by Derek Haines
After some minutes, it was Feb who broke the silence.
‘Very well Atoth. Continue.’
‘Gregory’s passion for an accurate calendar impressed December the Ninth and they formed a very close working relationship during the first two years of Gregory’s Papacy. The names of the months were no coincidence, as they had developed on Erde in various forms of spelling and derivations from the time of the initial Glothic Oversight Detachment program. The original basic calendar developed on Erde, named the months after the Supreme Potentates of Gloth. Hence the connection.’
‘But December the Ninth and his predecessors were Glothic I presume,’ Feb said.
‘Yes February. One hundred percent Glothic blood.’
‘So what happened to bring about the Erdean influence on Gloth? ‘April asked.
‘Well as it turned out, Gregory was a very clever man. He realised quite quickly that the rulers of Gloth were very weak and in fact becoming lethargic in their ambitions. December the Ninth had told Gregory, probably without thinking, that he and some Grand Councillors had known of another relatively close Sun System for some time that could be conquered relatively easily. When he asked December why it hadn’t proceeded, December told him of the difficulty in getting agreement among the Grand Councillors and also that the experience of the Erde colonisation and the failure to produce a profit had deterred investment in new frontiers.’
‘So how could Gregory make use of information such as that? He was just an underling on a colony planet,’ Feb concluded.
‘At first yes February. But he saw an opportunity to gain favour and in doing so gained a modicum of control.’
‘How so?’ April asked.
‘Gregory convinced December to put forward his nomination for the next Grand Council vacancy.’
‘What? An Erdean on the Grand Council?’ April exclaimed in surprise.
‘Yes. The nomination and subsequent election of Gregory was based on his being the sole Erdean ruler and therefore deserving of a place on the Grand Council. He became the first foreign Grand Councillor.’
‘As has happened in recent history with the advent of the other Sun Systems,’ Feb commented.
‘Exactly February. December sold the idea that astute leaders of the other populated planets in the Sun System could bring acumen to the Grand Council.’
‘Did December push for the election of other foreign Grand Councillors?’ Feb asked.
‘He may have done so February, but he didn’t get the chance,’ Atoth replied.
‘Why not?’
‘Gregory was a very ambitious man. He had a sense to use any small advantage to his betterment. On Erde he’d become supremely powerful as he was seen as having a direct connection to God. As Erdeans knew nothing of Gloth, he exploited their beliefs in this God that had its roots in the first Glothic Oversight Detachments and presented edicts about the true existence of an eternal paradise. This gave credence to the long held fantasy of a place to live forever after death. Telling his faithful that this place they called heaven truly existed high in the sky above Erde. His frequent disappearances to Gloth only strengthened the belief as it proved he had the ability to vanish and return. To and from heaven. He used his power to encourage highly profitable commercial developments on Erde and could have simply been a very rich man there if it wasn’t for his burning ambition, which transcended any simplistic notions of wealth.’
‘But that wouldn’t have had much effect on Gloth,’ Feb said.
‘Oh yes it did. December and a number of senior Grand Councillors were extremely impressed with Gregory’s achievements in such a short time. He quickly became a member of the senior circle so to say.’ Atoth explained.
‘And I’m sure there’s more,’ April smiled.
‘Yes April. On Erde, Gregory in his capacity as Pope had one handicap.’
‘Yes?’
‘As Pope, he had to remain celibate.’
‘So he couldn’t marry then?’ Fed added.
‘Correct Feb. At least not on Erde. And for a man with such an appetite for power over simple wealth, he already had an eye to the future and creating his own dynasty. As I said, he was so ambitious. Almost insanely ambitious.’
‘So what did he do?’ April asked, now intrigued.
‘He courted December the Ninth’s youngest daughter.’
‘And married into the Glothic Royal family?’ Feb surmised.
‘With December’s blessing in fact. Gregory had December under his thumb. By advising December on many issues, including the initial stages of invading the nearby Sun System, and allowing December to take the credit when success followed, he ended up being December’s puppeteer.’
