When they returned to the hotel, Jocelyne took leave allowing the Queen of Prettania to return to her room. Pauline did not blame her: she was sure that the president of the Great Republic of Beleriard also needed to rest.

The two women had argued vigorously while they were in the car. Jocelyne had answered all of Pauline's questions, thus showing that the 'Eden Union' project had been thoroughly researched for a long time. Despite the girl's excellent preparation, however, the queen was able to propose some improvements thanks to her greater experience in the field.

By now she was more and more convinced that accepting to create this organization was the right choice for her. After all, if a superpower like the Kingdom of Prettania had proposed such a thing, at least a hundred nations would have followed suit on the spot, and many more would have joined in the following months. Eden Union had a very good chance of success and if they played their cards right they could have avoided nuclear war.

In fact, that had always been Sobek's plan: he had hoped to be able to carry it out before the advent of the atomic bomb, but by now it was too late.

Some fool might have wondered why Sobek simply didn't teleport into the quarters of heads of state around the world and take control of them. Simply because that move would lead to nothing. In ancient times it was enough to cut off the king's head and the war was over; but in the modern era, nations had innumerable protocols that went into action if the head of state suddenly died. If Sobek had the leaders of all nations assassinated, all he would have achieved would have been the takeover of a new leader who, seeing how his predecessor had ended, would probably have reacted more violently. And if he too had been able to eliminate the entire line of succession, then the nation would have fallen into anarchy and the military would have taken control, imposing martial law. The same soldiers who, it should be remembered, were producing the atomic bomb and who were not known to be proper negotiators.

Sobek didn't know where the bases that produced nuclear bombs were located. He would have asked Rambo to look for them, but he doubted that they would be easily found. If the humans had managed to create that terrible device without him noticing anything, there must be a reason. Therefore, trying to take control of nations by force was out of the question, unless he really wanted to unleash nuclear war.

And even if atomic bombs hadn't been invented yet, Sobek wouldn't have occupied the nations. He wouldn't have made the same mistake as the Americans, who with their idea of 'exporting democracy' had earned half the world's antipathy. If he had occupied the nations by force, regardless of whether it brought advantages or disadvantages, people would still have seen him as an invader. At that juncture, peaceful coexistence would have been impossible to achieve: it would only create a climate of tension where humans would feel oppressed and dinosaurs would always have to be careful because of riots and guerrillas.

No, the occupation was not an acceptable option. Humanity had to agree to coexist with dinosaurs spontaneously. And here the Eden Union came into play: the nations would have loved the concept of the single market, but to enter it they would have had to respect the imposed requirements. In this way, the change would have been a choice of humans, not an imposition of Sobek.

Pauline understood this. She was smart enough to be able to connect the pieces and at least partially probe that dinosaur's thoughts, and she was once again surprised at how wise he was, certainly more so than many humans.

The queen was greeted by her maids, who quickly took off her meeting clothes and put her in a comfortable robe allowing the woman to relax, and then called her chef to bring her dinner to her room.

While she was eating one of her maids came to inform her that her prime minister had arrived and wished to see her. Pauline smiled and allowed Darius to enter, then dismissing the maids.

The man did not wait and made his entrance into the room. "My lady" he greeted her.

"Please spare me the formalities" Pauline said as she bit into a salad leaf.

Darius noticed the queen's tired frown. "Was today a tough day?" he asked him worried.

"More than you can imagine. Lord Sobek is…"Pauline realized she didn't know how to define him. "… unfathomable. The more I think I understand something about him, the more questions arise. He emanates an authority that I have rarely seen in people, and his mind seems to be hundreds of years ahead of ours"

Darius had never heard the queen speak of anyone that way. He wondered what had transpired during their conversation that made Pauline admire the dinosaur so much. "Did he agree to help us?"

"Yes, but not in the way we thought" Pauline replied. "He has offered his help to him in another way, better than ours. It was not accidental. She had been planning it for a long time"

Darius's eyes widened: "You mean he… knew about the atomic bombs?"

"He didn't know yet that we made them, but he knew that one day they would be made. Apparently, he has the ability to see into the future"

"What!? Foresight?"

