NationStates

Fawn City, Fawn County, Northern Daniel-Franklin.
New Year's Day, 2021

There was upheaval in downtown Fawn City as City Hall was abruptly attacked by a company of its local garrison. It was a swift assault, the troops involved using Uzis, Thompsons, and MP-38s to capture the main municipal offices by a combination of speed and surprise. Little did most in the city know that the barracks had already fallen to the mutiny, the work of a man named Lieutenant Colonel Elias Markham. He had been the executive officer of the regiment that served as the town garrison, the 6th Grenadiers Regiment, but now he had executed Colonel David Phipps, the previous CO, and taken command of the garrison by mutiny and murder.

Within several more minutes of fighting, Markham had eliminated any resistance to his control of the barracks and the garrison, after which he now ordered his troops to strike at City Hall, the police stations, the local radio and TV stations, the newspaper offices, and the local offices of the Order of Saints, the primary instrument of the Turner regime in keeping its iron grip on the nation through organization and terror.

An hour after the mutiny began, most civilians had wisely returned home to avoid being caught in the cross-fire, as loyalist police units resisted the revolt and had to be put down by the rebels. City Hall was one of the first targets, with the belief that if the municipal government were leaderless, its constables would be listless and ineffective, a gamble that proved mostly correct.

Maybe so, but for now, Mayor Jason Burgess was still very much alive, and so were the City Council, as well as the City Treasurer, City Solicitor, and City Police Chief, Dale Fawn, a direct descendant of Jacques Fontaine, who had renamed himself Jack Fawn and founded the town itself, serving as its first mayor. They were now besieged by the Army due to the mutiny, with only a small number of police and Saints to defend them. Of course, Mayor Burgess and the others were members of the Order themselves, but Burgess couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, even if he weren't over 400 lbs. and verging on a massive coronary or stroke, with diabetes already affecting his vision.

Once the attack on City Hall commenced and was making at least some progress, of course, Markham ordered the other attacks to commence, resulting in some victories taking longer than others. Police stations were still resolved to hold out until given orders to stand down, not to mention the variety of Saints who had gathered in plainclothes to guard their local chapter from assault, with a wide disparity of competence, of course.

So far, however, the churches had been off-limits, as Markham didn't want to alienate moderate Christians....even so, a dozen priests had joined in the defense of the Order, as had 8 monks from the local priory.

It was the office of the Fawn City Gazette that fell first, as the editor prudently didn't resist at all, instead agreeing to print whatever the mutineers demanded of him. The radio and TV stations only put up token resistance before surrendering as well. The rest would have to wait until after City Hall, though a few police stations were wavering ahead of that time.

It was another two hours before Dale Fawn was killed under mysterious circumstances and the new, acting Chief of Police, Antoine Bordeaux, gave the order for the police to stand down, so as not needlessly cost the city the necessary services of so many valuable constables. Bordeaux arrested the entire municipal government as well and turned them over to Markham. After that, the police stations all meekly yielded, not knowing why the orders came, but feeling relief that they did. They were police, not soldiers, after all, and didn't want to waste their lives and bullets fighting against fellow citizens in a Civil War.

Now, naturally, all eyes were on the headquarters of the local chapter of the Order of Saints, where a select remnant of faithful Saints resisted the takeover of the city by the rebel garrison and its new commander. Only now, the question lingered...when, not if, the Order's compound was finally captured, what would happen to the city? What was the future of Fawn City under Markham's administration? What could be expected from the New Era, anyway?

...and what would the foreign consuls and visitors in Fawn City think, seeing the once sleepy and peaceful town shattered by the outbreak of violence after more than 30 years of relative peace since the last conflict was won by the Evangelical Brigades in 1985, resulting in the overthrow of the last King? Could the present regime finally collapse after three decades of religious fundamentalist tyranny?

Fontaine, Canton Fontaine, Northern Daniel-Franklin....
1852 hours


The Sun had just barely set when the white flag waved, signalling the surrender of the remnant of the Order of the Saints, as it became apparent that no relief would arrive in time. The Order's local headquarters was yielded up to the insurgents, who took down the national standard and hoisted a brand new flag above the building. This new flag also began to fly above City Hall, police stations, schools, etc. as the banner of what Markham now called the Committee of National Liberation. It consisted of Markham, Bordeaux, and the handpicked Bishop of Fontaine (Fawn City had been renamed), Father Walter Gordon. Whether or not this government would last was open to question, even in terms of it being the governing body of the rebellious territory, but for now at least, an interim entity now existed to challenge the claims of the central government to authority and supremacy over the nation.


Of course, the Turner regime wasn't going to take this lying down, but it would still need to mobilize the necessary forces nearby, having been caught off guard by the seriousness of the revolt. As a beginning, however, Turner put a bounty on the heads of the Committee members, especially Markham, and the National Synod of the Grand Evangelical Church officially excommunicated Gordon as well as putting the entire city of Fontaine under an official Interdict.


So, while Fontaine began to adjust to a New Era under Markham's rule, with a change of style, regulations, and attitude....the neighboring Jubal County and its capital, Lamech, witnessed a mobilization of the Home Guard, the national militia. Some 215,000 militiamen began to muster, preparing to fight for the recapture of the disloyal citadel to their east.


As for Fontaine itself, Markham wasn't lying idle. He, too, called up militia, particularly any Home Guard living in Canton Fontaine, as he called it, some 147,000 militia so far, not to mention the local garrison. While he was outnumbered, he also issued a call for volunteers to make up the shortfall. The first trickle was in, but would the People respond en masse or simply stand by and wait to see the outcome? How loyal would they prove to be to the New Order in their nation...or would they prefer the Devil that they knew?

Already, troops of the Committee cause were wearing black and red armbands, those of the Turner regime white and blue, as both camps began organizing in earnest....the country now on the verge of open civil war.

Committee-controlled Territory,
February 8, 2021


Everywhere, the images of Colonel Markham (now full colonel) were on display, his portrait replacing that of General Turner wherever possible in public buildings, in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee, which soon expanded to have 2 more members, notably Dr. Arnold Schumann, Superintendent of Le Grande Ecole pour Homme, and former City Auditor Jeanne Thierry, who had been dismissed in 2003 for opposing some expenditures. This led to the abolition of her office by the central government's Local Government Renovation Act, which also seized control of local budgets, transferring them to the jurisdiction of the National Government. Thierry was appointed Vice-Chair of the Committee and given responsibility for the finances of the new regime.

