Chapter 45 - Communication Problems
"They always have an excuse," Paulus said as he walked out and saw Tolando, "The lines are down again today."
"Very convenient, isn’t it," Tolando said, "They aren’t challenging you openly, just making it so that we can’t be effective."
"This place is unreal," Paulus said, "I’ve never seen a more thoroughly defeated populous. I mean even the people under that idiot in Siraq have more fun than the average Cirrus citizen."
"Do you think LaPorte will keep your meeting?" Tolando wondered, "Or will he cancel out on you again."
"If he doesn’t you and I are going back to Mullinix Centre," Paulus said, "I’m getting thoroughly sick of this bullshit. Massimaferro is going to get an earful of it too."
They walked through the base’s main parade ground. In some ways it resembled a prison camp more than a military base. Most of the soldiers had a look of quiet desperation on them, most of them simply counting out time until they got to leave this dreary place.
"You know," Paulus told Tolando as they walked, "I have yet to see a Mullinix Times out here. I usually read it every morning, but haven’t been able to get one."
"I don’t think anyone gets them here," Tolando said, "Sounds like the only way anyone below the rank of Major gets news is from the officers."
"That’s not a good situation either," Paulus said, "I can’t believe that Iggy and Massy let this place get as screwed up as it has."
"There was always something more important going on," Tolando shrugged, "That’s what it looks like anyway."
"And look what it got us," Paulus snapped, "A load of bullshit and thousands of pissed off people!"
Tolando decided to keep quiet for a few minutes while Paulus steamed. He knew his boss pretty well and knew that he was just frustrated. Paulus cooled off after a little while and looked at his longtime guard.
"This place is enough to make anyone insane, isn’t it?" Paulus asked Tolando.
"Always has been," Tolando agreed amicably.
"Ok," Paulus said, "You’ve got something on your mind. Spill it."
"You’re going at it the wrong way," Tolando said, "The top may be rotten, but that’s not the overall problem anymore."
"What do you think the problem is?" Paulus wondered.
"The rank and file are turning against the empire," Tolando said, "The rot at the top can be cleaned out fairly easily. The hard part will be repairing the damage at the base. The hardest part of any house to fix is a rotten foundation."
Paulus nodded and thought about that. Tolando was certainly right, the problems at the bottom were only going to get worse and spread. He just hoped that the problems at the top wouldn’t prevent him from getting the foundation the help needed in time.
The two men walked into the command building and were surprised by what they saw. It was the first time they’d actually gone directly to Colonel LaPorte’s residence instead of to his office in the building across the quad. Evidently LaPorte had decided that they were going to continue to be an annoyance until he actually talked to them.
"Where the hell does a Civil Colonel get the cash for a place like this?" Tolando asked Paulus quietly, "This place is more opulent than the palace is."
"Much more," Paulus nodded, looking around, "The palace isn’t supposed to be opulent, but I’ve been in the capitals of Siraq, Serenia and Gottgol and only the Palace in Siraq even comes close."
"Something is rotten in Cirrus," Tolando frowned, "We really need to let them know up in the Centre."
"I want to talk to LaPorte first," Paulus said, "I’m curious to see what a man who lives in a place such as this is like."
They were led into a room that looked more like a sitting room of a prince than a Colonel of an area that was barely under control. The desk that Colonel LaPorte stood behind was bigger than any the men had ever seen, dwarfing the fat man who sat behind it talking to another man, a very tired and wary looking one.
Colonel LaPorte sat up in his stylish chair looking down at the visitors, a bemused smile on his face. He reached up and stroked his impeccably groomed facial hair as he took in Paulus and Tolando. Paulus walked in and went right over to the desk, knowing that he had the authority to do so.
Anthony Stack, fresh from his escape from the Mullinix Centre guards, looked really frightened when he saw the Mullinix representative. Tolando noticed, but took his customary seat by the door so as to not have to pay attention to the conversation opening.
"Mr. Tally, I presume," Colonel LaPorte said, "Please have a seat. I’m sure you know my old friend, Anthony Stack."
"Yes," Paulus nodded, wondering why the Mullinix Centre clerk was down in Cirrus, "How are you, Anthony?"
"O...ok… I guess," Stack stammered, glad that word hadn’t made it to Paulus about his fugitive status, "Wasn’t expecting to see you down here, Paulus."
"I’ve been down here for nearly a bloody month," Paulus said, "Been trying to see the Colonel here for most of that time."
"I do apologize," Colonel LaPorte said, standing up and offering a hand, "It has been a very busy and trying time down here."
"I see that," Paulus said, shaking hands with the Colonel, "Luckily I came down here for a thorough look-see. We’ve had plenty to look at."
"Have you now?" Colonel LaPorte asked, "Anything out there I need to know?"
"Just a few questions, that’s all," Paulus said, "Did you know how bad the morale among your soldiers was getting?"
