Gran Colombia, H1/12

[The Rock Doctor]

1 January 1912:  La Prensa Nacional

With our northern neighbours continuing to build up their capital ship forces in unprecedented numbers, the Armada responded today by laying down two new battleships in Cartagena.

The Furioso and Glorioso will be amongst the world's most powerful dreadnoughts when completed in late 1914.  Armed with ten massive fourteen inch guns and a battery of lesser guns, they are thousands of tonnes larger than the battleships just completed this past August, Triunfante and Porfiado.

Admiral de Irujo, speaking to reporters after the keel-laying ceremony, said, "We have no particular desire to engage in a building frenzy with other powers, but one must ensure one's own armada remains strong and capable of defending Gran Colombian interests.  To that end, we are looking not to increase the size of our battleline, but to increase its capabilities, while remaining at a modest six battleships in terms of overall numbers."

29 February 1912:  La Prensa Nacional

Industry Minister Sebastien de Soto, several other officials, and a number of notable businessmen left San Miguelito on a trip to the Western Pacific. 

Prior to embarking on the ship, Minister de Soto commented, "With the healthy state of Gran Colombia's economy, we are looking to generate foreign investment opportunities which may offer higher rates of return than can be generated locally at this time.  Of course, one does not invest blindly, but with facts and data, and that is what we will be gathering on our journey."

When asked what might draw him to invest in a foreign economy, mining magnate Justo Elias replied, "A stable government open to free enterprise.  Low taxes.  Available labor untainted by socialism and unionism.  These are features of our own economy, and I would be looking to find similar conditions abroad."

Although Industry spokesmen were not able to confirm which destinations the mission would be travelling to, one anonymous source did confirm one destination that was not on the agenda.  "New Switzerland is being bypassed.  Although the Swiss do profess to being capitalistic, the political situation there is somewhat volatile, and the markets are relatively developed.  Better to look further afield, we think."

[The Rock Doctor]

2 March 1912:  Cartagena

"I am on my way to the station.  Did you have any final instructions for me?", Eduard Torres asked President Alizandro from the entrance to the presidential office.

"Ah, no", Rey answered.  "I'm happy with the latest draft, and nobody's raised any issues.  Get it done."

"Very well", Torres said.  "Try not to start any wars in my absence."

Startled, Rey replied, "Er, no, wasn't planning to."  He paused, and added, "That was a joke, I hope..."

"Yes, Senor President", Torres confirmed. 

"Good.  Enjoy Manaus."

[The Rock Doctor]

10 March 1912:  Manaus

El Gran Hotel Manaus was, by the standards of Cartagena or Cromwell, a rather modest structure.  By the standards of Manaus, however, it was a seven floor behemoth of almost unimaginable luxury, catering primarily to rubber plantation owners visiting from elsewhere in Amazonas del Sur. 

Eduard Torres was sipping at his tea as his first guest arrived.  "Good morning", called out Miguel Moratinos, as his aides entered behind him.  Torres was quick to set down the tea cup and shake hands with the Iberian.

"Good to see you.  How was your journey?", the Colombian asked. 

"Long", Moratinos replied, "But one gets accustomed to it.  I decided it was time to add another language, so I spent much of the voyage practicing Greek."

"The better to read the classics by", Torres noted.

"Quite", Moratinos agreed with a hint of a grin.

"Are you returning directly to Iberia afterward?"

"I'll have to stop at Belem and check for telegrams before I know that", the Iberian replied. 

"Gentlemen!", came a greeting from the door, as Ernesto Gonzalo y Riviera made his entrance.

"Ah, good morning", Torres said, as he and Moratinos walked over to shake hands with the Suramerican. 

"Come for some fishing, Minister?", Moratinos asked.

"No need for that", Gonzalo said.  "I'm merely here to confirm the catch."

The other men chuckled.  Moratinos inquired, "Are our other friends here as well?"

"Yes, but in a different hotel, unfortunately", Torres replied.  "But here he is", he added, as the Peruvian minister for international affairs stepped through the entrance.

"Here I am", Urco Ayaipoma concurred.  "My, but this place has grown!  Iquitos is but a village in comparison."

"Our programs are attracting the number of settlers we had hoped for", Torres observed.  "If you have time, travel up to San Sylvestre.  You will be astonished."

"You came down the river?", Moratinos asked.