Effectively immediately, the following statutes were issued as "Committee Directives" for all "liberated territory":

1. Directive 1, which banned and dissolved the Order of Saints, prohibiting all meetings, as well as outlawing its pins, its symbols, newspaper, and any other intellectual property of the Order of Saints.
2. Directive 2, which established special tribunals to arraign and prosecute leading figures of the old regime in Fontaine, particularly those of the Order of Saints.
3. Directive 3, which outlawed the Holy Office for the Defense of the Faith and the Purity Courts, dismissing their members from the civil service and the public payroll, depriving them of all pensions, and subjecting them in particular to the auspices of the special tribunals formed under the auspices of Directive 2.
4. Directive 4, which repealed all heresy, blasphemy, and apostasy laws, as well as explicitly declaring "full freedom to worship, deny, or proselytize the existence of any Deity, to advocate any system of belief, as well as instruct minor children regarding the same."
5. Directive 5, which mandated the teaching of evolution exclusively in public schools, terminated compulsory school prayer, and abolished the requirement that all senior faculty be approved by a special intendant appointed by the Church.
6. Directive 6, which liberalized marriage, divorce, and family laws, as well as providing means to legitimize bastards. It also abolished all remaining forms of entail, thus granting women full and equal rights of inheritance of property with men.

While these new laws had no immediate effect in the rest of the nation, there was no doubt that their passage would dramatically transform life in the territory controlled by Markham and his insurgency. They would have a chance to adapt life without clerical control of their daily lives as well as having greater freedom of religious dissent and even unbelief. Whatever else happened, at least at present, the citizens of the city, and perhaps the canton as well in time, would have a taste of more freedom than they had known in their entire lives....would they be willing to even consider living back under the way things had been?

Lamech, Jubal County,
21 March, 2021
6:34 AM


The guns had fallen silent at last, as the rebel banner was raised above City Hall and the County Courthouse. The garrison commander, Colonel Andre Humbert, had surrendered to the insurgents, further expanding the territory now controlled by the Committee of National Liberation and depriving the Government of National Unity of crucial revenue due to the loss of the county assessors who aided in the collection of taxes. Lamech, and all of Jubal County with it, had been captured by the insurgents. This wasn’t just a local revolt anymore. It was now spreading to other parts of the land.


Troops wearing red and black armbands now swarmed all over the city and county, seizing and arresting anyone caught in the open supporting the old regime. Some were lined up and shot, even, particularly members of the Order of Saints. The wrath of the revolutionaries was confined largely to the key targets from the previous administration, though, with ordinary citizens basically left alone. The Committee had lost its patience with the reactionaries, and so had arranged more drastic step to quash any further resistance to the 2018 Revolution. Soon, however, the special tribunals were in place and trials began in earnest. This was even more trouble for those lucky enough to escape summary executions in the first place.


Then, of course, Colonel Elias Markham stood at a podium just outside the City Hall, and then declared Jubal County formally “liberated from ecclesiastical tyranny, the same yoke of injustice and oppression that has held sway for decades. Theocracy is dead and now it’s time to bury it. As from this moment, this is the Commonwealth of Daniel-Franklin and I am its President.”

With a city of 124,000 plus now under his control, Markham was much closer to being able to impose his rule on the nation….but he still had 67 more counties to go. This was far from over, this civil war of theirs...far, far from done. He had a nation to set free from superstition and medieval barbarism.

Provisional Army HQ, Methuselah County Front,
1409 hours local time, 18 June, 2021

The fighting had been very intense, but the government forces had already suffered a stunning decline in morale due to continued harassment by Markhamite insurgents. The local Franklinite government forces' commander endured considerable tongue-lashings from the War Minister, General Brian Blake, and the Commander-in-Chief himself, General Adam Turner, so he was already on edge. With his supply lines crumbling, he nevertheless withdrew to a more easily defended position, only to get sacked for his troubles. General Ethan Summers was appointed in place of General Levi Cordon and he was not one for retreats, tactical or otherwise.

That was just what Colonel Elias Markham, the rebel supreme commander, counted upon, of course. He continued the pressure on the enemy flanks and supply lines, harassment by partisan or irregular forces closely linked to his own general command, but given a great deal of latitude and autonomy. Markham insisted that the enemy not be given the chance to breathe, as he wanted him overextended, under-supplied, and eventually cut off in several sectors. He got his wish, as he called it his "Christmas present from the Fates."

"We have 'em, boys. That fool Turner couldn't leave well-enough alone, of course. General Cordon did the wise move, a tactical withdrawal that was textbook, even. An orderly retreat. The next time that they are forced to pull back, I predict a panic-stricken and disorganized rout due to entire battalions lacking the bullets for their rifles, let alone shells for their howitzers. They can't even feed all of their troops or give them shoes, and these are government soldiers! If they can't clothe, shod, or feed their officers and men, defections to our ranks among the imminent captives will be inevitable.

"Turner's general philosophy in terms of discipline and morale these days seems to be one of 'the beatings will continue until morale improves,' but that, of course, is a meme, not a plan of action. It's certainly not rational or logical or practical by any means. When you can't even take good care of your soldiers, and they are not fighting a foreign war against a foreign enemy, but a civil war against fellow countrymen, how long do you think that they'll stay loyal? We've already seen mass defections in areas that we've seized and liberated. How long before they join us en masse here in Methuselah County and the adjoining Seth, Abel, Peleg, Shem, Japheth, Enoch, and Arphaxad Counties?

"This is why we're holding firm to this current strategy of mixed conventional and asymmetrical warfare, because it's working against this rigid and inflexible opponent, whose lack of imagination and resourcefulness has proven truly staggering and will boggle the minds of military historians for generations to come. Our foes have remarkable persistence, I'll give them that, but they lack any resiliency, any flexibility, any openness to any kind of change whatsoever. They will be in real trouble if and when they lose control of more major industrial, commercial, and agricultural production centers.

"I want very much to capture this city of Reuel by the end of the year, preferably by Christmas Eve, as I would love to spend Christmas Day in a liberated county seat of Methuselah County. Reuel is the chief center of their coal processing and distribution, and a poster child for what's wrong about this country in terms of its environmental policy or lack of one. I will take charge of retraining these locals for new, more sustainable economy jobs, green jobs, if you will, as part of our more forward-looking vision for this country. In the meantime, they can have new jobs in my growing army.

"Most importantly, because the enemy's electrical grid is so heavily dependent upon coal, the sudden loss will not only reduce this country's national carbon footprint, but also deprive them heavily of the electrical power on which they rely so heavily for major industrial production of armaments. They will have to rely far more on foreign supplies of armaments, which will cost them, and at a time when their general manufacturing capacity and productivity, their domestic electrical use, and their overall economic health will be decreased. Imagine the additional pressure on their popularity, their treasury, and their military stockpiles.

"We are cutting into their Achilles' Heel, boys! By the time that Turner realizes what's happened to him and his regime, it will already be too late. As a bonus, the air quality will be much better here and their overall physical health as well. Imagine the reduced cases of black lung, asbestosis, asthma, emphysema, mesothelioma, lung cancer, and COPD. Between that and our national health care plans that I intend to unveil for all of Daniel-Franklin upon victory, the country will never be as good of health as they will be under my rule.