‘So this is the marriage that we’re descended from.’ Feb concluded.
‘Not all of us February. Only you and April. Not me.’ Atoth explained.
‘So the next question is obviously why you’re not,’ Feb asked.
‘Perhaps it’s time for a break. It’s getting late. What about we continue tomorrow?’
‘After dinner?’ Feb asked.
Over dinner, String and Snurd were excitedly, with Snurd in his own flat style of course, telling everyone what they had been doing during the afternoon. Their discoveries of planets and peoples in the outer Sun Systems. How they had danced with holograms and walked around monuments, museums and exotic gardens. So taken by the offerings of the library, they had hardly a thought for Feb and April’s afternoon other than a passing comment about hoping they had had a nice time too.
Adiddle, as usual, was attending to his guests with aplomb and when he offered second servings of his twice-baked Begrogol fillets, even Feb joined String and Snurd in accepting. The Begrogol was an elk like animal with six legs and long spiralled ivory horns that were considered one of the most valuable materials in the universe. A rare treat, as it was an animal found only on Mengla-Coxa-Mingla, a small oddly oval shaped planet in the Seventh Sun System. Many had tried to raise the Begrogol on other planets, but replicating the atmosphere had proved near impossible, as it was layered, which meant it changed composition with each metre or so of height. While some had had limited success in raising the Begrogol, the gravity of most normal planets acted badly on the Begrogol’s horns, which grew positively and rapidly vertically downwards and as a result ended up pushing at the ground and tipping the Begrogol off its feet. There was little future in Begrogol farming when the poor animal couldn't stand up after the age of three months.
‘Perhaps you would like to join us tomorrow,’ Atoth asked String and Snurd.
‘Will it be more interesting than what’s on the TR? String asked.
‘Perhaps not,’ Atoth replied.
‘What about you Snurd?’ String asked.
‘Well I think it will be up to you February,’ Snurd said. ‘Should we join you tomorrow?’
‘It’s up to you both. I’m happy with whatever you decide to do.’
‘Could we play, eh, I mean, do some more research with the TR in the morning and join you in the afternoon?’ String asked.
‘Is that alright with you Atoth?’ Feb asked.
‘I think that’ll work very well. Alright with you Snurd?’ Atoth asked.
‘Yes. I will keep an eye on my young friend in the morning.’
‘Do I have a choice too?’ April said with a smile towards Atoth.
‘Most certainly! Entirely up to you April.’
‘I think I’d better stay with Feb,’ she smiled again at Atoth and Feb couldn’t help but notice that it was not simply a polite smile.
‘Good. All organised then,’ Atoth said with a little hesitation after being smitten by April’s smile.
‘We’re going to carry on with a little more work this evening,’ Feb told String and Snurd while April and Atoth suffered a mild, mutual blushing attack. ‘Will you and String find something to occupy yourselves?’
‘I would very much appreciate a chance to play Three-Handed Canasta,’ Adiddle chipped in as he
cleared plates from the table.
‘What’s that?’ String asked Adiddle.
‘It’s an ancient game played with cards.’
‘Sounds interesting. I’ve heard about these card games, but never played. What about you Snurd?’
‘It sounds like a wonderful way to pass an evening,’ Snurd said but it was always hard to tell if he was pleased or not. String seemed to think he was pleased though. Feb thought they were becoming very good, if not very odd friends.
‘Very good,’ Adiddle said with a big grin. ‘It must be centuries since I’ve had a chance to play Canasta.’
Once all had enjoyed their after dinner coffee, Adiddle was most surprised by Snurd and String’s offer to help clear the table and wash up. However, due to the exceptional circumstances of a once in a few centuries chance to play Canasta, he accepted.
‘Just this once,’ he said firmly.
Instead of the Ancient Hall, Atoth took April and Feb to his study for the short evening session.
‘So. You were telling us about families,’ Feb said wanting to get more information. He was not only starting to understand how important the information was, but he was also fascinated by the family history and wanted to know more.