"Even if only partial, I don't know how else to define it. He revealed to me that he had seen some glimpses of the future that awaits us, which is why he expected that one day the nuclear bombs would appear"

"And do you believe him?"

"I don't know. That he knew about atomic bombs is certain, because when I revealed to him that we had created a weapon capable of destroying us all, he immediately thought of them. However, the idea that he has had a vision from the future... I'm not sure if it's the truth or not, but he certainly knows more than he wants us to believe"

Darius was sweating. This seemed to go beyond any scientific principle. Moving the molecules to strengthen one's skin, modifying one's vocal cords to turn them into a sonic weapon... these were still 'normal' characteristics. But even break the barriers of time? How far could that dinosaur go? "Anyway, what's his plan?" he asked trying not to think about all those questions.

"I'll explain it to you shortly, when Harris and Grace are back too. First, if you will allow me, I would like to know your opinion on this nation" Pauline replied in a tone that did not allow for replies.

Darius clenched his fists and bit his lip: "I've only visited this city, so I can't know if what's happening here happens across the country… but if so, then this country looks like a fairy tale nation. Here everything is built on purpose to be eco-friendly and respect for the natural elements is treated with the utmost importance. It seems that this nation has managed to achieve the delicate balance between technological development and respect for the environment. And then..." Darius seemed not to believe the very words of him:" There were dinosaurs... dinosaurs that roamed free in the streets, side by side with humans, and even worked with them! I have seen triceratops helping workers on a construction site, some utahraptors manage the traffic together with the policemen, I even noticed a pteranodon delivering pizzas to doorstep! I passed a park and saw a group of tyrannosaurs drinking from a pond, yet around them people continued their routine as if nothing had happened, without the slightest fear of giant predators! And there are at least half a thousand things I've seen that would make me look crazy if I told them at home! Indeed, as they stood staring at these scenes unable to believe what I was seeing, a stegosaurus thought I was lost and offered to help me!"

Pauline was listening raptly to the story of her prime minister, but despite it sounding incredible and at times crazy she did not doubt even a second of his words, and indeed found the strength to laugh at the last joke: "Really? And what did you answer him?"

"I told him that I was looking for a pizzeria that I had glimpsed a little earlier and which fortunately I remembered the name. The stegosaurus, which I think was called Spyke, gave me directions and even offered to accompany me, but I declined with the excuse that I didn't want to be a nuisance to him"Darius replied. "To be on the safe side, I actually went to that pizzeria. I have to admit it was pretty good"

"Well, at least you found a good lunch" Pauline joked, then staring at the now empty plate with a lost look: "They achieved all this in just three years... is lord Sobek's ideal of coexistence really possible?"

"For sure, this nation is proof that living with dinosaurs is possible" Darius replied. "However, don't expect it to be so easy to bring dinosaurs and humans together in our country. For four years the media have portrayed dinosaurs as brutal and uncivilized. Making people change their perspective all of a sudden won't be an easy job"

"I am aware of that. Unfortunately, we humans are always afraid of what we don't understand" Pauline murmured. "However, the plan Sobek proposed to me could help. He will help solve the food problem and create Eden Union, so that should put him in a better light. If we get the media to change directions, we can convince people that dinosaurs aren't just primitive killing machines. I don't expect that in three years our nation will look like this, but maybe in ten or fifteen it will be possible to see dinosaurs also walking in our streets"

"Wait… Eden Union? What would that be?"

"I told you, I'll tell you shortly"

Darius understood that he didn't have to ask any further. The two waited, chatting about the most disparate topics, until Grace and Harris returned and entered the room with them.

"Oh, you're finally here. So what have you found? Apart from dinosaurs that roam free in the streets and work and have fun with human beings" Pauline asked, pointing out the last part because she did not want to hear again the story of a city where Sobek's ideal of coexistence had been realized.

