Alien Diplomacy

quickly. “The Ambassadress was just about to finally share her thoughts about Paraguay with us.” She hadn’t been, but apparently Chuckie was hoping this broad hint would do the trick.
    Instead, Olga reached down and opened the basket—and gasped.



CHAPTER 64
    “O H MY!” OLGA SAID, STARING at the basket and its contents.
    I looked into the basket, just in case whoever had put this together hadn’t been Pierre, and therefore hadn’t done it right. Nothing looked overwhelmingly familiar, the packaging on everything was in a language I couldn’t read, and it was all arranged beautifully. I relaxed.
    “Romanian specialties,” Olga said, clearly pleased. “We cannot find any of these things in America.” She looked up and gave us a very fond look. “I appreciate your agents picking these things up for me, in between their killings of what I believe you call superbeings and protecting us in other, more mundane ways.”
    While the men looked uncomfortable, I tried to figure out how Olga knew as much as she did, former KGB agent or not. A thought occurred. “You read the World Weekly News , don’t you, Olga?”
    “Oh, yes. The reporter, Mister Joel Oliver, he’s quite the investigator.”
    Jeff grunted. “You all still think he helps us?”
    “Oh, he does,” Olga said. “You must understand—I believe him because I observe. Most don’t, not even those whose jobs are in surveillance. They have other things to do, to think about.” She gestured to the chair. “I…not so much.”
    White cleared his throat. “Ah, Madame, I believe we would all relax a bit more if you were to share with us the information you’ve gleaned. In a more straightforward manner, since we all know lives are at stake.” I was impressed and really wanted to know why Whitehadn’t nominated himself as our Chief of Mission, since he was clearly the best we had right now with the diplomatic touch.
    She beamed at him. “You’re quite good. I do understand why those who had your mission prior were so determined to eliminate you.” Olga looked back to Jeff. “However, we were actually discussing the gentlemen in the taxis.”
    “What were the conclusions?” Jeff asked.
    I brought him up to date with the semblance of what we thought we might know. “So, we’re still guessing about who they actually are. And Chuckie really wants to know what’s going on with Paraguay.” So did I, of course.
    “You really think they’re law enforcement of some kind?” Jeff didn’t look convinced. “They don’t really dress like it from what you’ve all said.”
    “You’re used to Chuckie and guys from the big agencies, who always wear suits. Some people do go undercover, and they do it by not looking exactly like their counterparts. You know, like Serpico and every other cop show on TV. The way Richard and I did in Paris.”
    Jeff grunted. “Let’s not reminisce.”
    “Please,” Chuckie said strongly, still shooting us the “shut up, shut up” look. I didn’t know why—Olga seemed to be the most informed person in town, so it wasn’t like we were fooling her.
    “Fine. Let’s talk Paraguay.”
    Olga nodded. “There are some very…unsavory things going on there.”
    “How unsavory, and how involved is the Paraguayan government?”
    Olga shrugged. “It’s like your government—some are involved and some are not.”
    “Do you feel like naming names?” Chuckie asked.
    “Absolutely not,” Olga said calmly. “For me to accuse anyone of wrongdoing would be…undiplomatic.”
    “Fantastic.” Chuckie took a long swig of lemonade. “So, I assume you’d somehow like us to play twenty questions and pray we can figure it all out before more people die.”
    “More people?” Olga asked. She actually sounded surprised, which both shocked and interested me.
    I nodded. “We lost six of our agents, and someone I know supposedly committed suicide last night or this morning. And, yes, I think they’re related, but we have no ideas of how, or even why, let alone who’s actually in danger.”
    “Is that all?” Olga asked.
    I looked at Chuckie. The migraine was clearly riding shotgun. Checked out Jeff. He had the “here we go again” look on his face I was used to. Turned to White. “What are your thoughts?”
    “I believe we have an ally who would like to be very sure before she shares her information,” White said. I noted that both Jeff and Chuckie looked resigned.
    “Works for me. Olga, there are also