Aeyson heard the news before the fact, of course. He always did. One ear to the ground and one below it, he had his ways. And by this, he was able to have all the press coverage set up in advance. For him, life was a neverending swirl of media. Dogs that followed him where-ever he went and relayed his message to his hapless masses. He used this to his full advantage and lied with every breath. Thane knew this. Everyone should have known it, but those that did, didn't care. Those that didn't were too stupid to find out on their own.
But the aging Democrat could do little to speak against him. As far as political power went, Thane was nowhere near his former Alpha status, for he had been once, but no longer. His opinions, no matter how much fact backed them, would be ignored. Aeyson was their golden calf; they danced around him, praised him, held on to every word as if gospel.
Why did the wicked prosper so...?
Bonnie had been Aeyson's secretary for nearly a year. She did all his paper work (for there was much), arranged his appointments, and made sure that no one got in that wasn't supposed to. She did her job. But she did little beyond that. Aeyson was more of a snake than even Thane knew of. Not that anyone who truely knew of Aeyson's life, personal and public, could put anything so sinister past him. For now, Bonnie sat, bidding her time. She knew that Thane was not a friend to her boss. She knew that if the information that she had access to were to ever get out, it would be staggering. But she also had an ace in the hole. It was just what she needed to get her boss, peg him for both his crimes against the world... and against her.
The following day, Aeyson's speeches were on all the major news channels. CNN, BBC, and NBC had a round-the-clock broadcast of the "War with Atlantis", and replayed the video footage several times an hour. Other major news stations popped in every so often, reminding their viewers that there had been an attack. Aeyson did not speak for the government. He did not have any authority to influence their decisions. But they just did not want to bother. They went along with him as if he were their man. And it was for this reason that they cheered when troop deployments were announced. Was for this reason that they welcomed the extra policing in their neighborhoods. Was for this reason that they willingly gave up their freedoms to a corperation that did not even act on behalf of the government. And it was for this reason that they danced as the world sank into hell.
"This is an outrage!" The prince grasped the railing of the balcony tightly, almost crushing it. The young Atlantian messenger who stood beside him seemed to shrink back into the shadows. Namor turned to him, "Where are they? Where? I will deal with them myself!"
"They are just beyond the caverns, but Sire, they are an entire army! Something fit to distroy this city, if not the nation! To go against them..." He let it hang.
Nita's voice echoed through the throneroom, "He's right. We need our prince alive." She motioned for the messenger to leave, then turned to her cousin. "You can't possibly face them alone."
He let his head drop, nodding, "I thought that the violence here had subsided. I thought they had been driven off..." For the first time in her life, Nita saw doubt in her cousin's eyes. "But they come again, on some crusade that is beyond all logic and reason! Why must Atlantis forever be their scapegoat?" He suddenly turned and grasped Nita by her shoulders, something akin to shock written on his face. "Can you hold them off, little cousin? Just for one day?"
Confused, Nita slowly nodded, "Yes, I think I could, with Vashti's help-"
"Good, good! I will return by this time tommorrow!" He was already leaping out the balcony and swimming off as he turned back to her again, "Stay well, cousin!"
Nita waved halfheartedly. She was now more confused and worried than ever.
The shrines to the Atlantian gods were scattered across the ocean's depths, each hidden in a way so that no mortal man, or merman, could find them without aide. But Namor had the trident of Neptune, and this guided him directly to the god's sanctuary. The water there was unnaturally cold, and even Namor, who had grown to adulthood in the frozen seas of Antarctica, shivered slightly as he swam up to the altar. He carefully set the trident atop the beautifully carved stone. Something stirred, and if it were possible, even more heat seemed to be sucked from the room. Namor gasped. There before him was the image of the great Neptune, regal, brave, but also, it seemed, sad...
"I know of Atlantis' pain, good Prince," he spoke without really speaking, the words seeming to form within Namor's mind, "And I love her as much as you, for she is my city as much as yours."
With an unsure voice, Namor adressed him, "My Lord, if indeed you love fair Atlantis, help save her. The humans seek to distroy her, to kill her people. I ask that you intervene, stop them in their vile deed!"
"You wish me to stop the humans?" He seemed to consider, "You have been loyal to me, and you are of good heart. I will do this for you." Namor practically fell over. "But," the Prince's throat tightened just as quickly, "a request like this comes not without price."
