C.J. Masters Press Chaos on Ambassador Protocol and British Delay
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. outlines the formal yet informal ceremony for accepting new ambassadors, setting the stage for diplomatic protocol.
A reporter questions the order of ambassador acceptances, prompting C.J. to reveal the sequence based on arrival in Washington.
Reporters express confusion over the British ambassador appointment, leading C.J. to disclose the withdrawal and health issues of previous candidates.
C.J. admits ignorance about the new British ambassador, shifting to a lighter tone by teasing reporters about diplomatic trivia.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Eager confusion laced with opportunistic hunger
Front-row pack peppers C.J. with overlapping questions on ambassador order, forgotten nominee names, replacement details, and new British identity, murmuring agreement and pressing for revelations before dispersing at her cutoff.
- • Extract specifics on British envoy
- • Uncover protocol details for stories
- • Delays signal scoops
- • Press pressure yields info
Confident poise masking controlled exasperation at repetition
Commands the podium with authority, vividly describes the Oval ceremony, lists ambassadors in precise arrival order, fields rapid-fire questions on British nominees with quick facts, imposes photo restrictions, and ends with playful trivia to diffuse tension as reporters depart.
- • Clarify protocol to preempt chaos
- • Build suspense on British delay while controlling narrative
- • Strict arrival order upholds diplomatic precision
- • Preparation and trivia disarm aggressive press
chats with, receives gifts from, and formally accepts credentials of new ambassadors by signing letter (ceremony described)
- • accept credentials of arriving ambassadors in order
fifth and last ambassador in order, arriving upon naming
first ambassador whose credentials accepted by President this morning
leads ambassadors into Oval Office and presents their credentials to President (ceremony described)
second ambassador scheduled for credential acceptance
third ambassador (Her Excellency) scheduled for credential acceptance
fourth ambassador scheduled for credential acceptance
previous British nominee who withdrew due to family obligations
intended replacement nominee diagnosed with encephalitis from Kenya posting
identified as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, longest-serving ambassador
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Referenced by C.J. in her description of the Oval ceremony as the official diplomatic document presented by Chief of Protocol and signed by President to accept credentials, underscoring ritual formality amid her protocol explanation.
Casually invoked by C.J. as 'maybe exchange some gifts' in the informal pre-signature chat of the ceremony, humanizing the protocol and contrasting rigid order with personal diplomacy.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Serves as battleground for C.J.'s verbal fencing with reporters, podium anchoring her command as questions volley and she deploys facts, trivia, and cutoffs to shape narrative on diplomats amid flashing intensity.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Exemplifies protocol as first arriver with Sumatra's completed ceremony.
Hosts ceremony via President's role, arrival protocols enforced by C.J.
Framed by C.J.'s trivia on its Dean (Saudi Prince), underscoring hierarchy where tenure crowns precedence over arrival order in broader rites.
Placed second via Hans in C.J.'s order recitation.
slotted third ('Her Excellency' Ernesto) in lineup.
Fourth in queue with Jolla.
Spotlit for delays—Brass withdrawal, Nealingroach illness, unnamed new envoy—fueling reporter frenzy C.J. tames.
Elevated via Prince Vandaar as Dean, C.J.'s trivia closer.
Positioned by C.J. as authority on new British name and ceremony protocol via Chief of Protocol, with her deferring to their notification, highlighting inter-agency coordination in diplomacy.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"REPORTER 1ST: "C.J., you're accepting four new ambassadors this week. Is there an order or protocol in which they're seen?""
"C.J.: "There is! It's the order in which they arrived in Washington. This morning the President saw Ambassador Sumatra of Thailand, then will be Peter Hans of Sweden, followed by her Excellency Renee Ernesto of Argentina, Noah Jolla of Burkina Faso and the newly named British Ambassador to the United States will be arriving in the United States just as soon as he's been newly named.""
"C.J.: "I don't know. As soon as the State Department tells me, I'll know. In the meantime, it's pool photographs only until tomorrow night when there'll be a cocktail reception for the new ambassadors. That's all. [...] It's Prince Vandaar Ben Sultan of Saudi Arabia.""