MISC: The Girl Who Saved the World, Part 23

[George Phillies]

Meanwhile I needed more food, but the healing matrix said first I needed 
some really rigorous stretch and bend exercises, my partly-healed ribs 
protesting where force fields kept them clamped absolutely rigidly 
together. Then I got to eat. Cooking is a big time sink, there being 
only one of me, but I actually can cook, so some of my lentil, spinach, 
and kielbasa stew moved from freezer to microwave, followed by shredded 
lettuce, slivered carrots, and a few artichokes onto a big salad plate. 
Lemon juice, a scoop of chickpeas and chopped onions marinated in Roman 
salad dressing, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese followed. After dinner 
would be a short nap, and then chemistry and astronomy.  I had cleaned 
the house thoroughly before I left. It could wait a few more days.

GR, be honest with myself.  The short nap was another nine hours. I lay 
down on my bed, pulled the quilt up to my shoulders, and when I awoke it 
was well closer to dawn than dusk. Yes, when I need to I can really draw 
deeply on my gifts.  Afterward I pay a price, and not a small one, 
either.  Perhaps someday, when I grow up, that won’t be as much of an 
issue.  But right now I’m only me, and I only have the gifts that I 
have.  On the positive side, I always liked getting up early enough to 
watch the sun rise. After nine hours of deep sleep, I really was awake 
again. I’d be happy to say the stretches and bends weren’t as 
uncomfortable as yesterday, except they were worse.

Chapter Five
Secure Chamber Alpha
The Palace of Peace
Geneva, Switzerland
Evening
January 12, 2018

Holmgren stood at the head of the table, waiting for the ambassadors of 
the Great Powers to be seated. Finally all of them had arrived and were 
in place. He leaned into his chair and tapped his gavel once. “Our 
recess is over. We are again in session. The ambassadors who had placed 
objection markers at the last meeting have all indicated to me that they 
insist on raising their objections before we advance to Brigade Leader 
Valkyria and her report on the events at the Maze. I therefore recognize 
Ambassador Buncombe.”

“Mr. Chancellor,” Buncombe said, “during the earlier part of the meeting 
this morning several ambassadors indicated that it was the intent or 
position of their government that in the hypothetical case that the 
Bearer was found, within a country other than their own, that their 
governments would be entitled to send persona teams or even military 
units to the location of the Bearer to seize the Namestone. For example, 
if the bearer were to be found in scenic Buffalo, North New York, 
Buffalonians might find themselves visited by the persona teams and 
armed hosts of a series of countries I will not embarrass by naming.” 
Buncombe had not incidentally named one of America’s wealthiest and most 
significant industrial cities.

“The President and Speaker of the American Republic are in complete 
agreement that such a visitation, made without the invitation of the 
American Republic, which assuredly will not be forthcoming, would be 
viewed as an act of war. The American Elite Persona Team would be 
ordered to the scene to dispose of the invaders. Furthermore, Speaker 
Ming has called upon the Governors of all states to place in readiness 
their Persona State Guards to advance to the assistance of the American 
Elite Persona Team. The American team is under direct and explicit 
orders from the President that such an invasion is to be put down 
without quarter being offered, unless the invaders immediately and 
without offering resistance surrender themselves.

“In addition, the American Republic would view it to be an act of war 
for any foreign power to insert their persona teams into the territory 
of any of the Canadian Dominions, unless Her Majesty’s government had 
invited them, in which case the situation would be taken under 
advisement. As an exception, any effort of the IncoAztecan government to 
insert its persona teams or armed hordes into the territory of any other 
country in the Americas will be taken to be a declaration of war on the 
American Republic, a declaration against which the American Republic 
will respond in full. I believe that Ambassador Featherstonehaugh is the 
next to speak, and I yield to him.”