The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Ambassador Herman

Gerardo rapped thrice on the ornate wooden door separating Ambassador Herman's office from the rest of the back hallway beyond the reception room. The corridor was poorly lit, just bright enough that one could make out the paint etched into the wooden trim, but not so much that he could see the color of the sturdy, carpeted floor. The mechanical, rotating ticks of another clock echoed in his ears as he waited for a response, silently adjusting the collar of his uniform.

"You may enter."

Preemptively bowing, Gerardo pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Immediately, his vision was assaulted by whiteness. It was mixed with just enough gray not to be blinding, yet retain every bit of purity the color was associated with. Everything was white and geometric, his eyes tracing their way around the floor, the walls, the ceiling and down across the room's cubic furnishings in search of a place to rest his eyes. Each flat, unblemished polygon that made up a portion of the interior was slightly offset in shade from its surroundings, emphasizing the edges and seams between them. Like water flowing down a drain, his eyes were drawn along the lines of difference to the center of the room, where a nine-sided prism served as a desk. A muscular yak sat behind it, silently observing as he tried to take in his surroundings.

The first thing he registered was a massive horn. Where most yaks had a broad, thick rack nearly as wide as the length of their body, Herman possessed only one side of one, the skin to the right of his face gnarled into a hairless scar, as if his had been cloven at the base long ago and never grown back. Where his coat did grow, it was the same shade of whitish-gray that made up the architecture, or otherwise insulated by an ice-blue uniform that seemed to make him radiate against the background. In fact, if the room hadn't lacked shadows already, Gerardo would have taken him for its light source.

"Good morning," Gerardo began, breath visible against the cold air of the room's interior. "My name is Gerardo Guillaume, griffon ad-"

"Introductions are time-consuming," Herman interrupted, completely impassive. Then, breaking into a smile that stretched the full distance across his broad face, he continued, "After all, you must be in quite a hurry to request a walk-in appointment at this hour. Is not your task at hoof far more necessary?"

"I..." Gerardo swallowed, blinking. The top of Herman's desk was completely empty save for a rune, nearly half the width of the polygon, shimmering slightly beneath the surface. It consisted of nine points interconnected by a web of lines, and as he watched, bewitched, it changed, rotating around itself, ticking. His only guess was that it was another clock.

He shook his head, trying again to speak. "Yes, well, you see. Myself and my friends were unjustly attacked and robbed by the Defense Force, and urgently require your assistance."

Herman nodded, the corners of his mouth rising slightly less than they had a moment ago. "Do go on."

"Yes..." Attempting vainly to calm his nerves, exacerbated by the cold and the room's otherworldly appearance, Gerardo began pacing, ruffling his wings as he walked. "I was hired over a year ago in Yakyakistan, to perform a delivery of two unmarked crates to a location in the Water District, avoiding all manner of air travel. However, when I attempted to enter the Water District in completion of the last leg of my journey, I was accosted and attacked for sport by a captain named Selma, who confiscated my cargo and abducted two dear friends with whom I was traveling." Steeling himself, he stared Herman straight in the face, unnerved by the slight angle the yak's head hung at due to the weight imbalance of his horns. "As you are both a representative of Yakyakistan, whose government requested my delivery, and the alleged protector of the Stone District, where my friends were taken hostage, I was hoping there was something you could do about this situation."

Herman's smile grew in warmth, though it failed to counteract the icy chill in the air. "I see," he rumbled, "I see..." Breaking eye contact with Gerardo for the first time since the griffon had entered the room, he stared downwards, as if expecting answers from the swirling pattern on the desk. "I apologize for the treatment my Defense Force gave you and your friends," he eventually answered. "I can offer you a job, if you wish it."

"A..." Gerardo blinked. "A job? I assure you, while obtaining the compensation for my delivery would be very much welcome, I hardly need a new-"

"The Defense Force," Herman interrupted, "has been without an official facilities inspector since the Water District was approved for its use more than five years ago. I have asked Skyfreeze to hire one, but they have declined my requests for funding time and time again." He shook his head sadly, smile maintained. "As inspector, you would have full access to the facility and be free to search for your friends at will."

Gerardo's beak dropped. "That is... surprisingly generous of you, sir. Though I must admit, authorization or not, were there to be criminal practices at large in the force, my safety would still be in jeopardy. I am presently unarmed, and would... very likely meet an untimely doom."

In answer, there was a small clink... and a gemstone rolled onto the desk surface. Small, octagonal and smoky gray, it came to a stop just in front of him. "What is this for?"

"The smallest unit of currency Ironridge has to offer," Herman answered warmly. "Worthless on its own, but compensation enough to be considered an employee of the embassy in the eyes of the law. I think diplomatic immunity will suffice for your safety. The Defense Force knows they owe their continued existence and stability to Yakyakistan. Us, they cannot and will not attack."

"Of course..." Gerardo whispered. "Are you really willing to threaten to abandon Ironridge on my behalf? That seems tactically unsound."

Herman shook his head. "Many threats would be so if they required willingness to be proven. That is the essence of a threat; a gamble of whether one will follow through. I know my subordinates, and they were chosen in part because it is a gamble they are unwilling to take."

"I see..." Gerardo fidgeted. "And what do I do if they learn of my impending presence and further hide my targets?"

"Then I will request Captain Selma accompany you at all times." The rune in front of Herman continued to swirl, the unclaimed gray gemstone sitting like a blemish on its flawless surface. "If he never leaves your sight, you will be aware of every action he takes. Is this suitable?"

Gerardo stood, thinking, next to a cubic bench. "That may very well work, yes... Of course, you could order them to return my cargo and friends, but there is always the chance they would refuse, so brute force remains the next best option..."

"Of course," Herman said, still smiling, "An order would not benefit me, as well. Recall that the Defense Force has lacked a facilities inspector for quite some time. In exchange for this aid, I trust you will return to me upon completing your mission and give a report on anything you find? After all, if my Defense Force has sunk to abducting innocents, proper maintenance may be beneath them as well."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable," Gerardo hummed, feathers settling. "One other thing; I have... friends in the lobby. An inspector pegasus named Sharpie, and her friend Brightcoil." Part of him cringed at willingly acknowledging his relationship with ponies who were likely on the yaks' bad side, but Herman would inevitably be able to figure it out regardless, if he didn't already know, and being forthcoming could be seen more favorably. "Would it be at all possible or permissible for them to accompany me to the Water District?"

If he stiffened at their mention, Herman didn't show it. "If you require it as a show of good faith, I will not intervene. Sharpie already has her own clearances. Though do beware..." He briefly frowned, then returned to his smile. "Perception can be tainted by bias. Keep your mind open to possibilities, and do not be quick to draw conclusions. Now go and see to your quest. I will summon Selma here, and he will accompany you as long as you require it."

"I thank you for your assistance." Gerardo bowed, taking a step backwards. "It was refreshing to ask aid of someone who felt I should be part of the solution."

Herman merely smiled, pose as warm as ever in the chilly room. Of its own accord, breaking from the seamless white wall behind Gerardo, the door swung open, inviting him back to the main embassy lobby.

Comments

[FloydienSlip]

Man, I want to like Herman, but I don't trust him one bit.

[Hap]

Well, that was weird.

[Davidp1522]

Is it posible to be too helpfull? Yes.

[Quinch]

8474307
At this point, this pretty much describes half the characters for me.

[bronyheat]

How your older parents think job interviews still work:

[sploopy slooder]

sucks that Gerardo's well meaning efforts are ultimately pointless and will probably result in problems for everyone. but it is nice that hes trying i guess.