"Yes - a lovely trip for a birdwatcher such as myself.  My aides were quite bored, however, and took to playing board games much of the time", Ayaipoma said.  "Anyway - I see that I am last to arrive, so I should not hold things up any further.  Are we ready?"

"There are four copies of the text awaiting our signatures", Torres said.  "Shall we make the Southern Cross official?"

[The Rock Doctor]

20 March 1908:  La Prensa Nacional

President Rey Alizandro ratified the Souther Cross Alliance yesterday, following the signing of the treaty earlier this month in Manaus by Foreign Minister Eduard Torres and his counterparts from Iberia, Peru, and the Naciones Unidas del Suramerica.

The alliance is primarily a mutual defence treaty between the four states, which have been on broadly favorable terms in recent years.  President Alizandro noted, "This is good news for Gran Colombia and its southern neighbours.  The Southern Cross brings us together in friendship and renders the possibility of war in South America quite improbable.  No longer will we be vulnerable to outsiders with unseemly agendas."

The alliance also provides for the creation of economic and technological agreements, though the government did not comment on whether such documents were, in fact, under development at this time.  Meanwhile, an article about mediation of conflict may allude to Gran Colombia's recent discussions with the Baltic Confederation about ongoing Dutch/Iberian tensions.  On the other hand, as one Foreign Affairs official noted, "There might be other scenarios in which an alliance member sought to mediate a dispute or adversarial relationship between a second alliance member and a third party."

Foreign Affairs officials confirmed that the earlier Valencia Accord with Iberia remains in effect despite the new agreement, but it was suggested that the Accord might be allowed to lapse in 1913 to reduce "diplomatic complexity."

11 April 1912:  Tokyo, Japan

"This is an undeveloped market?", Industry Minister Sebastien de Soto asked skeptically, observing the mass of ships and boats in Tokyo Bay.

"It is", his aide confirmed.  "Barely half of the population are engaged in the modern economy; the remainder are engaged in basic subsidence agriculture.  It is estimated that twenty-two million people on the Japanese islands alone neither contribute production into the economy nor make use of the services provided by the economy."

"I thought the Swiss developed the place when they were here."

"The Swiss developed industrial centres, and their contribution shouldn't be understated - but there are a lot of people in these lands.  Industrialization is a generations-long process."

"Hmm", de Soto grunted.  "What sort of investment opportunities are suggested?"

"If I can focus on the Japanese Isles themselves, Minister?  From the foodstuffs perspective, not a great deal - modest opportunities for tea, rice, and rye.  However, silk appears to have considerable upside potential", the aide noted.  "Demand is increasing in Europe and the Americas, particularly amongst the upper and middle classes."

de Soto nodded knowingly, "Yes, Senora de Soto did specifically ask for something silk as a souvenier of my visit."

The aide, perhaps not wanting to risk an inappropriate comment, merely continued.  "The timber sector seems under-developed, on account of limited road infrastructure in parts of the islands.  Mining is limited, with some gold, silver, and copper occurrences.  A good deal of coal, but not much iron, which requires imports from the mainland to supply the steel industry."

de Soto remarked, "To be frank, it does not sound as if there is much to be gained from investment in primary industry."

"Frankly, no", the aide conceded.  "The opportunity, rather, is to invest in the people.  The Japanese are in the process of industrializing, and that will bring people out of the country and into the cities.  There is money to be made by investing in the service and transportation sectors alongside targetted primary sector investment - silk, speciality hardwoods, and precious metals."

"Perhaps so", de Soto said.  "I know that some of my colleagues are not keen to empower the Japanese in any capacity, though, so it may be a tough sell."

"Racism?", the aide asked.

"Partly that.  There's also basic military/economic status to be considered."

"I don't see that we and Japan are in conflict", the aide observed.  "There is no territorial overlap, and the diplomatic relationships don't line us up on opposite sides of any particular conflict, assuming we remain neutral on the Swiss issue."  He paused, and de Soto shrugged.  "In that case, it comes down to the basic question of whether this is an opportunity to make money.  I think that it is, and that it would be a shame if certain individuals' views of, uh, cultural differences were to prevent us from making money."

"Money talks", de Soto conceded.  "Well, we'll find out soon enough what the Japanese have to say.  That looks like a motorcade on its way here right now.  Grab your suit jacket and let's head down to the lobby."

