Chapter 847 847 Deal Brokered
Cassie's mind poked at Wolfe's wondering why he was going to go so easy on these towns.
[They have been committing outrageous crimes right up to today, and now you're just going to let them sign a deal and take away their slaves to be resettled somewhere else? What are you thinking?] She demanded.
[It's not quite that simple. The slaves are their witches, almost all of them. I'm going to take them away, and by the time that they realize what they've done, they're going to need to submit to the rules set forth by the guardian that I appoint in order to survive.
I will make certain that it is not 'happy fun time' for them.]
That made Cassie smile a little. New novel chapters are published on novel(b)in(.)com
Wolfe continued. "Now, because you will be short on powerful locals to keep things in order, and because I don't entirely trust that you won't take another group of slaves to replace the ones that you're sending away, I will require that you accept a guardian from outside to watch over the city.
They will make sure that you are not breaking the terms of our agreement, as well as serving as the representative to other towns and groups who may still hold a negative view of your towns, after the last year's worth of incidents.
But they will have the town's best interests as their guiding principle, as it is not only part of their culture, but traditionally the guardians levy a small tax for their services.
If you haven't noticed, things are getting more dangerous around here, and being without magic won't be an option much longer."
The General looked back at the others in the room, and again the room fell silent as they considered the terms of the agreement.
So, Priya continued. "There is always the option to run, to leave the changes to be implemented without you. But the changes will be made, that part is no longer negotiable. So, what do you prefer?"
Those in the room all turned to the General, looking for leadership that might guide them to an outcome that wasn't death. Wolfe was impressed that the ladies had gotten this negotiation so far before he arrived, but from the look of things, they had all known the end was here, and it was more of a mediated surrender than anything else.
The General sat back in his chair and lit a cigar. "I suggest a public trial. Put all the leadership up, and we can be done with it. Once we've been made a spectacle of, the rest of our people should be able to integrate into the towns properly.
It's already begun, you all know as well as I do that half our men might as well be married if it wasn't against military regulations to take war brides back home.
We will announce the discharge of all soldiers, and your courts can set a trial date for us all."
The sound of shouted protests filled the room, but the General raised his hands and the guards moved to keep anyone from leaving.
Wolfe nodded. "Someone get the cameras. We will make the announcement now. I presume that the General has an idea of the sort of charges his senior officers will face."
The General nodded, and a young corporal ran out of the room.
One after the other, the officers in the room began to sit back and light cigars, or pour themselves a drink from the decanters on a table at the back.
The General sighed. "We all knew in our hearts that the war would never end well for us. Not from the first order to deploy the gas to the order to take the witches as slaves to be sent home for the government officials. When the cameras get here, I will make the announcement that there will be public trials, and then the rest is up to you."
