A Battle Unseen

[Doc]

Ananto House, Eveari
Late day, August 2, 5729

The Buzzer in the sitting room rang. Carolina was expecting this visit. She lightly tapped the button and spoke, "Please send him in." The door clicked and in walked Sir Johnathan Mickelson. He bowed courteously, and the Empress bade him to sit. "Sir John, would you care for tea?" she asked. The Chancellor accepted the offer and the Empress busied herself at the bar preparing the hot water, then filling each of the tea cups with loose leaf tea in mesh tea balls, and then pouring the boiling hot water over the top. Within a couple minutes, the tea was steeped to perfection. She removed the tea balls and stirred in a half tea spoon each of opium powder before bringing the entire tea set to the table, placing a tea cup, saucer and spoon before the Chancellor and one before her self.

"Thank you for visiting us, Lord Chancellor. What news from Kaliburg?"

"Madame, your cousin Lady Allison has died in Xanadu."

The Empress took a sip of her tea, which was still too hot for the Chancellor. "Well, she lived to 85 then. A good long while. She did not suffer I hope?"

"No Madame. She was assisted by her doctor and her children and members of her meeting were with her."

"Well, she was the last of Margaret's children," said the Empress. "Margaret... she was from what we were told a very remarkable woman. My grandmother loved her sister very much." The Empress reflected quietly for a moment. "We are glad that she was not in pain when she passed."

"Indeed Madame," said the Chancellor.

"Please fly the Imperial Standard at half mast in Kaliburg for three days in tribute. We shall have the house staff prepare to return her home this week."

"It shall be done, Madame," said Sir Johnathan.

"What more?" she asked, as if wanting to move on from the subject.

"Well, we recorded a slight trade surplus this last year. That economic data will be released later this week by the Ministry of Trade."

"Then your campaign to reach out to other nations is bearing some fruit then. Congratulations, Sir Johnathan."

"Well, when you increase your trade partners you see an increase in trade. That's a fairly simple calculus."

"Indeed, And when you let ideology get in the way of more practical considerations, you tend to cut your own throat," responded the Empress. "Its something our nationalists can not get out of the way of. Practical considerations must always carry the day when it comes to realist foreign policy. We can only do what we can do, and that is not dependent upon what we think we can or should do. Keep up the good work, Mr. Mickelson. You will be an asset to our Son as well."

"Thank you Your Imperial Majesty."

"Also congratulations on your recent convention, Sir. We have heard very positive things about the proceedings."

"Thank you Madame. Yes, it went well."

The Empress took another sip. "No trouble in the committees, we hope?"

The Chancellor followed suit and knew that once he sipped, he had about 20 minutes until the drug took effect. "No trouble, Madame."

"And the... eh... Democrats... were well behaved?"

"They were, Madame, and contributed votes on important matters when we needed them. We had to do some log rolling on a couple of topics, but the main concession the Orthodox delegates gave was to approve their candidates on the slate in both Sulari and Eshar as well, even though technically Eshar didn't cross the threshhold. But they showed up for us when we needed them, and so we repaid the favor on their ballot access."

"The inner workings of the Party are both fascinating and terrifying to us, Mr. Mickelson. Fascinating because these proceedings and activities like log rolling are a bit like magic, while terrifying because we will occasionally attempt to imagine if our government actually ran like this... We would have people starving in the streets waiting for the Government to convince enough people to vote for poor relief. It's terribly inefficient and extremely inhumane to run things on a majoritarian democratic model. Could you imagine a far more difficult and ethically ambiguous issue like tax reform? My god, how do democracies accomplish ANYthing of value or worth in their country?"

"Well, Madame, luckily the stakes within the Institutional Convention are not quite that high. We are merely deciding what names to write on the ballot and creating a statement of the things we would like to accomplish in the coming term. Those are relatively easy compared to things like poor relief or tax reform."

"And Dr. Brandt. How did she do?"

The Chancellor took another sip. "I think, Madame, that she will fit in. She may clamor for changes, but deep down, I get the sense that she is not a revolutionary. She is an idealist, who wants to revitalize our system for a new generation. Not overthrow it. She wants votes to mean something."

"Would you describe her as a liberal?" asked the Empress.

