Making Waves II: The Ginaz Connection

["Amit Sabnis" <ajsabnis@stanford.edu>]

Enjoy the following on behalf of the beneficent House Alvstad.  I've taken
an editor's license with this log, correcting spelling mistakes or
inaccurate word usage, and moving some poses around (up or down one line) to
account for lag and better continuity.  I have the original, unedited
version saved as well if anyone is interested; however, it is a bit
confusing to follow in retrospect unless you were there.

Dune III - Tuesday, August 15, 2000, 6:13 PM - Log by Pers
----------------------------------------------------------

There is a sense of acceleration as the limousine picks up speed.

Pers issues a curt message over the tranceiver. "Alvstad party requires
immediate clearance." Turning back to his companion in the car after
replacing the com unit, he offers a cold smile. "Properly alarming, don't
you agree?"

Lights from the numerous buildings and walkways outline the roadway.

Lena smiles slyly. "I must agree." She looks out the windows with
anticipation.

The limousine is buffeted slightly by a large gust of wind before
decelerating steadily and coming to a smooth stop.

Pers practically springs out of the door as soon as the limousine pulls
over.

Courtyard -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)

        Behind a wrought iron fence, with the SEAL of House Ginaz in the
center of the gate and two one man GUARDHOUSES, lies the open courtyard of
the Ginaz embassy. A road leads straight to the main entrance of the
embassy, encircling a four story FOUNTAIN. The lawn around the building is a
dark green and groomed to perfection, with many pines and shrubs dotting the
area, in tastefully arranged randomness. The embassy itself is at least
thirty story structure designed like a giant six pointed Star of David. The
building itself is made of a dark blue granite that is native only to the
home-planet of the Ginaz. The embassy uses what would be considered a Gothic
style with flying buttresses and windows all coming to a point. A 'thopter
pad can be seen atop the building as well as the rotating colors of the
crystal dome over the center of this gargantuan star.

Exits:
 Heavy Oak Doors <N> leads to Foyer -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
 Iron Gates <E> leads to Negara II Plaza -- Embassy District (Kaitain)

Lena exits the Alvstad Limousine.
The Alvstad Limousine departs the area.

Pers sighs at the lack of escort. "Inept," he suggests to Lena as he
approaches the doors.

Lena doesn't look surprised. She grins and clasps her hands behind her back.

Pers approaches the Guardsman with a scowl. "You will inform your Ginaz
Representatives of our arrival."

The Ginaz Guard looks to Pers as he brings his communicator to his lips, "I
shall inform them of your arrival. Please wait a moment for their response."

The Ginaz Guard steps out of your way and opens the door saying, "You have
been granted access. Please go through the Oak Doors and wait there."

Pers pulls on the doors and stalks inside, kicking them on his way in to
hold them for his companion.

You walk through the Heavy Oak Doors.

Foyer -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)

        The dark blue marble exterior of the embassy has seemingly desolved
into a gleaming white marble with gray veins in a circular room. There are
high arches and sweeping buttresses meeting the ground with Ionic style
pillars made of black marble with gold veins. A CEILING extends to the very
roof of the building. There is a kind of circle within a circle within a
circle. The flying buttresses sweep out and come down in the exact center of
the room ending in fourteen pillars. Between each of these pillars is a desk
with an ATTENDANT seated. The second circle is considered the inner circle.
This is made by a series of twenty-eight archways, which leave twenty feet
between the arches and the real wall, at each of these pillars stands a
Ginaz Out-world GUARDSMAN in full-dress.

Exits:
 Mahogany Doors <W> leads to Residential Wing -- Ginaz Embassay (Kaitain)
 Arch <NW> leads to The Commons Wing -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
 Carved Glass Doors <N> leads to Gardens -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
 Arch with Pine Doors <E> leads to Staff Offices Wing -- Ginaz Embassy
(Kaitain)
 Heavy Oak Doors <S> leads to Courtyard -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)

Lena walks in from Courtyard through the Heavy Oak Doors.


Dominic walks in from The Commons Wing through the Arch.  He bows to both of
the Alvstads. "Greetings. I was informed by the guards that we had some
visitors. Can I be of some help?" He smiles.

Lena smiles at Dominic. And the face finally speaks.  She glances at the
High Admiral with a grin, waiting for his response.