"So, yes, my friends, we will bring about a much better world and certainly a better nation as a direct result of the actions that we take here. Let's resolve to commit ourselves to our current plan of battle and focus on taking this city first, then the county, and then the adjacent counties as part of the national liberation of Daniel-Franklin. Don't get me wrong. Civil war will have costs and sacrifices involved, in terms of blood and treasure, make no mistake about that. Even so, the long-term greater good requires us to pull through and carry on with our plans. We have a nation to take out of the Dark Ages and into the Light!" Markham pepped up his high command as he lay out the plans for the capture of Reuel, and with it, much of the north-central area of the nation.

Markham hoped that he could eventually capture most of the country in one piece, but if not, he would painstakingly liberate all of it from the chains and shackles of religious tyranny, of ecclesiastical power politics, of theocratic rule. Privately, Markham was an agnostic at most, atheist perhaps, even. He didn't believe that religion should trump science and he did believe that the country had to move toward a more progressive vision and national philosophy. 83 years of theocratic repression was quite long enough.

Port Allard,
Christopher County,
10:05 PM local time (2205 hours),
Sunday, 27 June, 2021

The Dauphin...the Prince...he had returned, to claim the patrimony, the kingdom stolen from his family. It was time. Colonel Markham had weakened the Turner regime, but he couldn't be allowed to take over in the long run. Now that the fundies were bloodied, battered, and bruised, it was high time for the Dauphin to return. He would reclaim the Crown of Saint Daniel and ascend the great Franklinite throne. It was his by birthright, and he had recruited a sufficient force of mercenaries by now to make this a real fight on the hands of General Adam Turner, especially with said Turner now focused on the danger from Colonel Elias Markham and his rebels.

The Prince had returned, and it was high time that all of his subjects yielded to his absolute fealty. The Corpus Evangelicorum had gone on long enough, and it was an unmitigated disaster. The Dauphin was no liberal or progressive, but he was a reformer in his own way, and he wasn't keen on the kind of militant religious zeal that dominated politics and government in Daniel-Franklin long enough. Next to Turner or Markham, he was confident that he was the sane choice. He wasn't a crazed general or colonel with no birthright and a willingness to shed copious amounts of blood and treasure for dubious causes. This was his domain, and he was going to get it back.

His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Jean Philippe Louis, the Dauphin, the Duc de Saint-Sebastien, was back...and he would not return to exile. If it cost him his life, he would topple the Turner regime and restore his family, the legitimate dynasty, the House of Saint-Sebastien, to the throne. He wasn't going to leave his subjects to the devices of the likes of a godless atheist like Markham or a puritanical fascist like Turner. It was his sacred duty to restore the monarchy and that he would, by all of the Saints!

The country was his...and by God, he would take it back!

The Christopher Herald
Marc Santillan, Senior Writer
29 June, 2021


Eighteen known or suspected feminists were arrested at 1845 hours by agents of the Order of Saints in Saint-Jerome, a suburb of Christopher. The subversive seditionists were detained at an undisclosed location for the next forty-eight hours, with no comment or queries permitted as to the name of the correctional facility for reasons of national security. The eighteen included six men and twelve women, though two of the men claimed to be "transwomen" instead of their actual sex. Why such men would desire to betray God, Man, and Country is beyond this reporter, of course, but rest assured, their trial, conviction, and lawful execution are mere matters of time. Since our judicial system doesn't waste time with juries and other such amateurish nonsense prone to be swayed by softer sentiments, retribution is virtually guaranteed. The accused would do better to focus on reconciliation with and restoration to their Maker, rather than wasting precious time with a pointless criminal defense given their patently obvious guilt. Confession would be good for the soul, at least, if not for the body.

Heaven has truly blessed us with such a wonderful sign of Almighty God's favor and His Providence in allowing this success on the eve of National Redemption Day. May all of the condemned repent and seek Christ and His Mercy prior to their passage to the world beyond this one. For as the Apostle wrote by inspiration of our Lord in Hebrews 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Surely, this triumph is a sign and omen from the Lord of Hosts that we shall have deliverance and victory over the insurgents led by the godless atheist Colonel Elias Markham and the decadent Papist royalists headed by the Dauphin. This last crusade for the restoration and redemption of our land shall end in the ultimate conquest of all heretics, apostates, and infidels by the armies of the Holy One. Surely, the angels of the Lord shall fight for us and the hand of God shall overcome our foes. We shall surely smite our enemies with the edge of the sword and prevail against them.

The penalty for advocating feminist propaganda is death, but perhaps God will move our glorious leader, Generalissimo Adam Turner, to compassion and clemency. Then again, God is known to work mysteriously. This final crusade must culminate in the triumph of the Cross of our Lord Christ Jesus. For is not His dominion and kingdom to be forever? Is he not the Everlasting Father?

The Christopher Herald
Marc Santillan, Senior Writer
3 July, 2021

The new Documents Authorization Act has prohibited women and girls from receiving passports and visas for international travel without direct permission and authorization from either husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, nephews, cousins, or some other male "guardian or protector." This newest edict follows on the heels of a spate of regulations aimed at reducing feminist political activity, cracking down on feminist political sympathies, propaganda, and organizations, and eliminating many areas of "excessive female autonomy which has gone to the ladies' heads and has been used by Satan as a tool and means to delude and deceive. For as Eve was deceived by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, so the women of this age have been seduced by the forbidden fruit of feminist dogmas and ideologies. For the good of faith, family, community, and social order, such absurd doctrines must be and will be suppressed. We have erred as a nation in being soft on feminist rhetoric, literature, and other forms of sin repackaged as 'wokeness' and 'equality.' Righteous manhood has been rebranded 'toxic masculinity' by these misguided fools in their pursuit of post-modernist tolerance of evil and corruption. For as the writer of the First Book of Samuel wrote, in Chapter XV, verse XXIII, 'For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.' In the name of holiness to the Lord God of Heaven, the Lord of Hosts, we must repress this latest movement toward gynocracy."

Women must be calmed and restored to their proper fellowship with God, their proper standing with Christ, and for this cause, we must return them to contentment with the natural order of things ordained by Almighty God. As Saint Paul wrote, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter V, verses XXII-XXIV, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." As the same Apostle later wrote, in the First Epistle to Timothy, Chapter II, verse XII, "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Indeed, as King Solomon wrote in the Book of Proverbs, Chapter XIV, verse XXXIV, "
Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people."

