12 Purple Files - Audio Memory

[proudambassador]

[A heavy sigh is the first thing that’s heard before Ambassador’s voice speaks.]
Vir. How many gods are there in our pantheon? I have lost count, since the last emperor was elevated to godhood.

[A much younger male voice answers him. It’s nervous and anxious and sounds a little flustered.] 48. No, no, 49. 50, if you count Zuug, but, you know, I never thought you should—

[Ambassador interrupts him.] All right. Let us say 50.

[Vir again.] 50.

[There’s a wry, sarcastic edge to Ambassador’s voice.] Now. Out of that 50. How many gods do you think I must have offended to have ended up with ---‘s teeth buried so deeply in my throat that I can barely breathe?

[A beat.] All of them?

Sounds right. [Ambassador sounded tired.] And now I have to go back to the Council and explain to them that in the interest of peace the Centauri government will agree to “give” Quadrant 37 to the ---. [He sighed.] I think I will stick my head in the station’s fusion reactor. It would be quicker. And I suspect, after a while, I might even come to enjoy it!

[Vir sounded very unsure.] Ambassador, why—

[Ambassador ignored the attempted interruption.] But this, this. This, this is like being… nibbled to death by, uh… [He makes an annoyed noise.] What are those Earth creatures called? Feathers. Long bill. Webbed feet. Go quack.

[There’s a pause, and then Vir sounded triumphant.] Cats!

Cats. [Ambassador sounded disgusted.] I’m being nibbled to death by cats.

Comments

[lingeringlegacy]

A glimpse of life as an ambassador?

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

[This gets a genuine chuckle.]

And so my name, it is shown to fit well, is it not, my dear Stellaris?

[lingeringlegacy]

It would be odd if it doesn't. Then I would have to reconsider the popular view on how dreams work.

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

A good point. I wonder, sometimes, if I was good at what I did. Now, I know no more, except that sometimes, it was stressful, but this, it makes sense.

[lingeringlegacy]

Good or not, I can't imagine brokering peace to be an easy task. So as long as your intentions are sincere, it is commendable.

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

That is the question, is it not? I know what they were, what I wanted, but was that proper? I know not.

[lingeringlegacy]

What was it that you wanted?

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

That, I answered in my dream. It is a complicated question, my dear girl. Perhaps it can be our topic when time has been found for an outing with you and I, hm?

[lingeringlegacy]

That's an agreeable suggestion. Do you have any specific destination in mind?

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

Somewhere that does not have a great deal of traffic, hm? Where one can be seated?

[lingeringlegacy]

Hmm... how about the tea house?