Chapter 60

“There will be no change in the tax rate for the ordinary citizens of the Hegemony,” Nild stated flatly to the Command Group. “Not if we hope to hold the Starlit Hegemony together after my brother’s lunacy.”

“O Most Radiant of the Heavens...” Kli began.

“Kli old friend,” Nild interrupted, “when it’s just this group, call me Nild. I insist. Same goes for the rest of you. In an official capacity keep to protocol, naturally, but please, for the moment drop it, this is far too important.”

“Yes ... Nild,” Kli nodded. “But, as I see it, the only way we can pay what they ask, taking into account the loss of revenue from this border area, is to increase taxation upon the masses. I know you don’t like hearing it, but it is what it is.”

“Look for alternatives. For instance, the selling off of my brother’s estates, both on Tarsil and off world, except for his smallest palace,” Nild suggested.

“That would, at best, raise twenty million interstellar credits, Nild,” Meln replied, rapidly calculating.

“And my palaces?”

“If we sell off the Hegemon’s personal dwellings as well as your own family estates we could raise another eighty million.”

“That gets us a fifth,” Nild nodded.

“We could sell the Hrenok system to the Gallibri Confederacy,” Hirk suggested. “They have enquired in the past as it would shorten their trade transit times because we wouldn’t allow them to transit the Hegemony. I’m pretty sure they’d pay one hundred million for it as it would repay them that much in fuel and transit costs within ten of our years.”

“Is it inhabited?” Nild asked, looking puzzled.

“No, Nild, we took it because we wanted an attack route directly into the heart of their systems.”

“Begin negotiations immediately after we are finished here.”

“Yes, Nild.”

“There is a tax or taxes we could go for,” Truppek said thoughtfully.

“Go on,” Nild replied, eyes narrowed.

“Sumptuary taxation on luxury goods. It won’t affect commoners as they can’t afford them and aren’t mostly involved in the making of them. Plus the noble classes can easily afford them if we set the rates right.”

“Interesting, though I doubt it will raise what we need immediately,” Kli added thoughtfully.

“Perhaps we could persuade the Regnat Alliance to accept instalments?”

“Look into it,” Nild replied to Truppek. “At the next meeting I will ask Amantil if it is possible.”

At the Hegemony’s request the meeting was reconvened in the Sultan’s Paradise.

“We are wondering if the terms you are offering could be adjusted ... to an extent,” Nild asked after the niceties of greetings had been settled.

“Adjusted in what way?” Amantil replied cautiously.

“The compensation to the Regnat Alliance, could it be paid off in several instalments?”

“The Alliance has no initial objections, depending naturally on the timescale,” Ungerra replied with a slight shrug.

“Thank you. The Hegemony will agree to your terms, providing a schedule of repayments can be made that prevents our economy from crashing and making those repayments impossible.”

“Whilst it is our intent to punish you,” Amantil replied. “It is not our intent to drive you into a position where you feel you have to fight us again. Too many treaties have merely set up the conditions for the next war.”

“Wise of you, if uncomfortable for us,” Nild agreed as his advisors began to discuss repayment terms with Ungerra and the other Alliance representatives.

“What will happen to your brother?” I asked.

“He will be kept in seclusion and used occasionally as a demonstration of what happens if you ignore the will of the gods,” Nild replied. “His property and goods will be seized and sold to help pay off some of our debt to you.”

“I see,” I nodded.

“Your ... title confuses me. What exactly is a Cure, as opposed to a Healer?”

“I can cure anything, even things a Healer cannot. However, there aren’t many Cures so we need Healers as well.”

“Anything?”

“Yes.”

“I have not heard of such a thing.”

“I suspect that’s because the Hegemony is insular in nature, always looking inwards,” I replied with a slight shrug as he nodded.

“Also,” Kirim added, “Cures are not too well known even within the Empire, or rather what it is they have to do.”

“I see ... I think,” a slightly confused looking Nild replied. “And you are Kirim; I presume you are some sort of law enforcer?”

“I am. I’m also David’s wife.”

“So, how does a Cure work?”

Kirim explained as Nild listened with rapt attention.

“So, you took over the Republic of Zelnot because they kidnapped a Cure?” Nild asked Amantil once the status of a Cure was explained as well as some recent history.

“Yes. A Cure is an irreplaceable Imperial asset. Harm or abduct one and the penalties are severe ... for anyone.”

“You’d go to war for him?”

“If it was a Realm involved, yes.”

“I see,” Nild nodded. “And should the Hegemony need the services of a Cure?”