"I would do anything to keep Atlantis safe."
"You must never go back!"
A/N: Well, Mark, how's that? Only 2 months late! =D
But the aging Democrat could do little to speak against him. As far as political power went, Thane was nowhere near his former Alpha status, for he had been once, but no longer. His opinions, no matter how much fact backed them, would be ignored. Aeyson was their golden calf; they danced around him, praised him, held on to every word as if gospel.
Why did the wicked prosper so...?
Bonnie had been Aeyson's secretary for nearly a year. She did all his paper work (for there was much), arranged his appointments, and made sure that no one got in that wasn't supposed to. She did her job. But she did little beyond that. Aeyson was more of a snake than even Thane knew of. Not that anyone who truely knew of Aeyson's life, personal and public, could put anything so sinister past him. For now, Bonnie sat, bidding her time. She knew that Thane was not a friend to her boss. She knew that if the information that she had access to were to ever get out, it would be staggering. But she also had an ace in the hole. It was just what she needed to get her boss, peg him for both his crimes against the world... and against her.
The following day, Aeyson's speeches were on all the major news channels. CNN, BBC, and NBC had a round-the-clock broadcast of the "War with Atlantis", and replayed the video footage several times an hour. Other major news stations popped in every so often, reminding their viewers that there had been an attack. Aeyson did not speak for the government. He did not have any authority to influence their decisions. But they just did not want to bother. They went along with him as if he were their man. And it was for this reason that they cheered when troop deployments were announced. Was for this reason that they welcomed the extra policing in their neighborhoods. Was for this reason that they willingly gave up their freedoms to a corperation that did not even act on behalf of the government. And it was for this reason that they danced as the world sank into hell.
"This is an outrage!" The prince grasped the railing of the balcony tightly, almost crushing it. The young Atlantian messenger who stood beside him seemed to shrink back into the shadows. Namor turned to him, "Where are they? Where? I will deal with them myself!"
"They are just beyond the caverns, but Sire, they are an entire army! Something fit to distroy this city, if not the nation! To go against them..." He let it hang.
Nita's voice echoed through the throneroom, "He's right. We need our prince alive." She motioned for the messenger to leave, then turned to her cousin. "You can't possibly face them alone."
He let his head drop, nodding, "I thought that the violence here had subsided. I thought they had been driven off..." For the first time in her life, Nita saw doubt in her cousin's eyes. "But they come again, on some crusade that is beyond all logic and reason! Why must Atlantis forever be their scapegoat?" He suddenly turned and grasped Nita by her shoulders, something akin to shock written on his face. "Can you hold them off, little cousin? Just for one day?"
Confused, Nita slowly nodded, "Yes, I think I could, with Vashti's help-"
"Good, good! I will return by this time tommorrow!" He was already leaping out the balcony and swimming off as he turned back to her again, "Stay well, cousin!"
Nita waved halfheartedly. She was now more confused and worried than ever.
The shrines to the Atlantian gods were scattered across the ocean's depths, each hidden in a way so that no mortal man, or merman, could find them without aide. But Namor had the trident of Neptune, and this guided him directly to the god's sanctuary. The water there was unnaturally cold, and even Namor, who had grown to adulthood in the frozen seas of Antarctica, shivered slightly as he swam up to the altar. He carefully set the trident atop the beautifully carved stone. Something stirred, and if it were possible, even more heat seemed to be sucked from the room. Namor gasped. There before him was the image of the great Neptune, regal, brave, but also, it seemed, sad...
"I know of Atlantis' pain, good Prince," he spoke without really speaking, the words seeming to form within Namor's mind, "And I love her as much as you, for she is my city as much as yours."
With an unsure voice, Namor adressed him, "My Lord, if indeed you love fair Atlantis, help save her. The humans seek to distroy her, to kill her people. I ask that you intervene, stop them in their vile deed!"
"You wish me to stop the humans?" He seemed to consider, "You have been loyal to me, and you are of good heart. I will do this for you." Namor practically fell over. "But," the Prince's throat tightened just as quickly, "a request like this comes not without price."
"I would do anything to keep Atlantis safe."
"You must never go back!"
A/N: Well, Mark, how's that? Only 2 months late! =D