Turn 8 Interlude: Two Diplomats, Alike in Dignity
- Location
- Wherever I feel like being
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Aladdin groaned as he got out of bed. It had been nice to regale Jasmine with the tale of their adventure. To tell her of their triumph, even as he gave all credit where it was due. Without Sadira, Leah, Tai Lung, Iago or even Abu then they likely would have failed. The adventure had been a great way to get out there, but he knew that he'd have to return soon to deal with the brewing diplomatic crisis that was forming with the two diplomats that had come from two polities that he had uneasy feelings about.
The diplomat from the East India Trading Company was the first meeting he had today. He scowled lightly as he remembered the profile that Haroud had left for him on the man. A William Cunningham, he seemed to view Ababwa with thinly veiled amused contempt. Haroud had listed what the man had been asking into while he had been cooling his heels. Most of it seemed normal for a trader looking to get into a new market. He'd asked about spice availability, dyes and fabrics, as well as preserved vegetables and fruits. He'd apparently been rather put out to learn that Ababwa had a strong trading relation with Xiang-Wu that meant that they could access silks, teas and spices like ginger with relative ease. As well as the trade corridor to Agrabah which gave them access to cotton linens along with sugar from beets via Egypt.
But it was the last few inquiries he'd made, ones that he had gone to some lengths to make as discreet as he could, that had Aladdin most worried. He'd hired a man to hire a man to look into the local black market. One of Haroud's men had managed to overhear him grumbling when he learned that opium was something that most could get hold of, though it was reserved for medicinal uses after warnings from the university of the negative effects even casual indulgence created had spread. He had also put out inquiries about medicines, and from what the spies watching him had gleaned, had been at least somewhat pleased with the answers he'd gotten back on those inquiries.
Aladdin had a bad feeling, he knew the look of someone sizing up a mark well. He'd worn it often enough himself. And even as he strode in with a smile on his face, it was obvious that Cunningham was sizing him up even as he smiled and rose to his feet to greet Aladdin.
"Ah, your Highness! It's a pleasure to be able to meet you face to face after all this time. I appreciate you allowing me to partake of the delights of your fair city while I waited for your schedule to clear." There was a minor rebuke in his tone, like an uncle scolding a misbehaving nephew. Aladdin shrugged even as he gestured back to the chairs and seated himself, followed by the diplomat.
"Well unfortunately sometimes things need to be tended to personally. I apologize for the long wait, but I'm glad that you found Ababwa so much to your liking. Now, when you first arrived, you said that you had some propositions for me? I'm a bit surprised that you insisted on meeting with me rather than going through Sinbad as he's essentially my minister of trade." Aladdin's voice was cordial even as his eyes stayed locked on his opponent. And this was an opponent. A battle not of steel and flesh, but words and thought. And one that Cunningham seemed to think the prince was ill equipped to fight, if the suppressed smirk was any indicator.
"Ah, I do apologize for the breach of protocol your Highness, but when one is extending the hand of friendship it's best to speak directly to the one in charge, yes?" Cunningham pulled out a few packets of paper. "As for my proposals, your Highness, I would like to engender a trade relationship between the East India Trading Company and Ababwa's holdings. I have a few documents already prepared, but the gist of them is that we'd be granted berthing rights at your ports and space in your markets. In exchange we would pay all due taxes for all items bought or sold by The Company, with reasonable percentages going to all the appropriate parties of course." Aladdin could hear the capital letters there.
"It's a very standard contract really, rather straightforward. I've also been looking about your markets and I've noticed a few places where The Company's goods could serve to bolster your own offerings. We have access to spices and other items that aren't native to this continent whatsoever. And we would be more than happy to provide them. One I think that you'll be very interested in is quinine. The medicine works wonders against malaria. Or rather, the jungle fever as I believe it's referred to here?"
One of Aladdin's brows ticked up at that. Jungle Fever was a severe risk that many traders faced when going to Xiang-Wu, or attempting to make trade trips into India to the villages that still held out against the ferocious tiger and his army of jackals. It was honestly a horrible way to go, and so far the University had found no good cure or treatment beyond trying to help the person through the disease and hoping that they were strong enough to recover. "A very tempting offer. And while I can appreciate being prepared, I refuse to sign anything without Sinbad going over it." Even if the medicine did as advertised, Aladdin wasn't going to trust pre-written contracts. Especially in a language that he didn't currently know.