‘Yes,’ Atoth started. ‘As I said, both of you are direct descendants of Pope Gregory the Thirteenth and his wife Juliette, the youngest daughter of December the Ninth.’
‘Juliette?’ April asked. ‘I thought that Royal Gregorians had to have one of the twelve official names. Why wasn’t she called July?’
‘Up until the time of December the Ninth, it wasn’t uncommon to name daughters with adaptations of the twelve official names. As daughters never came to royal office, it wasn’t considered as important as for sons. Later, the protocol was changed and official names only were used.’
‘Anything to do with Gregory?’ Feb asked.
‘Yes in fact. As were many other things we’ll get to. But can we clear up the three family lines first?’
‘Sure Atoth. Go ahead,’ Feb agreed.
‘While Gregory had firmly ensconced himself within the powerful circle of Grand Councillors and December’s senior staff, he still had his papal responsibilities on Erde. So, he travelled back and forth between the two on a regular basis. Married on Gloth and celibate on Erde. Or so it was supposed to be.’
‘So he didn’t quite stay celibate on Erde then?’ April asked.
‘No April. Gregory seemed to have taken quite a liking to his matrimonial duties on Gloth and in great secrecy, took a mistress in Rom. A young woman called Octavia.’
‘So he lead quite a double life,’ April said.
‘Triple in fact. A little later on when he stationed himself permanently on Gloth, he took another young mistress named January.’
‘He was busy!’ Feb added.
‘Oh yes. Gregory was a busy man all his life. He must have had extraordinary energy to have achieved what he did in a relatively short life of an official eighty-three years on Erde and another fifty-five on Gloth.’
‘So he did eventually move to Gloth?’ Feb asked.
‘He had to February. He was elected Supreme Potentate.’
‘What? How could that have been? I’ve never heard of a Supreme Potentate called Gregory.’
‘Alright. Let’s go back a little and I’ll explain what happened.’
‘Right.’
‘In total Gregory had eight children. Five children to Juliette. Three boys and a two girls. March, September, August, November and May. He also had a son to Octavia, Librerato. Then two sons with his mistress Cathrinkle on Gloth, Enklix and Atoth.’
‘Atoth? Any connection?’ April asked.
‘Indeed. I’m from the family line of Gregory and Cathrinkle. But I need to explain why this came about. You see, by the time Gregory had secured his position on Gloth, December the Ninth was a very old man. His death triggered Gregory into action and with his persuasive political acumen, the power he had gathered around himself, plus his control over the ever growing commercial activities he had successfully established, he convinced enough members of the Grand Council to attain a majority in the vote for a new Supreme Potentate.’
‘But I thought it was always the eldest son who took the position.’ Feb said.
‘No. Not at that time. Until Gregory changed the constitutional regulations, a new Supreme Potentate was elected from the extended Glothic aristocracy. Usually a sitting Grand Councillor, but from time to time, a member of the Lower or High council was elected,’ Atoth explained and was met by silence. Feb looked deep in thought.
‘What is it Feb?’ April asked.
After a moment, Feb answered her.
‘Perhaps this is what is happening on Gloth now. A plan to revert to an elected Supreme Potentate. To remove the successional Royal Gregorian rule and replace it.’
‘Perhaps Feb. It would explain a little about our father and our brothers,’ April replied.
‘But not why I was spared,’ Feb said. ‘Oh, sorry Atoth. Please carry on.’
‘Very well. Following his election, Gregory arranged for his death to be announced on Erde and allow an election for a papal successor, and took the official name of December the Tenth. In gratitude to December the Ninth it is thought. This freed him to move to Gloth permanently. However, before leaving, he placed a large number of his Erdean businesses and investments under the control of his son Liberato, who was about forty years old at the time. In this way he had preserved his dynastical dreams on Erde. His son went on to become the richest and most powerful man on Erde. This line of the family are still on Erde and control most industries, including the biggest company. The Erdean Salmon Conglomerate. So his plan succeeded.’
