“If this is what you indulged in on the taxpayers’ money…” began the reporter.
“I personally indulged in nothing,” said the president, “and my staff are big boys and girls. Whatever did or didn’t happen on Bellasaria I assure you it was culturally acceptable or even expected there. And our willingness to adapt…within reason, and not pass judgments resulted in us receiving certain gifts and privileges that the more prudish delegates and leaders didn’t procure for their people.”
“And what are these gifts and privileges?” asked another reporter.
“The current empress, Beral III, has sent educators and physicians to Bain to establish a major facility to teach our mutant citizens with healing abilities, and our human doctors, new techniques in medicine and regeneration along with medical technology. Also, we, and others she found acceptable, will be allowed to establish embassies on Bellasaria. They, of course, will open embassies in America and other nations with whom they wished to have relations with.”
“Is THAT it?” asked the reporter. “You promised us the means to defend ourselves against these freaks! Not…”
“It is a start!” snapped President Chambers. “And if I hear that word again come out of your mouth I’ll have you thrown out of here!”
The reporter looked around. There was a time when she would have had the open and immediate support of many in the room, but the world had changed in the last thirty years. Most of these men and women had no more love for mutants than she did, but the days when such a sentiment could be uttered openly at a press conference were over. The woman sat down and another reporter stood up.
“In earlier televised statements and written correspondences from the mutant world, you seemed to hope for much more, like mining contracts and air-car technology. Indeed, there were a great many things, some of which we saw ourselves on the news, that you were hopeful of bringing to our nation…and the world.”
Beverly sighed and said, “Yes, and I am still hopeful that these things can be negotiated for and acquired. But the Bellasarians are cautious. They don’t want us to get our hands on anything that could be weaponized. And unfortunately much of their advanced technology can be modified and used for war.”
“I’m surprised that they should be so against that,” said the reporter. “According to your own admissions, they’re always fighting amongst themselves and even enjoy war.”
The president looked at the reporters, all nodding in agreement, and shook her head.
“It never ceases to amaze me how people can see, hear or read something and see ONLY what they want to see and completely miss everything else!” snapped the president. “Bellasarians do indeed like fighting. They are an emotional people. But they don’t enjoy indiscriminant slaughter either. THEY never use their higher technology in war amongst themselves, but rather fight with very simple weapons that don’t cause mass destruction and mass civilian casualties, basically nothing above spears and swords. Or did you miss that part of my reports? Also, the main objective in these minor wars is honor and prisoners. Battles are ritualized and can often be won without anyone being killed. And the leaders usually do all of the fighting. Can you say the same about us?”
The gathered reporters and others present looked nervously around, but no one would answer that question. It was obviously ‘No’. The reporter cleared his throat and tried again.
“In some of your reports,” said the man lamely, “there have been big wars where…”
“And even in these bloodbaths only primitive weapons were used! The only exception I heard of was the war between the empire and the Akkadians, the nation founded by mutants from Earth…mostly Americans. The Akkadians foolishly began to use higher level weaponry so the Bellasarians were forced to respond in kind. Once they went that road they soon learned that the Bellasarians like to fight up close with swords and battle-axes, but when forced to they can use high level weaponry quite effectively. And it was far superior to theirs…and ours. But anyway, THAT is the only case that I know of where destructive weapons of this sort were used on their own planet after the Bishop invasion. Frankly, I’m surprised you’d think that they wouldn’t be so careful with their technology and weapons. Are we handing out our best weapons and nuclear weapons technology to every nation that asks for it? Please people! Be reasonable!”
“We understand the difficulties in your task, Mrs. President,” said another reporter, “but the people have legitimate concerns. The mutants caused terrible carnage in this country thirty or forty years ago, a few years after that they invaded the Island of Paolo and did even worse.”
