Chapter 21

After a fine dessert, we left for our suite. Once there, we sat down. Anna was there with Mason. She said, “We should check the news to find out what’s being said.”

I looked at her. She said, “Jar, you and Jam were recorded today by our state television. We always make our recordings available to the stations’ news teams in France and Belgium. It’s a part of getting along with their governments.” My mind wasn’t more at ease but I nodded.

She turned on the television saying that she would tune in the Belgium station first and then the French.

As it came on, I could hear my voice from earlier today. I was cut off and the announcer began to speak. Anna listened. “He’s giving a recap of what you said and it seems to be accurate.” She listened more. “He’s continuing to give a recap of the rest of your speech and its accurate.” She smiled. “He’s pretty even-handed in what he does. The French will be more interesting.”

That news show ended and Anna switched to the French channel. Roger walked in with Angela. “I see you’re checking on the reports.” He looked at the television again. “Ahh. The French. They will be more interesting.” He didn’t say that like it would be pleasant.

My video came on with Jam standing beside me. As I had started to talk in the service, the announcer did a voice-over. I couldn’t hear my own words. Anna gasped. She said, “That’s nothing like what you said, Jar. It’s hate-filled and provocative. It’s very anti-Islamic.” She looked at her brother. “Roger, something has to be done about this and quickly. That announcer is trying to start something. A complete translation was furnished and I know that announcer speaks English.”

Roger nodded. “He went to a house phone and spoke with his father for a few moments. When he hung up, he returned to sit next to Angela. “Father was listening also. We are closing the border and rushing reinforcements for fear of violence. It’s going to be tense until that station tells the truth or it gets out anyway. Our state television is broadcasting the truth to any who will listen and doing so repetitively. We are also formally protesting to the French foreign office.”

I was in shock. We had questionable reporting in the US. with careful winnowing of quotes and sound bites taken out of context but this was an out and out lie! My fear was that it was designed to foster violence and might be successful.

We all looked at each other. A few minutes later, Captain Maes knocked on our door. He entered and was carrying a machine pistol while dressed in full battle gear. He carried two extra pistols and magazines for them. Another man was with him also carrying extras. Jam and I were each given pistols and magazines. Roger and Mason were given the other two pistols. Mason seemed to know the pistols.

Captain Maes said, “We are still under-staffed. We of the guard are concerned about violence. Be careful. We think this was intentional by the station to promote an overthrow of the monarchy. I must go.”

He left and I looked over at Roger. “Roger, is this typical?”

“No. That station has always been biased but this is blatant. It could be dangerous. We must be on guard.”

Anna nodded and took the remote. She made some adjustments and we had a picture of a border crossing. She said, “This is the main border crossing with the French. It isn’t the only way into Landers from France but is the only paved road. We have very little border in common with France. Hopefully, no one will come around through Belgium.”

As I watched the screen, two armored vehicles came up taking blocking positions. Out of the hatches came two men to man the machine guns at the top of each. I hoped this show of force would be enough along with broadcasts of the truth to hold off any problems.

Jam and I had checked our pistols and then placed them to one side but close. I whispered to Jam, “What are we going to do later?”

“What do you mean, Jar?”

“Unless this was planned, it will take hours to cross the border and attack. We need to think about a late night attack or even early in the morning.”

“True. Let’s change into rougher service clothing. We can lie down but have one of us remain on watch. Thinking that an attack is likely is one thing but only covering one spot just will move the bad guys to try elsewhere. I wish we had rifles. Pistols are really short-range weapons. If we believe there is an attack, we’ll have to be sneaky. The bad guys will probably have the same arms as before.”

I said, “At least, everyone is ready for trouble. I’m going to change clothes. When I come back, you go.” Jam nodded.

I stood to head into my bedroom. Angela asked, “Jar, where are you going?”

“I’m going to change clothes. If something bad starts to happen, I want to be dressed more appropriately in rougher duty clothes.” She nodded. She gave Roger’s hand a squeeze and left for her bedroom. We came back out to the sitting area at almost the same time.

Jam went for his turn. Mason went with him. Roger looked a moment and left with his sister. Roger took the pistol he was given with him.

Angela and I sat in our same spots as before. She said, “Do you expect another attack?”

“Possibly. That announcer was inciting people to riot. I can’t believe that such blatant lying will go unpunished. At home, the media tends to craft their statements carefully to bend things their way but nothing that blatant.””

“Jar, I took self-defense classes but I don’t know how to shoot. What should I do?”

“Stay with Roger or one of us who knows guns. I don’t think this will come to anything but it’s better to be prepared. It will be interesting to hear what the French government does about that station. That broadcast was intentionally false and designed to create trouble.”

Jam and Mason returned in a minute with Roger and Anna a moment later. Angela and I had watched the camera at the border station. When everyone was back, I said, “Has anyone heard anything from the French government?”