[The Rock Doctor]

4 June 1912:  Cartagena

"Not that I don't like and respect you all, but I can actually say I'm genuinely pleased to be here today", Defence Minister Ricardo Alizandro observed as he flopped into a chair in the President's meeting room.  The muffled clatter of the experimental air conditioning system was evident as the machinery did its best to counteract an unusually hot (even for Cartagena) summer day.

"Just think how your men in those unventilated metal warships must feel, Ricardo", Sebastien de Soto replied. 

"They're paid well enough", Ricardo said.  Aquileo Alizandro, the Minister for Natural Resources, rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad you're comfortable - we can do more work without the distraction of the heat", President Rey Alizandro noted.  "Welcome back, Sebastien.  You'll notice that in your absence, Laureano finally made good on his threats to retire.  I haven't chosen his successor yet, so his deputy, Felipe Sagasta, is here in his stead."

"I know Felipe from his time as my deputy in Industry", de Soto replied.  "Good to see you again, Felipe."

"And you, Minister", Sagasta responded.

"Incidentally, the kids appreciated their presents", Rey said.  "Anyway - would you care to give us an initial report on your long trip?"

"Certainly", de Soto agreed.  "The purpose of the trip was to seek out new investment opportunities in under-developed markets.  Opportunities here in the Americas are limited now that we've seen recent investments into Brazil by Colombian, Iberian, and Austrian business pick up projects with the highest likely rates of return. 

"In Asia, there are still some dramatically underdeveloped economies to be looked at, including some relatively small states which we might be able to influence politically.  Consequently, we visited Bharat, Burma, East Bengal, Japan, the Mughal Empire, and Siam.  We omitted the DKB on account of its developed economy, New Switzerland and the Middle Kingdom because of political uncertainty, and Maoria because of its perceived alignment with the CSA.

"I found Japanese to be gracious hosts, and our discussions indicated that they were interested in what our entrepeneurs might have to offer - however, when I floated the suggestion of formalizing an investment protocol, I did not receive a clear response either way."

"So they're thinking about it?", Aquileo asked.

"This is my assumption", de Soto concurred.  "Opportunities in primary industry are limited; it's in taking advantage of the expected urbanization/industrialization of the Japanese state that money can be made.  The market is huge."

"I'm still not comfortable cozying up with them", Ricardo observed.

"I know that, but money is money", de Soto said.  "Our next stop was Siam.  This is a smaller state, a former Swiss satellite that appears to be starting on its own path now.  Their heavy industrial sector is relatively strong for an under-developed state, a legacy of Swiss investments no doubt.  There are some agricultural sectors which would benefit from investment; my major concern is that we're not yet clear about what path Siam is headed down, and whether it will conflict with our other interests."

"Our fledgling relationship with the Dutch, for instance", Jorge Escalante, the Minister of Agriculture, said.

"Exactly", De Soto said.  "Our third stop was Burma.  There are some intriguing mining opportunities here - among other things, rubies and jade, lead/silver occurrences - and petroleum.  It is one of the few producers of the stuff in the Pacific, and the only one not under the thumb of a major power.  Rice and teak are the primary agricultural products of interest.  Politically, the situation is almost ideal - they are hemmed in by the Chinese and Bharat, and the Siamese make them nervous."

"I like that", Rey remarked.  "Bharat was next?"

"East Bengal, actually", de Soto corrected him.  "This is a relatively lightly populated region of the world, with an agricultural economy dependent on jute, tobacco, and rice.  By itself, this is a limited opportunity - however, there are a lot of Bengalis in Bharat proper, and that constitutes an indirect opening to the larger Bharat economy and market."

"I recall they have some issue with storm damage", Eduard Torres noted.

"They do", de Soto agreed.  "That's a very real risk for any investment."

"I can't say that rice really sets my world on fire", Ricardo said.

"A lot of people eat the stuff", Escalante replied.  "Control over food is power, you know."

"You're more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, Ricardo - perhaps you'd like us to move in to Ireland, then", Aquileo Alizandro added.

"Enough", Rey interjected.  "Let's not get side-tracked.  Sebastien?"

"Thank you", de Soto said.  "Bharat was next.  Very large, quite under-developed.  It is, in fact, probably the second largest population in the world.  Obviously, however, it's quite impractical to invest enough to wield significant influence over the local government, so we might look to a targeted investment - perhaps an enclave as the Russians, DKB, and Baltickers enjoy."

