"The weapons bring me directly to a question I wanted to ask you anyway. When your father still ruled, many citizens in Rosenberg carried a pistol or a sword openly on their belt. Today, nobody carries anything. If I'm not mistaken, a few years ago your constitution still said: 'Every citizen has the right to bear arms', or something similar, but then your parliament suddenly removed that almost unanimously and there were hardly any protests. How did you achieve that? Can you explain that to me?"
"That depends on why you want me to explain it to you."
"I'm sure it will surprise you, but I agree that the restriction of guns is necessary."
"That does surprise me. I'm sure Mr Sternschreiber is disappointed in you."
"Just because I'm his substitute doesn't mean we always have to be of the same opinion. Mr. Sternschreiber doesn't represent the free banks on this point either."
"Has he already found out that the total death toll is also eight times higher?"
"He hasn't changed his mind, if that's what you want to know."
"I had hoped, but I didn't expect it. He had always trouble reading statistics."
"I'm sure you know him better than I do. We, the free banks, with the exception of Mr. Sternschreiber, would like to restrict guns, but there are still disagreements about how we should go about it. I thought, while I'm here, I'll ask someone who has already done it. I would like to point out, however, that I don't completely agree with you. I don't think guns are a problem in themselves. It's the sum of all the problems that makes them to a problem."
"And instead of solving the other problems, you'd rather solve the one problem that doesn't clash with your views?"
"You don't have to explain it to me if you don't want to. I'm sure I can read up on it somewhere."
"No, I can explain it. It just won't help you. Your problem with this problem is that there are already too many deaths."
"Shouldn't that be the very thing that creates an aversion to guns and ensures that many citizens would support a ban on guns?"
"You don't get it. In Rosenberg, people had a gun on their belt because they were sport shooters, hunters, collectors or whatever. On your island, people carry a gun because they are afraid. At every corner someone is shot or robbed. You want to take the guns away that give people security and expect them to agree with it?"
"So you would increase security first?"
"You've already missed the moment to act. You should have done something years ago. How do you want to increase the security any further?"
"We have planned to arm our police more heavily and generally expand them more broadly."
"Your expenditure per capita is already more than twice as high as ours and yet it has achieved nothing. Why do you keep doing the same thing and expect a different result?"
"We're going to reduce the response times of our emergency personnel to 6 minutes, run more patrols, establish more permanent guard posts, and also create more secured areas for citizens to use as a safe haven. Obviously, that will make a difference, even if you don't believe it."
"People are being shot on open streets. More police won't stop that. The bullet doesn't need six minutes into the head. By the time the crime takes place, someone is already dead. How are you going to prevent that? Are the officers supposed to see into the future? Police and guns won't prevent deaths. Guard points and checks will only move the scene. Security will not increase. Nobody will feel safer either. When I go shopping and have to pass two armed police officers with bullet vests, then I don't feel safe, then I remember that I'm in danger. Then I think, I'd better buy a gun and a bullet vest too, so that I can protect my family. That's the gun pressure I mentioned. You should start increasing the perceived safety instead. A first step would be to change the building restrictions in their country, allow multi-family housing to be built, stop zoning everything into strict zones and also stop putting up those ugly single-family plywood houses everywhere. People are living in them like shoeboxes. They live alone on dead ground. The streets are empty, that's why you don't feel safe, that's why you're not safe. I think your island is the ugliest country in the world and that by a long shot. The towers don't make it any more bearable. I understand that many people have the impulse to jump down from there. So in a nutshell, you will never solve the problem because for that you would have to solve the problems for which you are being paid."
"So I guess I'll read it up..." replied Mr. Jens indifferently. He seemed unhappy, but swallowed his anger along with his coffee.
"You act like I'm against you, but I just wanted to be honest with you."
"Then thank you for your honesty."
"Mr. Sternschreiber would say guns don't kill. You say guns themselves are not the problem. I say guns themselves are a problem, but it's still possible to have a relatively safe country where they are barely restricted. The problem that is responsible for all the problems is the problem that should really be tackled. Because Mr. Sternschreiber is right. Guns do not kill. Politicians do. If you get shot, it was suicide."
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"It almost sounds like a threat."
"Believe me, you'll know if I threaten you. I just expected you to appreciate the irony here as well." Marah explained, smiling reassuringly.
The smile was not meant to be intimidating. It was simply her personality. Nevertheless, it probably seemed that way. Almost as if he wanted to avoid eye contact, Mr. Jens drank again.
Reyji had noticed something in the meantime. Marah had said that with every additional weapon restriction, the number of robberies in Rosenberg had decreased further. That was true, but so many things had changed in that time that a drop in the number of cases could not be definitely attributed to the gun restrictions. Mr. Jens knew that. Had he disagreed with her, he might have used it as a counter-argument. Had he done so, he would have fallen straight into a trap, because then he would have had to explain why the number of cases had fallen instead. He would have had to explain what had worked and why the free banks would still not do it.
