Chapter 2
The Directrix was known as an advocate of fast-track construction. While the imperial architects were not pleased that construction proceeded before designing was finished, Natonito was the head of the imperial owners as well as the imperial contractors, so that silenced the arguments. Anyway, it was already known by all of the slave laborers, mostly people convicted of stealing property of nobles, that the city would be constructed out of hewn stone in a stunning display of power and permeance dedicated to the empire. Any empire wishing to state its claim to eternity uses stone, a symbol of the defiance of chemical compounds, often igneous or metamorphic in nature, to the forces of water, wind, and gravity.
The Directrix was not unaware of these symbolic concerns. After all, an empire is, to a large extent, dependant on how its citizens believe in the powerful symbolism of power and glory and dominance, regardless of the heavy costs or the frequent problems inherent in trying to dominate an unwilling people. The people slaved, quickly building the first of the buildings for New Russville, the Imperial Fort. This would be the new home of the Directrix and his fiance. Build of granite, this fortress was threatening to any who would dare oppose the empire, and sat on a citidel overlooking the future metropolis. There was only one gate into the castle through the land side, and one side gate on the banks of the Natonito River, where imperial ships were able to dock. Every hundred feet there were huge towers where troops would guard the governor of New Russville. When General De La Touche and General Anderson saw the castle, each of them were visibly greedy. Natonito only had a dark, fierce smile.
"Of course the castle is lovely, dear," Bathsheba smiled to her love, "It is as secure a place as any in this place, I am sure."
"Yes, I know. There is a huge secure place just for the two of us and our closest servants. I hope that on our visits here in the future we can be quite at home," the Directrix smiled back.
Meanwhile, another part of the fortress was notable for an entirely different reason. A further rebellion slowed the construction of the central imperial plaza, which showed the complicity of the two generals in slowing down the work, since they did not keep their troops alert enough. The work went on thanks to the Imperial Guard, which quickly impaled some peasants who were caught with weapons, a capital offense. The Directrix by this time was completely fed up with the ineffective generals, who did not command the respect of their troops. After cutting the troops rations in half for a week for punishment and whipping all of the sleeping sentries with a leather whip of twelve strips with metal barbs attatched five times, the troops were in a much more compliant mood. However, Natonito proceeded to make their generals an example for the troops, and the empire as a whole. He ordered the generals subjected to the death of a thousand cuts, and then tossed into unmarked graves. The troops were sufficiently stunned by this and obeyed the commands of the new general, General Van Larken, a member of the ruling house of Staunchville.
As the month went on, the construction of the Imperial Square as well as that for the mansions of Upper Russville were completed, so the upper class and imperial functionaries moved into their residencies, and were all very pleased. It remained to construct the market district and entertainment district, as well as the main body of homes for the citizens of Russville, who were currently housed in tent communities and helped in construction, eager to live in their homes of wood or stone, depending on whether they were of lower of middle class.
General Van Larken, a much better general than De La Touche or Andersen, was a distant cousin of the Directrix, very distant, and was about the same age, strong, alert, and virile. They got along famously, and the discipline of the troops was noticibly improved, as they realized it benefitted them to keep the peasants in line without too much brutality, since their leadership showed no lack of brutality to them when things did not work out as expected. Soon the troops were a forminable force, as both Van Larken and Albright wanted them to be.
As the month wound to a close, the wedding preparations for the new Imperial Church were finalized, and all of the officers and imperial guard and nobles and imperial functionaries were prepared to go to the wedding in style. As for the peasants and slave laborers, at least this would be a day of rest, and they cheered on the Directrix for letting them have a day off for the nuptuals. As harsh and cruel as the Directrix was, he certainly knew how important it was for the people to feel some measure of gratitude towards him, for a rare and treasured day of rest once in a long while was enough to make people endure harsh slavery for a long time.
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