Welcome to another week of SFFSat! In this snippet, Agate and Damien have been lead to the Ixile’an sovereign who has taken her army to occupy the town of Southland.
There was a silence as the two women stared at each other, assessing one another like enemies on the battlefield. Normally Agate would have held out, but she was supposed to be on a diplomatic mission.
She bowed low again. “Your Majesty, I have been sent by Athering’s Queen to discuss a truce. She has no wish for any violence.”
The other woman raised her eyebrows, and gave a small sigh. “I do not want violence either,” she said, stumbling over the words. “That is why I come here.”
Agate knit her eyebrows together in a frown as she puzzled that out. “You didn’t want violence so you attacked and occupied a small town?”
Thanks for reading, and make sure you check out the other lovely contributions here!
“You didn’t want violence so you attacked and occupied a small town?” — love it! I need to go back and read all the older snippets now.
Thank you! All my previous SFFSat snippets should be under the category SFFSat. 🙂
But of course! Everyone knows the faster you invade and take over, the closer you are to peace… 😛
Yup! that’s totally how it works. *sage nod*
Agate gets right to the point, doesn’t she? I think that’s either the smartest envoy or the dumbest. I assume she’s quite safe to be so plain faced about it all. I gotta know what the reply is!
Oh yeah, it’s safe (as safe as her job can ever be). She…knows the culture she’s dealing with. 😉
Oh, exciting!! Loved the last line…nothing like a little chaos to stir up trouble good and proper. 🙂
Yeah, Agate has a bigger trouble-making streak than she’ll ever admit. Glad you liked it!
This is a strange new use of the term ‘diplomacy’ – challenge the person and point out the flaws in their statement. Agate is not a typical diplomat – which, I have to say, is meant as a compliment. Direct, straightforward, blunt – I approve. I like this sequence, and I’ll be interested to see how it develops.
Thanks Peter!
Agate really isn’t a typical diplomat — she certainly has no formal training as one. She was chosen for the mission for her other, considerable, skills. 🙂
Love the last line. Nothing like open confrontation to start off diplomatic relations with a bang!
Right?
And this is why I’ll never be a diplomat. ;P
Obviously they both have different definitions of ‘violence’ then. 😉
Just a bit, yep. Haha.
Hmmm. Have you read Keith Laumer’s Retief?
No, I haven’t! What’s it about?
Hmmm, methinks there’s a flaw in her logic somewhere. Or maybe the situation isn’t what it first appears?
The situation is definitely not how it first appears. Good catch! 🙂
A good snippet always leaves you wanting more, and this one surely does. Very curious as to the queen’s reply!
Thanks Diane!
Glad to hear you want more…you’ll have to wait a bit longer, though. The next snippet I post will be from my Nano novel. *rubs hands together and laughs maniacally*
Love the stand off! Great snippet as always 🙂
Thanks Chantal!