“I am forced to remind you and everyone here, at the risk of sounding disloyal, that in both cases, the mutants were the ones who were attacked first,” said President Chambers. “Also, if they had actually pressed their advantage a great many of us would not even be here today and Paolo would be a Bellasarian colony. There is nothing on this planet they need. Their planet is healthier and their technology is superior. The truth is we are the ones who are trying to get into their world and trade with them…and for the very same reasons.”
“They are the ones who opened the two realms and stabilized them again,” said the reporter.
“Yes, this is true,” replied President Chambers. “But they are more interested in mutant welfare here than human I’m afraid. But be that as it may, they are still willing to help us achieve the same levels of comfort and clean environment that they have, but they won’t endanger themselves or allow us to destroy ourselves and the ecology of their planet either.”
******
President Chambers sat with Vice President Finley over a couple of cups of coffee and discussed what had occurred on Bellasaria.
“So was it everything you expected, Beverly?” said Finley with a chuckle.
The president sighed and then laughed. “Yes and no, Bill. I…Well, you read my journal. And I have to tell you that in my entire life I’ve never seen such difficult, emotional and beautiful people. Still, in many ways they’re far superior to us, because they have managed to accept their weaknesses and build a society around it that is safe, clean and comfortable…for everyone. The only place I saw that had all of our problems…or most of them was, Akkadia. I’m worried that Luther isn’t going to want to come back. He really was instrumental to our success with the empress and other Bellasarians. He worked hard…and,” the president sighed, “loved every minute of it!”
“Yes,” said Finley with a wicked grin, “I heard. And quite frankly, if I were a young man his age I wouldn’t want to come home either! Can you imagine what it would have been if he were a mutant? You NEVER would have had even a tiny hope of getting him back here. Even if he wanted to those women would have never let him go.”
The two laughed at this and then Beverly became serious. “That’s exactly why I didn’t bring any mutants with me. Sadly, I never suspected that the human women had become just as horny and shameless as the mutants.” Beverly sighed and said, “Metahuman D.N.A., or to be precise, Bainian metahuman D.N.A. Many of those human women had distant ancestors who were mutants of the Bainian strain. That’s why they were counted as minor nobility and would also explain their hormonal natures. Actually, I wonder if I can call most of these people truly human anymore. There has been a lot of mixing over the centuries. I’m very worried that Luther really won’t come home in the end.” The president sighed again. “I should be getting a report from him very soon. As a matter of fact, he’s overdue.”
“What was the situation there when you left?” asked the vice president.
“Well, very good…for them,” said Beverly. “Thanks to our presence, the mutants who had been splintered, or at least loosely united, were now solidly together. Several families were joined and even the empress’s own children were caught up in the mood. A lot of hormonal teenagers of the high nobility were thrown together on this summit and…Well; we don’t have to go into detai
ls, do we?”
Bill let out a chuckle and said, “No, no we don’t. Well, peace for them still could be a good thing for us. I understand that a former empress may even be coming here soon. If all goes well we’ll finally be able to bargain for certain military assurances almost exclusively for the U.S.”
“I don’t know if we’ll ever learn the secret of how they overcame our defense systems and turned them on us in our lifetime,” said President Chambers, “or receive a single item of technology that might be deem dangerous by them, but…”
Just then there was a knock at the door and an aide entered. “Lady President, Mr. Jeffries is online and says it is urgent.” The president immediately had the message sent directly to her chambers.
“What is it, Luther?” said Beverly, as soon as the young man’s image appeared.
“Lady President,” said Luther, “the visit by former empress Dido has been postponed. The empire is even now mobilizing for total war.”
“What?!” exclaimed President Chambers. “What happened?! Was it those damned lesbians again?!”
“No, Lady President,” said Luther. “It was the Barratians.”
“I don’t understand,” said Chambers. “The Barratians had buried the hatchet with the Mavie. The prince, the Mavie Queen and the Bellasarian Princess were awkwardly, but happily all bonded together. Even King Roc had approved of the match (sigh) matches and was calling Queen Bal ‘Daughter’ when we left. What on earth happened?”
