The Black Sword Trilogy: The Four Nations

by VanMeter, Jeffery

They both politely bowed and pulled open the doors.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  The doors opened to large room filled with about a hundred men and women. All were well dressed; though seemingly half were wearing the fine rich clothing of the palace, while others were wearing more familiar materials (to Terri and Kenner) and more natural colors; such as brown, green, orange and gray. There were men and women in scarlet military uniforms and everyone was wearing the, now familiar three-pointed hats that seemed to identify citizens of Sheyron.

  The talking and chattering quickly stopped when Janna entered the room and as they bowed and the women made their gestures, a path opened up to a raised platform, not unlike a stage at the far end of the large room. On top of the platform was a single, long table with eight people, all in military uniform sitting in tall, straight-backed chairs. One chair was larger than the others and covered in rich, plush, scarlet velvet.

  As Janna walked past the crowd, someone raised his hat and announced, “Hail to the Admiral of Sheyron!” Everyone else responded with “Hail! Hail! Hail!”

  “What’s going on?” Terri asked Firth.

  “The men and women on the floor are the council.” He explained to her. “On the platform is ‘The Captains’ Table, the governing body of Sheyron. Most members of the council are elected from the individual districts of Korsh and the islands. Ship Captains are automatically members. All of the men and women seated at the table are the highest ranking ship Captains in the fleet. Military Captains are chosen because of their supposed neutrality in political or economic matters.”

  “So how does it work?” Terri asked.

  “Bills are presented to the council by the various districts,” Firth explained. “They are then debated in committees and special meetings. In those meetings, the details and legal language is worked out, bills are written and rewritten and then a final bill is written. It is then brought to this monthly meeting. Here, speakers for both the ‘Boots” and the ‘Shoes’ present their arguments for or against a bill. After that, it is brought up to the Table and a vote is taken.”

  “How many bills are considered in these sessions?”

  “How ever many are ready to be voted upon. Today you are fortunate. There is only one.”

  Edum then approached Terri and Firth.

  “Good evening to you both.” He said politely.

  “Good evening father.” Firth said bowing.

  “That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing, Terri.” Edum said to her.

  “Thank you, sir.” She answered. “I hope it’s one I can take with me. I don’t often have the opportunity to be ‘girly’.”

  “Of course, you may take it with you. It is a gift from the nation of Sheyron.”

  “And a fine gift it is. I’m curious as to the origin of its material, though. Silk, I believe it’s called?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t tell you.” He said politely. “The Blackwoods is not the only nation that has secrets to keep.”

  Janna then struck the Spear three times on the platform with a booming, echoing sound, much like thunder.

  “I really love that sound.” Janna said grinning. “The Council will now come to order!”

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Edum said to Terri, “I must now attend to this meeting. I’m the Speaker of the Floor.”

  He then bowed and walked away.

  Terri then turned to Kenner.

  “Why are we here?” She asked him.

  “The Admiral made a deal with me this morning.” He told her. “In exchange for us submitting to a question and answer session at dinner, she’d show us how the Sheyron government works.”

  “You agreed to this without consulting me?”

  “It’s very difficult to consult with someone who’s half dead.”

  “Good point.”

  “The Captains’ Table will now consider bill number One Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy Three!” Edum announced. “It is a bill to allow the owners of merchant vessels the right to offer foreign workers less than the minimum wage offered to Sheyron’s citizens. Speaker for the ‘Shoes’, you may proceed.”

  “The ‘Shoes’?” Terri asked Firth. He leaned over to her in order to speak into her ear.

  “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but half of the council are wearing shoes and stockings; whereas the other half are wearing boots.”

  “I have noticed that. What’s that all about?”

  “That represents our two political factions. The ‘Shoes’ represents the upper class, owners of ship yards and wealthiest ship owners. They tend to be more conservative. The ‘Boots’ represent the working classes, labor guilds and merchants and they tend to be more liberal. There are extremists in both groups, but the majority of both sides are moderates who mostly keep the extremists at bay.”

  “Now look under the table,” Firth continued. “How many people are there wearing shoes and how many wearing boots?”

  Terri looked under the table and then answered, “It looks like there’s a five to three majority of shoes.”

  “Since the days after The Great War…” An older man wearing fine silk clothes and gold buckled shoes began saying, “Sheyron has been under the ill effects of a plague.” The end of his sentence was answered by groans, cheers and other noises from the Council. “Yes, a plague; an infestation. For five hundred years, men and women from the other nations have been pouring over the borders of our great land in an effort to leach off of the riches that mighty Sheyron has become famous throughout the world.” More sounds of approval and disapproval followed. “They have come here like parasites. They seek to rob us of our hard earned wealth. They seek to take our money away from our blessed shores and fill the coffers of the Kings of Masallah and Walechia so that they may become richer from our trade; so that they can be made stronger and more powerful than us. While the Lady of the Woods may be content to live with the world in perfect balance…”

  “He says that because only Sheyron has trade with the Blackwoods.” Firth said to Terri.