"I’ve heard a few rumors," Colonel LaPorte nodded, "As bad as things have been getting down here with the Mavelans doing raids across the border I’m not surprised. I’ve been trying to convince your boss to let us do more about them for a couple years now."
"I’ll keep it in mind," Paulus said, unconvinced, "Nice place you have here, Colonel."
"Isn’t it?" Colonel LaPorte acknowledged, his vanity stroked, "It used to belong to the Mavelan Governor of the Cirrus region. When they ran him out we came in and built the base around it."
"I see," Paulus nodded, accepting it for now, "I would like to see some of the records on the raids, especially that nasty one last month."
"I sent all of them up north," LaPorte said, "Didn’t you receive them, Anthony?"
"I believe they are up there," Stack nodded, "In fact young Medoferro himself was just in to review them."
"You don’t have your copies down here?" Paulus asked him, "You know you are supposed to keep copies of all files…"
"They were in the warehouse in the city," Colonel LaPorte said, "I’m sure you saw the ashes of it when you were there."
"Yes," Paulus nodded, "Have you done anything about those catapults raining down on the city?"
"The Mountains are off limits," Colonel LaPorte said, "We’d like to, but until we convince Massimaferro…"
"Yes, yes," Paulus said, "Where are your other commanders?"
"At various points on the post," LaPorte said, "Feel free to talk to anyone you like."
"I will do that," Paulus nodded, "I just wanted to meet with you finally."
"Not a problem," LaPorte agreed, "It is nice to meet you as well."
"Do you know what is wrong with the lines up north?" Paulus asked, "As they seem to be down an awful lot."
"I wouldn’t know," LaPorte lied outright, "They worked for a few hours yesterday, enough for me to make my weekly report to Insegniferro. The lines down here were never particularly good, having been laid in haste. I’m sure we’ll have it back together later on."
"Make sure I am informed immediately," Paulus told him, "I have a report to make as well."
"Certainly," Colonel LaPorte nodded, "Come back again, Mr. Tally."
"Don’t worry," Paulus nodded, "I will."
Paulus and Tolando left the room, both muttering. Paulus realized that he wasn’t going to get anything useful out of LaPorte, so he decided to try some of the subordinates. Anthony Stack let out a sigh of relief when the
y left. He looked over at Colonel LaPorte, who reached for a bottle of wine to pour another glass.
"Damn it Ellis," Stack said, "The Mullinix are going to have a collective fit once they find out I’m down here. There’s an all points issued out on me up there. Once Paulus Tally makes that report…"
"He won’t be making that report," Colonel LaPorte said, "The lines are still down and will remain that way for the foreseeable future."
"So what are we going to do?" Stack asked him, "Medoferro survived another attempt and now they know about some of what we’ve been doing down here. Word is that that idiot Srado is still alive."
"He doesn’t know anyone other than you," LaPorte said, "He was hired muscle. They don’t know you work for me."
"You can’t keep this quiet forever," Stack told him, "I mean if Tally does make a report somehow…"
"He won’t," LaPorte said firmly, "I have people watching them. They won’t get on the line and if they try to leave the Cirrus area we’ll take them down. By the time they figure out what happened Cirrus will be back in Mavelan hands and we will be sitting here as true governors, no longer subject to any ridiculous Mullinix law."
"Here, here," Stack said, "What do you want me to do in the meantime?"
"Thanks to that meddling Mullinix we’ve got to move quickly," LaPorte said, "Why on earth did you attack him then?"
"He brought the Cossy girl in to the records room," Stack explained, "They actually went through the damned reports. Nobody knew they were there and I figured, incorrectly as it turned out, that Srado and his idiots could take care of a teenager and a female guard."
"How the hell did the kid survive?" LaPorte wondered, "Either of them get hurt?"
"Not a scratch," Stack said, "Weirdest damn thing. Srado survived, his two men were both dead. One of those idiots of Srado’s probably outweighed both Medo and the bitch put together."
"Nothing we can do now," LaPorte told him, "We need to get you out of Mullinix controlled territory. Since your mistake has probably put them on alert we need to push things up. Head down south and talk to Facie. I was going to send Joe, but you’ll be better for it right now."
"Very well," Stack said, "I’ll go. I can be over the border by midnight if you give me the correct codes."
"Talk to Joe," LaPorte said, "He has them. I have to get my bullshit ready for a meeting with Massimaferro over the line. We just need a bit more time to push the rest of the way."
Anthony Stack nodded and headed off out the door. Colonel LaPorte pulled a fine Mavelan cigar out of a holder in his desk and lit it, warming it slowly over the flame. He took a big puff and smiled as he looked at the nearly obligatory picture of the Mullinix on the wall.
"Goodbye Mullinix," LaPorte said to the image of Massimaferro, "Hello Governor LaPorte…"
The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension Page 47