Chapter 6
Natonito and Bathsheba arrived at the Cork estate to speak with Karen. They were polite, but as the visit was uninvited (not that anyone would ever question the right of Natonito to visit, that being part of his job, and a privilege he rarely took advantage of), Karen was a bit surprised. Both Natonito and Bathsheba tried to explain their purpose to set his sister at ease.
�Why are you here?� Karen asked.
�We are here to make sure you are safe,� Bathsheba said.
�Why would I be unsafe?� Karen asked.
�Has anyone come to you making threats about your suing Oen?� Natonito asked.
�Yes,� Karen said. �Some guy came over and said I had better be careful if I did not renounce my freedom to sue Oen. How do you know about that?�
�Oen came over,� Natonito said. �He was bragging about the work of Agent Bennett, the man who came over to talk to you.�
�Oh,� Karen said. �And you are here to make sure that he has not carried out his threats?"
�That is correct,� Natonito said. �Besides that, I have not seen you since the wedding of Henry and Cherie, and I wanted to see how you were doing.�
�There you are,� Karen said. �Always using business as an excuse for personal time.�
�I have no choice, or else all of my time would be devoted to business,� Natonito said. �A man has to keep in touch with his family somehow.�
�I have been busy,� Karen said. �As you can see, I have added a lot to this estate since you last saw it. I have added a credit union and doctor�s office so that my people here can have the best of care without leaving the estate. Some of the townspeople can be rather unfriendly to those from other cultures.�
�Such is human nature,� Natonito said. �Still, I am glad you are helping out your Purian help.�
�I am glad you approve,� Karen said. �I always figured you liked it when profit and glory had beneficial effects.�
�Of course,� Natonito said. �In the end, egoism and altruism coincide when one is of the highest moral uprightness. True superiority can only be gratified by the service of the common people. Only those who serve are fit to lead.�
�I agree,� Karen said. �Do you want to take a look around?�
�Certainly,� Bathsheba said.
�Yes,� Natonito said with a smile to his wife.
�Not so fast,� Agent Bennett stepped out of the shadows with a sword in his hand.
�Never bring a knife to a gunfight,� Natonito said as he pulled his handgun from a holster on the right side of his body with his left hand and shot Agent Bennett in the sword hand, causing him to drop the sword and clutch his injured hand.
�You don�t have a concealed weapons permit,� Agent Bennett said. �You�re as good a shot as Ze Lue.�
�I wrote the concealed weapons permit law,� Natonito said. �Don�t you know who I am? How many people shoot left-handed with fine pistols? You�ll have plenty of time to think of the answer in jail.�
�Jail, what power do you have to arrest me?� Agent Bennett said.
�I am Natonito Bravia et Albright, Directrix of the Empire of Secfenia. I can do damn well what I please. You threatened my wife and sister. Even were I an ordinary citizen you would have a weak case. Against the second in command of the empire you have no case whatsoever. I could leave you to rot in a dark cell for years on end on rations just above starvation levels until you looked like a ghoul and acted like a vampire, afraid of the sunlight because your eyes could not take it.�
�You�re bluffing,� Agent Bennett said.
�I�m perfectly serious,� Natonito said. �I don�t kid around about serious matters like this. Guards, take him away to the capital.�
�Yes, sir,� the guards said.
�You can�t do this to me,� Agent Bennett said.
�No one would question my right to kill you right now,� Natonito said. �Still, I think you are better alive, for information.�
�I will not tell you anything,� Agent Bennett said.
�We used to torture people for evidence, but we found that was a most ineffective method, since people would tell anything just to get us to stop, and we had problems get such evidence admitted in criminal proceedings. So we have truth serum and lie detectors for information now. Better for you perhaps, but better for us as well,� Natonito said as they took him away.
�Maybe it is good that you came after all,� Karen said after a brief pause. �Thanks for your swift action.�
�You are very welcome,� Natonito said. �Shall we begin the tour?�
�Are you sure you are up to it?� Karen asked.
�Well, we are in no danger now,� Natonito said.
�That is true,� Bathsheba said.
