’Mia and ’Te gave ’Tok a standing ovation when he joined them for a working breakfast. He waved them down, smiling and shaking his head, but he didn’t tell them to stop. He had bloody well earned it.
“So let’s review- you managed to convince the City to adopt corporations, convinced the Council and the Chanticleers that we were obedient little citizens, bloodlessly destroyed a minor interest group and persuaded the Patriarch himself to get the Joint Stock Company reintroduction approved. Have I missed anything?” ’Te asked with a smile.
“Hell with all that, his secret is revealed!” ’Mia jumped in. “Layers upon layers of gold and polisher’s silver, deep in the Stoneheart Weeping Mine, where those who fail to honor their obligations to The President toil in perpetual darkness.”
“Is that even… mineralogically possible? Do those elements appear next to each other in nature?”
“No idea. Can’t help but notice you aren’t denying the “toil in perpetual darkness bit.” Mia shrugged.
“Oh, well, they are debt slaves. I’m certainly not going to shell out for light cores, and we can’t risk a mine fire so lanterns won't work either. In the hopes of teaching them valuable life skills, all entrants into the secret death games are taught echolocation.”
“Fair. Very fair and broadminded of you. This is why you are THE President Xiatoktok.” ’Te said appreciatively.
“Alright that's enough of that. Let's get to work. How are the company sales going?”
“Pretty good. I know we were going to emphasize buying support, but we have been able to drum up some real competition for some of these companies. A lot of groups wanted to make a power move in anticipation of the war. Logistics, textiles, staple food crops, that kind of thing. The Grand Redoubts Bank can now consider itself flush with investable capital.” ’Te sounded complacent.
“Which is lucky, as we still have a massive hole in our budget. The good news is that, as comically low as the interest rates on those loans to A&I were, there were an awful lot of them. It also instigated lots of other people to take out loans to buy distressed assets. They bought their loans at the normal commercial rates, though.” Mia’s smile was lupine.
“All those interest groups, making those “power” moves with borrowed money. The Xia and the Throng are going to cover a lot of the Grand Redoubts’ budget deficit with the money they borrowed from the Grand Redoubts Bank to buy companies from the Grand Redoubts Bank that were seized by the Clan on behalf of the Grand Redoubts Bank, who now acts as the companies’ custodian. To safeguard the interests of all parties, most particularly their creditors, the largest of which being the Grand Redoubts Bank.”
’Mia leaned back in her chair, giving a happy little shudder as she breathed out. “We aren’t in the clear by a long shot, but damn! It’s better than looting a fat caravan.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be guarding the caravans?” ’Te asked acerbically.
“Depends if the pay was on time.”
“I’m going to just pretend I didn’t hear that and say good job to the both of you. This is all really excellent news, and I hope you are proud of your hard work. I am certainly proud of you.”
They smiled at each other. Exhaustion, relief and satisfaction blended into an honest happiness.
“And since I am that kind of boss, I have decided to reward your hard work with more work.”
That got him some especially filthy looks.
“’Mia, this one is yours, and ’Te, this is yours. Please read carefully.”
They were controlling interests in a successful, if underfunded, mercenary company and a very successful and suspiciously over-funded winery, respectively. Both “plums” that, curiously, hadn’t made it onto the “sell” lists. The prices were more than just competitive, they were a gift.
“Is this… what I think it is?”
“Do you think it is extra work disguised as a bonus?”
“Yes.”
“Damn. I will have to find new tricks.”
“I… do not have a fraction of the time needed to oversee this.” ’Te said.
“True. If only you had some kids who were notably underemployed and needing some direction in life.” ’Tok grinned at his old friend.
“One of my sons has a few years experience as a lieutenant in the Gray Feathers Company. Might be just the step up he needs to really make something of himself.” ’Mia murmured.
“I’m sure knowing that he is on his mother’s mind will be all the motivation he needs.” ’Tok said softly.
“Oh, I’m not telling him. He is going to “earn” it all on his own. This Mama is strict!” ’Mia immediately said.
Neither of the men said anything. It had all been said before.
“Well. I have always made a point of matching positive feedback with money and power. Just seems to produce better results than a mug or free sandwiches in the canteen once a month. Sign the paperwork and transfer the money by tomorrow. Now, onto the less fun business.” They focused on ’Tok.