This new legislation is far from oppressive. It is liberation of women from the burdens of careerism, feminist ideology, obligation, and danger. Where would this sinful path of "equality" end, except for women in combat on the front lines, being killed and wasted instead of protected and comforted as the valuable resources that any mothers, wives, and daughters would be? Women are being given the greatest freedom of all, the gift of freedom "from" things, most of all from sins of pride, harlotry, sorcery, and idolatry. On that note, we should be careful to stamp out all traces of "goddess" type cults that preach witchcraft, quack medicine, abortion, lesbianism, matriarchy, environmentalism, and the worship of false nature deities. As the ancient israelites rooted out the cults of Asherah, Ashtaroth, and Baal, in the face of that wicked Queen Jezebel and her daughter Athaliah, the first feminists in history, so must we emulate Elijah and Elisha and put down these modern jezebels like the mad bitches that they are. Feminism is a cancer on the soul of our nation and we must cut her out forever, so that she is purged entirely, not merely put in remission, and never returns.

Nothing else than averting the judgment of a holy and righteous God depends upon it for the sake of our nation.

The Christopher Herald
Marc Santillan, Senior Writer
6 July, 2021

The new Reproductive Reform Act prohibiting artificial forms of contraception and prophylactics, has been formally ratified. It will take effect on 21 July. Generalissimo Adam Turner, when asked about the effects of this new law, pointedly stated that, "the waning of our zeal for the righteous cause of the Lord of Hosts is the cause of recent reverses in battle, and once we have purified and cleansed our own house, the house of God, we can and shall prevail over our enemies. Now that we have begun to reform our own ways and rediscover our proper zeal, the purity of purpose, God shall surely smite our foes and deliver them into our hands." It is clear that, through the path of repentance and holiness, our glorious leader is taking us back into the bosom of our Lord and restoring our fellowship with God that is essential for prosperity and victory.

Minor protests did take place in downtown Christopher, largely by elements that typically advance the enemy of our Lord and His Kingdom, the very disciples and synagogue of Satan that could be expected to be favored by such Jezebels. These whoremongers believe that sexuality should be a matter of "consent, autonomy, and personal expression," rather than our Heavenly Father's plan to bring new souls into this world to fellowship with Almighty God. When matters of such a sensitive and private nature become so public and also so about narcissistic purposes and ambitions rather than the will of God, that is surely a sign of the end of our age, a beginning of the last days that will terminate our dispensation and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven as opposed to the kingdoms of Satan and of Man. Naturally, those apprehended in the midst of this wickedness have been given the opportunity to redeem themselves in the appropriate facilities.

May our Lord and His anointed servant, Generalissimo Adam Turner triumph thus over the adversaries who are evidently in league with the Devil Himself. For what is the "freedom" to sin but bondage to sin and what is the "liberation" of women but their enslavement by the fallen archangel Lucifer, the son of the morning? Satan being the father of lies, he will always twist freedom from sin into oppression by the host of the righteous. Let those who are wise discern the truth of this.

To: General Adam Turner
From: Baron Karza, Prime Minister of Khunte
Subject: Concerns

---

Dear General Turner,

My government is becoming concerned about your government overturning what many in my country consider to be the natural rights of women. Women are very important and they deserve freedom just like men have. Maybe you have forgotten this. Just in case, I have sent you a nice box of cigars which I am told are a very fine brand. I'm afraid that I don't smoke, so I wouldn't know. In any case, we are asking you nicely to stop oppressing women and to give them their rights back.

Sincerely,

Baron Karza
Prime Minister of Khunte

Baron Karza loomed over everyone in the room while he read over the message, his long shadow falling over the other people at the table. They could hear the boy king in the next room laughing as he ran around the room and jumped on the bed while desperate nannies tried to corner him. This brought smiles to faces, but people were mostly focused on the reading Baron. Mr. Oberon longingly looked to the side table where pyramids of crusty buns sat, surrounded by silver trays of neatly sliced cold cuts and cheeses. He was very hungry but no one dared eat until the Baron did. "As you can see, Baron, this reflects what many of us feel, and yet does not make any actual ultimatum."

The Baron paused, peering at the letter from under his dark brows.

Mr. Oberon cleared his throat. "Does this do what we know to be right, Baron?"

Baron Karza turned and looked at him with his sharp, bright eyes. "It does, Mr. Oberon. Excelllently. Send it." He seemed to notice the buns and cold cuts for the first time. "Oh, lunch! Most important meal of the day! Let us eat!"

Gratefully, the cabinet ministers got up and began to make sandwiches while the Communications Director, Mr. Insect, sent the message to Daniel-Franklin.

Saint Marcel wrote:

From the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic Republic of Saint Marcel

To: Guy Marlboro, Foreign Minister of Daniel-Franklin

The People's Committee for Foreign Affairs has determined that the policy regarding the status of women in Daniel-Franklin is inappropriate and unlawful. It is very clear according to those doctrines which support supremacy of the people that the roles of men and women are often different in life due to necessities. These necessities consist of: technological gaps, economic gaps, and social gaps. Nations where the division of labor is necessarily divided between persons working in industries and services and persons working the household or in domestic situations are often, of necessity, divided by sex.

However, the mandate of the people is clear: distribution and allocation of resources must focus on equality. So if women are required to work from the home or in domestic duties outside the home, they must, accordingly, be properly compensated, for work is work. In other words, your government must make sure that women are provided with monetary or resource compensation for work performed in but not limited to: childbearing, child rearing, cooking, cleaning, laundry services, and so on.

Furthermore, it is clear that your government is not focused on the aim of achieving equality for women. This should include, but not be limited to, in politics, administration, military service, law enforcement, judicial service, education, science, and elections.

We look forward to hearing your response and plans for implementing egalitarian policies in your country.

Sincerely,
Beatrice de L'Isle
Foreign Minister

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Christopher, Daniel-Franklin

Guy Marlboro grimaced and then sneered as he lit a cigarette and put it out on the late correspondence from Saint-Marcel. Bunch of opportunistic Bolshevik scum, that lot. Who else would head off an anti-colonial leftist revolution by launching a Marxist-Leninist one of their own? Or worse, Juche, Stalinist, possibly even Maoist? Merde, he thought. These people have no idea of the precepts of God, Church, Family, and Fatherland! They have no grasp of the wisdom of that German saying about the uses of the ladies, "Kinder kirche und Kuch." Disgusting!

Guy quickly penned a very Guy-esque reply to the epistle. In which his Gallic arrogance and anger would show, if perhaps restrained by his English dignity. They deserved an answer, oui? The son of an Anglophone father and Francophone mother, Guy poured himself a sherry and casually dictated his response while sipping it and smoking his cigarette. He then straightened his mustache and indicated that it should be mailed out as soon as feasible.

Beatrice de L'Isle, the Foreign Minister of Saint Marcel, was not angered by the response from Guy Marlboro. She presented it at the Central Committee meeting. There, the President dozed quietly. Even though it was quite warm that day, he had a blanket on his knees. His white, balding head was the main feature of his the others saw, along with a broad white haired hand upon which the head rested. A soft droning sound came from him.

"We must publish this as an example of what happens when superstition, traditionalism, class structure and property ownership prevail in a nation's national policy," she said quietly to her colleagues.

