Every Last Mother's Child

by William J. Carty, Jr

  Chapter 4: Silver and Lead

  “What’s wrong Aggie,” her mother asked seeing that the young monarch’s agitation as she entered the Princes Garden. Jill couldn’t recall seeing her friend so agitated.

  “I have been asked to abdicate,” Aggie answered.

  “But you are,” her father exclaimed, “when we leave Trena you are planning to abdicate then!”

  “I have been accused of treason by allowing our people to be taken to Home and letting Jill, a foreign queen to have sovereignty over them.” Aggie replied, “The charge is expected to be heard in the Lords in the morning.”

  “Who is making the charge,” Her father asked.

  “Duke Horton along with Trena Orbital Industries, and the space habitats,” Aggie replied sitting down with them.

  “This doesn’t make much sense,” Her father commented, “No one was forced to go to Home. It is purely voluntary.”

  “Not really Dad,” Jill said getting ‘a what are you talking about look’ from her father, “People have been told they have to evacuate. You haven’t let them make their own evacuation plans. You have told them we’ll provide you with transportation and a world to go to, to live on. So they make a good case Dad!”

  “They brought that out in their charges,” Aggie added.

  “We don’t have time for this,” Mike said, “This all came about after the announcement of the government on Home. Duke Horton has been against this evacuation from the start. He may think he has an issue now with so many people on Home. He may think that you are over reacting.”

  “But how do I deal with this,” Aggie asked. “He may sue for an embargo on the rest of the evacuation.”

  “It would impact the evacuation should he try that,” her father Michael remarkedplied.

  “Aggie,” Jill suddenly spoke up, “I seem to remember something from my Trena Civics class that if someone accuses you of treason and if they fail; then they themselves are accused and tried for treason.”

  “That’s right,” the young woman turned to her young friend. “Why?”

  “I am not certain; but if you meet with him and lay out that should he fail in convincing the parliament that you are a traitor; then you would be well with in your right to take issue with what he said and resolve the issue according to crown law.” Jill commented.

  The adults looked at her as she had suddenly turned a bright light on.

  “But he’s going to want something,” Aggie said getting up and starting to pace in the small garden. “What does he really want?”

  “The space habitats,” her father Mike said suddenly, “He and the orbital industries folks think they can survive the asteroids,.”

  “Can they?” Lisa asked.

  “Well not the stuff around Trena.” Her father Michael answeredreplied, “It’s going to take forty eight hours for the Trena to move far enough in its orbit to be out of the asteroids’ way. So anything in orbit about Trena at that time will either be destroyed or seriously damaged. That’s why all the crown properties in orbit will be evacuated and set to automatic.”

  “Could you cede the off planet territories and habitats to them,” Jill asked shocking the adults again, “from what the holos said and some of what I have overheard when you, Ddad and the others have been talking at dinner, you all think that except for the near Trena orbital habitats, the others can survive without Trena being inhabited.”

  “That is true,” Aggie said thoughtfully, “they are all self-contained and the ones farther away could survive without a planet to draw on. We just think that the ones in orbit about Trena can’t survive the asteroids. None of the transfer stations, ship yards, and factories will survive. Some of the orbital industries have already given us some problems.”

  “All our planning has been to evacuate Trena first, then the habitats.” Her father stated, “Some of the orbital communities and industries believe they can survive the asteroids. They can’t; but try as we mightwe have they just can’t see that even the habitats that ones are not in the direct paths of the asteroids can’t survive.”

  “But can’t the off world habitats survive without Trena,” Jill asked.

  “Yes,” Wilson replied, “Yes, with McKay to support them the off world industries and habitats can survive.”

  “If I offered the off world habitats their independence then this charge of treason might go away.” Aggie brightened. “I need to meet with Duke Horton. Jill I want you there.”

  “Why?” Jill asked.

  “The habitats are going to need someone to be in their corner. Someone who can come to their aid if something happens,” Aggie replied.

  “Won’t the Empire and the Realm still have to honor their treaty commitments?” Jill asked.

  “Maybe,” Aggie said, “it will depend on how we separate the off world territories from me. Jill and the people of Home could offer them protectorate status. They would have their independence, yet they could call on Jill and our people to come to their aid if they got into trouble.”

  “Can we guaranty that?” Jill asked, “We’re going to have our own problems establishing Home!”

  “We’ll be able the protect ourselves,” Jill’s father commented, “We could come to Trena’s aid if we need to.”

  “Would he accept us being Trena’s protector,” Jill asked still not convinced they could offer Trena any help should Trena need it.

  “Oh he’ll accept it,” Aggie replied, “He’s always wanted to be king. This will allow him to be king.”

  “The challenge will be to sell it in a way he drops the Treason charges” Mike her father saicommentedd.

  “Not a problem,” Aggie replied, “Have you ever heard of Silver and Lead?”

  “Not exactly. Isn’t it some old earth thing to do with criminals,” Mike aaskedsked.

  “It goes something like this,” Aggie said, “You take my deal and you get silver. If you don’t take the offer you get a lead bullet in the back of the head. So the silver is; Duke Horton, you get the off world habitats and the lead is if you don’t take the deal you had best be successful in proving my treason or you and all your conspirators could be executed for high treason if you don’t.”

  Jill had never heard anything like that come out of her friend’s mouth. The look on Aggie’s face was almost frightening. It was a face she would always remember.

  “I have a call to make,” Aggie remarked leaving them.

  When she was out of ear shot Lisa turned to her husband, “I have never seen her that agitated. Even when she was almost killed by that bomb blast at the convention center she wasn’t this agitated.”

  “Me either,” Her husband commented turning to his daughter, “do you understand what’s going on?” Jill nodded, “and the repercussions?” Again she nodded. “Good,! Jill this is very dangerous. If you two don’t handle it right we could be in serious trouble.”

  “I know Dad,” Jill said, “A month to go before we are done and if we don’t handle this right we may not be able to finish.”

  “I think you do understand,” her father replied. Jill nodded stood up and hugged both her parents as she walked to the residence deep in thought.