“One, King Roc had an illegitimate son back in Barrat,” said Luther. “It seems he carried off the Empress’s daughter, a princess that wasn’t present at the summit, or at least not for long. Ironically, the empress and her consort were not disturbed at all by this, but instead demanded that the kid be brought back to the empire to be formally legitimized and married to her daughter.”
“This doesn’t surprise me in the least,” said President Chambers, “from what I’ve seen of the women of the royal families, especially Empress Beral III’s brood, NOBODY could forcibly carry off one of them if she didn’t want to be with him in the first place.”
“That is exactly true, President Chambers,” said Luther. “But when King Roc arrived in Barrat and gave chase, he was ambushed and murdered by a rebellious lord. It took a small army to do it, but it was done. Then the scum raped and murdered Roc’s wife, the Lady Ayala.”
President Chambers whistled and shook her head in disbelief. Even though she was not a Bellasarian she knew that what this animal had done was THE most horrendous crime that could be committed by a Bellasarian mutant.
“Is this man totally insane?” said Beverly still in shock. “He must have wanted war in the worst way to do that! What happened to the king’s other children. I know he had some. The eldest was actually ruling in Roc’s place while he was at the summit.”
“Princess Sandra is actually the oldest, but Prince Tidor was in charge,” said Luther. “The princess arrived with the High Elder, Lord Terrence, who has since been found to have been a traitor and part of the coup. Sandra came to Akkadia to tell the Empress of her daughter and the Barratian bastard, so she is safe and for the moment in Illyria. Prince Tidor, with the aid of his human slaves and mutant servants, escaped and luckily encountered a force of Illyrian warriors sent by the empress to investigate why it was taking so long to bring her daughter and her daughter’s mate back. Lucky him, there is no doubt that he would have either been killed or used as a hostage to prevent retaliation for the usurper’s cruel acts.”
“My God,” breathed the president.
“Now every nation in the empire is mobilizing their warriors and it doesn’t look good for the Barratian usurper. He is fighting rebellious vassals who would see Prince Tidor or even the on the run bastard, Jawara, on the throne. In fact, with all the children of the dead king alive and safe, this Stragg guy has no claim to the throne at all. And now, while the men of Barrat fight amongst themselves, an army the likes of which has never been seen is massing in the east. A major invasion of the Western Mountains is imminent.”
“From what I’ve been told it was tried before,” said the president dryly. “And the last time with terrible loss of life and no results.”
“This is true,” said Luther. “But the Barratians were the clear victims in these cases and were internally united. This is not the case now. The Barratians will get no aid from the kings or any men from the empire this time. King Roc was a direct descendant of Cato himself and blood kin to most of the major kings as well as the queens. This Stragg person is not. Aside from his brutal mistakes, he has none of the ties of kinship or strength of character necessary to gain the support of the kings.”
“Indeed,” said Vice President Finley, “by killing a man who did have these ties he has achieved just the opposite.
“And the rape and murder of a mutant noblewoman,” said Luther, “the mate of a king? The men of the empire are now just as hungry for blood as the women.”
******
Eastern Barratia, One Month Later
Empress Beral III sat in her command tent surrounded by her vassal kings, queens and various allied rulers, chiefs and chieftesses. The tents of her legions were vast and completely covered the plain of Nan and well beyond. The skies above were black with winged mutants. The forests were filled with feral mutants. Large lakes and deep rivers were alive with amphibious warriors from the great lakes or even oceans that had swam up in answer to the empress’s call. Those Barratians who were loyal to the usurper or just determined not to fall under female domination fled before them, abandoning even their strongholds in the foot hills. Others rushed to join the armies of the empress when word reached them that the dead king’s rightful heirs, Princess Sandra and the two princes, Tidor and Pantherus, were among her legions. Most would have joined Beral III’s forces anyway to avenged their well-loved king and his mate or out of sheer hatred and fear of the new king, Stragg. The mountains would be a daunting obstacle for the empress despite her huge numerical advantage and highly motivated warriors except for the fact that many Barratian chiefs who hadn’t already joined her were in revolt and were fighting both Stragg and each other. Stragg was basically a prisoner in the capital with only his own clan and those chiefs who liked his way of thinking. This was turning out just the way the empress had been told it would some weeks earlier.