Cunningham's smile never faltered as he put the documents back in the satchel he'd retrieved them from. "Of course your Highness, quite prudent. In that case I hope you'll look favorably upon the contracts after they've been vetted by Master Sinbad?" The man's smile turned oily for a moment. "And of course there's always a mere verbal agreement to allow The Company to make use of your ports for a larger tariff." Aladdin immediately saw the trap. Even if the agreement was verbal, the notifications sent to inform the various port masters wouldn't be.
"No, I'm afraid that's not going to happen until we have everything very firmly in place. But I appreciate your wish for expediency. Are there any other proposals that you would like to present to me?" Cunningham worked his jaw slightly, before nodding, the smile still on his lips.
"The last item of business was requesting permission to recruit from your ports. The Company pays quite a handsome salary, and having men who know the waters locally would be a great boon to our navigators." Aladdin stifled a frown. Something about that request felt... off. Like it was incomplete. But something must have shown on his face as Cunningham backpedaled. "But as you've stated already, that's something that will likely need to be overlooked by Master Sinbad as well. I believe that I've taken enough of your valuable time, your Highness. If you'll excuse me please?" Cunningham waited for Aladdin to give him the nod, before standing, offering a bow that was just shy of being impertinent according to the courtly behavior that Scherezade had been teaching him, and strode out quickly. Aladdin was able to see the sour expression on the other man's face thanks to a burnished copper wall decoration that he passed, and the former thief suppressed a chuckle.
'Looks like I wasn't such an easy mark after all, huh?'
---
If Cunningham had thought that Aladdin was a mark, the gaze from Anahita, the diplomatic envoy from Lemuria, was that of a predator sizing up prey. The woman was beautiful, Aladdin wouldn't deny that, but something about her was... off. She moved just a hair too fluidly, and her mouth seemed to be a bit too wide when she smiled. And the report that Haroud had compiled on her movements was... strange.
Rather than focusing on material goods as Cunningham had done, Anahita had instead been prodding at different social groups. She seemed to be looking for something but hadn't been finding it. She'd been seen conversing with a few priests and sages, asking pointed but polite questions about how they were treated. The fact that Aladdin allowed his people complete freedom of worship so long as their practices didn't harm anyone had seemed to amuse her.
But she seemed to be looking for the type of people that Aladdin explicitly tried to make sure didn't happen in Ababwa. The forgotten. The downtrodden and hopeless. Instead she met men and women who had been on work gangs for public service for their crimes and found new callings. Even without Haroud's men dropping a few words here and there, her efforts to contact the smugglers and black marketeers of Ababwa had been very politely frozen out. And when she tried to charm her way in anyway, the various criminal sects countered by sending men and women whose interests lay elsewhere, effectively neutering her most potent weapons.
She'd also been very free with her gold, paying even street guides and vendors in small golden trinkets rather than coin when she could get away with it. Haroud's men had gotten their hands on one such trinket, but according to his spymaster all the tests that he'd been able to conduct indicated that it had been merely gold, even if the mermaid shape it had originally been formed into was of a somewhat unsettling art style.
The woman smiled winsomely as she stopped and bowed, low enough to flash her decolletage. "This one is very pleased to finally be able to meet such a handsome Prince in person," she simpered as she straightened. Aladdin nodded politely, gesturing for her to have a seat as he took one himself.
"I apologize for the delays, things kind of piled up all at once." Aladdin took a cup of tea from an offered tray a servant had brought in, as did Anahita. "Thanks Nodwick." The large-nosed man gave a small smile before fading into the background. He was good at that, and Haroud had tried to hire him on several times; but the man was determined to avoid "any of that adventurer nonsense". The Lemurian ignored the servant, taking an appreciative sip of her tea, before directing a coquettish look over the rim of her cup at Aladdin.
