xp_logs | A look inside Elpis...

Nathan and Angelo have a breakfast meeting with Joel Rollins, the head of the Elpis board. Current and upcoming projects are discussed, and Nathan and Angelo get some more valuable advice from the man teaching them how to operate in a world still mostly new to them.

"--need to stop importing waifs, Nathan, really. At least without the proper paperwork." Joel Rollins leaned back in his chair as the waiter refilled his cup with more of the Ambassador Grill's exceptionally good coffee. "I'm sure she's a lovely young woman and was in a terrible situation, but it looks bad publicly," the head of the Elpis board went on dryly.

Nathan gave him a stubborn look. "I don't regret doing it."

"Of course you don't. But can you prove that you didn't bring her back as a child-bride?"

Nathan almost yelped. "Joel!"

Rollins just shook his head, smiling a little. "He has no sense of humor, does he?" he asked Angelo, then looked back at Nathan. "Most people aren't that cynical, when they hear about things like this. But take note that I used the word 'most'. Never underestimate the power of the nasty-minded."

Angelo was leaning back in his chair, cup of coffee in hand, trying not to laugh. "If it comes to that," he observed in amusement, "Bobby an' I were out there too."

"See," Rollins said to Nathan, "your loyal henchmen don't always help your case, either." He was smiling as he said it, though, and Nathan knew that Joel wouldn't belabor the point, mini-lecture having been delivered. And it was a point. Just not one that had a whole lot of importance to him when he thought about Sooraya. "Seriously, though," Rollins went on, "the package we sent to GPAT can be considered an unmitigated success. I had a phone call of thanks on Friday."

Nathan made a face. "I don't think we can call it an unmitigated success until they do something with the information, Joel."

"They haven't had it for long," Angelo pointed out. "You're the one always tellin' me this stuff takes time."

"And I'm not the one being Mr. Positive, either."

Rollins merely smiled again at the implicit rebuke. "By unmitigated success," he went on patiently, "I meant that they've taken the information, judged it to be both authentic and highly useful, and have already been in communication with the Afghan government on the subject. The first steps have been taken. If you don't look at each piece of incremental progress as a victory, Nathan, you can get very easily frustrated in this line of work. I keep telling you that."

Nathan made a face and started pushing the remains of his omelette around his plate. The three of them had met here for breakfast, prior to the three separate meetings they were attending at the UN this morning. He'd been looking forward to hearing any news on the Afghanistan issue. And this was good news, Joel was right.

"I still don't regret bringing Sooraya back," he muttered a bit defiantly.

"Of course you don't. She's better off at Xavier's, that goes without saying. Still." Rollins gave Angelo an amused look. "I thought you were going to restrain his impulsive tendencies. That was our arrangement, wasn't it?"

"Hey!"

Angelo attempted to look innocent for about five seconds, then grinned at the other two men. "I do my best, Joel. But you know how impossible it is sometimes. Anyway, this time there wasn't much time to do anythin' else."

"True enough. And really, I don't like second-guessing the field people too much," Rollins said more seriously. "I remember what it was like to be out there trying to stay on the right side of the line. Direct action is a strong temptation under the best of circumstances."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, but gave him a faint smile and a brief nod, acknowledging the point. It was a discussion they'd had before, and would undoubtedly have again. "So can we field people consider this a job more or less well done, then?" he asked, and the deferential edge to his voice might have surprised a number of people back at the mansion. But he knew how much he had to learn from Rollins, and had already developed a healthy respect for the man Charles had helped him recruit to run Elpis. Joel's thirty-five years of experience in the NGO sector made pretty much every word that came out of his mouth worth hearing.

"Strike the 'more or less', and yes, absolutely," was Joel's amiable reply.

The grin widened, and Angelo leaned back once again, with a triumphant drink of his coffee. "Strike one for us."

"I think we're sitting well, all things considered," Rollins said, sipping at his coffee. "Plans for the second shelter in Managua are coming along nicely. I've been in communication with an old acquaintance in the Turkmen government to see what I can shake loose regarding what the Tel Aviv office turned up this summer..."

Angelo sat up at that, sharply interested. "Anythin' come out of it yet?"

Rollins shook his head. "The government over there is not precisely what you call well-organized," he said dryly. "The left hand very often doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I'll keep everyone posted, but it might be a while."