"Finally, we visited the Mughal Empire.  I can't say I was impressed with what I saw there.  There was notable religious animosity which would impact on our economic transactions, and the government appears to be somewhat less interested in free enterprise than I'm comfortable with.  In a capitalist environment, there'd be agricultural and mining opportunities to be had - but this isn't a capitalist environment."

"So you saved the worst till last", Ricardo remarked.

"That's how it panned out", de Soto agreed. 

"Why didn't you visit the Dutch East Indies?", Escalante asked.

"I felt we had a decent enough sense of the situation there", de Soto stated.  "The Dutch press is fairly open, and they're obviously friendly to free enterprise.  I suppose we could look into investments in the East Indies - it's certainly not developed to the degree that it could be."

"Might be worthwhile", Rey said.  "Thank you, Sebastien.  Let's revisit this again after your written report is completed.  Shall we pause for drinks?"

[The Rock Doctor]

Flashback - 18 May 1912:  Cartagena

"This is getting interesting", President Rey Alizandro remarked as he studied the large map hanging in the Cabinet meeting room.

"That's one word for it", his uncle Ricardo concurred.  "If it gets much more interesting, we might regret selling those licences to the Ottomans a couple years back." 

Sebastien de Soto held his hands up in a gesture of helplessness.  "I can't forecast the future, Ricardo.  If there was some expectation that the Ottomans were going to end up in a confrontation with Iberia, you or Benicio should have said something. I'd have put an end to the deal."

"I'm not pointing fingers", Ricardo replied.  "Just sayin', is all."

"So - where is this giong?", the President interjected.  "Incident, war, or what?"

Not unexpectedly, all eyes turned turned to Benecio Delgado.  The head of Miscellaneous Affairs adjusted his spectacles, and said, "I do not have an answer to that as yet.  I have some information and my analysts are considering it."

"Can you at least offer an informed opinion, then?", Rey asked.

"I can do that", Delgado agreed.  "My informed opinion is that the tempers will remain high for several weeks until the Ottomans finally crush the Greek revolt - at which point, the situation will gradually calm down once more."

"So no need for us to contemplate active support for our allies?"

"Not at this time", Delgado replied. 

"Alright", Rey said.  "It's not as if we really have an interest in what happens to the Greeks, hey?"

[The Rock Doctor]

30 May 1912:  Cartagena

The Communion was done, and the service was into the home stretch.  Rey Alizandro could practically smell the lavish lunch being prepared in the kitchen of the Presidential Palace, and with that, his stomach made a low rumble.  As Senora Alizandro's elbow jabbed into his side, the President noted that Cardinal Rodriguez had...that look on his face as he prepared to launch into his parting sermon.

Uh oh, Rey thought.

The Cardinal made eye contact with the President, as if to confirm his fears, then proclaimed, "Friends and neighbours, brothers and sisters under God Almightly, I had intended to leave you with a few parting words on the value of tolerance today - but I will have to trust that you are all familiar with this already, as there is another profound issue which requires our attention this very day.  I speak, obviously, of the horrific slaughter of our Greek cousins by the heathen occupiers of their lands."

The President's imagining of lunch vanished with a final parting vision of turkey, and his full attention locked onto the leader of the Catholic Church of Gran Colombia.

"The Greeks are Christians like ourselves, despite the unfortunate circumstances of the Great Schism.  Their lands are Christian lands, despite their long-standing occupation by the heathens of the Ottoman Empire.  To understand why I am calling on you to help aid our Greek brothers at this time, let us revisit history and understand the circumstances that have brought this appalling situation into being..."

"Shit", Rey murmured.

"Rey", the First Lady muttered through clenched teeth, "They won't serve breakfast without you.  Shut up and look interested."

[The Rock Doctor]

2 June 1912:  Cartagena

Ricardo Alizandro shook his head and looked up from the blueprints before him.  "Admiral...even I have to say that this is over the top."

"Oh, I don't disagree", Admiral de Irujo replied.  "And I'm not even certain it's practical.  I just thought I'd share it as a more extreme example of where our next capital ship design could go."

"Well, don't let the President see it, or we'll have to build the damn thing whether we like it or not."

"Yes, Sir", de Irujo agreed, thinking back to the business with the Triunfante class battleships.  "We have a number of studies underway at this point, so there will be a wide range of options to consider when the time comes."