Andrey walks in from Staff Offices Wing through the Arch with Pine Doors.

Pers frowns at the uniformed man before him. "I am the Lord High Admiral of
the Noble Alvst Navy, Warmaster of the House. This is the Lady Andragoras of
Radek, Undersecretary of Imperial and Landsraad Relations to the Viscount
Alvstad. We are here to see your Ambassador-General. Presently." He grinds
one black fisherman's boot into the ground to accent his final order.

Johann walks in from Gardens through the Carved Glass Doors slowly, with his
hands behind his back, then puts them to his side and bows toward the
Alvstads, "Good day, Admiral Eskilsen, Lady Andragoras."

Dominic smiles. " I see. It is a pleasure to meet both of you, good sir. I
am Dominic Valerian, Warmaster to House Ginaz." He turns slightly upon
seeing Johann. "And I see that the good Ambassador-General has arrived."

Andrey walks down the corridor, stopping after noticing the packed foyer. He
glances quickly around before speaking. "Excuse me, Johann. I did not
realize you had guests."

Dominic nods to Andrey.

Pers turns on heel to pointedly ignore the first man he spoke with.
"Ambassador General," he says flatly. It's as much of a greeting as it is a
discovery. Like discovering something nasty on your shoe.

Lena turns her gaze to Johann. Her face has lost the humor it had a moment
ago. "Ambassador-General," she echoes curtly.

Johann clasps his hands behind his back, then nods to Dominic and smiles
slightly, then turns toward the Alvstad's, "I am pleased we might be able to
have this meeting between us...would you join me in the garden, my lord? My
lady?"

Pers turns to his companion, sparing a sideways glance at the arriving
ambassador as he does so. The decision is hers.

Using Alvst, Lena says, "He shouldn't be pleased." In response to Pers's
glance, she says merely, "Let us have it out, then."

Pers's visage cracks into an amused smile as he provides his own Alvst
reply.  "He shall change his mind presently...or perhaps, have it changed
for him. To the garden."

Johann looks to Dominic then Andrey, "Would you care to join us too? If it
is alright with the Lord and Lady, of course," he turns back to the
Alvstad's, awaiting a response.

Dominic nods to the two guards who stand by the carved glass doors leading
into the gardens. They stiffen to attention and move away from the doors to
allow those in the foyer room to enter.

The Alvstads begins moving across the reception room, going into the garden.
Without turning back, the Lady's voice rings out like a taut piece of rope.
"That decision is yours, Ambassador-General. We await it in the garden."
With that, they pass through the glass doors.


You walk through the Carved Glass Doors.

Gardens -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)

        The gardens look as if a chunk of the Ginaz Homeworld Marcinko. The
room itself is circular and fills the center of the Ginaz embassy all the
way to the rotating colors of the crystal roof, and dimmed point of light
that is the Marquis' sitting room. The walls are for the most part covered
with the distinctive white Marcinko ivy, and at intermittent levels one can
see balconies as well s windows the look directly into this area. The
gardens are lush and green but the temperature is below normal. The room is
a series of hills the culminates in one large hill that spawns a waterfall.
The waterfall pools in a POND that must be fully one fourth the entire room.
All different kinds of plant life populate these gardens, but all of them
are native to Marcinko. The grass is thick and a dark green. The trees are
mostly pines and a deep green, with the exception of the snow white Ginaz
pine that dots the landscape. Atop the waterfall is a white marble ISLAND
with a walkway of differing color marble that lead to it.

Exits:
 Pathway <U> leads to Ornithopter Pads -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
 Oak Doors with Stain Glass <SE> leads to Chapel -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
 Carved Glass Doors <S> leads to Foyer -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)

Lena walks in from Foyer through the Carved Glass Doors.

Johann walks in from Foyer through the Carved Glass Doors, with Andrey and
Dominic following him in to join the Alvsts in the Garden.  A few steps
behind his compatriots, Dominic nods to the two guards stationed in the
garden who salute and exit the area, leaving those gathered alone.

Upon entering, Johann walks to the chairs in the middle of the garden around
the table and sits himself down on the seat to the right of the head of the
table, not assuming total control, "Would you like anything to drink or eat,
my lady? My lord?"  He offers to the seats near him, "And please...do have a
seat. Comfort is a necessity during meetings, I believe."

