rest of our lives on our household income, but we have
bigger plans. We are going to bring the greatness back to our
name.”
The Prime Minister nodded.
“Our plan is not just to help ourselves
though,” she continued. “Freedonia and Mirsanna are building
colonies in distant lands and are becoming wealthy as a result.
Greater Brechalon must do the same thing. We propose to build a
Brech colony, assuming a royal charter is available”
“ In Birmisia,” the PM said,
nodding.
“ We have as yet not decided.
Birmisia is one possibility. Cartonia is another.”
“ I think you have settled on
Birmisia. You went to a great deal of trouble to have your brother
stationed there.”
“ Why Prime Minister,” said
Iolanthe, with a thin smile. “I didn’t know that we warranted such
attention.”
“ If anything, I believe I have not
been paying enough attention. You are quite a remarkable person,
particularly for a woman.”
“ And you are quite a perceptive
person, Prime Minister, for a man.”
Primula chuckled. “So what is it that I can do
to facilitate this expansion of our empire?”
“ First of all,” said Iolanthe.
“There is the question of the aforementioned charter.”
“ I see no undue complications
there.”
“ Then there is the question of
transportation.”
The Prime Minister looked puzzled. “You will
charter ships, yes?”
“ I will arrange for a number of
ships to deliver both settlers, and equipment and supplies. But in
order to assure the safe transit of the first settlers and to
guarantee the establishment of the colony, I would like the use of
a Royal Navy ship, preferably a battleship, along with its crew, of
course.”
“ Of course,” Primula laughed. “You
know you just can’t charter a battleship like it was a yacht for
the Thiss Regatta.”
“ Talking of which, congratulations
on your victory yesterday.”
“ Thank you. The regatta is one of
the few pleasures I still allow myself.”
Iolanthe leaned forward, her hand reaching out
with a heretofore unnoticed small envelope, which she gave to the
Prime Minister. He accepted it, opened it, and unfolded the
document inside.
“ Sweet mother of Kafira,” he
gasped, his face turning white. “Where did you get this? No. I
don’t want to know. Does anyone else know about this?”
“ No.”
“ But they will if I don’t accede to
your demands?”
“ Don’t be silly, Prime Minister.”
Iolanthe leaned back, folding her hands in her lap and smiled.
“This is the original. There are no facsimiles. This is a
gift.”
Ewart Primula jumped up from his seat and
pulled aside a large portrait of His Majesty on the wall behind
him. He quickly turned the combination on the safe which was
revealed, and in a moment he had placed the paper and the envelope
inside, closed and locked the safe, and replaced the stern portrait
of the King. Turning around, his face took on a wary look, as if he
only just realized that there was a tiger seated across the desk
from him.
“ I don’t know what to say,” he said
slowly.
“ Don’t mention it, Prime Minister,”
Iolanthe smiled. This did nothing to drive the image of a tiger
from his mind. Neither did her next words. “I consider it my duty,
one I can perform again. There are a great many similar documents
drifting about, you know.”
The PM dropped heavily into his
chair.
“ As I understand it,” he said with
a sigh. “There are two battleships coming in for extensive refit in
the next few months—the Minotaur and the Indefatigable, if I’m not
mistaken. One of them could be held until you are ready. It is of
course, in the best interest of the empire to establish this
colony.
“ Oh, indeed it is,” replied
Iolanthe.
“ Is there anything
else?”
“ Oh, export papers and manifest
waivers, and things of that sort; nothing we need to discuss face
to face.”
“ Are you sure you don’t want me to
give you a government wizard?” More than a hint of sarcasm was
present
bigger plans. We are going to bring the greatness back to our
name.”
The Prime Minister nodded.
“Our plan is not just to help ourselves
though,” she continued. “Freedonia and Mirsanna are building
colonies in distant lands and are becoming wealthy as a result.
Greater Brechalon must do the same thing. We propose to build a
Brech colony, assuming a royal charter is available”
“ In Birmisia,” the PM said,
nodding.
“ We have as yet not decided.
Birmisia is one possibility. Cartonia is another.”
“ I think you have settled on
Birmisia. You went to a great deal of trouble to have your brother
stationed there.”
“ Why Prime Minister,” said
Iolanthe, with a thin smile. “I didn’t know that we warranted such
attention.”
“ If anything, I believe I have not
been paying enough attention. You are quite a remarkable person,
particularly for a woman.”
“ And you are quite a perceptive
person, Prime Minister, for a man.”
Primula chuckled. “So what is it that I can do
to facilitate this expansion of our empire?”
“ First of all,” said Iolanthe.
“There is the question of the aforementioned charter.”
“ I see no undue complications
there.”
“ Then there is the question of
transportation.”
The Prime Minister looked puzzled. “You will
charter ships, yes?”
“ I will arrange for a number of
ships to deliver both settlers, and equipment and supplies. But in
order to assure the safe transit of the first settlers and to
guarantee the establishment of the colony, I would like the use of
a Royal Navy ship, preferably a battleship, along with its crew, of
course.”
“ Of course,” Primula laughed. “You
know you just can’t charter a battleship like it was a yacht for
the Thiss Regatta.”
“ Talking of which, congratulations
on your victory yesterday.”
“ Thank you. The regatta is one of
the few pleasures I still allow myself.”
Iolanthe leaned forward, her hand reaching out
with a heretofore unnoticed small envelope, which she gave to the
Prime Minister. He accepted it, opened it, and unfolded the
document inside.
“ Sweet mother of Kafira,” he
gasped, his face turning white. “Where did you get this? No. I
don’t want to know. Does anyone else know about this?”
“ No.”
“ But they will if I don’t accede to
your demands?”
“ Don’t be silly, Prime Minister.”
Iolanthe leaned back, folding her hands in her lap and smiled.
“This is the original. There are no facsimiles. This is a
gift.”
Ewart Primula jumped up from his seat and
pulled aside a large portrait of His Majesty on the wall behind
him. He quickly turned the combination on the safe which was
revealed, and in a moment he had placed the paper and the envelope
inside, closed and locked the safe, and replaced the stern portrait
of the King. Turning around, his face took on a wary look, as if he
only just realized that there was a tiger seated across the desk
from him.
“ I don’t know what to say,” he said
slowly.
“ Don’t mention it, Prime Minister,”
Iolanthe smiled. This did nothing to drive the image of a tiger
from his mind. Neither did her next words. “I consider it my duty,
one I can perform again. There are a great many similar documents
drifting about, you know.”
The PM dropped heavily into his
chair.
“ As I understand it,” he said with
a sigh. “There are two battleships coming in for extensive refit in
the next few months—the Minotaur and the Indefatigable, if I’m not
mistaken. One of them could be held until you are ready. It is of
course, in the best interest of the empire to establish this
colony.
“ Oh, indeed it is,” replied
Iolanthe.
“ Is there anything
else?”
“ Oh, export papers and manifest
waivers, and things of that sort; nothing we need to discuss face
to face.”
“ Are you sure you don’t want me to
give you a government wizard?” More than a hint of sarcasm was
present
Similar Books