Charles Fontaine, the Culture Minister, agreed. "Put it in television and radio programs as well, explaining it."

"But it could make us look ineffective," pointed out Roland, the Economics Minister. "What then?"

"Mumble fumble fishes," said the President.

"Comrade President?" asked the Economics Minister.

"Mumble fumble flumble!" insisted the President.

"Comrade?" inquired the Culture Minister cautiously.

"I said," the old man growled, listing his head from his hand, "Challenge them to explain themselves."

"Oh," said de L'Isle, "that was what I was going to do."

"Oh, good. Then motion carried..." he watched as hands began to raise around the table, "Unanimously."

From the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic Republic of Saint Marcel

To: Guy Marlboro, Foreign Minister of Daniel-Franklin

Minister, no one here knows what you're talking about when you mention "social justice", or the catchphrase idea in general. If you are referring to matters of Marxist-Leninist doctrine, that is another matter altogether and worthy of dialogue. We are not interested in equality at all except where it supports the doctrine of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

If you have some better idea about how to implement such policies for your women, perhaps you would be kind enough to outline them. Or, perhaps, you could explain what your general policies regarding women are.

Sincerely,
Beatrice de L'Isle
Foreign Minister

The resulting television documentary, radio discussion programs, and publications provided some distraction from the purging of wealthy farmers, book burnings, lack of indoor plumbing, Natives trying to block clear cutting, re-imposition of the death penalty, and surveillance cameras being placed everywhere.

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Christopher, Daniel Franklin

"They take no hints! They take no hints at all! Very well, then! I shall be obvious!" Guy rolled his eyes while lighting another cigarette and dictated another response.

Following several months of political squabbling, there was concern that the incumbent legislature in Saint Marcel is no longer able to function efficiently. As a result, some have been questioning if voters should be allowed to dissolve the People's Committees and call for a new election. Mario Roget, a firebrand, had stood many times of the steps of the General Assembly calling for reform, his disordered jacket and his great fluff of brown hair above his excited, handsome, light brown face. "Our country does not even have proper toilet facilities! People are doing their business in the bushes and the alleys! Yet the government promised toilets! Our country does not have a proper primary education system, and so people are educated on the basis of where they are born! Our government bought a frigate and yet we hardly have a national communication system! It's a morass of mismanagement! We need a good budget! We need the people's needs met!"

The necessary preparations for summoning the seventy thousand electors to record their votes had been carried out by the public officials. The President, as the custom prescribed, was in person to sign the necessary writ of summons to the faithful citizens. Warrants for election would be forwarded to the various electoral divisions in the city and the provinces, and those who were by the ancient law entitled to the franchise would give their verdict on the conduct of him whom the Trotskyites in bitter hatred had called the Dictator. The arguing, gesturing crowd gathered and swarmed, in bright colored cotton shorts and shirts, in sandaled feet, a sea of mostly black and brown faces with a few white ones scattered here and there.

It was for this moment that the crowd was waiting. Though cheers from time to time arose, they waited for the most part in silence. Even when the President had passed on his way to the Assembly, they had foreborne to hoot; in their eyes he was virtually abdicating, and that made amends for all. The time-honoured observances, the long-loved rights would be restored, and once more democratic government would be triumphant in Saint Marcel.And then began a period of wild rumour. The President had refused to sign the writs; he had committed suicide; the troops had been ordered to fire; the elections would not take place, after all; Savrola had been arrested,—seized in the very Senate, said one, murdered added another. The noise of the multitude changed into a dull dissonant hum of rising anger.

No one knew why, but punches were flung and objects were thrown, and soon a full scale brawl had begun. Dust swirled. The soldiers around the square struggled and fought to keep their rifles and some fired shots into the air. Somehow this encouraged the crowd rather than halting them. Then they were all distracted by a rhythmic shouting, and saw many people dancing, waving their hands in the air and kicking up their feet.

At this moment the presidential Lincoln continental, with an armored car and 4 motorcycles, moved forward to the foot of the steps, as there emerged from the Parliament House a remarkable figure. He wore the splendid blue and white uniform of a general of the Saint Marcellais Army; his breast glittered with medals and orders; his keen strong features were composed. He paused for a moment before descending to his carriage, as if to give the mob an opportunity to hiss and hoot to their content, and appeared to talk unconcernedly with his companion, the very stout Emile Roland, the Minister of Economics. Roland had a bald head on top with a few thick black strands of often sweaty hair, and a moustache like a toothbrush. Roland pointed once or twice towards the surging masses, and then walked slowly down the steps. Roland had intended to accompany him, but he heard the roar of the crowd and remembered that he had some business to attend to in the Assembly that could not be delayed; but the President took him by the arm speaking to him in a low voice. The soldiers presented arms. A howl of fury arose from some of the people. A mounted officer, who sat his horse unmoved, an inexorable machine, turned to a subordinate with an order. Several platoons of foot-soldiers began defiling from the side street on the right of the General Assembly Building, and drawing up in line in the open space which was now partly invaded by the mob. These were Red Guards, men with dark, grim, sullen faces wearing red tabs on their uniforms.

The President entered his which, preceded by the four motorcycles and an armored car, immediately started up with roars of engines. So soon as the convoy reached the edge of the open space, a rush was made by the crowd. The escort closed up; "Fall back there!" shouted an officer, but he was unheeded. "Will you move, or must we move you?" said a gruffer voice. Yet the mob gave not an inch. The danger was imminent. "Cheat! Traitor! Liar! Tyrant!" they shouted, with many other expressions too coarse to be recorded. "Give us back our rights—you, who have stolen them!"

And then some one at the back of the crowd fired a revolver into the air. The effect was electrical. The Red Guards lowered their bayoneted rifles and sprang forward. Shouts of terror and fury arose on all sides. The populace fled before the Red Guards; some fell on the ground and were trampled to death; some were knocked down and injured by the horses of the honor guard; a few were speared by the soldiers. It was a horrible scene. Those behind threw stones, and some fired random pistol shots. The President remained unmoved. Erect and unflinching he gazed on the tumult as men gaze at a race about which they have not betted. His hat was knocked off, and a trickle of blood down his cheek showed where a stone had struck. For some moments the issue seemed doubtful. The crowd might storm the carriage and then,—to be torn to pieces by a rabble of doubtless counter-revolutionaries! There were other and more pleasant deaths. But the discipline of the troops overcame all obstacles, the bearing of the man appeared to cow his enemies, and the crowd fell back, still hooting and shouting.

Meanwhile the officer commanding the infantry by the General Assembly had been alarmed by the rushes of the mob, which he could see were directed at the President's car. He determined to create a diversion. "We shall have to fire on them," he said to the Major who was beside him.