  “Walechia and Masallah build more and larger ships to carry their armies to our shores. They seek to take away the trade agreements that put food on our tables and clothes on our backs. They mean to wage an economic war against Sheyron; to starve us into economic submission by sending more and more of their workers to take away from men and women born and raised in this country. We must resist this! We must win this war before it begins. And the best way, in fact the only way we can win this is to not offer the same privileges our citizens have earned through their hard and faithful work. This bill will allow our Captains the ability to fight the battles of this war and help us to resist the tyranny that Walechia and Masallah wish to impose on a nation, though much smaller is also so envied for what he have worked since the last Dark Lord fell into the cracks of the mountains.”

  A crescendo of cheers and boos followed the end of his speech.

  “Speaker for the ‘Boots’?” Edum said.

  A woman in an orange dress and black boots stepped forward.

  “My learned colleague,” She began, “Speaks of a plague.” The same sounds answered her speech as did the man who preceded her. “Indeed there is a plague infesting our nation and robbing of us of our strength. But it is not the plague of which he speaks. The most dangerous pestilence facing our nation is not of outside origin; but one that has its beginnings right here in Sheyron. It comes not from foreign shores, but from the offices of ship builders; the temples of the priests growing fat on receiving the wealth of their patrons, but never having to pay any in taxes and from the finest houses of the men and women whose only contribution to the great nation they say they cherish was to have been born. It is greed that robs the strength and health of these shores.”

  “You lie!” A man from the ‘Boots’ section called out. “Traitor!” Another followed. Soon the hall was filled with yelling and shouting from both sides and then silenced by the booming of the Spear.

  “Enough!” Janna yelled
. She then pointed at the “Shoes’” speaker. “You were given an opportunity to present your side without interruption and I expect you to offer the same respect to your opponents. One more outburst like that,” She said pointing the Spear all around the room, “And I will clear this hall!”

  When she was sure her point was made, she gestured toward the “Boots’” speaker.

  “You may continue.” She said to her.

  “As I was saying,” The woman continued. “It is greed that is the greatest enemy our nation faces; not an outside threat. Yes, our citizens have worked and fought hard to earn their wages; higher than any offered in the world. While the ship owners, builders and wealthy aristocratic families may have us believe that it is through their benevolence that our workers earn more than our neighbors in Walechia and Masallah; they tend to forget the hard won battles the labor guilds fought in order to secure better wages and safer working conditions. Were it not for the contracts secured by our guilds with the ship owners and builders, they would still be working like slaves where more of Sheyron’s sons and daughters died than in any war. They want us to believe that this bill is to fight immigrants from taking our money and giving it to our rivals. But I haven’t yet heard them say anything about stopping or even restricting immigrants from coming over our borders. No, they simply want to offer them lower wages. And to what end? Isn’t it obvious? They do not wish to solve our immigration problem, if there even is one. No! They wish to use this excuse to wage a war, not against any foreign power; but rather the negotiating power of our guilds to maintain better wages and safe work places. They don’t want fewer immigrants. They want more!” The calls from both sides began to grow louder. “They want more workers to come here, so that they can pay them lower wages than they would our own citizens. And their ultimate goal is to break the negotiating power of the guilds, forcing us to accept their terms at the bargaining table. Work for us at the wages we offer or we’ll hire someone else!”

  Once again, the noises of the hall began to sound as if approaching a violent crescendo; but the Admiral tapped the Spear and it quieted down.

  “Council for the ‘Shoes’.” Edum repeated.

  The older man stepped forward again.

  “No one is talking about or even hinting at breaking the contracts we have with the guilds. Our own citizens will still be offered the same fine wages they have enjoyed. This bill only applies to foreign workers sailing our ships.”

  “Really? And how long before there are more foreign sailors under our sails than domestic? How long before they captain our merchant vessels or wear our uniforms with the promise of citizenship?"

  “Why shouldn’t the privileges of citizenship be offered to those who serve in defense of our land and our people?”

  “And how long before other bills follow this one; ones that allow those who would enslave us to offer such wages in the shipyards and the shops? How long before every worker in Sheyron has to compete with a worker whom the wealthy can hire at a lower wage?”

  “This bill only applies to those who sail on our ships.”

  “This bill does. But how long before every citizen in Korsh and the islands is unemployed because a foreign worker has taken his or her job?”

  Shouting and cursing started again and some were starting to shout threats. Several men and women started pushing forward toward the aisle shouting insults and profanity. Janna tapped the Spear again.

  “That’s enough!” She called out.

  When the room had quieted, she called, “The Table will now take the vote.”

  Edum stepped up to the table with a large piece of paper in his hand.

  “That’s the bill there.” Firth explained to Terri.

  Edum handed the bill to one of the Captains at the far end of the table.

  “There are two sides of the bill where the Captains are supposed to take their quill and make a simple check mark; one side for yes and the other for no. Now, it is very important for the Captains to make their mark in a way that does not identify which Captain made which mark. That ensures anonymity. After all the Captains make their mark, it is presented to the Admiral for a count.”

  “What if the vote is a tie?” Terri asked.