“You can hire one; though you’d have to travel to Vreekoos to avail yourself of one as currently there is no way I’d permit one to travel to the Hegemony.”

“Understandable,” Nild nodded. “Would it be possible for my younger sister to travel back with you to be cured as she has a wasting illness our Healers cannot remove, merely slow down?”

Seeing Amantil’s nod, I replied, “If you can get her here, I’ll do it.”

“Supreme Oramiral,” Nild beckoned him over and requested. “Could you arrange for the Radiant Flower, Aramissa, to be transported to this vessel to be cured?”

“By your command, O Most Radiant of the Heavens!”

“I do wish they’d get over that,” Nild sighed as Cunesh left the room to go to a comms station.

“Just get them to use something like ‘Sire’ or another short title,” Hiqua suggested.

“Sire?”

“Kind of means father,” Hiqua explained.

“Hmmm, Supreme Father of the Starlit Hegemony, but shortened to Sire when addressing me in anything other than ceremonial occasions,” Nild mused thoughtfully.

“It would draw a permanent line under your brother’s reign ... Sire,” Kli added.

“Yes, indeed it would. Thank you Retainer Hiqua,” Nild replied to Hiqua with a smile.

“Just Hiqua, I’m no one of real importance, which is why her Serenissima values my opinions on certain matters ... or so she tells me,” Hiqua answered with a bubbling giggle and brilliant smile.

“You have a real gem there, Amantil,” Nild nodded, smiling himself.

“I have. She’s a wonderful barometer on what the lower and median levels of Imperial society are thinking,” Amantil agreed.

“I suspect I could do with a few of those myself,” Nild replied. “The Court treats me as a god and goes out of their way to distract me with trinkets and baubles, plus the occasional outright lie. That’s why I have to choose a ‘Voice of Truth’ who has access to raw data and is supposed to give an alternative or contradictory view. Unfortunately my brother, the previous Hegemon, chose to ignore me and eventually banished me to my residence.”

“Always dangerous if you don’t have a few checks and balances,” Amantil nodded. “The Empire has what we call the great balance where every function of the state has a counter-balance, capable if necessary of reining in a rogue or corrupt element. Bureaucracies who balance the Corporates who in turn are balanced by the Nobles, Imperial Forces by ImpSec, AIs by human rights, etc.”

“And your position?”

“Is balanced by the High Court, an equal division between Nobles and Bureaucrats.”

“None of whom can agree on any position, so letting you rule by fiat,” I chuckled.

“True, but you can be sure if I did get out of control, they could and would act,” Amantil countered.

“And we would,” Honack added. “So far though, you’ve done nothing to bring about the unity necessary to check you.”

“So far?” Amantil asked with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a smile.

“Last time the Court showed unity was on voting to accept you as capable of reigning on your own.”

“True, but that was only because they couldn’t agree on a Regent,” Amantil chuckled.

“Well, I didn’t want it and I was the only one they trusted to do it,” Honack grinned.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Seeing what came after, so am I. You’ve done brilliantly, Manny.”

“Could have done better, but we seem to be keeping our heads above water,” Amantil nodded.

“I read up on your recent history. It’s been quite turbulent,” Nild commented.

“Yes, though David here was involved in sorting out a lot of it ... or, indeed, starting some of it,” Amantil replied with a sly grin.”

“I had nothing to do with the Raffagee,” I chuckled.

“Ah yes, I hear they are on the other side of a Realm from you, though that’s all we’ve heard,” Nild observed.

“They’re busy setting up their own Realm on the other side of what was Vraikspace, though we have a large colony of them on one of our worlds doing rather well for themselves,” Amantil added.

“The Vraik are no more?”

“Oh, they still occupy their worlds, but their spacefaring ability has collapsed.”

“Not worth taking over?”

“No, too dry and too full of very hostile aliens who like to eat people,” Amantil replied with a delicate shudder.

“How are you going to explain your defeat to your people?” Herrick asked.

“I’m going to try something novel,” Nild chuckled. “I’m going to tell them the truth.”

“The truth?” Cass enquired.

“Yes, it will be a novel experience for them. What with the ruling elite admitting fault and paying up an indemnity in the way of lost worlds and interstellar credits.”

“So you aren’t going to raise taxes?”

“No, my long term aim is to reduce them. I’m covering the indemnity by selling off all but one of my brother’s palaces as well as my own and some of the Hegemon’s residences. I’m quite determined that the ordinary people do not suffer for the folly of the ruling elite.”