Nathan nodded, and took another piece of bread from the basket. "And the other projects over on your side of things?"

"We're getting the last details sorted on our public education campaigns in Southeast Asia, and we've found some useful local projects to invest in. Community medical clinics run by people who are more likely to offer proper services for pregnant mutant women rather than push abortions on them." Rollins took another sip of his coffee. "Adminstration-wise, we've managed to get Elpis registered with another half-dozen countries on our list since the last time we had one of these meetings, and the paperwork on our consultative status with the UN is moving along nicely."

"Good to hear," Angelo answered, reaching for the sugar bowl to dump another cube or two into his new cup of coffee. "Any idea when that'll come through?"

"I'm hoping by the end of September. When it does go through, we'll have more and easier access, which will be nice." Rollins snorted softly. "Not that I mind calling in favors, but I'd prefer not to use them all up."

"I appreciate you using any of them," Nathan said, and meant it. There was absolutely no way they could have gotten Elpis off the ground, let alone launched these projects and found an audience for the results of their field investigations, without Joel. Nathan had his own seat on the board, out of courtesy's sake, but he knew he wasn't suited to that level of the work.

"Nonsense, it's my pleasure. How often do you think someone like me gets to steer an NGO with more money than it can ever spend, that hops back and forth between relief, development, and lobbying depending on what the situation calls for? Elpis is a freak of nature," Rollins said with a wide grin, "but it's a damned exciting one."

"Suits us just fine, then," Angelo said cheerfully, eating a last bite of his breakfast.

"So," Rollins said more briskly, "you'll be sitting in on that meeting regarding the feeding programs in Niger, Angelo. Make sure that when it comes to the question period, you raise those statistics I sent to you about the number of mutant children still being turned away. And watch Ousmane's face when he answers you - I want your best take on how he reacts."

"I'll get you a full description," Angelo promised. "Is this an image inducer meeting, or can I go in without?"

"Without, definitely. Don't ever be afraid to use the fact that you're a visible mutant when you're in situations like this," Rollins said. "That sounds horribly cynical, but I think the pros outweigh the cons."

"Fine by me. Never really liked usin' the thing anyway, when it's safe not to."

"That's the spirit. And you," Joel went on, looking at Nathan, "have an invitation to that meeting with the Kazakh ambassador, to hear how things are at that school these days."

"Oh, good. I'd been wondering," Nathan said, his expression brightening. "And yes," he went on before Rollins could, "I'll behave myself."

"Oh, good," Rollins mimicked, his lips twitching as he divided an amused look between the two younger men. "I'll make half-decent lobbyists out of the two of you yet."

Nathan scoffed. "I prefer to be out in the field, thank you very much."

"I quite like the lobbyin' side of it too," Angelo said with a grin. "Fieldwork's good, but the meetings are just as much fun sometimes."

Rollins gave Nathan a nearly beatific smile. "I'm winning."

"No, you're not," Nathan protested. "He still likes doing things like cavalry charges in the Hindu Kush... right, Angelo?"

"...in the sense of 'like' that involves 'too busy tryin' to stay on the horse to think about anythin' else'... sure, that part I liked."

"The political side really isn't so bad, you know," Rollins said, clearly directing that at Nathan this time. "You just need more patience. And," he said pointedly, glancing at the cast still on Nathan's arm, "it's a lot less strenuous."

Angelo caught the glance and looked vindicated. "I've been tryin' to tell him that. But he comes an' does things like... cavalry charges in the Hindu Kush."

"That was an entirely necessary cavalry charge, thank you very much."

"No one's questioning that," Rollins soothed. "But frankly, Nathan, I'd like to have you around for many years to come. There's no point in teaching you how to run this organization if you're not going to be around to do it once I've toddled off into happy retirement."

"Amen," Angelo muttered under his breath. "Don't want to be havin' to try an' replace you quite yet."

"This is a conspiracy," Nathan said darkly, lifting his own coffee cup.

"Mmm. I may have been talking to your wife, too." Rollins merely smiled as Nathan's expression grew more thunderous.

"An entirely necessary conspiracy," Angelo added, looking angelic when Nathan glanced at him.

"I hate both of you."