by G. R. Carter
“I think it’s beautiful, sir,” the Silver Shield sitting in the front passenger’s seat said over his shoulder. “I think Governor Olsen will truly appreciate it.”
“Thank you, Juan. I certainly hope he does.”
The vehicle rocked to a stop, and the back doors swung open. Silver Shields stood on either side of a ramp that lowered down at gradual incline. Alex spun his chair to the back, using his cane to raise himself up and begin his shuffle out. Neither Silver Shield tried to grab his arm and steady him; both had been around long enough to see others chewed up for trying. Alex stopped on the ramp for a moment, closing his eye and breathing in the air.
“Welcome to Akershus Festning, Founder Hamilton.”
Alex smiled and reopened the eye, finding Maleah Olsen standing at the bottom of the ramp smiling back. She was alone, though under the watchful eye of two Tri-S guards at attention about twenty yards away.
“Maleah, it seems like only yesterday I was watching you and Eric get married. Now here you are with a bushel full of kids and one of the grandest estates I’ve set foot on. I’m a little ignorant on the name though…Norwegian, I’m assuming?”
She nodded back. “Just a little nod to Olsen family heritage. We named our fortress after one that’s stood—well, we think it’s still standing—in Norway since the 13th century. May the Creator grant such a long life to this humble ground, and to the Republic which it is a proud part of.”
Alex reached the bottom of the ramp and embraced her. “You’re quite the diplomat. Without your help this would have never happened,” he whispered.
She graciously nodded as he stepped back and then waved her arm toward the statue. “My husband awaits your arrival, Founder Hamilton. I have arranged for you to have total privacy. I am praying for you, sir.”
Alex simply smiled again and began the fifty-yard walk. Up ahead he could see Eric staring at the immense metal, wood and stone structure, eyes locked on without acknowledging Alex’s arrival.
“I hope you don’t think it’s too much. I wanted to put one on the square in Shelbyville, but Bek suggested I let you see it first. Thought you might rather have it in Mt. Vernon,” Alex said as he finally reached a spot next to Eric. He too kept his eyes on the likeness of Sheriff Olsen. They both stood silent for a moment.
“I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it when Maleah told me what you wanted to do. Actually, that’s not true, I thought it was some kind of sick joke you were trying to play. Now, looking at it, I’m really stunned by how it looks. This must have taken a long time and cost a fortune. For being larger than life, it’s still really well done,” Eric said quietly.
He finally turned and looked at Alex. He saw his former friend differently today. Years of hatred festered inside him, and on the few times they had met face to face all he felt was disgust. Tersely worded communications through staff were their only contact, even though the affairs of the Republic and Grand Shawnee were intertwined. But his eyes saw a different Alex today, a man trying to stand as tall as he could with the help of his walking stick though clearly in discomfort from the effort. Wrinkles spiderwebbed out from his good eye and even poked through a little from under the patch covering the spot where his other had been. Sandy brown hair couldn’t hide streaks of gray interspersed—through all the physical ailments Eric witnessed a pain of a different kind.
Internal wounds unhealed by time, a brokenness inflicted not by bombs or bullets but by the regret of a man forced to make impossible decisions, ones holding only the guarantee that someone would be hurt or disappointed. Never the infamous win-win scenario discussed in their youth. Eric had made those decisions himself as Governor of Grand Shawnee. More important, he recognized the same look on his father-in-law’s face—a man who had become a stand-in father and mentor. A leader forced into dreadful situations, who had seen some people die because he had decided to save others. The hurt of a good soul facing the account of the Creator here on Earth. These faces embodied someone not anxious for their own passing, but not dreading the peace of it either.
“I loved your dad so much. I miss him every day,” Alex said with a tear welling up. It was the first time he had cried about it, unable to stop now and unwilling to try.
“I know…I know that now. I guess I knew it before, too. I just couldn’t believe he was gone…”
“Larger than life, to me your dad really was bulletproof. I just couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t find some way to pull it off. He just always did…and Eric…I got him killed because of it,” Alex said with a choking sob.
Eric said nothing, he couldn’t. Alex’s words were what he had always felt, that Clark Olsen was killed because his leader had given the wrong order. The young Founder had grabbed the opportunity to avenge his own fallen father by killing their arch-nemesis, and the Olsen family had paid the price. Either as collateral damage or, in times of truly black thinking, a ploy to remove the other legitimate claim to the Founder’s Chair.
The honesty of the moment robbed Eric of any remaining malice. He just wanted this constant quarrel over with, wanted to move on and raise his family, to see his life’s work in Shawnee solidified. Maleah helped him see that the negative feelings harbored in heart only hurt himself in the long run. It was time to end the feud once and for final.
“Where would you like the statue to be?” Eric finally asked.
Alex turned his red-streaked face and said without hesitation, “Shelbyville. Right across from the Domicile. I want people to walk out of services and see him. I want them to know they’re free to be there because of your dad’s sacrifice.”
Eric felt his own tears welling up. He managed to fight them off; he wasn’t ready for that just yet. He simply nodded his head. “Agreed.”