"Probably not," said the Colonel drily. He pointed. In fact, a number of scarlet scarf wearing members of Les Septembristes, one of the Popular Militias, were among the crowd and busy cracking skulls with clubs and slashing with machetes. "Revolution of the People! Praise the People!" a hoarse voice shouted through a megaphone. Meanwhile, the Red Guards had formed a cordon, effectively herding people away from the President's car and the legislature building.

"We shall lose control of them if we let them charge again," said the Colonel from the back of his horse. "Let les gars handle it..."

All was now over. The spirit of the mob was broken and the wide expanse of Liberation Square was soon nearly empty. Forty bodies and some expended casings lay on the ground. Both had played their part in the history of human development and passed out of the considerations of living men. Nevertheless the soldiers picked up the empty cases, and presently some police came with carts and took the other things away, and all was quiet again in Saint Marcel's capital.

The President was unruffled, but Roland, the Minister of Economics, was. He mopped his big round face with a handkerchief. "That was close. Another moment, we would have been done for!"

The President leaned forward towards his drive, his old tanned face and fierce white moustache all bristling. "Make sure that the rascals did not damage the paint work on my Lincoln. It's the best car in the country."

"Yes, Comrade President," replied the driver.

"Damn my ass, Roland! The rascals are up to it! Put up to it by Trotskyites, or worse, by enemy counter-revolutionaries supported from abroad! Maybe by the taco-eaters!" the President exclaimed. "They threw a rock at my car!"

"You think it was seriously the work of Cenepa?" said Roland, dabbing his handkerchief between his lip and his round nose.

"Maybe Daniel-Franklin," said the President with a shake of his head. "It is just the kind of thing those madmen would do. I would bet my ass on it."

The little convoy drove through the gates of the old colonial palace and the gates, along with barbed wire obstacles, were closed behind them. A sergeant, who really wanted an excuse to use the Bren guns placed behind sandbag defenses, saluted stiffly until they had gone through, and then crouched eagerly waiting to sight along the barrel to shoot counter-revolutionaries or enemy insurgents--or anyone, really--who dared approach the compound. But the only people who approached were a bunch of Red Guards in a truck, all cheering and jostling one another. He noted, with rage, that they were all holding brown bottles of beer. He cursed a blue streak and was almost too bitter to let them in. He hoped they choked on the beer. He slapped one of his men and felt better.

Supreme War Council,
Christopher, Daniel-Franklin
1335 hours local time, 1 January, 2022

"Insanity! This is precisely the kind of madness and chaos that we're trying to stop here. The same kind of lawlessness, which Markham and his camp seek to shove down our throats! Evidently, according to our dossier on the man, he's still salty that he was punished and held back from promotion to full colonelcy due to rumored bisexuality and promiscuity on his part. His pride and desire for revenge threaten to undermine everything that we've built. Sadly, we've been unable to crush him...yet. Especially with this second, royalist rebellion on our hands. But this is exactly what will happen to us if the Markhams of the world get their way," Generalissimo Adam Turner balled his hands into fists as he watched the televised news of the riots in Saint-Marcel.

"It's brought on by godlessness, no doubt of that. Which is why we cannot retreat another centimeter in the face of their attacks. We have to hold every last piece of territory against the infernal expansion of Satan's domain against Christendom. True Christendom, which is us and us alone. We absolutely must carry on ruthlessly, whatever the cost. Wear him down. Whatever his advantages, we still have more men and munitions. We can, and will, prevail in a war of attrition. I'm convinced of it. This is not the punishment of God upon us. It's a test of our vigilance and resolve, of our faith and zeal. Of our discipline and self-sacrifice for the greater glory of God and country, to maintain this 'shining city on a hill' of ours. We must preserve as much of our land from wickedness and lechery as possible. Already, the young pretender's court is setting new standards of debauchery and decadence, in that den of iniquity, Port Allard. Mistresses and the like. Disgusting!" General Brian Blake, the second-highest ranking officer in the armed forces and Minister of War, insisted.

Many would observe that Blake's own disgust with women stemmed from his alleged preference for men, one that he abstained from acting upon, but which was the worst kept secret in the upper echelons of the military brass. Blake's celibacy was necessary and expedient for him, as a matter of Christian principle, so as to save his own eternal soul, which mattered far more to him than his personal happiness. To him, despite his homosexual leanings, he was a righteous man, because he was absolutely chaste. He had long since committed to dying a virgin. Even the idea of seeking erotic pleasure revolted him by now. What appealed to him physically displeased him spiritually and emotionally.

As for Andre Gastineau, he dragged a bit on his cigar and rolled his eyes quietly. Privately, Gastineau had a very unhappy marriage and both his wife and he had lovers, something not hidden from the Order of Saints, either. The worst part is that his wife's lovers were often of other races, something especially frowned upon by a regime whose racist tendencies were never too far from the surface. The racism was understated, but real, which was why Andre insisted upon a tubal ligation if Heloise was to take paramours, too. He also had himself sterilized, as he could ill afford the scandal of a bastard at his level of authority. He had far too much to lose. Gastineau was far more jaded, more worldly, and less pious, more pragmatic, than Blake. He didn't realize, however, that there was a growing cabal to bring him down and those of his more cynical and opportunistic ilk.

The others mostly looked glumly at each other while contemplating their fates if such a revolution came to these shores. My head would soon be on a pike or something primitive like that, if the Royalists gain power, thought Culture Minister Gustave Tremaine, who was one of the oldest of the cabinet ministers and had actively worked to topple the last King. That he hadn't risen further wasn't due to lack of ambition. It was due to suspicion of the aristocracy, both Anglophone and Francophone, but especially the latter, given the nature of the last royal dynasty. Tremaine's ancestry was a mix of French and German, but he was culturally quite Francophone in most ways...including his own affairs. It didn't take away from his piety and puritanism, of which many could say that he compensated for his lechery with intensified zeal. Not all fanatics were prudes, after all, even if their dogmas said that they should be.

The overall attitude, however, was best explained by the lone Jew in the gang. David Charbonneau, a converted Francophone ex-rabbinical student, glared at the screen and shook his fist at the TV. The expression on his face was very telling. He wasn't pleased by the growing anti-Zionism of some of the leaders of the regime, but he also disapproved of the corrupt and ineffective behavior of the State recently.

The Deputy Premier banged his fist on the table and declared, "That will not be us, by God! May the Lord preserve us from that fate! We are his People, after all! He surely must save us and our revolution, our crusade for him! Deus veult! Christ, Not Man, is King.' Do you not perceive that there is only victory or death? We must conquer or die! No retreat! No compromises or concessions! No surrender! We fight this to the last ditch, the last trench!"

The price of petrol had gone up 50 percent. Not many ordinary people had cars or trucks, but that was not the point; those who did tended to be big wheels, like government people. They were also merchants, who hauled grain and spices, bolts of cloth, teetering piles of kitchen stuff into the cities and promptly raised their prices. The market filled with unhappy traders and unhappy shoppers, and all the talk was of prices, of prices, and of unrest. In Dieudonne the taxi drivers went on strike, making the main avenues loud static rivers of white and blue. Members of the Central Committee panicked, but President Dieudonne said, "Don't worry. It will all turn out alright in the end."