‘So if I’m correct Atoth. The family line from Juliette is what is now the Royal line and from Octavia, the business line. This leaves you.’
‘Correct Feb. Gregory’s children to Cathrinkle were born after his election as Supreme Potentate and by that time he was considering his legacy. With his enormous ego, he wanted to stamp his place firmly in Glothic history. So he set aside a vast sum of money to establish his very own library and museum. This responsibility was given to both Enklix and Atoth. To preserve forever the achievements of both Pope Gregory the Thirteenth and his latter title of December the Tenth. So you see, he had achieved his over-riding aim of creating his own dynasty. Protected forever by a regal line that would always hold the political power as Supreme Potentate. The financial dynasty based on Erde. And his historical importance, by the funding to build what became….’
‘The Cavern of Clavius?’ Feb asked.
‘Yes Feb. Deep under the palaces of the Pope on Erde. At that time the papal palace was called the Vatican. This annex was built some time later, as a result of the devastation caused by a planet-wide war on Erde that wiped out ninety-five percent of the population.’
‘What happened?’ April asked.
‘Even though Gregory had prospered on Erde, the underlying problems of so many different races, breeds, languages and beliefs were never settled. Gloth had washed its hands of the problem. Many years later, Erde suffered two calamitous planet-wide wars that came close to destroying their whole civilisation. Not heeding the warning, Erde again entered a third planet-wide war in about the year 2125. This time it succeeded in annihilating over ninety-five percent of its population and almost all of its infrastructure with a selection of archaic but brutal weapons. Most damaging were the inhuman plutonium bombs that had the capacity to annihilate millions of people with one small explosion. Not killing all of them immediately, but leaving a huge percentage of the victims to horrific suffering for months before death. As almost all countries had a plentiful supply of these bombs, retaliatory attacks ensured a devastating result.’
‘And the family of Octavia?’
‘Most of the family were evacuated to Gloth by the then Supreme Potentate, August the Tenth. Because of the contamination on Erde, it would be another seven hundred years befo
re Octavia’s line returned to Erde to resurrect the businesses. On a much smaller scale however,’ Atoth explained.
‘Did the Cavern of Clavius suffer a lot of damage?’ April asked.
‘Untouched in fact due to it being so deep underground. Of course what was the Vatican disappeared completely. However, during the seven hundred years that it was impossible to travel to Erde, this annex was built to continue the collection, and then later to secure the most valuable documents from the Cavern of Clavius. Terranova Two was selected because of the isolation and security it offers.’
‘So Atoth. From this, I understand that you are fulfilling your designated family responsibility to protect the Gregorian family. As is the money from salmon on Erde. Which leaves me, doesn’t it.’
‘Yes Feb. Your responsibility is to protect the Royal Gregorian succession line by becoming the undisputed Supreme Potentate of the Twelve Sun Systems of Gloth and putting down this current challenge to its rightful authority.’
Ruling Tools
Feb was quiet over breakfast. Lost in his thoughts, while Snurd explained in minute detail the intricate rules of Three-Handed Canasta. April was lost in fleeting, silly girlish smiles and eye lash fluttering, while Atoth tried to decipher April’s feminine semaphore. String noticed none of it as the bacon was exceptional. Complete with crispy rind. Adiddle just served, floated and gloated after his success in winning the Canasta game handsomely the evening before.
After breakfast, everyone quietly left the table ready for the new day. String still chewing on a few tasty bacon rinds. April still girlishly smiling. And Feb still wondering if he had the strength to be the Supreme Potentate. While Atoth wondered if February would ever know how to effectively use the twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits. It was time to find out.
Back in the Ancient Hall again, Atoth recapped a few points about the family, and while April was keen for more information and asked many questions, Feb remained somewhat aloof. After twenty minutes of more titbits about the family background, Atoth knew it was time to move on. There would be time to respond to April’s ever increasingly clear feminine semaphore later. Atoth knew what his first priority was.