“Good, good. I’m thankful for you Eric. I truly am. I can never express to you how much you mean to Sam and me. What you’ve done here is amazing. I know now’s not the time, but I hope you’ll consider our offer. We miss you, and we want you back with us. At least as much as Shawnee can spare you.”
Eric sighed and looked back at the statue. “My roots are here now; Maleah’s family is here.” Once more he faced Alex. “But don’t ever think for a second I’m not with you. No matter what, against the storm.”
A grim look of determination overcame Alex’s face. “Amen and always, eternal republic.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cedarhurst Center for the Arts
Founder’s Meeting Hall
Mt. Vernon – Capital City Grand Shawnee Province
A wind-up clock ticked the seconds of the morning away. Sun was shining through beautiful stained-glass windows, bringing just a touch of warmth to an otherwise chilly room. Rebekah Hamilton prepared to see dignitaries from all over the Midwest for their hastily organized summit. Her calendar was much more open than it should have been, most of the larger players were boycotting for some reason or another. Every surviving city still sent representatives, but the real powers were staying away. That was unfortunate, the whole point of this get together was to keep groups that should have been allies from devolving into enemies. But she couldn’t make people attend, only ask.
She wished her calendar had been too full to accept the request of one particular guest. His presence was one of the main issues, and instinct told her it was about to get even more complicated.
“I want to stay, Mrs. Hamilton. I mean I want to stay with Mt. Horab and help.” Liam Oliver said.
Rebekah Hamilton took a moment to reply. This wasn’t a total surprise. Oliver and Senior Elector Huffman had spent a good deal of time talking since the battles on the river. Rebekah knew Huffman could be very persuasive, even when he didn’t intend to be. Still, the ramifications of such a request were difficult to process.
“Captain Oliver, I’m not sure if you understand what you’re asking. Jack Diamante is here in Mt. Vernon right now, ready to take you and your crew back on ARKShip One.”
“I know, I’m putting you and the Founder in a t
ight spot. But being around all of you made me realize I have to do what I think is right, just like you do.”
“You’re a Citizen of ARK. Your country and Mt. Horab are nearly in open warfare right now. Many would consider you a traitor for making such a request,” Rebekah informed him.
“Better to die with a clear conscience, then. I just can’t go back and take orders from the Diamantes…to kill those innocent people,” Oliver pleaded.
“I’m just not sure you understand…” she repeated, more to herself than to Oliver. Strained relations with ARK would deteriorate further if Oliver was allowed to stay. Still, free movement of citizens was a hard and fast rule of their alliance with any nation. She and Alex made that clear from the start. They both turned a blind eye to ever more imposing restrictions ARK and Vincennes put on their people; part of her now regretted that indulgence.
“Ultimately, it’s not our choice to make, Captain,” Rebekah continued. “You’ll be requesting asylum from the Elector’s Table, not from us. There will be those at the Table who worry such a move will be the final straw with ARK, and refuse the request. You may end up as a man without a country.” The threat was real. In the post-Reset world, a person without friends was easy prey.
“I’m willing to take that risk. I can help the Buckles, they need me. ARK’s not going to stop until Mt. Horab is leveled or under their control. If I may be so bold as to say it, I believe you already know that,” he said.
Even after all this time without phones, she still had the urge to pull out her mobile device and call someone for advice. Well over a decade since that was possible, yet the impulse still remained. As always, she’d have to rely on her own instinct, her own wit – and suffer the consequences.
Settled on her decision, she gave Captain Oliver a nod and a warm smile. “I guess you better go get packed. I’ve got a very difficult conversation to have.”
*****
“Essie killed our crews, Rebekah. Destroyed two of our best skyships. Sent every man and woman to a worst kind of death…on fire, falling and knowing there's no way to survive…” Uncle Jack Diamante paused to let his words sink in.
Rebekah didn't answer the charge. “Why did Nicole send you? Why didn't she come herself?”
“She's got a lot of responsibilities. A country to run and a family to care for,” Uncle Jack replied.
“Like I don't?”
“Yes, but you're the one who called this meeting. ARK is not part of the Republic, a point I think is sometimes lost on you and Alex.”
Rebekah stood quiet for a moment. This man in front of her had been a friend and mentor for years. She always felt like she got the truth from him, painful though it might be at times. Now, she wondered if there might be another truth, unseen and unreconcilable.
“You're testing us, aren't you?” Rebekah said, surprise and disappointment spilling out in equal parts. “You're trying to make us choose between who we thought was our closest ally, and a group of peace-loving refugees we've supported since the first days of the Reset.” She looked away from her friend, fighting back tears she hadn't expected. “I don't understand why you're doing this. You've got thousands of square miles to expand into, all the resources you can use for a generation, more than that really. And you're absolutely obsessed with a little town full of people who sing ‘Amazing Grace’ to each other every morning.”
“In a generation those sweet little 'peace lovers,' as you call them,” he made the old air quotes motion, “will be calling ARK the great Satan and blocking our shipping going south. Probably sending suicide bombers to blow up the City,” Uncle Jack said.
“You really believe that?”