"It'll probably come down to matching whatever beast the Rohirrim are building at the time", Ricardo noted.  "Now - you wanted to talk about the situation in Europe..."

"Yes, Sir", the Armada's commanding officer confirmed.  "Essentially, I'm seeking political direction on whether I should be preparing for possible intervention in an Iberian/Hapsburger/Ottoman conflict."

"That'll depend on how the conflict, if there is one, comes about.  Madrid and Vienna aren't telling us much, but my sense is that their hands aren't exactly clean", Ricardo said.

"No?"

"No.  And while you want to help your friends when they need it, you don't want to encourage them to cause trouble because they think you'll help them get away with it", the Minister of Defence mused.  "Unless, of course, they're going to make an offer you can't refuse - but I can't imagine what that would be in this case.  So my sense is that we're not going to get involved unless the Iberians trigger Southern Cross."

"Which is just as well", de Irujo said.  "Our logistical situation's a lot better than it was a couple of years ago, but we've yet to even practice a large-scale deployment overseas.  Projecting power into the Mediterranean would be quite the challenge.  However - we could still make ourselves visible around more local Iberian possessions, if that were thought to be a useful thing to do."

"It might help discourage anybody from jumping on the Ottoman bandwagon", Ricardo agreed.  "I'll raise the issue and get back to you.  Apart from talking to the Cabinet, I suspect we'll also need to have a chat with Peru and NUS about how we go forward."

"Yes, Sir", de Irujo replied.

"Since you mentioned it, though", Ricardo added, "We should conduct a large deployment exercise once the new auxiliaries have shaken down.  Put together some options and we can talk it over later in the month."

[The Rock Doctor]

19 June 1912:  Vadodara, Gujurat (Baltic Confederation)

Knocking on the door roused Padre Batista from a light doze.  His eyes immediately snapped open, and his left hand reached out for his shotgun - which, he then unhappily chided himself, wasn't there.  Hospital rules and all.  "Come in", he called, reasoning that an assassin would be unlikely to rap on his door.

The door cracked open and a man poked his head through the entrance.  "Padre Batista?  I'm Jose Cristobal, from the Gran Colombian Consulate.  I wondered if you might be up to answering a few questions."

Batista frowned.  "Lying is sinful, my son."

"I'm sorry?", the man asked.

"At least attempt to sound sincere", the missionary growled.

"No, I mean, why do you say lying is sinful?"

"Because I met Senor Cristobal when I landed here in December", Batista replied, "And there is no mistaking you for he, as he is both twice your age and twice your weight.  Clearly the Almighty Lord loves him, or he would surely be dead by now."

The other man sighed.  "You've got me, Padre.  I apologize for the deception."  Nonetheless, he stepped inside, closing the door gently behind him.  "My name is Guillermo Renaldo - I'm a freelance journalist.  I was hoping you'd be willing to answer a few questions."

"Well, at least that part of your introduction was truthful", Batista mused.  "What would a freelance journalist be doing here?"

"I'm on my way from North Indochina to the Mediterranean, actually, and had a few days between ships", Renaldo admitted.  "Plus, I was curious to meet you."

"What on earth for?"

"I kept hearing stories about you while I was in Manaus", Renaldo.  "Wild, crazy stories about fighting the Eye."

"Of course", Batista agreed.  "Well, go ahead, ask me some questions, my child, and we shall see what I can answer."

"Thank you", Renaldo said, pulling a chair to bedside.  He reached into his jacket for a notepad and pencil, and asked, "What happened to you?"

"I was beaten and stabbed a number of times.  If you read Swedish, the particulars are there on my chart."

Renaldo smiled.  "Who did this?"

"A number of men - fifteen or twenty - entered my chapel after nightfall on the second of the month.  They attacked me immediately, without speaking, and then burned the chapel after I was rendered unconscious."

"What did they look like?"

"Local in appearance, ranging from teens to middle-aged.  All dressed in local garb, with no distinguishing aspect about them."

"So quite unlike the Eye, I would imagine."

"Certainly", Batista agreed.  "The followers of Sauron", and he paused as the journalist flinched.  "Don't allow that name to have power over you - there is nothing sacred about it.  No, the followers of Sauron know nothing of subtlety or discretion.  In all likelihood, they would have harangued me about my obedience to the Lord, and offered me a chance to submit to the Eye, before getting around to noisily attacking me after I refused.  On the other hand, I've no doubt that the Eye would have finished the job - killed me - and then some.  They're quite thorough once they get around to it."

