GSIH: Thirty Pieces of Silver

[x-gambit.livejournal.com]

Farouk and Angelo meet the local bigwigs, and Farouk provides a little practical experience to the process.



"Yeah, tell him I don't give a shit what he 'thinks' is best. Get me another couple of shipments of supplies and a team of engineers who can start some kind of water purification system going here. Unless you like the idea of twenty or thirty thousand Indians dying of typhoid while in a UN camp." The soldier said angrily into his phone and snapped it off. "Asshole. You two. Espinosa, right? Red Cross gave us the heads up you were coming. Captain Lubanski, USACE. I've got the lucky job of logistics in this little patch of paradise."

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, towards a knot of men. "Been trying to reconstruct some kind of civilian chain of command, and you can guess how well that's going."

Angelo nodded, getting the point all too well. "Angelo Espinosa, and this is Amahl Farouk. We can't help with the supply problem, but we'd be happy to help with anything we can do."

Farouk firmly suppressed the irritable spike that Cable's protégé seemed to provoke in him without any effort on Angelo's part what so ever. In the wake of the Alamut's destruction he had been forced to reassess his position. Imam's protective influence kept many a shark from going after Amahl. But now that comforting shade had been violently removed, and unless he missed his guess, there was blood in the water.

Put it simply and starkly - he needed the Mansion, at least until he could find another patron with enough teeth to buy him room to maneuver.
And so here he was, on his best behaviour, partnered with Angelo Espinosa. On a humanitarian mission in the country he hated most in the world. Really the only thing missing from making his week complete was Kane Jr turning up.

Squelching his feelings with an inhuman effort of self-control, he nodded amicably at the hurried functionary. "Professor Farouk, at your service. My condolences on the task you've been handed."

Lubanski snorted. "This entire area is a clusterfuck of influences. Doesn't help that we're basically on a shifting border. Over there is Nawaz Sikand, who's supposed to be the Gilgit Baltistan regional administrator. Even he says some days this area reports to Islamabad, other days New Delhi. He's talking to Kalphana Waza and Abdul Khan Hakim. Both are Kashmiri 'mayors', I guess is the best term, for the major local towns near the epicenter. It gets complicated though, since one Waza is Hindi and Hakim is Muslim."

The soldier shook his head. "Right now they're playing nice, but once we start talking about who gets priority of evacuation and treatment... well, that tends to be the kind of thing that brings up old grudges, you know?"

Angelo sighed at that. "Local politics, huh? Great. We'll do our best - maybe if we talk reason about getting the women, the children and the sick out first, they'll see past the grudges."

"Which ones? We've got thousands of women, thousands of children, and a ton of sick and injured. Whose get to take priority?" Lubanski said wryly as they approached the trio. "I'm pretty sure each one will come to the conclusion that his particular group is more deserving."

"Probably", Angelo agreed resignedly. "Maybe some kind of lottery for the healthy ones then, and the ones that need treatment done by triage. It might be the fairest way anyway."

Farouk's eyes narrowed in thought. "There's an old Greek saying - the walls impervious to the strongest army, can be brought down by a single mule laden with gold."

American's eyes glinted with something approaching interest. "US Military Corps of Engineers does not engage in bribery..." he drawled slowly.

Amahl smiled paternally. "It's a good thing we are private citizens, then, isn't it? I think if we round up the loudest mullah and a few of the mid-to-senior brass and sat down with them to discuss the terrible effects of this disaster, we might achieve a semblance of organization remarkably quickly."

Angelo glanced at him with something like amusement and definitely no disapproval. If that was what it took to save lives...

"Hey, my job is to keep them from mobbing the train or starting a border war. If you think you can convince them to play nice, I'm all for it." Lubanski said as he reached the group. There were solemn nods all around; not unfriendly, but definitely not those of men taking orders from the soldier. "Nawaz speaks English well enough. Mister Sikand, this is Angelo Espinosa and Amahl Farouk. Espinosa is part of the Red-X group of the Red Cross. He'll be running the logistical side of the evacuation for the first of the wounded."