“I've seen it happen. In my life, I’ve seen nearly everything happen,” he said with the engaging smile he used on his followers.
Rebekah paused again. I really am being manipulated, she thought. There's no right answer here, the Diamantes will do what they want, regardless of the effect on anyone else.
“Okay, Uncle Jack,” she smiled sweetly. “How can the Republic make our best friends in the entire world happy?”
Uncle Jack smiled back. “I knew we could count on you, Rebekah. I know it's difficult, but this is the smart move for your country, and for your family.”
Condescending old bastard, Rebekah thought behind her pretty blue eyes. Touch my family and I’ll choke the life out of you with my bare hands.
“I'm afraid we're going to need something difficult for your honor to accept. But please remember the bigger picture. We must maintain order, otherwise everything ARK and the Republic have built will fall apart.”
“I understand. I'm not saying we'll go along with everything, but we'll do whatever we can to keep our friendship whole. You know how bad we need you, how indebted we are to ARK for everything you've done for us,” Rebekah said. Too far with that one, be careful, Bek, she scolded herself.
“That's my girl. Here's what Tony thinks will be a show of good faith. Mt. Horab needs to turn over any and all armed aircraft, specifically the one that killed our people and any others like it. Mt. Horab will cede all rights to bases and settlements outside of their current city. Once that is done, Tony wants Huffman to be jailed,” Uncle Jack said matter-of-factly.
Rebekah snorted with a stifled laugh. “You're joking, right? Those terms mean all-out war.”
“Tony's made a pretty good case that's what Huffman wanted all along. You don't poke a bear and then cry when it turns on you.”
“They're an independent country, Uncle Jack. We don't run their affairs.”
“Right, just like you don't run the affairs of America, or Peoria, or Lafayette, or Evansville…”
“You're mixing provinces of the Republic with allies of the Republic. We no more have control over Evansville than we do of ARK. But if you really want to bring it up, our provinces are largely autonomous. You should know that, since you've been going behind our back, talking to Peoria about joining ARK,” Rebekah said.
“Ironically, the man who originally approached us about that is dead.”
“That is ironic, isn't it? Whoever did it, I'm sure it was ‘just business’ for them,” Rebekah said, suddenly sorry she’d used the same language Alex had with Tony. “I'm sorry, Uncle Jack. I shouldn't have gone there.”
The old man gave what appeared to be a legitimate wince. “No, it's okay. I guess it just shows how you really see us.”
“We can't let these things come between us, though. There's too much at stake.”
“What you call 'these things' are our future, Rebekah. ARK's goals are ambitious. You have to understand, we're aiming to create a thriving people, a great culture that could rival the ones written about in history books. We can't do that with a bunch of religious fanatics sucker-punching us. More important, we can't do that with our friends blocking our every move!”
“Alex has never once tried to stop you from what you're trying to do out west. Neither have I.”
“The whole reason we had to go west was because your Republic sucked up everything else around here. We're completely blocked off to the east by your territory, and now you're trying to block us to the south by supporting Mt. Horab.”
Rebekah felt herself losing patience. “I'm tired of rehashing the same arguments. Mt. Horab is not even a protectorate of ours. Even if it was Essie flying that plane, she was doing it on her own accord. She's engaged to one of the Horab Electors, remember?”
“And why was she shooting down our skyships?”
“Because you were trying to bomb them!” she snapped. “Alex would have had your people and your boats back within a couple of days!” Rebekah shouted. “But you couldn't stand to wait. You kill their people in the middle of the night, try to bomb a base they've been working on for months, and then get pissed because they fought back? What did you expect!”
Both stood in silence, flush in the face with frustration. Each tended to get what they wanted out of negotiations. Sometimes through strength of will, more ofte
n just by being smarter and better prepared.
“I've got Tony's written demand that I'm supposed to personally deliver to the Mt. Horab representatives,” Uncle Jack finally said, grimacing with the effort of self-control.
“They refused to come if ARK was present. Said any type of agreement reached here that included you wasn't worth discussing.”
“Convenient. I suppose you know how to get it to them? Perhaps you can have your sister-in-law hand it to her fiancé?”
“Uncle Jack, you can't prove it was Essie flying that plane!” Rebekah snapped.
“Please. How many women with patches matching your family coat of arms are flying around in this age? You think a description like that is just made up? There's what, maybe one hundred pilots on the whole continent right now? And the Republic has almost all of them, only one of whom is a woman!”
“First off, that's not true. We've got several women piloting Raptors and Talons both,” Rebekah said.
“I'd say you're missing the point, Mrs. Hamilton. Mt. Horab doesn't have pilots or planes, at least none we know about. Or have you been holding that piece of information from us?”
Rebekah steamed. “Okay, Uncle Jack, if this is how you want to play things. Fine, I'm done trying to be nice. Let me lay this out for you as simply as I can. The Republic is going to invite all Midwestern Free States to join. That includes you, Mt. Horab, Evansville, Paducah, Texarkana… Even the Creeks from Clarksville. Vincennes, too. We're proposing a unified country from west to east.”
“You know we'll never give up sovereignty.”