The two seemed to understand what she meant, because they held back their words just as they were about to come out of the mouth; evidently they had thought of starting with that. "I'll tell you first what I have NOT found" Harris began. "First, I looked for episodes of violence, and I haven't seen a single one. All I ran into were some verbal provocations, but the dinosaurs didn't react in the slightest. Then I looked for signs of poverty, and I still haven't found even one; no homeless, no bums, no nothing. I even went into the sewers expecting some poor thing to hide there, but nothing. This shows that the rule of providing everyone with a home is widely respected. And finally, I've been looking for signs of hunger, and still haven't found any. I looked unnoticed at many people, but none of them showed signs of malnutrition, even those who were poorly dressed or were looking for work. So even the rule of providing food has everyone respected, even if I don't understand how since there is not a single hint of agriculture or livestock throughout the nation"

Pauline wrinkled her nose. Providing a home for everyone was still something in human possibilities, but how could you provide food for everyone without having a food industry? It seemed impossible… but then she remembered that Sobek had promised to solve the food problem in all the countries that would form the Eden Union, so she would find out sooner or later. "And you?" she asked Grace.

"Knowing that Harris and Darius would check the streets and the premises, I decided to visit a school" the woman replied. "And… well, I didn't believe what I was seeing. Free not to believe me, but... there were dinosaur professors who taught human students. And judging by how the students approached them, they seemed to respect and appreciate them a lot"

Pauline's eyes widened: they had even come to this!? "How do dinosaurs teach? I doubt they know the common subjects"

"No, in fact. They teach other topics, related to the fauna and flora of the world, and obviously to the importance of coexistence and maintaining natural balance" Grace explained.

Pauline rubbed her chin. Education was the basis of the new generations. The adults of the future would build on the experiences they had during their school life. By allowing dinosaurs to teach them, the nation was practically getting them used to the idea of dinosaurs and humans living together. And this was the basis for eliminating all discrimination. A brilliant move to say the least, which would have made it possible to slowly create a future of union and equality.

"And you, your majesty? How did your meeting go?" Harris asked suddenly, bringing the woman back down to earth.

Pauline realized that everyone was waiting to hear her report. And now that all three of her most trusted helpers were gathered there, it was right to tell him everything. She so she told them what happened when she met lord Sobek. When he finished, everyone was shocked.

The first to speak was Darius: "This is extraordinary! If it were possible, then not only would we avoid nuclear war, but we will create an organization ten times better than the current NMWA!"

"Making such a thing would be a titanic work... but it could actually work" Grace murmured.

Harris gritted his teeth: "That dinosaur is too smart! Thinking of such a project... this 'Eden Union' is an idea at least a century ahead of our time!" he murmured. "Do you want to accept?"

"Is there a need to ask? Of course I do. It would mean contributing to the creation of a more united, just and peaceful world" Pauline replied. "However, I don't mean to act without thinking. At the very least, I have to make sure that Lord Sobek can keep his promises. Tomorrow I intend to ask the president of this nation to reveal to me how they intend to produce so much food to feed all the inhabitants of the world"

"That would be a good thing" said Harris, looking forward to answering that question. "Do you think she will agree to reveal it to you?"

"If we want to create this Eden Union, we must first of all build a relationship of mutual trust. Yes, I think he will accept" Pauline replied calmly. She believed she had framed Jocelyne Jersey quite well, and she was convinced that she would have satisfied her; after all, the queen of Niger had proved to be trustworthy by revealing the existence of atomic weapons, it was right that the opposing side did the same.

Suddenly someone knocked. "Sorry, we are the hotel staff!" she heard herself from behind the door. "We have come to collect the plates and cutlery provided for dinner. If you are still intent on eating we will come back later, but please tell us"

Darius stood up, picking up the plates and silverware that had hosted Pauline's dinner just before. He was not afraid that those at the door were criminals: with the security measures that both the queen and the president of Beleriard had in place, it was practically impossible for any attacker to approach. "No problem" he said as he opened the door. "Here, hold on..."

"Ah, thank you! And sorry for the inconvenience" the attendant, a boy of about twenty who wore a hotel uniform, said. The man quickly grabbed the plates and poured them into a kind of basket.

"Imagine! Just do your duty" Darius replied.

"Thank you. Chomper, are you done with the baskets in the corridor?"

"I'm almost done... you go ahead, I'll join you"

Darius noticed that the attendant's colleague's voice had a rather deep timbre. Intrigued, he leaned slightly to look at the corridor and saw that a short distance from the elevator there was a young concavenator who was emptying the trash cans.

Incredibly, that vision didn't surprise him at all. Apparently he had seen so many oddities for that day that he got used to them.