This is quite a short piece but it immediately paints a picture of the life of a diplomat, in terms of the uniqueness of the role. I read it and saw glimpses of Graham Greene’s style- although obviously a different context, I was reminded of the brilliant Cuba- based novel, ‘Our man in Havana’. There are hints of the central character’s frustration with his career- a lingering thought he could have achieved more, and earlier. The author’s style is engaging, concise, and detailed. One big request to the author. This story is so scalable- there are so many stories which could be developed from it, both into the character’s past and into his future; please, have a go at developing this idea. It really is brilliant, and presents so many possibilities.