[IC] The Great Meeting

Palazzo Malzo

Valerio leaned back on his chair, leaving his cup on the table. He knew the soldier was lying to his face, and the soldier obviously knew they were both aware of that fact, even if nothing was being admitted. A few seconds of silence, and then the Council President stood up and went to the nearby window, looking upon the Giardino Rosso. Located behind the Palazzo Malso, it was first planted in 1957, when one his precedessors decided to turn an unused plaza into a place for relaxation. Known for its abudance of red flowers, the Giardino Rosso was technically open to the public, but its relatively hidden location meant that few people would actually visit it. If one wanted to see the Council President or other high ranking officials, the Giardino Rosso was a good place to find them.

Since his days as Housing Councillor, Valerio made a point to spend at least half an hour reading in the Giardino every day, and that habit had carried on when he was appointed Council President. As he was gazing at the Giardino, he wished he could go read at that time. Turning around to face the soldier, he spoke again, this time with few vestiges from his earlier friendly tone:

"Let me be clear soldier. Sartoria is not an uncivilised nation to which you can enter on your own volition, to your own purposes and unspecified goals. We are a nation of laws and traditions, and that means being upfront about your purposes. If your purpose here is sincere, then the correct course of action would have been to openly request admission to our territory, in your capacity as foreign envoys. If your purpose here follows an underlying motive, then you have no business in our land."

He approached the soldier, calmly but determined, and sat in front of him, close enough as if to emphasise the seriousness of what he was saying. "You will all be detained as undocumented immigrants until your presence can be explained by the Procellian Government. All the guarantees of due process will be respected, and you will receive fair treatment, but know that whether your actions are sanctioned or unsanctioned, you just caused serious damage to the nascent relationship between Sartoria and Procellia."

Valerio walked towards the door, calling on an agent to take the Sergeant to his soldiers, who were in one of the reception rooms at the Palazzo, where they had been offered food. Then he went to his office to talk with the Foreign Councillor.