"Prince Aladdin, my main reason for journeying here has been to see how your kingdom truly fares. Traders will say all sorts of things after all, in order to make their homes seem more splendid. And I must say, the care you take of your charges is one that my Queen would find most pleasing. She has charged me with seeing if it may be possible for our two realms to enjoy a close relationship; and has hopes that you may one day allow her to host you at her own palace." She took another sip of her tea.
"Alas, until that day comes, this one will do her utmost to ensure that the relations between our two countries is a civil and courteous one." She cocked her head slightly to the side, like a bird of prey, giving another tight-lipped smile. "One hopes that her efforts will be pleasing to you Prince Aladdin." The smile turned lazy as her eyes hooded.
Aladdin couldn't help but be amazed that she was being this blatant about what she, and by extension her queen, were willing to offer. The diplomat seemed to believe that he was some randy stallion that could be dragged about by the lower head while keeping him distracted. Though given that he could think of more than a few former rulers of the various holdings that made up the Northern Satraps who would have fallen for this, hook line and sinker.
And if the same held true for the rulers across the gulf... well that explained quite a bit about how Lemuria had been brought together so quickly without war one way or another. He gave the woman a polite smile even as he subtly moved his leg out of the way of her foot, not willing to give her a chance to try and seduce him. Best not to insult her either though, not until Haroud had a chance to actually investigate Lemuria and their practices. There were some recent rumors that he really did not like the sound of...
"I'm glad that you've enjoyed your stay in Ababwa, and I'm certain that Scherezade will be more than happy to speak with you about diplomatic arrangements. And Sinbad is quite astute as my minister of Trade, he'll be certain that any trade deals are to our mutual benefit." A complete lie of course, Sinbad would squeeze them for all they were worth given half a chance. The old man was cannier than a bag full of foxes and twice as hard to pin down when he was in his element. There was a flash of... disappointment? Or perhaps aggravation? Whatever it was, it was there and gone from the diplomat's eyes before he could determine the exact nature of the expression.
"Ah, this one thanks you so much for thinking of her people so generously. Perhaps you could escort me to my quarters, so that I could show you a few of the possible trade deals I have already drawn up? It would have been gouache to bring them with me to the meeting." Aladdin smiled back, shaking his head.
"I'm afraid not, even if I was looking at the agreements, I'd still have to run them past my council before any action could be taken on them. I prefer to deal with them as quickly as possible, going over the documents simultaneously to allow maximum understanding with minimal time investment." A handy trick that Chiron had proposed involved each individual reading their own copy of the papers in question, and then trading notes and observations on what they'd read and how they'd interpreted it. It had drastically cut down on the time it took to go over documents by allowing Aladdin to find what he needed to ask questions about, while Sinbad could pinpoint problematic areas to bargain against.
There was a definite flash of irritation this time, before Anahita smoothed it away under a cheerful smile. "As you say Prince Aladdin. In that case I shall not keep you any longer, so that you may contemplate what's been offered to you. I assure you, my Queen is one whom always rewards her friends." The woman rose and gave another teasing bow, before heading off to her rooms, hips swaying as she went.
Aladdin waited for a few moments, before glancing over at Nodwick. "What do you think?" The short man scratched at his beak of a nose for a moment, before shaking his head.
"She's trying far too hard to seduce you, your Highness. I think she expected you to be easy to tempt with some flashes of skin." The main reason that Haroud hadn't been able to hire Nodwick away was that Scherezade had gotten to him first. The man was invaluable as a sounding board, and also as a way to take the measure of people unobtrusively. He and his wife had been lucky additions to the city, she was an absolute wonder when it came to dealing with the sick or injured, especially children.
Aladdin chuckled. "I sometimes ducked through a local brothel in order to get away from the guards back in Agrabah. The ladies there were showing off a lot more, and at most they considered me a minor pest because I was always broke. But yeah, it was pretty obvious what she was offering, and by extension what her queen is offering." Nodwick let out a slight 'tch' as he poured himself a cup of tea and topped up Aladdin's cup.
"Some people have no class." Aladdin laughed and nodded. He raised his cup.
