MISC: The Girl Who Saved The World Part 15 or so

[George Phillies]

The Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire continues his remarks:

“Having said that, the Protector of the Three Holy Places has at his 
beck and call what is undoubtedly the most powerful group of personas in 
the entire world. There is therefore no need for foreign groups to enter 
the Lands of Peace in pursuit of the Namestone. Such an entry would 
provoke unfortunate consequences for the intruders, for which the 
Defender of the Faithful could not possibly take responsibility.” 
Buncombe brought to mind several ancient American adages involving the 
concept of the slow train wreck. It seemed more than a bit likely that 
several foreign powers would be perfectly happy to have their persona 
teams invade the territory of other foreign powers with what would be 
claimed to be the best of intentions, do astonishing amounts of 
collateral damage to key industrial facilities, and then leave. The net 
result, he suspected, would not be entirely favorable for world peace or 
local property values, even before the Bearer started resisting the 
persona teams trying to capture her. The Grand Vizier passed the 
Speaking Stone to Legate Hong.

“Already the Great Khan, the Emperor of Manjukuo and All Mongolia, from 
the center of the world to the Polar Sea, has issued the most 
fundamental of all orders: ‘Men and women of the Horde! To your horses!’ 
All the personas and all the soldiers of all Manjukuo are immediately 
ready to advance against the Bearer, no matter where she is found, so 
soon as she can be located. There is no doubt but that she will be 
overwhelmed and her stolen artifact recovered for all the people of the 
world.”

Buncombe steeled himself for the bloviations of the remaining 
ambassadors. The Russians would undoubtedly interpret the German remarks 
as a threat of war. The French and the Austro-Hungarians would speak of 
welcoming the Bearer into their midst, and using tactful means to 
persuade the bearer to use the Namestone as the League requested. It 
seemed unlikely that either Davout or Ferencz would be able to explain 
the concept ‘tact’ to many of their fellow ambassadors. Buncombe 
realized that while he was collecting his thoughts the Speaking Stone 
had moved several more times, so the Sikh Ambassador was speaking.

“Finally,” Ambassador Singh said, “I have have been asked to bring word 
from the Tibetan Lamanate.  While the Dalai Lama is temporarily absent 
awaiting reincarnation, the Sera Lama has extended an open invitation to 
this Miss Eclipse to visit Tibet to meditate with him on the hazard that 
the Holy Namestone creates for her soul, for surely a device that grants 
all worldly desires will distract us all from tranquil meditation. 
Indeed, the Sera Lama counsels us all that we should abandon our 
interest in the temptations offered by the Namestone, in favor of the 
celestial awards resulting from renouncing all worldly goods.”

The Speaking Stone eventually reached the American Ambassador. “Mind 
you,” Buncombe said, “I would be remiss in my duties as Ambassador of 
the American Republic if I did not note that most of our citizens have a 
complete lack of sympathy with the League’s assertion that it has a 
claim on the Namestone.