"No, Madame. She is what you have yourself referred to as a supporter of substantive democracy, where the people themselves make real decicions for themselves."

The Empress sat and listened very closely. "Fascinatating," she said after some moments. "You've spoken to her then?"

"Aye Madame, I have interviewed her extensively: Her name is to be on the ballot in Sulari. I had to conduct a full background check of her and interview her directly."

"And you're sure she's not a radical?"

The Chancellor smiled. "Aye Madame. She is a patriot. If not for her calls for more popular representation in the government, I am sure she would find a nice home with our Nationalists."

"That's quite interesting to us..." said the Empress.

"If Your Imperial Majesty would like, I am sure an audience could be arranged. I could attend if you desire."

Carolina laughed. "That's funny, Lord Chancellor. Can you imagine us, the autocrat and sovereign of a personalist hereditary monarchy, meeting with a Democrat, who is our subject? That notion is positively scandalous, Mr. Mickelson! Are you trying to ruin our legacy?"

The Chancellor was ot sure how to take the Empress' bemusement at his suggestion, "No, Your Imperial Majesty, I only meant to..."

"AFTER we leave office, Mr. Mickelson. We would love to sit down with her and speak with her on her ideas after we abdicate next year."

Mickelson felt like he had dodged a bullet. "Oh, yes, of course, Madame. That makes complete sense."

The Empress drained her cup and smiled. "You're a good man, John. On another topic, we read Nadiya has launched people into space."

The Chancellor responded, "Yes, Madame, that is true."

"And Kalistani astronauts did not fly with them?"

"Well, Your Imperial Highness, it would appear not. They sent five of their own up instead, and stated their goal to keep them in space for 'only twenty years,' if I read the report correctly."

"Twenty years?!" said an incredulous Empress. "That must have been a typo."

"Likely so, Madame," said the Chancellor, "or mere propaganda."

"And Kalistan didn't help at all with the mission?" asked the Empress.

"There is no mention whatsoever of any Kalistani contributions, not help with tracking from Spencer, not help with rocket assembly and technology. It was reported as entirely a Nadiyan operation, though Xsampa helped provide launch facilities. The lack of any Kalistani participation was confirmed by ISCA."

"Well..." said the Empress with a shrug. "It's not to be helped."

"How would Your Imperial Majesty like to respond?" asked the Chancellor.

"No need to respond," said the Empress.

"Your Imperial Majesty, this is a slight."

"Eh, let them have it," said the Empress, in a softer, more easy going tone now that her opium was taking effect. "There is so little worth celebrating in that miserable insanely labyrinthine communist tundra, they should celebrate this accomplishment. It's a small win, and it didn't cost us anything at all. It's a non-story in Kalistan--their news coverage doesn't play on Kalistani television or radio, and the event was buried in an hourly news bulletin by KRTVN. If they are not going to use our guys, quietly bring them back home. I'd rather they come back to Kalistan than stay in Nadiya. It's alright. We know the role we played, and that's what really matters."

"Aye Madame," said the Chancellor. "It is forgotten then."

"Good. We want to ensure that our son has options when he takes the throne. Maintaining a small opening in the door with those people will give him at least a small option to expand if he desires, but complaining about propaganda closes that door. We won't say anything in public. It's really not important."

"Will... will do Madame..." said the Chancellor, who suddenly felt the narcotic wash over him. This was a good feeling, one of euphoria and a genuine sense of calm. It's one he knew very well from his drinking tea with the Empress on multiple occasions. And signaled to him that perhaps he better begin making his way home.

"Sir Mickelson, it seems that the opium has finally set in. Are you feeling ok?" the Empress asked.

"Y--yes, Majesty... It just feels a little strong today... Could I.... trouble you for a couch or a bed?"

The Empress smiled. "Can you walk, Sir?" Clearly she found this a bit amusing.

"I think... so...." he said. The Empress immediately excused herself and returned in a minute with her personal secretary. "Lady Houston, please show Mr. Mickelson to the lounge where he may rest until he feels better. The opium got on top of him today..." She turned to her Chancellor. "Don't worry, Sir John, I will have the guest bedroom made for you, and we will have you as our guest tonight." The Chancellor half consciously nodded his approval. He had intended to return to Kaliburg this evening, but it no longer looked like this was his fate.