediately came to inform me of this event. I canceled my next meeting, and personally went to meet with the delegation.

“The American delegation introduced me to Mister Doug Smith. They then informed me that Mister Smith was an Ambassador who had been sent to Earth by the Multiverse Government, which is the government of an intergalactic society. Mister Smith had been appointed to the position of the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth, and he was here to present his Ambassadorial Credentials to the government of Earth.

“Since the United Nations is the closest thing we have to a planetary government, I accepted the responsibility of determining if the gentleman was what he claimed to be. My investigation has shown that he is of extraterrestrial origin, and after consulting with a few key advisers, I decided that it is appropriate for the United Nations to accept his credentials on behalf of the planet.

“At this time, I would like to present the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth, Mister Doug Smith, to you, the representatives of Earth’s Governments.”

I stood with my credentials in hand, and walked to the podium. Amir stepped back from the microphone so I could take his place behind the podium.

“Thank you, Mister Secretary-General. I wish to thank you for the kind words you have spoken on my behalf. At this time, I would like to present you with my Ambassadorial Credentials, which identify me as the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth.”

Amir stepped toward me as I extended the portfolio containing my credentials. Reaching out, he took the portfolio from me so he could open it and examine the contents.

After scanning the contents, he closed the portfolio, and said, “Thank you, Mister Ambassador. I accept your credentials on the behalf of the people of Earth, and I wish to welcome you to our planet. I hope that your time with us will be beneficial to all.”

Turning back to the representatives, I stepped to the microphone and said, “I have a message from the Multiverse Government for the people of Earth.

“The Multiverse Government, and the people it represents, would like to extend an invitation to the people of Earth to join them as part of the consortium of civilized planets that make up the Multiverse.

“I have been sent here as the Multiverse Government’s Ambassador, so I may aid in the development of relations between the Multiverse and Earth. During the coming years, I expect to work with the United Nations, and its representatives, to develop an understanding of our respective cultures and people.

“You may ask why the people of Earth should associate with the people of the Multiverse, and the answer is simple. We each have many things that we can offer the other. However, the Multiverse Government is very much aware of the risks inherent in an unrestricted association between our two cultures. Therefore, it will be part of my duties here on Earth to establish a time-phased plan for each of our two cultures to learn about the other.

“By presenting my credentials today, I have taken the first step toward our two cultures engaging in that period of learning. I anticipate many meetings and discussions during the coming years, in which my staff and I will be in contact with the Secretary-General and the United Nations’ representatives to discuss matters of mutual importance.

“It’s my understanding that at this time, the Secretary-General and I have several items to take care of concerning my credentials. I want to thank everyone here today for the courtesy you have shown me in listening to my message.”

Amir led me off the platform and we gathered the remaining members of my group. As we left, I heard Bashira making his announcement. Once we reached Amir’s office, we took care of the boring stuff that needed to be done; that stuff no one cares to hear about or do. I had to fill in forms and read various documents. By the time I finished, it was almost 11:00, so Amir and Bashira escorted us to the pressroom.

The press representatives were eager to question me. Amir and I no sooner appeared at the podium than the reporters started screaming questions at me. Making quieting motions with his hands, Amir eventually reduced the shouts to a dull roar that the audio system was able to overcome.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Mister Smith will only take a limited number of questions today. He will host a press conference next month, to accept a broader range of questions. For today, I will pick reporters at random and the reporter will be allowed one question.”

Amir pointed to a gentleman toward the rear of the room. “Do you have a question you would like to ask?”

“You said that you are from the Multiverse. What is the Multiverse?”

“Ah,” I said, “a difficult question, immediately. The Multiverse is a very large, complex organization. In simple terms, it’s a consortium of civilized planets that banded together for the good of all Member Planets. Currently there are over ten thousand Member Planets in the consortium, and around thirty more planets that have Provisional Membership. Since these planets are scattered through numerous universes, we refer to the consortium as the Multiverse.”

Amir pointed to a young woman up front, and asked if she had a question.

“Yes, I can’t help but notice that all the women in your party are wearing identical earrings. Is there a reason for this?”

“Yes, there is. In the Multiverse, I am referred to as a Dimensional Hopper or D-Hopper for short. D-Hopping is a rare talent that allows a person to travel between two universes instantaneously. I was a trader that used this talent to look for a world that had inexpensive merchandise that could be sold for a very large profit in the Multiverse. When I arrived on Earth, I located several items of merchandise that satisfied that criteria. The motto of a D-Hopper is buy low, sell high.

“I registered the location of Earth with my Guild Headquarters. In the process, I was selected to be the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth. A couple of months after I accepted that position, I decided that the Embassy should have a visual symbol, which people could identify with the Embassy. While we were in the Multiverse, I bought the earrings that my female associates are currently wearing. I also bought rings like the one I am wearing for the men. Following my motto, I purchased the jewelry in the Multiverse at a very low price. At the same time, I knew that it would be extremely expensive jewelry on Earth. Thus the rings and earrings symbolize my motto of buy low, sell high.

“I look upon the rings and earrings not only as a symbol of my motto, but also as a symbol of my mission, which is to protect the citizens of Earth from traders who would harm and take advantage of Earth’s citizens in order to make a profit.”