To: Kusarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs | From: Bretonian Embassy

[The Kingdom of Bretonia]

Blunt giggled and tried to muff it. There was a bonsai inside the room. Blunt had never seen a real bonsai before despite being supposed to work as an ambassador to Kusari, and the notion of the tiny tree was cute and funny to her. About 20 years ago, she barely pulled herself through law studies thanks to smart donations to correct pockets by her wealthy mother, who was a manager in telecommunications company with ties to the government. She was now very happy with her new job, but she had no idea that she had been appointed to it not because she was competent, but because she wasn't. Blunt had never spoken with the Kusarian government before and this giggle at a bonsai was her first interaction with it. But as if she was an ancient actress wearing two theatre masks one underneath the other, the assertiveness of her feminist convictions, or even religion, would come in contrast with the frivolousness. It was not the ambiguous duplicity that many experienced Bretonian politicians systematically employed with strategy and calculation, it was just pure impulsiveness. If one could give Mrs Blunt a compliment, it is that she spoke as she meant. Would someone entrust her with sensitive information? Probably not. She was just a tool and any Kusarian who was half-thorough could read her biography and understand that. There was a certain atmosphere in the room, an expectation of amusement about what Mrs Blunt was about to say (or rather, how many unwritten rules she would break saying it) -- and an anticipation that Mrs Blunt would quickly finish saying it. But of course, she was blissfully unaware of any of that.

"Hello. I am ambassador Blunt, Henriette Blunt". Her feminist ego was nourished when she sounded like a macho film hero to herself, except that this time it sounded awkward because she said it through a muffed giggle. "I wish you all a good day and I must lay out Bretonia's demands." A good diplomat would have softened up the sensitive word, but Mrs Blunt liked being able to demand things from men. "We demand that Kusari withdraws from Tau-31, that you start peace negotiations with our allies the Crayter Republic and that you send a copy of the treaty you have signed with Gallia to the Foreign Office."

Was she told to say it like this, or she meant to say it like this? Or perhaps she was told to say it differently by someone who knew she would say it like this? The actual question was, what this someone really wanted? Would bending these demands anger Mrs Blunt, or Bretonia? The Kusarians could correctly estimate that Mrs Blunt herself was someone's mask, but everything else needed further examination.

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