"So who're these guys?  Some local cult?"

"That is a very good question.  Other churches attacked in recent months have been desecrated with unfamiliar and unintelligble script, painted in blood on the ruins - as was the case with my mission.  However, none of the destroyed missions had been threatened prior to their destruction, and nobody has claimed credit for it since.  Nor has anybody I've spoken to heard of a cult seeking to expel foreigners bringing the Word of God.  On the whole, I'm not satisfied with a local cult as the explanation."

"You were asking questions?", Renaldo inquired.

"I was", Batista confirmed.

"Do you think that's why you were attacked?"

Batista shrugged almost imperceptibly.  "Possibly.  Or it may be simply because I am spreading the Word of God here, or unknowingly insulted somebody of importance, or because it was late and they were drunk or bored.  Regardless, once I am released, I intend to return, rebuild, and find out."

"You're not worried about being assaulted again?"

"If it happens again, it will be God's will.  There's no avoiding that", Batista said.  "And while it might look otherwise at this moment, the Lord has left me quite capable of tending to myself."

"I heard that you survived several weeks in El Dorado", Renaldo noted.  "If that's true, I imagine you can take care of yourself in almost any situation."

Batista nodded.  "That is true."

[The Rock Doctor]

25 June 1912:  Esmeraldas

The second-largest ship in the Pacific Fleet - the largest actually present, since Luchador's jaunt into the Caribbean three days earlier - was gradually settling deeper and deeper into the water.

Captain Camilo Zaldoa watched impassively as bag after bag of coal was winched aboard and dumped into the bunkers and holds of the Tranquilidad.  The new fleet collier's crew were doing a much better job of it now that they'd had almost three months to get the routine right.  Not that they didn't understand how to shovel coal - that was the simple (if tiring) part.  No, it was the more intellectually challenging task of arranging loads to the right bunkers and holds at the right time, keeping the ship from becoming unbalanced on one side, forward, aft, and so forth.  That had taken some time to perfect, given the sheer amount of coal coming aboard.  Thirteen thousand, three hundred fifty-nine tonnes:  probably enough to fill the bunkers of the entire Pacific Fleet.

Zaldoa shook his head.  What in the hell were they thinking when they'd ordered colliers this big?  Two smaller colliers could have done the key task - re-coaling other ships - faster than Tranquilidad.  Six smaller colliers would have-

"Captain?  Several lorries are pulling up alongside.  Civilian, Sir."

Zaldoa turned and looked down towards the pier.  "So they are", he replied.  "Thank you, Mister Espejo."  He watched as a pair of civilians in suits walked along to the gangway and started speaking to the sentry at its base.  "Mister Roscio?  Mind the ship, please.  I believe my services are required at the gangway."

He was correct.  As he walked down the gangway, he saw that the lorries were mostly marked as belonging to Transportacion de Narvarte, but at least two of the crates on their beds were stamped with the distinctive Green Cross.

"Gentlemen?  Captain Zaldoa, commanding this ship.  How may I be of assistance?"

"Captain, good day.  My name is Andre Tronet, with the Green Cross.  I have arranged with your Armada to embark some materials for our facility at Pago Pago."

"Can I see the manifest, please?", Zaldoa asked.  Tronet handed an envelope to him, and the officer examined the sheets of paper within it.  "Basic medical supplies and field hospital equipment?"

"Oui.  With the coming of war in the Balkans, we wish to increase our forward stockpiles in case our services are required in the Pacific."

The paperwork was in order, so Zaldoa didn't question it.  "Very well.  I'll have to speak with the operations officer - our hold is already partly filled with freight bound for Lima.  Things may need to be moved around before your crates come aboard."

"You aren't travelling directly to Pago Pago?"

"I'm afraid not.  Is that a problem?"

"Provided there are no sudden catastrophes in the Pacific, I suppose it is not", Tronet replied.

"Very good.  I assume I'll need to sign for this?" 

Soon, with the appropriate paperwork signed and exchanged, Zaldoa was climbing back up to the bridge.  Blueprints to Lima, medical stuff to Pago Pago, and a group of bureaucrats destined for Japan - and thirteen thousand, three hundred fifty-nine tonnes of bituminous coal, bound for the bunkers of three navies.  What a dog's breakfast this was turning into...