Signe's Annex

On Tuesday Signe refused the palace press office’s request for a joint photograph with Edvard. “If they want a picture of the health annex,” she said, “they can photograph the clinics.”

The hospital had invited her because the seasonal workers’ wing would now keep translators on call after midnight. Her office had prepared slides about diplomatic cooperation. Signe sent them back. She wanted the nurses who had petitioned for the service, the night interpreter and the finance officer who had found the money. She had used her political access to assemble the agreement; she was not going to make everyone else’s work disappear behind her face.

Talia had not expected Signe’s call. Signe wanted help checking the English and Kastelian summaries before she spoke at the port hospital. She offered a fee from her own project budget. Talia looked at the documents first, then accepted. Neither woman mentioned the photograph…