Concerning Sabika
Casa Rosada, Shipborough, Sabika
“Henry!”, Sidney Hank smiled as he walked onto the sun-washed marble terrace of the presidential mansion, clasping the Sabikan president’s hand and shaking it vigorously. “How’s life treating you these days?”
“Sidney”, Henry Kalawi, President of Sabika, smiled in return and made an expansive gesture toward the capital city, strewn along the coast of the stunningly blue bay far below the terrace. “Life’s been well, as I think you know.”
“Oh”, the NFT President said with fake modesty as he sat down next to his colleague at the small white picnic table. “I may have heard of a thing or two going your way recently.”
Kalawi actually rolled his eyes as he signalled a butler for drinks. “Right, as if your analysts don’t brief you on our every move.” He took the two glasses of white wine and handed one to Sydney. “I know for a fact”, he slyly continued, “that you are paying quite a number of lobbyists to wrench information from and represent your interest among the MPs.”
Sidney switched seamlessly from feigned modesty to feigned innocence. “Why Mr. President, whatever do you mean?” He sipped from his glass and peered intently at his colleague. Kalawi was completely right of course—the Syndicate was paying several local corporations to plead its case with the parliament, as well as extract any potentially useful information. That was supposed to be a secret though, the lobbyists were paid through several dummy corporations and offshore holdings. Apparently his government had underestimated the Sabikan intelligence apparatus.
“Relax, Sidney”, Henry Kalawi clearly enjoyed having the NFT president on the defensive for a change. “Not too long ago the esteemed members of our parliament were accosted by weapons traffickers and Greater Coilerburg sympathizers. Compared to that corporate lobbyists are very much a step into the right direction.” The Sabikan president laughed out loud. “It’s almost respectable!”
“So… No harm done then”, Sidney ventured carefully.
“No, although I would like to know why the Trust is suddenly so interested in Sabikan affairs.” Now it was the Sabikan president’s turn to peer intently at his opposite.
Sidney sighed. “I suppose this time I won’t get away with the old ‘safeguarding our investments’, will I?”
“Ha. No, I’m afraid you won’t.” A soft breeze ruffled the hair of the Sabikan president in a casual way entirely at odds with his inquisitive demeanour.
The President of the NFT nipped his glass and used the interruption to consider his next words. “The safeguarding bit isn’t entirely an excuse, you know. The NFT’s standing in the world has been better than it currently is.”
“You refer to your strained relationship with the MESS, of course.”
“Not the MESS as a whole per se. Certain members, certainly. But also… other parties.”
“Japanistan.” Kalawi wasn’t guessing, and he was obviously enjoying himself. Show-off. Still, Sidney couldn’t help but be impressed. Sabikan intelligence was a
lot better than he’d anticipated.
“Yes. Anyway, as we find our interests in certain parts of the world infringed, other parts become comparatively more important.”
Kalawi nodded and looked pensively into his wine. “Parts such as Sabika.”
“Exactly. Sabika has been an increasingly more important market for us in recent years, and it’s no secret that you are vital to accessing potential markets in central Frequesue.”
“You’ve been manipulating our legislative process to suit your interests.” Kalawi sounded slightly taken aback. “You’re moulding our PMs.”
Sidney grimaced. “We like to think of it more like making sure the right choices are made based on the right information. Besides it wasn’t like we had to ply them
a lot. For the most part they seemed content enough with us already.” The NFT President shrugged. “It is what it is. I guess we can call our conduct whatever we want.”
Henry Kalawi snorted. “You have an answer to anything, don’t you Sidney?”
The NFT president shrugged and leaned back in his chair, emptying his glass in one swig, waiting patiently for the butler to refill it. “That’s kind of my job Henry. I wouldn’t be where I am if I couldn’t sell anything to anyone.”
Now the Sabikan president grinned. “No false modesty, I see.”
Sidney accepted the refilled glass of wine from Henry’s butler and raised it slightly. “I never claimed I was a modest man, Henry. I don’t think I have much reason to, either.”
