The Islanders

Junno PEACE EARNED

JUNNO is a small independent nation, comprising three islands lying in the subtropical zone of the Midway Sea.

Although mid-summer can be hot and humid, for most of the year the climate is moderated by the Southern Oscillating Stream. All three islands are heavily forested, with vast areas set aside as hunting reserves. The largest of the three islands, Junn Maio, has a range of mountains defining the southern coast: there are rich mineral deposits here, including iron, potash and copper. On the second largest island, Junn Secs, there are apparently limitless reserves of oil shale. These products are exported from the only harbour in the country: Junn Exeus, an immense industrial sprawl that disfigures a long stretch of the eastern coastline of Junn Maio.

Junno is one of the most prosperous places in the Archipelago — it is also the principal source of the world’s atmospheric pollution, directly and indirectly.

It can be a difficult and unattractive destination for travellers, by air or sea, as apart from the local ferries calling intermittently there are no scheduled services. Because of its position in relation to the Equator, connecting flights have to be chartered privately. Only sub-vortical flights are allowed at that latitude, which causes delay. The sole working airport on Junno is operated by the Faiand military authorities. In theory, the Faiand Federation is under notice to relinquish their hold on the airport, but in practice most of the population of Junno is in favour of them remaining. There is brisk two-way trade with the base.

Our general advisory to intending visitors: take note of the difficulties and look for other destinations.

The semi-isolation from the rest of the Archipelago has made Junno into a haven for people with a dislike of centralized authority. Although there is a nominal Seignior, his family were violently exiled two hundred and fifty years ago, since when no tithes or tributes have been made and the three-island state has operated as a relatively stable anarchy. The islands have been declared ‘open’, allowing unrestricted havenic immigration.

When independence was first declared there was a flood of immigrants from every part of the Archipelago and it was these guest workers who were put to work in the mines. Their descendants are still on Junno, performing most of the manual labour. It is impossible to learn much about the conditions these people live and work under. We know they are paid extremely well but are not allowed contact with the outside world.

The Junnians abolished shelterate legislation at the same time and a steady trickle of deserters from the war in Sudmaieure still arrives in Junno every few weeks. The fate of these young deserters after arrival tends to fall into one of three groups.

The black-cap escouades of military policier are based at the airport and they are always on the alert to seize deserters from either side. They re-educate them all, then they return Faiand deserters to the front, and Glaundian soldiers are offered the choice of induction into the Faiand forces or a further course of re-education. Some of the fugitives from war, though, successfully avoid the black-caps and embrace the fiercely independent way of life in the nation. After what is usually a difficult period of habilitation, most of these young deserters settle down to remain in Junno. A third group, soon sensing that where they have arrived is not that different from what they have fled, take advantage of the lax border controls, and move on.

Unlike the inhabitants of almost every other island in the Archipelago, the people of Junno are armed to the teeth. There are not only more guns than people on Junno, there are estimated to be more than twenty guns for everyone, counting new-born babies, the elderly and the guest workers (who are prohibited from having their own weapons). More guns are acquired every year.

Apart from hunting and fishing, the main leisure pursuit on Junno is the thrice-yearly range war on the smallest of the islands, Junn Ante. The range wars are freely entered into by Junnian and immigrant worker alike. There are huge cash rewards for the guest workers if successful — their choice of weapon is said to be restricted and the guns lack the high power and accurate sights of those used by the Junnians, but there is never any shortage of participants. For the Junnians there are opportunities to gain land and other property from each other. Live ammunition is used.

The journalist Dant Willer was despatched as correspondent to cover the hostilities in the war taking place across the frozen plains and glaciers of Sudmaieure. For six months Willer filed horrifying stories about the extreme conditions suffered by both sides in those endless grinding hostilities, but then was recalled to Muriseay. On the return journey, Willer fell in with a group of young deserters who were travelling to Junno, to take advantage of what they imagined were liberal shelterate laws. Willer’s touching descriptions of what these six young men had endured in the war, followed by the gruelling account of what happened to them once they reached Junno, won the Islander Daily Times a Prix Honorré for Investigative Journalism, and a cash bonus and promotion for the young reporter.

Willer later wrote a non-fiction book, The Junno Range Wars: Earned Peace?, and this too was awarded a Prix Honorré, in the category of Literature of Neutrality.

Currency: all trade on Junno is conducted with the use of convertible bonds, but we have been unable to discover what money would be used by travellers. We assume that the Archipelagian simoleon would be acceptable, and perhaps it would be possible to convert money at the point of entry.