Lena looks around the garden, making the others wait for any kind of
response. She turns around to face the Ambassador-General with a blank face.
"We are not here for your hospitality. We are here to address the events
that took place in the lounge some days ago."

Andrey whispers to Dominic, who in turn looks at Johann with interest at
Lena's words. He would appear to be unaware of what she is talking about.

Johann rises from his seat again, waving a servant away from him, "Then let
us discuss by all means."

The High Admiral remains a silent statue a few paces behind the Alvst Lady,
watching with no visible signs of the amusement he finds in this Ginaz
man...like a puppet, up and down, up and down.

Johann puts his hands behind his back again, waiting for the Lady Andragoras
to begin, being in little position to start the talks.

Her blank face changes into one of amusement. Lena grins at the
Ambassador-General. She then looks at the High Admiral and smiles.  Using
Alvst, Lena says, "Why does he play so innocent? Surely he doesn't know his
peril."

Pers takes his cue from the Lady's glance.  In crisp Galach, he says, "On
the aforementioned occasion," he says, his stony visage a stark contrast to
the playful smile on Lena's face, "You insulted the honor of a member of the
Noble House Alvstad. Do you deny that your actions construed such an
insult?" His line of thinking has the ring of a lawyer questioning his
quarry.

Switching to Alvst without a change in tone or volume, Pers says, "The man
will try to avoid the issue, then pass it off as due to circumstances beyond
his control. Mark him well during this period...he will tire himself out
trying to evade us. And when he fails, he will be ours."

Dominic looks sharply at Johann before returning his gaze to the assembled
members of House Alvstad.

Johann shakes his head, "I deny not the fact that I insulted the Lady
Andragoras, however I must deny the movement to be an intended as an
insulting one."

Lena nods and returns her gaze to the Ambassador-General. She is no longer
grining. "You compromised my integrity. That's much worse than any insult."

Pers catches Dominic's eyes for just a brief moment. Implicit in his stare
is the statement: You, too, recognize this travesty. The Ginaz soldier has
gone up a notch in the Admiral's estimation.

Johann turns to the Lady, "My intentions were far from causing any kind of
distress to you, my lady ."

Dominic looks at Lena. "My Lady, forgive my if I speak in ignorance. Perhaps
you be so kind as to explain what happened, if it is not too painful to
speak of."  Andrey, glancing from face to face, looks grateful for Dominic's
request.

Pers quickly interrupts Dominic, addressing Johann. "Your excuses are
irrelevant, Ambassador-General. The means do not justify the ends."

Lena smirks at the Ambassador-General. What kind of a man stands before her?
"What were you thinking? You did something wrong, and now is the time to
take responsibility for it. You dishonored me in public."

Johann nods, "I agree sir, but I don't believe this meeting will be in the
amount of questioning my behaviour. I am presuming we are here to discuss
the outcome and the action to be taken in order to rectify the incident."

Pers raises an eyebrow. "Rectify, Ambassador-General? Interesting choice of
terms." He looks to the rest of the Ginazi, then to his companion. "Perhaps
the Lady could be so generous as to explain what transpired?" There is a
flash in his eyes as he says this.  As if an after effect of this gleam, the
High Admiral switches to Alvst. "Speak carefully, my Lady, and speak the
truth. They shall turn against him yet."

Johann keeps his hands behind his back, answering all the questions very
calmly. His nature is cool and diplomatic, the teachings from his own school
coming to surface.

Dominic nods at the words of the High Admiral.

Lena brushes aside some stray curls from her face and says, "The short of it
is that I had only met the Ambassador-General that day. I was socializing in
the lounge with the na-Duke when the Ambassador-General joined us. He then
preceded to kiss me, in a public place, without my permission. Whatever made
him think he could touch a woman of rank that he didn't know is beyond my
comprehension. He compromised my reputation and that, I cannot have."

Pers nods in time with the Lady's words. "This is not only an insult to the
Lady, but to our House. And, I might add, completely outside of the Forms.
Such behavior would not be accepted by the Emperor were he to hear about
it..." There is just the slightest hint of a suggestive tone in the man's
voice. Threat? Or merely comparison?

