Vir told himself that it was just because he was tired from the trip. "I ... wasn't expecting anyone to pick me up, actually. I just figured I'd make my way to the palace on my own. I didn't mean to put anyone out."
Lione smiled. When he did so, however, it looked as if he were in some sort of vague pain. Just as quickly as it appeared, the smile vanished.
"You are everything that I have heard. Humble and self-effacing, as if you still do not appreciate your importance."
"Well ... once upon a time, you have to understand ... ... being ambassador to Babylon 5 not only wasn't especially important ... it was actually sort of a well ..." He lowered his voice as if he was concerned about offending Londo, who was nowhere in sight. "... a joke. A position that no one took particularly seriously."
"Times change," said Lione.
"Yes, they certainly do. And who is this young man? Throk, I believe you said his name was?" Vir smiled broadly at him and was greeted with an unflinching, sullen face, and eyes that somehow gave him a free-floating sense of anxiety. "Is there some significance to the uniform?"
"Throk is one of the first members of the Centauri youth group. We call them the Prime Candidates. And indeed, they are excellent candidates to be the next generation of leaders of our world."
"Oh, a play on words! That's very cute," said Vir. Throk gave him a look that, Vir realized, could have brought on a new ice age if there were a way to harness it.
"We are not cute," he said succinctly.
"Throk..." chided Lione warningly.
"Sir," amended Throk stiffly. "We are not cute, sir."
"I ... stand corrected," said Vir, who was already feeling more and more creepy about the entire business.
"Chapters of the Prime Candidates are opening across Centauri Prime. The young are the hope of the future, Ambassador, as is always the case. So it was felt that one of the best things that could be done for the morale and spirit of our citizenry was for them to see the energies and enthusiasm of our youth harnessed in a positive manner."
"And what do the Prime Candidates do, exactly?" Vir asked Throk.
Throk did not hesitate.
"Whatever Chancellor Lione tells us to."
"Oh."
"They do public works, public services. Clean-up campaigns, running public information offices ... that sort of thing," Lione explained.
"That all sounds wonderful. And this was the emperor's idea?"
"Minister Durla's, actually, but the emperor embraced it immediately. I was then brought in by Minister Durla to oversee the program ... and also explore other means of lifting morale throughout Centauri Prime."
They climbed into a waiting transport that immediately hurtled in the direction of the palace.
"You know ... I have a thought on that."
"On what, Ambassador?"
"On boosting morale. There's this remarkable Earth game I was introduced to on Babylon 5 by Capt– by President Sheridan. If we could organize teams to play it, that might do wonders."
"Indeed." Castig Lione once again made that slightly winced smile. Throk sat in the seat just ahead of them and stared resolutely forward.
"What might that be?"
"It's called `baseball.'"
"Indeed," Lione said once more. "How is it played?"
"Well," said Vir, warming to the topic, "you have nine men on each side. And one man, he stands in the middle of the field, on an elevated pile of dirt, and he has a ball, about this big." He shaped the imaginary spheroid in his hands. "And there's a man from the other team, and he stands a distance away holding a stick."
"A stick."
"Well, a large stick. And the man on the dirt throws the ball at the man with the stick."
"Endeavoring to injure or kill him?" Castig Lione's interest seemed piqued.
"Oh, no. No, he tries to throw it past him. And the man with the stick tries to hit it. If he misses it, he gets two more attempts to try and hit it. If he hits it, he runs to a base–"
"A military base?"
"No, it's a square, about so big. He tries to run to the base before one of the other
Lione smiled. When he did so, however, it looked as if he were in some sort of vague pain. Just as quickly as it appeared, the smile vanished.
"You are everything that I have heard. Humble and self-effacing, as if you still do not appreciate your importance."
"Well ... once upon a time, you have to understand ... ... being ambassador to Babylon 5 not only wasn't especially important ... it was actually sort of a well ..." He lowered his voice as if he was concerned about offending Londo, who was nowhere in sight. "... a joke. A position that no one took particularly seriously."
"Times change," said Lione.
"Yes, they certainly do. And who is this young man? Throk, I believe you said his name was?" Vir smiled broadly at him and was greeted with an unflinching, sullen face, and eyes that somehow gave him a free-floating sense of anxiety. "Is there some significance to the uniform?"
"Throk is one of the first members of the Centauri youth group. We call them the Prime Candidates. And indeed, they are excellent candidates to be the next generation of leaders of our world."
"Oh, a play on words! That's very cute," said Vir. Throk gave him a look that, Vir realized, could have brought on a new ice age if there were a way to harness it.
"We are not cute," he said succinctly.
"Throk..." chided Lione warningly.
"Sir," amended Throk stiffly. "We are not cute, sir."
"I ... stand corrected," said Vir, who was already feeling more and more creepy about the entire business.
"Chapters of the Prime Candidates are opening across Centauri Prime. The young are the hope of the future, Ambassador, as is always the case. So it was felt that one of the best things that could be done for the morale and spirit of our citizenry was for them to see the energies and enthusiasm of our youth harnessed in a positive manner."
"And what do the Prime Candidates do, exactly?" Vir asked Throk.
Throk did not hesitate.
"Whatever Chancellor Lione tells us to."
"Oh."
"They do public works, public services. Clean-up campaigns, running public information offices ... that sort of thing," Lione explained.
"That all sounds wonderful. And this was the emperor's idea?"
"Minister Durla's, actually, but the emperor embraced it immediately. I was then brought in by Minister Durla to oversee the program ... and also explore other means of lifting morale throughout Centauri Prime."
They climbed into a waiting transport that immediately hurtled in the direction of the palace.
"You know ... I have a thought on that."
"On what, Ambassador?"
"On boosting morale. There's this remarkable Earth game I was introduced to on Babylon 5 by Capt– by President Sheridan. If we could organize teams to play it, that might do wonders."
"Indeed." Castig Lione once again made that slightly winced smile. Throk sat in the seat just ahead of them and stared resolutely forward.
"What might that be?"
"It's called `baseball.'"
"Indeed," Lione said once more. "How is it played?"
"Well," said Vir, warming to the topic, "you have nine men on each side. And one man, he stands in the middle of the field, on an elevated pile of dirt, and he has a ball, about this big." He shaped the imaginary spheroid in his hands. "And there's a man from the other team, and he stands a distance away holding a stick."
"A stick."
"Well, a large stick. And the man on the dirt throws the ball at the man with the stick."
"Endeavoring to injure or kill him?" Castig Lione's interest seemed piqued.
"Oh, no. No, he tries to throw it past him. And the man with the stick tries to hit it. If he misses it, he gets two more attempts to try and hit it. If he hits it, he runs to a base–"
"A military base?"
"No, it's a square, about so big. He tries to run to the base before one of the other
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