“We need to start making nice with the Nomeki’s. Let’s skip the outrage. We all know that our eventual goal involves the entire Nomeki family legally reclassified as livestock, or possibly kelp.” They nodded along. “But in the meantime, we need to make nice. And we are going to do that by investing some of our newfound capital in Red Mountain.”
“What capital? I was gloating, our investable capital is actually pretty limited. Those budget holes didn’t magically vanish.” ’Te asked.
“Why, The capital. Didn’t you hear? The Eastern Edge is so completely screwed that the big clans want to start shifting investments out west. Impending war not withstanding. Given our secure footing in the peaceful, stable, strategically located Cold Garden, we are naturally the logical choice to start lining up investment opportunities for our Big City cousins.” ’Tok was all innocence. “Really an amazing opportunity for some business development in markets we have been shut out of.”
“Business development, you say.” ’Te smelled a particularly large rat.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Business development, client relations, public relations, intelligence gathering, it’s a major undertaking.” ’Tok smiled. So did ’Mia.
“No. Absolutely not. It is ten days on the road each way in the summer. I don’t know how long a ride it is in the winter, because people are generally smart enough not to try and take cheve and carriage through deep snow.”
“It’s not so bad. You won’t be up in the mountains, so no worries about getting snowed in.” ’Mia said comfortingly. “Probably.”
“And the various tribes are likely settled into their winter camps, so they will be easy to find if you need to resupply.”
“Right, right. A nice, easy, comfortable ride down south.”
“No. For many reasons. Just to be clear, there is no actual investment money coming from the east?”
“Not a centi-rad. Actually, there has been talk about us supplying them financing.” ’Tok shook his head.
“Oh great. You want me to spy, restore diplomatic relations with the Nomeki’s, improve our very limited relationship with the rest of the Plutocracy, and potentially drum up some investment opportunities based on non-existent capital.”
“More or less, yes. But that’s not all you will be going with.”
“Oh?”
“Cold Garden, that dreary little city of fanatics, has introduced the Corporation. If they don’t know about it already, they will very soon. You are going to go down there with a stack of case studies about how well the corporate structure works and all its advantages for the owners.”
’Te squinted his eyes slightly. “You want to get them to adopt it too. Lay the groundwork for the joint stock company rollout.”
“Exactly.”
“Can I at least dangle the promise of a concubinage for one of their kids?”
“With me? No.”
“’Tok. You have exactly zero concubines. None. I say this as a friend. It’s a bad look. It has always been a bad look. To the point where I get shit about it. For years now. As you know.”
“I’ve been getting it for years too, but that's a different story.” ’Mia agreed.
“No. ’Ja and I have been exclusive for fifty years. And we aren’t having this conversation right now. We are discussing ’Te paving our way in Red Mountain, and nothing else.”
’Mia and ’Te winced. They knew it was a sensitive subject, but things had progressed beyond whispers. Frankly, his weird fetish was losing them the political capital they desperately needed. ’Tok knew it too. So it was touchy. ’Te gladly jumped back to business matters.
“You expect me to accomplish all of this before the next apocalypse? Because it might just take that long.”
“Oh no. No, I expect you back in a month or so, with no concrete agreements made. Job number one is convincing Jerri that, while we absolutely do hold a grudge about her little stunt, we are the Xia. We take the longest view. And in light of that, this little game is less than nothing. What is important is human prosperity, and humanity prospers through well organized cooperation. Job number two is, of course, spying. Because there is no chance in hell “relying on trade volume” was all they had planned to make up for devaluing their own currency.”
“Why? They are a heavily export based economy. Devaluing their currency has comparatively few downsides. Other than wiping out the savings of a lot of ordinary people.” ’Te asked.
“They are run by a plutocracy. They even call their government The Plutocracy. These are not people who would voluntarily eat a loss, particularly one that wiped half the value of their savings.” ’Tok said, still feeling salty.
“All dramatics aside, I really can’t go this time of year. The roads are alternately dirt, mud, ice or snow, and anything with wheels is just not going to make it. And, by the way ’Mia, part of the journey is through the mountains. Pretty much everything after Brecklund is mountains and stays mountains until you get to Elko. At which point you have a wide valley and then the pleasure of the road alongside Long Crane Lake all the way to Red Mountain. Lovely in the summer, not so much in the winter.”