Johann keeps his hands still behind his back, head up, "You had formally met
me that day. You truly met me the day before. I proceeded to kiss you on the
nose, which was not meant to be taken as a 'pass' towards you and then
proceeded to speak normally about the matters we were discussing at the
time.  Afterwards, I apologized more than profusely for insulting the Lady
in any way."

Dominic nods at Lena's last statement. He looks at Johann for a moment
before returning his gaze to the woman in front of him. " I see. This is
indeed a most unfortunate situation we have. What, may I ask, would it take
to remove this tarnish to the Lady's reputation and remove any feelings of
ill will that may have resulted from this?"

Andrey furrows his brow at the recounting. Hearing Dominic, he watches for
it's impact on the guests.

As unruffled as the depths of the Alvsgaard sea, Lena looks at Dominic and
arches her brows. "The High Admiral has already issued a challenge to the
Ambassador-General. We are here to see the Forms obeyed."

In response to the Lady's statement of intent, Pers turns to look at
Dominic. "Such an insult has, historically, possessed only this recourse."
His eyes are cold, his expression is colder. Here is a man who would kill
the Ambassador-General and think only of the blood he might leave on his
prized harpoon.

Johann keeps totally calm at the retelling, not showing an ounce of shock or
fear. He then turns to the Lady, "It would be the hope of the Ginaz for the
matter to be settled diplomatically and not through the result of a duel
which would only decrease the standards of both our Houses. I have spoken to
sir Srulin on the matter and he agrees that a diplomatic stance would
benefit our Houses more than a death within them could," he clearly stands
his ground on this matter, but the tone of his voice is suggestive, not
authoritative.

Pers smiles a humorless smile. "You do not know what benefits our House,
Ambassador-General." His gaze slips to the Lady Andragoras, and he utters
something in Alvst.  "Come to think of it, I wonder if the returned Viscount
has an interest in this...he certainly would be the first to realize that
this idiot's death could serve us as well as his life."

Lena smirks. Srulin, a boy leading House Ginaz. "Would not House Ginaz
demand the same?" She states it not so much as a question, since to her it's
quite plain.

Dominic nods at the words of Lady Andragoras. "Is this what you feel would
restore your honor, my Lady? As I am sure the High Admiral is a skilled man,
it would probably be a very short duel. Is the death of Lord Johann the only
way we can resolve this situation? Surely there must be another
way....somewhat less painful perhaps." Dominic motions for Johann to be
silent for a moment.  In response, Johann stands quite silently, watching
now.

Pers snorts derisively at Dominic's suggestion. "Public defamation, perhaps?
An apology to the masses of Kaitain? These things have no special charm to
an Alvst, Swordmaster. We are of a more practical proclivity."

Dominic shakes his head. "Well, I am of the opinion that violence begets
violence. This is why I always consider all of my options before resorting
to it."

Using Alvst, Lena says, "What nonsense is this? I didn't know the Ginaz were
such hypocrites. They are in the position of weakness currently. That had
better not pose a threat."

Pers laughs at the Lady's words before responding in kind.  "The Ginaz are
no more a threat than that idiot Mintor Atreides."

Johann nods slowly in agreement with Dominic, still silent and in thought.

Andrey takes a step forward. "High Admiral, if it is as you say, would not
the most practical solution be one which avoids bloodshed?"

Lena shakes her head. What has the planet come to, when the Forms are not
obeyed. She looks to the High Admiral.

Pers shakes his head at the diplomat. "You confuse practicality with
sentimentality and laziness. Your Warmaster thinks he is wise to know that
violence begets violence; let him also consider that impudence and idiocity
beget the same." He says something in Alvst before continuing in Galach.
"This talk takes my companion and I nowhere, but it has bought you time. You
have four days to suggest something which meets the Forms, restores the
Lady's Honor, and satisifies my desires. If not...then I shall see you next
in the Arena. Good day, Ambassador-General, Warmaster, Ambassador. My
regards to your Siridar and Regent."

(Said in Alvst: "Time to leave.  They will not suffer the Ambassador-General
for much longer.")

Apparently, the Lady knew what was coming; she turns and walks out of the
Garden, out of the Foyer, and out of the Embassy, the High Admiral on her
heels.

<The take home lesson?>

The Forms must be obeyed!

<Today's log was brought to you by Pers and the letter D.>

Please return to Dune III soon.

*********** D I S C O N N E C T E D ***********

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