Retief of the Red-Tape Mountain

Retief of the Red-Tape Mountain by Keith Laumer is part of the Retief series featuring the sharp-witted no-nonsense protagonist Jame Retief. Retief is a diplomat in the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne (CDT) but unlike his bureaucratic colleagues who are bogged down by red tape Retief is action-oriented and often resolves diplomatic crises with his keen intellect and pragmatic approach. In this installment Retief finds himself entangled in a complex situation involving bureaucratic inefficiencies and diplomatic absurdities symbolized by Red-Tape Mountain. The setting is likely on a distant planet or in an intergalactic setting where alien governments and Earth-based bureaucracy collide. As usual Retief must navigate a world where rules regulations and officialdom create chaos rather than solving problems.