Vale: What a delightful soup. I understand your country has been very generous with its sovereignty lately.
Rask: Generous? We prefer "attentive". And I notice yours has been attentive to our fishing boats.
Vale: Our patrol boats are merely curious. They have a passion for ichthyology.
Rask: Then they should visit the museum. The fish there do not mind being observed.
Vale: A charming suggestion. May I ask whether the "technical difficulties" with our ambassador's car were equally curious?
Rask: The car developed an independent spirit. It chose a quieter road.
Vale: A road with a sign saying "Border Closed"?
Rask: Signs are, in the end, only opinions.
Vale: How well put. I shall quote it to my minister, with attribution.
Rask: Please don't. I should hate to cause a misunderstanding.
Vale: Shall we discuss the fish?
Rask: By all means. The fish are, after all, the only party that has not yet taken sides.
Vale: Then let us make them a treaty.
Rask: An excellent idea. Pass the bread.
Fiction note: All people, places and events in this dialogue are fictional.