“Oh I know. I just wanted you to feel better.”
’Tok coughed, trying to recover his cheerful mood.
“You are right, of course. Your guards and outriders can travel by cheve, but you and your entourage must travel in dignity.”
“Oh?” ’Te sounded wary.
“Yes. So I am lending you my Landau.”
This failed to have the intended dramatic effect. ’Tok’s cheerful mood didn’t even wave goodbye as it vanished.
“Your what?”
“My Landau. You know, the Landau.”
“’Mia?”
“No idea.”
“THE GODSDAMMNED LANDAU! Fatty ’Lu’s gaudy and luxurious monument of remnant tech. The one with the human husk for a postillion. You know. The supremely comfortable, warm, armored, carriage with a convertible top and NO WHEELS because it hovers three feet off the ground!”
“It was called a landau? I called it the Funeral Barge.” ’Mia looked curious.
“I was always torn between obscene nicknames myself. Never found one that quite fit.” ’Te sounded regretful.
“It. Is. A landau. Luxury carriage with a retractable roof equals a landau.” Xiatoktok seethed. “I had to fight off six very senior Clansfolk to keep it, and I haven’t even had the chance to redecorate it yet. I haven’t even taken it for a spin. Despite all that, out of the immense goodness of my heart, I am allowing you to borrow it for this journey. And ’Te, on my kids eyes I swear if you fuck in it, I will dedicate a week to making your life miserable.”
’Te hesitated. Fatty ’Lu’s floating carriage was the subject of intense envy while the man was alive. He suspected that ’Tok began scheming ’Lu’s death when he saw the carriage for the first time. Too long to easily manage the city streets and too gaudy to be in “harmony” with the community, the carriage had been banished to a barn just outside the city walls. Along with its necrotic coachman.
“Who am I bringing with me?”
“Six first class guards, a valet, two people from your sales team and two promising first year associates. We have a lot of leadership gaps to fill, and training must accelerate. You can pick the associates.”
“Oh joy. How “promising?””
“They all have to be of the main line, of course. Beyond that, it’s up to you.”
’Te swept into the conference room, waiving everyone back into their seats. The room was packed tightly with twenty immaculately dressed first year associates. They came from a number of different departments within the Bank, but they were all of an age and class. They had known each other all their lives. They were the elite of the elite of the new generation, having clawed their way to the top in their exams and survived the infighting of their parents. They thought they were eagles. Time to push them out of the nest.
“I trust you all know who I am. You may not know Xiafensi here, but he knows each of you. Xiafensi is our liaison to the Clan Personnel office. Nobody from the main line gets into the bank without his review. He is especially careful with his choices because how well you perform directly affects his compensation and promotion opportunities. You can imagine the pressure he works under.”
’Te had the room’s full attention. He hadn’t bothered to sit. Neither had Xiafensi.
“There is another part of his job, of course. You see, despite his best efforts, some people just don’t work out at the Bank. So before his annual review comes up, he finds the underperformers alternative employment more suitable for their abilities. Some people, and their families, are unhappy when he does this, but it is quite necessary. He is still here. The failures are not.”
He could see their pupils dilating, their knuckles whitening. None had audibly gulped, but some were slowly going wide eyed.
“I require two excellent associates for a month-long business trip. There is really no way to choose the perfect candidates, and if I wind up with two duds, how would that be fair to Xiafensi? So we have come to an agreement, he and I.”
’Te smiled. Some people did gulp.
“He and I are going to step out of the room. The doors will close, and I can promise you that no matter how loud you shout or how hard you bang on the doors, no one will be opening them for you. I have posted guards to ensure that. Guards with special dispensation to be as firm as necessary, regardless of one’s rank in the Clan. This time tomorrow, I will open the doors again, and you will have chosen two people to assist me on my trip. I trust you to explore all the benefits and detriments to coming on the trip, both generally and personally, in an honest and forthright way.”
He raised an elegant finger.
“I must, however, remind you that violence between members of the main line is strictly forbidden, and your families would be punished alongside you. So keep it civil.”
’Te strode out of the room, Xiafensi at his heel. The doors clicked shut. The associates looked around the room. The packed to capacity room, with its large windows looking out over the street. With no food, no water, nor anything resembling a toilet.