Angelo took his lead from the general atmosphere, keeping his responding nod just as solemn, but amicable. "Hello, Mr. Sikand. I'm going to do my best to get everyone the help they need."

"Thank you, Mister Espinosa. That would be quite the coup if you are successful." His English was British inflicted, and heavily accented. "The establishment of priorities for evacuation should be our primary concern, don't you think?"

"I agree", he answered. "I understand there may be some conflict of interests involving the mayors, but hopefully we can reach a settlement everyone will go along with."

"There are... political concerns here, Mister Espinosa. Right now, this region is headless. Our priority must be to re-establish some kind of governing body in order to maintain the balance between India and the provisional Pakistani government." Sikand pointed out.
Farouk coughed softly to attract Angelo's attention and surreptitiously rubbed his right thumb and forefinger together in the universal gesture. Offer him money.

Angelo's eyes flicked to his hand, then he nodded, seemingly to Sikand. "I'm hoping you can help us bring the mayors and others around to doing just that. Elpis has... resources that can be called on if it would help."

Sikand raised an eyebrow, and turned back to Waza and Hakim, talking animatedly and with a number of gestures which in any language translated into 'the foreign devils wish to buy you off'. There was a long back and forth, and finally Sikand turned back to them. "Obviously, both men have only the well being of their people in mind. In the long spirit of cooperation with their neighbors, they have agreed to designate the same number for evacuation from each of their people. As well, in the interest of re-establishing order, each will provide 'advisers' for my staff, which will of course leave on the first train to organize ourselves at the camp and contact both the Indian and provisional Pakistani government. Your 'assistance' will help them keep the remaining people settled until they can be evacuated."

The greed was obvious, but not entirely unprincipled. It was a poor area, and while callous to barter with the lives of their people, the money would not entirely disappear into each man's coffers. Some would go to help those who would be left waiting.

Farouk tried very hard not to look as if he was thinking *I told you so.* or *I really fucking hate Pakistan.*

"It has been my honor and pleasure," He said with utmost seriousness "To work with the gentlemen of your stature during this terrible time. I look forward to what I am sure will be a long and productive association. And I am sure Mr. Espinoza does as well."

Amahl glanced at Angelo, firmly resolving to sucker-punch him directly in the eye if even a trace of a desire to quote Casablanca became evident.

There was the faintest twitch of Angelo's lips, but he resisted any temptation there might have been. "Absolutely", he agreed. "I'm sure we can achieve what needs to be done."
A round of mutual back-patting and last-minute clarifications later the trio of interlopers managed to separate themselves. Amahl's cleared his throat softly, attracting Lubanski's attention.

"it has been my understanding, Captain, that the American military engineers are a resourceful and conscientious bunch."

A round of mutual back-patting and last-minute clarifications later the trio of interlopers managed to separate themselves. Amahl cleared his throat softly, attracting Lubanski's attention.

"it has been my understanding, Captain, that the American military engineers are a resourceful and conscientious bunch."

"We certainly try." The American replied, warily.

"So I may presume that you are well aware of the poor state of Pakistani sanitation infrastructure?"

Lubanski grimaced. "You could say that."

Farouk smiled back at him, avuncular aura increasing somehow. "The importance of a steady supply of disinfectant is impossible to underestimate in this situation, wouldn't you say?"

Captain looked lost for a moment, before a slightly panicked look entered his eyes. "Uhh..."

"I'll make you a deal, my friend." Amahl's smile widened fractionally. "Why don't you direct us to the corner wherein a couple of your more enterprising soldiers have been running the moonshine still, in the direct contravention of the orders to avoid damaging the tender sensibility of the natives. And in return to the damage to my sobriety and liver, I will share you with some theoretically illegal Havana tobacco?"