  “Then the Admiral casts the deciding vote, but I doubt you’ll see that today. As you can see, the ‘Shoes’ have a majority.”

  “And after the vote?”

  “Then the bill is the law of Sheyron and can’t even be debated again by the council for another twenty five years.

  “Why is that?”

  “To prevent laws from being constantly changed every time one side gains a majority over another.”

  Terri thought that it took an unusually long time for the Captains to do something as simple as making a mark on a piece of paper. However, each one of them studied the bill carefully, some appearing to read it more than once, made their mark and then passed it down the table. When all eight had done so, it was passed back to the Admiral. The crowd went very quiet and it looked as if everyone suddenly took one step toward the Table in order to get a better look. The Admiral also studied the bill, looking over it carefully before announcing, “Deadlock.” A sound as if one person gasping for air rushed through the room.

  “Uh oh.” Firth said. “Looks like someone didn’t vote on party lines.”

  “Are you sure, Madam?” the Council for the ‘Shoes’ said in shock.

  “I may not be the most intelligent person in the world, but I’m pretty sure I can read marks on a page.”

  Voices of shock, outrage, pleasant surprise and relief filled the hall. The Council for the ‘Shoes’ found himself besieged by questions of “what happened?” and “What went wrong?”; while the woman in the orange dress was congratulated, patted on the back and shook hands. One more time, Janna tapped her spear and the hall went silent waiting for her to speak.

  “Once again,” Janna began, “It has been left to me to cast the deciding vote.”

  She looked around the hall with a confident smile.

  “Now I know you’re all starving and some of you probably need a good, stiff drink right now, so I’ll keep my speech short.” She continued. “Yes, Sheyron has had an issue with immigration, both legal and illegal since the days after The Great War. I suppose that’s one of the prices we pay for success. But I don’t believe that offering smaller wages to anyone, least of all people who have agreed to pay our taxes, abide by our laws and contribute to our society is a particularly good answer to this.”

  The members of the ‘Shoes’ all began groaning and wailing. She tapped the Spear again.

  “While I don’t agree that this necessarily represents a conspiracy to break the guilds, I do see it as a threat to their bargaining power and their ability to work with owners and shipbuilders to maintain the high standards of, not only wages but also the safety and working conditions Sheyron is famous for. I know this will probably come as a shock to some of you, but my vote is…” She paused dramatically. “Wait for it…no.”

  The hall erupted in shouts, yells and calls of various emotions ranging from fury to joy. Several people started getting in each other’s faces and threatening one another.

  “If you’re going to fight over this,” Janna shouted over the crowd, “Take it outside please!”

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Janna led a procession through the corridors of the palace. She was walking so fast, even in her heeled boots that everyone behind her nearly had to run to keep up with her. Shela stayed with Kenner and Terri and whenever someone came too close to the four of them (including their two escorts), she would turn and give them a low growl.

  “That is so nice.” Janna said after one such growl. “I really need to get myself one of those.”

  “I know where there are two more.” Kenner said dryly.

  “Talk to me tonight and we’ll discuss a price.” Janna said to him with a flirtatious lilt.

  Kenner then turned to Terri.

  “Did she just fl
irt with me?” He asked her.

  “It’s possible.” She answered playfully.

  At the end of another corridor, they came to another pair of large doors, this time covered in blue velvet. As they approached, two very large men opened the doors and Terri was awed by what she saw inside.

  It was a massive hall with three large, long tables stretching around the center of the room as if in a broken square. The floor was made of polished wood, resembling the planks of a ship. The tables were filled with steaming food of all kinds, gold plates and crystal glasses. Hanging from the vaulted ceiling were round wooden fixtures, each holding six oil lamps and the hall was brightly lit. There was a large, empty space in the middle of the hall framed by the tables and at the far end of this space was a small stage. Several musicians were setting up their instruments on the stage and servants in uniform stood to attention as the Admiral and her party entered the hall.

  Janna slapped Kenner on the chest saying, “I hope you’ve got a large appetite and can hold your liquor.”

  “Whatever I don’t drink, I’m sure Terri will make up for.” He answered her.

  Terri then pinched him on the butt saying, “Watch it hill boy.”

  The procession that followed Janna then began to take positions behind the table and beside chairs. Edum started to take a place to the right of what was obviously Janna’s place. It was at the table directly opposite the stage and at the exact center. Behind the position was a large, plush, scarlet chair.

  “Not this time.” She told Edum and then grabbed Kenner by the arm and pulled him to that position. She also shoved the “Council for the ‘Boots’” out of the position she tried to take to Janna’s left and pulled Terri to that place. When everyone was in their proper positions, Janna sat in her chair and everyone followed her example.

  “Shall we begin the question and answer session?” Edum asked.

  “Can I eat first?” She replied. “I don’t know about you, but I might need more than usual tonight.”

  She then gave Kenner a flirtatious wink. Shela lay down directly behind Kenner and he thought he heard her say to him, “I’m going to sleep now.” Surprised to hear this, he turned to look at her, but she had already closed her eyes.