�Alright,� Karen said. �First is the credit union. I hired Rosalba, a banker of Purian origin, formerly of one of the larger banks that was exposed in the recent energy trading scandal, Enbomb, and she manages the loans and accounts of my workers. They seem to be grasping the fundamentals of money management, which is good for them.� They walked inside the credit union.
�Hola,� Natonito said. �As� tu eres Rosalba?�
�S�,� Rosalba replied. �Puedes hablar la lengua de los Purianos?�
�Claro que,� Natonito said.
�Why do you speak Purian?� Rosalba said with a smile.
�It is good to speak the languages of your people, though I wish all would speak Zachr� and Bravian,� Natonito said.
�I see,� Rosalba said. �You are Natonito then?�
�Yes, I am,� Natonito said. �I like the work you and my sister have done here.�
�Thank you,� Rosalba said.
�You are very welcome,� Natonito replied.
�And now for the doctor�s office,� Karen said. �Keep up the good work, Rosalba.�
�Will do,� Rosalba said as the three walked a short distance to the doctor�s office.
�Hello, Karen,� the doctor said.
�Hello, doctor,� Karen replied.
�You have brought distinguished guests to see my work?� the doctor said.
�Yes, I have,� Karen said. �The first is my brother, Natonito, the Diretrix, and the second is his wife Bethsheba. I almost said Betsabeth.�
�That is my name in Purian,� Bathsheba said.
�Pleased to meet you,� Natonito said.
�Is the work difficult?� Bathsheba asked.
�Yes, it is,� the doctor said. �But it is well worth it. I could be practicing golf like some of my fellow physicians in the city, but this is where the real work of medicine needs to be done. These people need more than drugs and forms, but a great deal of practical education about how to live healthy lives. It is my hope that they live in such a way that they rarely need my help.�
�Good luck on your work,� Natonito said.
�And you too,� Natonito said.
As they walked outside, Karen said, �I have many other plans for this place, but this is all I have been able to build so far. Even though Bravians are justly known for their speedy and study construction abilities, and their famed construction management knowledge, it is hard to find people willing to work for the purpose of advancing migrant farmers. It is as if they realize that their wealth to some extent depends on the oppression of others.�
�Our wealth does not depend on the oppression of others,� Natonito said. �It would be a miniscule cost to ourselves to pay double or even triple to these workers. It is the principle that all people are deserving an honest day�s pay for an honest day�s work that is bothersome. For workers are constantly trying to receive an honest day�s pay for less than an honest day�s work, and employers are always trying to give a dishonest day�s pay for an honest day�s work. In this case the balance is usually harshly against the migrant workers. I am glad you have a waiting list for your own estate, because that means that the workers, even in their degraded state, still have enough wisdom to seek their best interest. It is a problem that we do not represent our ideals very well, because that means that our ideals could come into disrepute because we do not follow them ourselves while we preach them to others.�
�I agree,� Karen said. �We have a duty to back up our words with action. If we are a nation of equality and freedom we should put our money where our mouth is, so to speak. The rights of a people as a whole are reflected in the rights a poor and honest person has.�
�Yes,� Natonito said. �What else are you intending to build here?�
�I hope to build a school here soon for the children of the workers. Since the children should not work, they should be educated so that they may rise above their humble station. No nation is a shining example to the world unless the child of a dirt-poor family can rise to the stars in the firmament without divine intervention,� Karen said.
�That is an excellent idea. Perhaps the best student from the primary school here can go to the Imperial School on scholarship,� Natonito said. �We could always use more hardworking common people in the school to counteract the haughty nobility.�
�That would be a good incentive to the brighter students,� Karen said.
�Yes, it would,� Natonito said. �What about a general store? Do you think that would be good here?�
�Yes, I do� Karen said. �I would like to have a store with an honest shopkeeper that did not try to cheat the workers.�
�Good luck,� Natonito said. �It appears you have bright hopes for this place.�
�The way of the Albrights is gloriously bright,� Karen said.
�Indeed it is,� Natonito said.
�What a great plan,� Bathsheba said. �Gloriously bright indeed.�
[ Chapter 5 ] [ The Sons of Martha, Part I, Chapter 1 ]
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