The government raised salaries and lowered the price of petrol, but still the cities chafed. Buses were stoned in the capital by running groups of boys, and by taxi drivers outraged that the bus drivers had not joined in their protest. Buses stood listing, puffing, overfilled and underserviced.

There was trouble in the departments. Soldiers drank in the bars and lounged in the places (market squares) and news began to filter through of mutinies and a famine in the north. There was a two day general strike, which paralyzed everything. Postal workers and transport workers went on strike. Schools were closed. Prostitutes went on strike, and thousands of women marched, and thousands of Catholics.

Les Septembristes kept the capital somewhat functioning; bully-boys, mostly in their late teens but with some younger ones acting as their servants, ran from neighborhood to neighborhood, banging on doors and kicking them in, and beating people up. They broke furniture, assaulted people, and forced them to sign oaths to support the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. "Papa Dieudonne is the best!" the militia leaders advised people as they left messed up houses. "Don't you forget it!"

The militias took over all radio and TV stations. The army began to support them. "Chef" Bourassa, the leader of the Septembristes, said repeatedly over the radio, "We, the People's Popular Militia of September, along with the police and military, would like to notify the public that we are ready to take the necessary action against the counter-revolutionary forces trying to impose fascism on our country. We would like to express our love for our President and the Central Committee. Long live Communism! Long live the Dictatorship of the People! Long live Saint Marcel!"

General Jose Dolores, a big man who was a general in the army, was promoted to Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and People's Army of Saint Marcel. He was given medals and had many lunches with the Central Committee.

"You see?" said President Dieudonne as he sat with the Central Committee toasting marshmallows in the fire pit in the garden. "I told you it would turn out alright in the end."

Office of the Premier,
Christopher, Daniel-Franklin
1121 hours local time, 6 January, 2022

The Premier of Daniel-Franklin, Andre Gastineau, puffed on his cigar while reviewing the latest morale reports from General Brian Blake, the Minister of War. He had no notion of what was to come that day, which had begun with a High Mass for the Holy Epiphany at St. George Cathedral in Christopher, the capital and seat of government of Daniel-Franklin, itself a city named for Saint Christopher. As it was a feast day, he fully expected to get only a limited amount of work done, but to a cynic and workaholic like him, he knew that he would be ahead of the others if he was willing to put in the extra effort and time. What he didn't realize was that work would soon be the least of his worries.

He had just signed off on an execution warrant for a series of mutineers in a recent naval mutiny when the door burst open to his office and his secretary stood there with half a dozen guards surrounding her. She had a very glum look on her face, Mathilde did, especially as she happened to be one of his many paramours. And his own niece, in fact. That alone could get both of them executed by a firing squad. However, from the expression on her face, Mathilde chose survival over familial duty. Her piety was more of a sense of obligation to herself. It certainly wasn't remorse that motivated her betrayal. She just wanted to keep her own lovely skin attached firmly to her equally gorgeous body. She at least had the decency to bow her head in shame as the guards lunged for Gastineau and prepared to seize him.

Enough was enough, Gastineau thought. If I'm going down, I'll at least exact a price and demand answers for it.

"What business have you with me and my niece? By what right do you assault us and enter my office? I am the Premier of this nation, the head of this government, monsieur! I demand satisfaction!" Gastineau insisted.

"Not anymore, sir. Our orders specifically state that you've been dismissed and the Purity Courts have issued a warrant for your arrest for adultery, fornication, and incest. Your formal resignation as Premier is expected within the hour, sir. Any resistance is to met with violence. Those are the specific commands of the Supreme Leader, sir. Come quietly and enjoy at least some peace before you face the judgment of Almighty God," the leader of the guards warned Gastineau as they handcuffed him.

There it was. Undeniable proof that he was to die. Probably facing a firing squad, given that any other form of punishment was rare in Daniel-Franklin. If there was any country with a glut of ammunition that it could waste on executions, it was lead-rich Daniel-Franklin. Now, he just had to hope that his family was spared any consequences of his disgrace. His wife would be furious with him as it was, though she was equally unfaithful, more because it brought down her status, than because of any genuine jealousy. Well, also because of the incestuous nature of the affair, something that most people found revolting, but dared not protest. Now, many of those same people would surely betray him to testify for the prosecution. Not that it mattered.

Trials in Daniel-Franklin, especially with the Purity Courts, were foregone conclusions. The only question was how merciful they would be. And in the rare cases that incest was prosecuted, no one was ever shown any leniency for that. Ever. The tribunals were full of sanctimonious prudes and prigs determined to make an example of the likes of him, especially since it was clear that the Supreme Leader no longer protected him from the retribution of the law. No one was ever prosecuted while in favor, after all. Only after they already fell from grace could they be touched.

"Well, Father, I suppose that I shall have to hope that I am indeed Your Favorite, but judging from this, I have my doubts," Andre prayed in French and crossed himself.

"Don't be sacrilegious," the leader of the guards declared.

"What is your name and rank?" Gastineau insisted.

"You don't get to demand anything anymore, sir. But for the record, I am Sergeant Maurice Levesque. Just plain sergeant. And you are Public Enemy Number One now. Welcome to Hell," the guard's nasty grin was less than reassuring.

What Gastineau didn't know was that others were under arrest, too. Turner had blamed his recent reverses on a loss of divine favor caused by the less than holy lives of Gastineau and some others in his regime. Now, the axe came down, and with it, so did the fortunes of the least devout among the chief officers of the State. In the Supreme Leader's mood, they were lucky to get away with a mere shooting. Turner briefly contemplated having them burnt at the stake. If things kept getting worse, not even Gastineau could swear that this would be ruled out. After all, this arrest was a nasty surprise. What else could the Generalissimo have in store for the country as his government went down in flames?

For certainly, thought Gastineau, this confirmed what he feared and dared not voice for fear of being labeled a defeatist. We're losing this war and we have to scramble to turn the tide.

In all, some forty-eight ministers, deputy ministers, state secretaries, and other high regime officials were arrested in a "morality sweep." Most quickly co-operated, showed some halfway believable remorse, and accepted lighter sentences. Others, like Gastineau, wouldn't be given this option. All of their careers would be damaged or delayed because of this purge, if not ended entirely. But for Gastineau and nine others, they were to pay the ultimate price. Death by firing squad.

