Byzantium Summit

Grazia nodded, as both Atl and Gallo spoke. She was listening with great care, trying to detect any hidden intentions through their intonations or their facial expressions. It was something she had picked up during her first years in the Foreign Service, when she saw her then boss being double crossed during a negotiation, and later discovering that the opposing negotiator had displayed all the classic signs of a liar, even though neither she nor her boss had noticed. She spent the next couple of years studying all the signs, discovering all the secrets, and training her ability to know when she was being lied to. She was no expert, but she could detect enough in a situation to feel comfortable or otherwise.

She was not feeling distressed in this situation. "I can agree to that, if the Deputy Secretary will consent to hosting us. I also agree to extending an invitation to Seloana. Though plagued with serious issues, they will be a reliable partner, and the mutual assistance we can lend each other will be invaluable."