The Lotus Eaters

Curia (Senate House), Ciudad Balboa, Balboa, Terra Nova

Whereas the Legislative Assembly building which predated the partition of the country was large, modern, and ostentatious to the point of tackiness, the building in which the one hundred and forty odd senators, plus Parilla, met was, if anything, understated. Its exterior walls were of dressed but unpolished granite from the quarries on the other side of the Transitway. A portico projected about thirty feet out from the main roof, held up by four columns of the same material as the walls. A single broad stone staircase the width of the building led down from the base of the columns to street level.

Flanked by guards, Carrera walked up those stairs, to the platform upon which rested the columns, to the bronze doors that guarded the main entrance.

"Guards stay outside, Jamie," Carrera said to Soult . . . who plainly didn't like the order. Soult nodded acceptance, even so, and posted the guards around the door.

At the door was a liveried servant of the Senate. Carrera announced himself to the servant, formally, "Dux Bellorum Patricio Carrera requests audience with the Senate of the Republic." He then took out and handed over his service pistol.

This the senatorial servant tucked into his belt before he turned away to make the announcement. Carrera thought, If these fuckers stand at attention when I come into the chamber I will kill them. He then asked himself, Hmmm, why is that? Answer: Because I need them to be a check on me, not a rubber stamp, not a collection of subordinates.

* * *

Parilla, sitting in a curule chair, wondered, Will these people understand what I've explained to them, that they must not treat Patricio as their boss for his sake? I hope so. We can't put on him, or let him take upon himself, all the moral burden. Not anymore. If we do, we'll crush him. And if we crush him, lose the use of him, we'll lose our country permanently.

* * *

The senators didn't rise, though plainly enough some of them weren't comfortable with remaining seated. In any case, instead Carrera gave a polite half bow and began to speak. "Thank you, President Parilla, gentlemen of the Senate, for agreeing to listen to me today."

Again, almost, Carrera began his speech with the words, Conscript Fathers. Since however, he actually had more or less conscripted the Senate, he thought better of it. Besides, his speech, while intended to affect the senate, had for form's sake to appear to be aimed primarily at Parilla.

"It has been pointed out to me," Carrera said, "that the Federated States of Columbia is in a war. It has also been pointed out to me that we, here in the Republic, are de jure neutrals in that war. Indeed, we patrol, partially at our own expense and partially at the expense of the FSC, in order to maintain our neutrality in that war, by keeping those prosecuting that war out of our territory.

"That war is their war on the illegal trafficking in drugs. Besides the Federated States on the one hand, and their co-belligerents, the Tauran Union, on the other, the other parties are a mix of criminals, social revolutionary guerillas turned criminal, and even some persons"—Carrera didn't mention the rump government by name, but deliberately looked in the general direction of the old Presidential Palace to make the point—"within the Republic."

Carrera swept fierce eyes across the senator-filled pews. "Our neutrality is being violated. Not only are drugs passing through our porous borders and coasts, the paramilitary arm of some of the drug-trafficking organizations has set up housekeeping to the west, on the border where our province of La Palma touches Santander. They cross that border, into our territory, regularly and with impunity."

"He looked directly at Parilla. "It must stop, Señor Presidente. If it does not, the Federated States, the Tauran Union, for that matter, would be within their rights to violate our compromised sovereignty . . . in self defense."

Parilla thought, Which, if you think about it, would accord with what we suspect of Tauran Union plans perfectly.

"What do you ask of us, Duque?" asked Parilla, leaning forward in his chair.

"We must make war," Carrera answered, "with the specific goals of re-establishing our neutrality. I think it would be better, for a number of reasons, if we did that openly, through a legitimate declaration."

Parilla nodded gravely, then looked to his left and then his right. "Senators, have you questions for the duque?" he asked. When no hands came up Parilla glared, letting his baleful eye land on certain senator in turn. You people are paid to ask questions. You had better have some.

One hand immediately shot up.

"Senator Robles," Parilla said, "you are recognized."

"Thank you, Mr. President," the dark-skinned ex-legionary said. Turning to Carrera, Robles asked, "Whom, specifically, Duque, do you intend to target."