Kalawi smiled. “Yes, you are, as they say in Livorno, a ‘made man’. Your opinion resonates around the world. Quite an accomplishment for someone from our continent.”
“Eh”, Sidney shrugged again. “I try my best. However”, he looked at Kalawi and changed the subject. “I can’t help but notice that you apparently know of our lobbying efforts—and did nothing to prevent them. You didn’t even call me to protest. What am I to make of you bringing this topic up only now?”
Henry Kalawi grinned. “Venture a wild guess, mister president.”
“Well”, Sidney scratched his chin. “For one, you seem to be one step ahead of us in terms of intelligence. You knew all along we were trying to influence your parliament in a way that befitted the NFT—and you did nothing. This would indicate that you at least tolerate our efforts.”
“Go on.”
“The reasons why you would tolerate us are quite numerous of course. Sabika profited handsomely from the relationship we’ve built over recent years. NFT industries have invested heavily in Sabika. Your border with Coilerburg is stable for the first time in over forty years. Thanks to the NFCG your coasts have been made secure. As Coilerburg climbs slowly out of its decades-long depression Sabika too benefits from increasing cross-border trade. That is to say nothing of the benefits of the FEC.” He threw up his hands. “Oh, I admit we were not acting out of charity… No, we profited quite handsomely. But so did you.”
“Quite”, Kalawi nodded and poured the both of them another glass of wine. Sidney absentmindedly noticed it was his third glass, and only Kalawi’s second. Ever the alcoholic, he mused, then turned back to more immediately important matters.
“All this would lead me to infer”, the NFT president surmised, “that you don’t perhaps just tolerate our lobbyists. You approve. Perhaps you are even -dare I say it- you even encourage us.”
“Very insightful, Mr. President”, Kalawi smirked.
Sidney peered at the Sabikan president. “Question is, why?”
“What if I were to tell you, Sidney, that a growing majority of the parliament feels we are left out of international matters?”
“That would explain a thing or two”, the NFT president nodded.
“Indeed. No-one cares for Sabika. Our opinion does not matter on the stage of international affairs.” Kalawi looked Sidney straight in the eye. “
Your opinion, on the other hand,
does. Things have changed since the Triborder War and the One Day War. I admit there is still a faction that feels we cannot trust the NFT—but they are losing more ground every day. You have been nothing but a good business partner and a faithful ally, and Sabika is prospering largely because of you. It is hard to justify antagonism in light of that.”
Sidney frowned, unsure where Kalawi was going with this. “Well, I’m glad for that.”
“Sidney, there is going to be a secret vote in parliament in two weeks. The question is whether or not Sabika should petition to join the NFT. I should not tell you this, yet here I am.”
The NFT president raised an eyebrow. “I understand.”
“Do you? I hope you do. We would be giving up a great deal if this vote were to pass. And it looks like it will.” Kalawi sounded worried.
Sidney massaged his neck, still taking in the news. “Henry, we’re not… Ah, I don’t have to tell you this. I understand how you feel, given your history. But I honestly believe that the NFT has the interests of all its citizens at heart. I can assure you that you would have the same status as the other member states. It is only natural.”
“It’s not so natural for our continent, Sidney”, Kalawi shook his head. “For centuries the only way two nations could be united on our continent was conquest. The only exception was the FTO—and look were that ended up.”
“The NFT is different”, Sidney said, but he knew how hollow that must sound. Once upon a time he’d thought the same of the FTO, and in the end he’d be the very person who’d killed that organization. “To be frankly honest Henry I can’t promise you anything, except that we’ll do our damned best to make the best of it, as we’ve always done so far. And so far we seem to be doing quite all right.”
Kalawi slumped back in his seat and finally shrugged. “I guess that’s all we can reasonably hope for.”
Sidney raised his third glass. “Hear, hear.”
Henry smiled. “So, if we join you, what will become of me?”
Sidney smiled as the butler poured his fourth glass of wine. Negotiations. He’d always been good at those. “Well, Henry. How would you feel about a prominent place in the Syndicate?”
Result: Politics!
]
