Chapter 14

“Well, I think that we’re done here. The courts have been restructured in Texas and we have placed them under the jurisdiction of our new Magistrates: Valerian Nicolescu, Dan Leland, Ramon Ortiz, Marcus Watkins, and Elizabeth Ibarra. Five Magistrates to govern the Lone Star State in place of the old Governor. It’s certainly large enough for five chief executives like this. Dallas-Fort Worth to fall under Nicolescu, Houston-Galveston-Beaumont under Leland, San Antonio to Corpus Christi under Ibarra, El Paso to Brownsville under Ortiz, Amarillo to Austin under Watkins,” Deputy Commissar William Hepburn concluded in the presence of his new appointees and his clerk, Annette Chambers.

“Where will you go after this?” Chambers wondered aloud.

“Further east. I have to get the South on a paying basis. They might not like that, being ordered around by a black man, let alone one with a Latin wife and a white concubine like you, but too fucking bad! By the way, I have it on good authority that we’ll soon be able to take legal vows, you and I. When that happens, I’ll really be hated for polygamy as well, at least by the Bible thumpers still preaching the ‘one man-one woman’ claptrap. Ask me if I fucking care, though! Ha!” Hepburn chuckled as he opened a can of his favorite classic soda, Jolt, which lately made a comeback.

“It’s pretty clear that you don’t care, babe, and I don’t blame you one iota,” Clarissa announced herself as she arrived to await her husband and their lover.

“No legislature, no governor, no sheriffs, all courts and administration controlled by five people throughout the state ... or the former state which is still basically a region. People will still think of themselves as Texans for a good while, not to mention Americans, but in time, I guess that will change. Yeah, we’ll be resented in some quarters for a good while, but so what? As the old adage states, ‘oderint dum metuant.’ Caligula’s favorite phrase, but it works for us,” Hepburn laughed now.

“Let them hate so long as they fear, right?” Annette immediately grasped the meaning of that saying, having studied Roman history more keenly under Hepburn’s influence.

“Exactly, babe. As I said, in time, their resentments will fade. The American people are now at the same point that the Romans were at the end of the Republic, ready for Augustus and his Principate. Weary of all of the conflict, chaos, disintegration, poverty, etc. Same is true for Canadians, Brits, Australians, New Zealanders, etc. The days of democracy are done. Finished,” Hepburn insisted.

“Western civilization has definitely turned a corner. If we’re to avoid complete disaster, we need a good, strong, firm hand on the helm of the ship of state to prevent a shipwreck. We’re not alone, of course. Look at France, Italy, etc. It’s gonna be rough. Especially on Catholics, with Barbacia sticking his nose into Vatican politics. There will be an antipope before you know it,” Clarissa smirked, “but that might not be such a bad thing. Time will tell.”