"Initially, Senator, the guerillas cum narco-traffickers in La Palma Province, the gangs within the Republic that I have reason to believe are their adjuncts, and the seaborne smugglers."

"Not the producers and wholesale suppliers then?"

Carrera hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'd like to. Oh, senators, you have no idea how much I'd like to." If for no other reason than to ensure that the FSC remains at least neutral. "But they are all in other countries, especially Santander and Atzlan. Attacking them would be invading people who ought to be our friends and who have more, much more, trouble from narco-traffic than we do."

"If we authorized you to attack them," Robles continued, "could you?"

"Unquestionably," Carrera answered, without a trace of hesitation. "Though not immediately. It would take some preparation." Like a few hours' worth, which would not be enough time for anyone here to warn anyone there if we've made a mistake in selecting any of you.

Robles sat down. Another hand went up.

"Senator Higuera has the floor," Parilla announced.

"What is the cost and how do we pay it?" Higuera asked.

"The cost is speculative at this point in time, Senator" Carrera answered. "We have it on good authority that the Federated States will pay all operational costs, as they do for our air and maritime patrols."

"Fair enough, for now," Higuera agreed, taking his seat.

"Senator Atencio," Parilla said, seeing a third hand.

Atencio, Carrera knew, was an attorney who had signed on with the Legion early, for the initial campaign in Sumer, before taking his discharge and resuming his law practice. He'd worked in the Judge Advocate section, Carrera recalled, before casualties in the Sumerian city of Ninewah had required he be reassigned to leading an infantry section, then to command of a century.

And not badly, thought Carrera, looking at the Cruz de Coraje en Oro hanging from Atencio's neck, above his tie.

"Rules of engagement, Duque?" Atencio asked.

"Wartime rules, Senator," Carrera answered, then added, "I had hoped to treat them as prisoners of war before turning them over to the National Police."

"Won't work, Duque, and you know it won't. The police are rife with corruption."

"Shall I try them and shoot them under military law then, Senator?"

"I will support such legislation," Atencio answered, "if we decide on war." He looked around the chamber and asked, loudly, "Will my colleagues?"

Seeing they would, Atencio sat down.

"Senator Cornejo?"

"They will retaliate, Duque," that Senator said. "Are you prepared for that? Are you willing to accept those casualties? Remember, in Santander those filth have brought governments down, murdered thousands, intimidated, bribed . . . undermined society from top to bottom."

"To terrorize us?" Carrera asked. "I can do terror. If you authorize it."

Cornejo laughed, being joined by dozens then scores more. "Oh, we know you can, Duque. We know you can."

* * *

Carrera emerged from the Curia with his face set in a grim smile.

"How did it go, boss?" Soult asked.

"Pretty well, Jamie. Do me a favor; get Jimenez and Suarez on the line and . . . Fernandez, Fosa, and Lanza. And Kuralski, since he's back on duty. Tell them it's a go. They lift at three in the morning. I have to go back in and hammer out some details. Notably, how to get the Legislative Assembly to approve using law of war rules within our territory."

"Then we are going to war again, boss?"

"Yes, Jamie," Carrera answered.

"About time."

* * *

The telephone rang next to Senior Centurion Ricardo Cruz. Cruz knew he could sleep through incoming artillery fire; he'd done it, after all, and more than once. A ringing phone, on the other hand, might mean an alert. That, he could never sleep through.

He picked up the phone. "Cruz," he announced, sleepily.

"Cruz, you lazy bastard," said the voice on the other end. Ricardo recognized it as coming from his cohort's sergeant major, "Scarface" Arrendondo. "Come on over. Free rum!"

That opened Cruz's eyes. "No shit? Free rum?"

"It's what I said, isn't it?" Scarface answered.

"Be right over," Ricardo said, replacing the phone on its hook. Next to him, his wife, Cara, stirred.

"Free rum?" she asked, then, seeing his nod, said, "Mierde," before laying her head back on the pillow and pulling the covers over her face. She didn't want her husband to see her cry.