******
“Prince Tidor,” said Bellasaris, looking at the young man who had barely spoken since he had arrived safely in imperial lands. Tidor was looking into space, opening and closing his hands. He and his mate had been hunted by many of his father’s former subjects for miles though forest and brutal terrain. The little human girl had not complained once, but she had been near to her limit despite having been riding on the fully transformed Tidor’s back most of the time. It had been the same for most of the human slaves who aided them and the mutants of their parties. The mutants, some loyal warriors other former slaves now free of their collars, carried the humans or allowed them to ride on them to save time. They knew they had to move fast and the humans would not be able to keep up, and they wouldn’t abandon them to certain terrible death if the Barratians caught them. The enemy had overtaken them close to the border of The Great Forest Kingdom, where the exhausted refugees finally turned and fought. The battle was savage and the prince and his people fought bravely and well, despite their haggard condition. This would not go unnoticed or unremarked by either the enemy or the Illyrians who would arrive just in time to turn the tide and drive off the surviving Barratians.
“Kinsman,” said the empress, “you have been addressed by the High Elder, former Queen Bellasaris.”
Tidor deep in his thoughts had not heard.
“Apologies, Empress, Great Elder,” said Tidor first to Beral III and then to Bellasaris.
“I understand your pain,” said Bellasaris. “You have suffered a great loss. But we need to know what we are up agai
nst. As a Barratian yourself and heir to the throne, we ask you first. What do you think this ‘Stragg’ will do?”
“Stragg is a fucking animal!” spat Tidor in disgust. “His temper and dick rule him not his brain, if that pebble inside of his skull can be called such.”
“Is he an effective warrior? Is he craven or can we expect him to fight?” asked Beral III.
Tidor spat. “He is a very powerful warrior,” said Tidor, “but other than that he is unimpressive! He has courage, but so does a dog. He will charge recklessly and stupidly with no plan or thought other than to win some great victory and get his hands on loot and the enemy’s women.” Several of the present queens and councilors growled at this.
“Do you agree with this estimation?” said the empress to Princess Sandra.
“Absolutely!” said Sandra. “My brother is quite correct and has nailed that fool Stragg to a tee. However, it is NOT Stragg we should be worried about. The High Elder, Lord Terrence is the one behind Stragg. Despite all of his faults, I sincerely doubt that that fool would have thought to murder my father and take the throne on his own. As for what he did to my mother, I have no doubts whatsoever that the high elder was furious. I believe that the elder has by now realized what a complete moron Stragg is by himself and is now keeping him on a short leash.”
“So you are saying that Stragg will not charge in as your brother said he would?” said Bellasaris.
“If it were not for the elder’s presence, yes, Stragg would definitely do something as reckless and foolish as that. But the elder is not so stupid. The Barratians will withdraw into the mountains and fight defensively. They will bleed us from their strongholds and hit us in numbers and then run.”
“Queen Bal,” said the empress, “you have the most experience fighting the Barratians…tell me of them.”
“There are a lot of them,” said Bal. “They are mighty warriors. In ideal situations, for them, they’d come forth rank upon rank like a wave of death, destroying and looting. We Mavie gave up on fighting them head on long ago. But if they fall back into those mountains…” Bal shook her head. “They know those mountains well. Their towns are fortified and they are well-trained and masters of guerrilla warfare. No one who has marched into those mountains, on either the eastern side or the western side, has done well.”
The Mutant World Page 45