"Here's to the little guys with class." Nodwick rolled his eyes, but raised up his own cup, tapping it against Aladdin's.
"That joke was beneath you, your Highness."
"But you still thought it was funny." Nodwick didn't reply, merely hiding the small grin behind his cup.
---
New Diplomatic options unlocked.
The diplomat from the East India Trading Company was the first meeting he had today. He scowled lightly as he remembered the profile that Haroud had left for him on the man. A William Cunningham, he seemed to view Ababwa with thinly veiled amused contempt. Haroud had listed what the man had been asking into while he had been cooling his heels. Most of it seemed normal for a trader looking to get into a new market. He'd asked about spice availability, dyes and fabrics, as well as preserved vegetables and fruits. He'd apparently been rather put out to learn that Ababwa had a strong trading relation with Xiang-Wu that meant that they could access silks, teas and spices like ginger with relative ease. As well as the trade corridor to Agrabah which gave them access to cotton linens along with sugar from beets via Egypt.
But it was the last few inquiries he'd made, ones that he had gone to some lengths to make as discreet as he could, that had Aladdin most worried. He'd hired a man to hire a man to look into the local black market. One of Haroud's men had managed to overhear him grumbling when he learned that opium was something that most could get hold of, though it was reserved for medicinal uses after warnings from the university of the negative effects even casual indulgence created had spread. He had also put out inquiries about medicines, and from what the spies watching him had gleaned, had been at least somewhat pleased with the answers he'd gotten back on those inquiries.
Aladdin had a bad feeling, he knew the look of someone sizing up a mark well. He'd worn it often enough himself. And even as he strode in with a smile on his face, it was obvious that Cunningham was sizing him up even as he smiled and rose to his feet to greet Aladdin.
"Ah, your Highness! It's a pleasure to be able to meet you face to face after all this time. I appreciate you allowing me to partake of the delights of your fair city while I waited for your schedule to clear." There was a minor rebuke in his tone, like an uncle scolding a misbehaving nephew. Aladdin shrugged even as he gestured back to the chairs and seated himself, followed by the diplomat.
"Well unfortunately sometimes things need to be tended to personally. I apologize for the long wait, but I'm glad that you found Ababwa so much to your liking. Now, when you first arrived, you said that you had some propositions for me? I'm a bit surprised that you insisted on meeting with me rather than going through Sinbad as he's essentially my minister of trade." Aladdin's voice was cordial even as his eyes stayed locked on his opponent. And this was an opponent. A battle not of steel and flesh, but words and thought. And one that Cunningham seemed to think the prince was ill equipped to fight, if the suppressed smirk was any indicator.
"Ah, I do apologize for the breach of protocol your Highness, but when one is extending the hand of friendship it's best to speak directly to the one in charge, yes?" Cunningham pulled out a few packets of paper. "As for my proposals, your Highness, I would like to engender a trade relationship between the East India Trading Company and Ababwa's holdings. I have a few documents already prepared, but the gist of them is that we'd be granted berthing rights at your ports and space in your markets. In exchange we would pay all due taxes for all items bought or sold by The Company, with reasonable percentages going to all the appropriate parties of course." Aladdin could hear the capital letters there.
"It's a very standard contract really, rather straightforward. I've also been looking about your markets and I've noticed a few places where The Company's goods could serve to bolster your own offerings. We have access to spices and other items that aren't native to this continent whatsoever. And we would be more than happy to provide them. One I think that you'll be very interested in is quinine. The medicine works wonders against malaria. Or rather, the jungle fever as I believe it's referred to here?"
One of Aladdin's brows ticked up at that. Jungle Fever was a severe risk that many traders faced when going to Xiang-Wu, or attempting to make trade trips into India to the villages that still held out against the ferocious tiger and his army of jackals. It was honestly a horrible way to go, and so far the University had found no good cure or treatment beyond trying to help the person through the disease and hoping that they were strong enough to recover. "A very tempting offer. And while I can appreciate being prepared, I refuse to sign anything without Sinbad going over it." Even if the medicine did as advertised, Aladdin wasn't going to trust pre-written contracts. Especially in a language that he didn't currently know.