President Albert Dieudonne governed on behalf of the General Assembly, carried out the policies of the People's Committees which were chosen from the General Assembly, and was the Father of the Revolution--hence his affectionate title of "Papa" to the people of the country--but could not do without two sources of support. The first were the Popular Militias, also known as The Boys, to him, who rallied political support, policed districts of Departments into which the country was divided, and dealt with dissidents. The Boys were generally groups of patriotic citizens who could get a little rough at times, what boys did not? and were apt to brawl in the streets, acquire and sell goods that the international commercial markets frowned upon, and could get very excited at times. Again, what boys did not? If they were part of the international drug market, Dieudonne observed, this was no more than he and the other revolutionary heroes had done to raise money to liberate the people from their oppressors.

The other support he had came from Mes Freres, as he called them: the Brothers. These included old revolutionary friends whom he trusted. There were few of these, and they were known for their loyalty. They would throw one another into prison or up against a bullet riddled brick wall if they had to, and so he trusted them, as much as he trusted anyone. There were three of them in particular he relied upon that had high status. One was General Jose Dolores, a dark, dusty black man who had turned one of the militias into the cadre of the Army of Saint Marcel. A brooding, sullen man, he in turn was like a fierce dog who only trusted one master: Albert Dieudonne. Perhaps a little weak in Revolutionary theory, but never weak in the spirit of it, he was never far away.

Then there was Doctor Edouard Latour. Latour always came across as a man ill suited to the tropics, for he sweated so, and always seemed sickly, as though some worm had gotten deep within his skin and was slowly turning him into a zombie. His main foods were Pastis and cigarettes; in fact hardly anyone ever saw him eat. Dr. Latour was the Commissar for Communications, and wrote most of Dieudonne's speeches and advised him on political matters. While a veritable doctor of Marxist-Leninist thought, he was also a writer and author of several books and many more articles.

Finally, there was Leopold Gui. Gui was better known as The Spook. He was the Commissar for Information, and gathered all the intelligence. He commanded a special unit known as the Blue Guards. The Blue Guards did not parade like the Red Guards and protect the government with bayonets and rifles. The Blue Guards were rarely seen in uniform. If the Blue Guards came to question traitors and counter-revolutionaries, they came in the night. They often wore masks, hoods, and balaclavas. They also gathered information. Who knew what a web of stories wound their way to the spider's web in which lurked Commissar Gui? As much as Latour advised on how to protect the revolution with words and images, as much as Dolores protected it with blunt force, Gui did it with secrets.

Now, Gui brought Dieudonne information about the amazing purging going on in Daniel-Franklin.

"It is amazing," said Dieudonne. "But why?"

"Corruption, they say," Gui told him. Like a ghost, Gui always sat in shadows, away from windows and with an eye on doorways.

Latour used the purges to attack Daniel-Franklin. The country was so corrupt, because it was full of hypocrisy. It's Christian religion had power rather than being a private belief, which meant that the clergy and those who followed them pretended to not be ordinary men, when it fact it was no proof against decadence. Supposedly Christian marriage blessed men and women together, yet it could easily be seen that this was a farce. The image of the marriages of Daniel-Franklin, with the man at the head and the woman subservient, were mocked as being nothing better than like ancient patriarchs and their concubines, little better than slaves for the lusts of men. Meanwhile in Saint Marcel men and women were equals. Men might share more of the harder physical work and risk their lives to a greater extent in the armed forces, but women fulfilled the roles of support and equally shared in the dangers of upholding the Revolution. So laughable, the conceits of Daniel-Franklin! How lucky, those who lived under communism!

Meanwhile, The Spook secretly encouraged sabotage, mutiny, and demonstrations against the regime in Daniel-Franklin. It was good, he felt, that Daniel-Franklin was so openly cruel to women seeking liberation, for it would fuel the Revolution there as well. Academics, journalists, and other agitators would try to rally support for denouncing their own government. So he hoped, anyway.

There had been a naval mutiny in Daniel-Franklin, and it had been put down by the religious fascists there. That was what was said in the newspapers in Saint Marcel. This mutiny was described as a heroic effort by the ordinary sailors of the Daniel-Franklin fleet to be freed from the chains of oppression, aristocratic privilege and religious indoctrination.

The people were puzzled and laughed at the charges that they were urging people to be involved in dungeons and dragons. "Eh," the men would say, sitting around the barrel seats at an outdoor cafe, "They say there are dragons in Saint Marcel! There are no dragons! They are stupid!"

"Eh," the men would say, pointing at the pictures. "They say there are dungeons in Saint Marcel! Are there dungeons in Saint Marcel? They are stupid!"

Meanwhile, the Committee for Women's Affairs announced that a new education program to encourage women's literacy was to spread throughout the country. Foreign communist supporters, including doctors and nurses, would accompany this education program and reduce infant mortality, women's diseases, and encourage women's liberation from bourgeois marriage. The Chairwoman of the Committee was going to be Marianne Lourdes, a woman who had been born the daughter of a plantation worker. Where, people asked, but in a country led by the heroic proletariat was this possible?

"It is a lie," said President Dieudonne on National Radio One, "That we had anything to do with this mutiny in Daniel-Franklin. But I do not mind the accusation, because I wish we had! The people of Daniel-Franklin must be freed from religious hierarchy and oppression! Long live the Democratic Republic of Saint Marcel, and her people! Long live freedom!"

Little black and brown boys playing on narrow boardwalks on the coast ran chanting "Long live freedom!" not knowing what it meant, and "Papa Dieudonne!" just knowing he was the kind white haired father of the nation, not being sure of what that meant either. But they shouted it, as they ran bare legged in shorts past scavenging dogs, pigs and gulls along the shore.

Office of the Supreme Leader and Commander-in-Chief,
Christopher, Daniel-Franklin
1650 hours local time, 7 January, 2022

Wearing a hairshirt, sackcloth, and ashes, Generalissimo Adam Robert Turner, Supreme Leader of the Corpus Evangelicorum of Daniel-Franklin and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, knelt on a rug specially made from cacti to ensure that needles broke his flesh as well. The recent defeats proved but one thing to Turner. God was displeased with him and with Daniel-Franklin and the Holy National Government as well. This loss of divine favor could only mean that sin was harbored somewhere in the body politic like a cancer or a virus. It had to be cut out or the Great Physician would not heal the patient. It was his sacred duty to God and Homeland to root out the deviants, hypocrites, and crooks in his own camp, his very government itself. Only then would God grant him and the country victory over the reprobates who persisted in their lawlessness.

What will it take, Lord? What will restore me to Your Grace and favor? What must it be? Who else must suffer or die in the cause of Your Kingdom here on Earth?

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psalm 51:1-3

Thus prayed the dictator of a nation of fifty million citizens. He who others feared himself feared only God. God, His Wrath, His Judgment, and the Eternal Damnation of the Soul. Even now, Turner wrestled with nightmares of burning in everlasting Hellfire, dreams that terrorized him from a young and tender age. He had more peace than he once did, but only as he drew closer to the Will of God. The further that he felt from said will, the more the dread of eternal torment. Thus he was desperate to please God, whatever sacrifice of person or privilege it might mean.

Anything to save his soul...and his country.