Retief at Large (62 page)

COSMIC

DIPLOMACY AND
MACHIAVELLIAN
INTRIGUE

            The
official accounts of Terra's efforts in the field of interstellar diplomacy
during the 29
^th
century are available for the dialing to anyone
willing to pore through the records of the
Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne
.

            For
those of sufficient discernment, however it will be evident that the
Corps'
records,
incredibly voluminous though they be, fail to tell the whole truth—indeed to
some degree must obscure it. Surely if it had been guarded solely by the
efforts of such persons as Ambassadors Magnan, Thunderstroke and Grossblunder;
Terra's Sphere of Influence would have crumpled instantly before the diplomatic
assaults of the Groaci. That it did not demonstrates that other factors were at
work.

            One
such factor was a career diplomat named Jame Retief. Contained here are several
accounts of his achievements, illustrating how a few able men were able to save
the galaxy for Man.