Cunningham's smile never faltered as he put the documents back in the satchel he'd retrieved them from. "Of course your Highness, quite prudent. In that case I hope you'll look favorably upon the contracts after they've been vetted by Master Sinbad?" The man's smile turned oily for a moment. "And of course there's always a mere verbal agreement to allow The Company to make use of your ports for a larger tariff." Aladdin immediately saw the trap. Even if the agreement was verbal, the notifications sent to inform the various port masters wouldn't be.
"No, I'm afraid that's not going to happen until we have everything very firmly in place. But I appreciate your wish for expediency. Are there any other proposals that you would like to present to me?" Cunningham worked his jaw slightly, before nodding, the smile still on his lips.
"The last item of business was requesting permission to recruit from your ports. The Company pays quite a handsome salary, and having men who know the waters locally would be a great boon to our navigators." Aladdin stifled a frown. Something about that request felt... off. Like it was incomplete. But something must have shown on his face as Cunningham backpedaled. "But as you've stated already, that's something that will likely need to be overlooked by Master Sinbad as well. I believe that I've taken enough of your valuable time, your Highness. If you'll excuse me please?" Cunningham waited for Aladdin to give him the nod, before standing, offering a bow that was just shy of being impertinent according to the courtly behavior that Scherezade had been teaching him, and strode out quickly. Aladdin was able to see the sour expression on the other man's face thanks to a burnished copper wall decoration that he passed, and the former thief suppressed a chuckle.
'Looks like I wasn't such an easy mark after all, huh?'
---
If Cunningham had thought that Aladdin was a mark, the gaze from Anahita, the diplomatic envoy from Lemuria, was that of a predator sizing up prey. The woman was beautiful, Aladdin wouldn't deny that, but something about her was... off. She moved just a hair too fluidly, and her mouth seemed to be a bit too wide when she smiled. And the report that Haroud had compiled on her movements was... strange.
Rather than focusing on material goods as Cunningham had done, Anahita had instead been prodding at different social groups. She seemed to be looking for something but hadn't been finding it. She'd been seen conversing with a few priests and sages, asking pointed but polite questions about how they were treated. The fact that Aladdin allowed his people complete freedom of worship so long as their practices didn't harm anyone had seemed to amuse her.
But she seemed to be looking for the type of people that Aladdin explicitly tried to make sure didn't happen in Ababwa. The forgotten. The downtrodden and hopeless. Instead she met men and women who had been on work gangs for public service for their crimes and found new callings. Even without Haroud's men dropping a few words here and there, her efforts to contact the smugglers and black marketeers of Ababwa had been very politely frozen out. And when she tried to charm her way in anyway, the various criminal sects countered by sending men and women whose interests lay elsewhere, effectively neutering her most potent weapons.
She'd also been very free with her gold, paying even street guides and vendors in small golden trinkets rather than coin when she could get away with it. Haroud's men had gotten their hands on one such trinket, but according to his spymaster all the tests that he'd been able to conduct indicated that it had been merely gold, even if the mermaid shape it had originally been formed into was of a somewhat unsettling art style.
The woman smiled winsomely as she stopped and bowed, low enough to flash her decolletage. "This one is very pleased to finally be able to meet such a handsome Prince in person," she simpered as she straightened. Aladdin nodded politely, gesturing for her to have a seat as he took one himself.
"I apologize for the delays, things kind of piled up all at once." Aladdin took a cup of tea from an offered tray a servant had brought in, as did Anahita. "Thanks Nodwick." The large-nosed man gave a small smile before fading into the background. He was good at that, and Haroud had tried to hire him on several times; but the man was determined to avoid "any of that adventurer nonsense". The Lemurian ignored the servant, taking an appreciative sip of her tea, before directing a coquettish look over the rim of her cup at Aladdin.
"Prince Aladdin, my main reason for journeying here has been to see how your kingdom truly fares. Traders will say all sorts of things after all, in order to make their homes seem more splendid. And I must say, the care you take of your charges is one that my Queen would find most pleasing. She has charged me with seeing if it may be possible for our two realms to enjoy a close relationship; and has hopes that you may one day allow her to host you at her own palace." She took another sip of her tea.