Mr. Jens put the cup down. When it was put down, it was empty. He had drunk the last of it in one go and then immediately glanced at his watch again. It seemed as if he was about to leave. After all, he had not achieved what he was here for and he had other appointments today.
"I wanted to ask you one last thing. You have publicly indicated that you would be willing to negotiate. We'll request an appointment with you. You make room in your calendar. I present you with a contract, but you reject it immediately. Was it all just to make it look like the free banks were begging you? I mean, surely you were aware that Mr. Sternschreiber wouldn't come in person. So I don't think so. I think you want it to look as if there will only be talks for the time being in order to prepare for the real negotiations. Given your past decisions, you don't want to lose face, so you want it to look like you've shown toughness and got better terms now than you did back then."
"That's a nice theory. You're right. I knew that Mr. Sternschreiber wouldn't come in person. It was clear to me that he would rather go sailing than meet with me. But I can assure you that you're wrong about everything else."
While Marah was speaking, Mr. Jens looked briefly surprised at one point, then quickly hid it again behind a serious expression.
"Can you assure me? You should think twice, because we won't be sending anyone again without a real reason. What you're doing here is following a pipe dream and, as with any dream, in the end there will be an awakening."
"Is that what you're telling yourself? Our budget is at a loss every year. Our state bank makes a loss every year. It's just like everywhere else in the world. But I understand why you see it that way. You've been told differently. Money flows downwards. High social security payments and minimum wages damage the economy. Free trade leads the world to prosperity. State companies cannot be efficient. A state bank always leads to inflation. Government debt must be repaid. You believe all this nonsense? Baele is a dreamland and only those who are nice to the woman at the garden table are allowed to enter? Not really. In reality, I just have my eyes open."
"For them being open you don't see that much of what's happening in the world. Where were your eyes during the Don Rigaz massacre?"
"Is that an obligatory accusation? Since when are we allies of Don.Rigaz?"
"1700 people, a quarter of them children, executed by firing squad while your soldiers watched from the window."
"That's false information you have there. I know it, because after all, my soldiers were there. According to the report, only two young children died as collateral damage of the storm because their parents wouldn't stop shooting out of the house. Everyone else was over 10 years old and therefore old enough to be a traitor according to the law."
"According to the law of Delxawe. Not according to the law of Don.Rigaz."
"Delxawe sees that differently. The independence treaty has lost its validity when Don.Rigaz financed the resistance."
"That's propaganda."
"That's an opinion."
"You are trying hard to twist the facts, but a fact is, Delxawe soldiers attacked Don.Rigaz and organized a massacre. You knew it was going to happen, but did nothing to stop it."
"That's not true either. We took in 133 children. I also offered to take all the citizens. But they didn't wanted to. They wanted to fight. They even knew that the princess herself was coming. But where were you? Delxawe and the Isles of Deas are your members, but I've heard nothing about the free banks sanctioning one side in any way or at least condemning their actions. You were just watching from your ivory tower, too, and you will continue to do so."
"You know that, unlike you, we are bound to neutrality by the contracts."
"And you know that my responsibility is to protect Baele. Not Don.Rigaz. In Delxawe's view, the citizens of Don.Rigaz at least had the argument to defend their homeland. What argument would I have? When you take part in such a conflict, you become a victim or a perpetrator. You are no longer just dismayed, but one of those who cheer or suffer. You may call it a massacre, but in Delxawe they call it justice. Who should be shot always depends on who you ask."
"They were children defending their homeland."
"The newspaper said it was the right decision not to interfere."
"The one I read didn't say that."
"Then read one of mine."
"Jena is at war with Ceramare. Delxawe will soon be at war with Jena. Ire and Dreik are at war with everyone. The world's food is running out. Millions will die this year, but you sit here in your garden and pretend everything is fine. People always say that you are unpredictable. You hate the nobility, but you are the highest nobility. You are against war, but sell howitzers into war zones. You are against weapons, but carry one with you all day. Everything about you seems contradictory. But I don't think that's the case. I think people would understand you immediately if they know just a one thing about you."
Marah's ears perked up. "And what would that be?", she asked in a scheming tone.
"You simply don't give a damn about the rest of the world." Mr. Jens stood up. "Please call the boy. We're leaving."
Marah shook her head in rejection.
"You will remain seated."
"Oh, please."
Mr. Jens waved her off and did not take her serious.
"Reyji, he will remain seated."
Reyji nodded and pulled her hands out of his pockets.
"Of course."
Even before Reyji took the first step, Mr. Jens sat back down by himself.
"What do you want?"
An insidious grin appeared on Marah's face.
"I want to talk with you about money."
.../ End Part