"Alas, until that day comes, this one will do her utmost to ensure that the relations between our two countries is a civil and courteous one." She cocked her head slightly to the side, like a bird of prey, giving another tight-lipped smile. "One hopes that her efforts will be pleasing to you Prince Aladdin." The smile turned lazy as her eyes hooded.
Aladdin couldn't help but be amazed that she was being this blatant about what she, and by extension her queen, were willing to offer. The diplomat seemed to believe that he was some randy stallion that could be dragged about by the lower head while keeping him distracted. Though given that he could think of more than a few former rulers of the various holdings that made up the Northern Satraps who would have fallen for this, hook line and sinker.
And if the same held true for the rulers across the gulf... well that explained quite a bit about how Lemuria had been brought together so quickly without war one way or another. He gave the woman a polite smile even as he subtly moved his leg out of the way of her foot, not willing to give her a chance to try and seduce him. Best not to insult her either though, not until Haroud had a chance to actually investigate Lemuria and their practices. There were some recent rumors that he really did not like the sound of...
"I'm glad that you've enjoyed your stay in Ababwa, and I'm certain that Scherezade will be more than happy to speak with you about diplomatic arrangements. And Sinbad is quite astute as my minister of Trade, he'll be certain that any trade deals are to our mutual benefit." A complete lie of course, Sinbad would squeeze them for all they were worth given half a chance. The old man was cannier than a bag full of foxes and twice as hard to pin down when he was in his element. There was a flash of... disappointment? Or perhaps aggravation? Whatever it was, it was there and gone from the diplomat's eyes before he could determine the exact nature of the expression.
"Ah, this one thanks you so much for thinking of her people so generously. Perhaps you could escort me to my quarters, so that I could show you a few of the possible trade deals I have already drawn up? It would have been gouache to bring them with me to the meeting." Aladdin smiled back, shaking his head.
"I'm afraid not, even if I was looking at the agreements, I'd still have to run them past my council before any action could be taken on them. I prefer to deal with them as quickly as possible, going over the documents simultaneously to allow maximum understanding with minimal time investment." A handy trick that Chiron had proposed involved each individual reading their own copy of the papers in question, and then trading notes and observations on what they'd read and how they'd interpreted it. It had drastically cut down on the time it took to go over documents by allowing Aladdin to find what he needed to ask questions about, while Sinbad could pinpoint problematic areas to bargain against.
There was a definite flash of irritation this time, before Anahita smoothed it away under a cheerful smile. "As you say Prince Aladdin. In that case I shall not keep you any longer, so that you may contemplate what's been offered to you. I assure you, my Queen is one whom always rewards her friends." The woman rose and gave another teasing bow, before heading off to her rooms, hips swaying as she went.
Aladdin waited for a few moments, before glancing over at Nodwick. "What do you think?" The short man scratched at his beak of a nose for a moment, before shaking his head.
"She's trying far too hard to seduce you, your Highness. I think she expected you to be easy to tempt with some flashes of skin." The main reason that Haroud hadn't been able to hire Nodwick away was that Scherezade had gotten to him first. The man was invaluable as a sounding board, and also as a way to take the measure of people unobtrusively. He and his wife had been lucky additions to the city, she was an absolute wonder when it came to dealing with the sick or injured, especially children.
Aladdin chuckled. "I sometimes ducked through a local brothel in order to get away from the guards back in Agrabah. The ladies there were showing off a lot more, and at most they considered me a minor pest because I was always broke. But yeah, it was pretty obvious what she was offering, and by extension what her queen is offering." Nodwick let out a slight 'tch' as he poured himself a cup of tea and topped up Aladdin's cup.
"Some people have no class." Aladdin laughed and nodded. He raised his cup.
"Here's to the little guys with class." Nodwick rolled his eyes, but raised up his own cup, tapping it against Aladdin's.
"That joke was beneath you, your Highness."
"But you still thought it was funny." Nodwick didn't reply, merely hiding the small grin behind his cup.
---
New Diplomatic options unlocked.
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