Happy New Year, dear friends

I

-°-oOo-°-

Chapter Five

Building the set

I

-°-oOo-°-

Earth -414 IR1. Rouen English Monarchy

Lancastrian War (1415–1453)

(21st of May 1431)

I

-°-oOo-°-

Saumur Home base

I

-°-oOo-°-

- I would advise something a little flashier, said IT after having listened to the conversation between the members of the family who were present in -414 IR1.

- Flashier?

It had been Maureen who had asked but clearly everybody present was sharing her curiosity.

- Indeed, flashier, answered IT. We need to have a convincing work environment. Something impressive and utilitarian at the same time. I do have the resources to build a real impressive fortress anywhere in France. My nanos could grow a real badass looking heavy fortress in just a few days. A nasty looking and bad-ass Fortress that could have a lot of those interesting amenities we developed with *Link* in Bjornaland. I know that you remember what the sanitary situation was forty years ago in Britain but let me remind you that in this Era it was a lot worse. In fifteenth century, here in Europe the most modern toilets are outhouses built over the void of a keep's walls.

- It will get everybody's attention on us…

- And that's exactly what we want, don't we? We want them to understand and accept that lofty and murderous aristocrats are no longer the alpha predators in this part of Europe. We want them to understand within minutes of their arrival that they have entered a new reality! A new reality where they have somebody -or something- above them.

- Too much difference will hint at a supernatural cause, whispered Jane. We could have a real problem with the Church.

- I believe we already have said problem, said Sun. The moment you have decided to take Joan out of Bishop Cauchon's hands you've declared war to the Church. And when you've handed out the Book with the real Gospels you've literally announced to the Pope of the Catholic Church that you are out there to get his hide.

Jane looked at Maureen.

- Should I have abstained?

Maureen shook her head.

- Not at all. Your gift was well within the new approach of meddling we agreed upon. Since we've decided to intervene on a grand scale, we cannot go on thinking small. We do have the honest theological proof that all the Popes of the last thousand years have been lying like the Con Artists they were! And their Prelates were, for the most of them, their accomplices. As Christians it is our duty to put an end to any falsity around God's true words. For now, since we gave out only two copies, we can argue that we let the Clergy decide how they wanted to resolve that peculiar religious conundrum. It's up to them to grasp the lifeline we handed out…

IT, clearly not satisfied with the conversation's direction, chimed in.

- What about my idea of a Fortress?

- You love to show off, that's all…

- Nothing better than to show something concrete -pun intended- to disbelievers. And I do tend to be rather adamant about sanitary regulations within walls I survey. This time and age is not what I can consider the most sanitary environment for people who have a more modern understanding of what needs to be done to improve Mankind's fate. And furthering public health is an easy way to show to bystanders that real substantial change has arrived. And I think I know where we could launch my little endeavor.

- Where?

- I have found archives about iron deposits in Eastern Brittany at a place called Teillay. Some mines are already in used there but there is another deposit not far away at La Brutz that, for technical reasons, isn't yet exploited. It's where I could easily build a really impressive Granit Fortress.

- A Fortress means a garrison… An impressive fortress means an impressive garrison.

- We could borrow a few cohorts from Varus' army, said Maureen. He won't see a problem, I'm sure…

- Aren't we abusing there, asked Jane. They are not done with the pacifying of Huneland and the reconquest of the Empire will take a few more decades. Varus still needs his Legions.

Geoff who was the one following the military situations in the invaded timelines – and more specifically in Varus' current timeline- shook his head.

- Militarily the situation is no longer threatening. There are still lots of management and administrative problems all over the western Empire but militarily there is no longer the same need for Legions especially not in Britain and Hibernia. They are still there because the people need to see the men who helped to save them. I'm quite sure we could borrow a cohort from each of the Legions that garrison the British Isles.

He shook his head.

- I'm even quite certain that, with the mass emigration of the Picts towards Germany and the colonization endeavor in North and Central America, the situation in Britain does no longer need more than one stationed Legion. As you know the XXth the Legion that is still in Britain, stays in London for strictly political reasons.

- And to protect Alana, reminded him Maureen. The legionaries of the XXth take great pride in being the Goddess' Legion. The XXth Alana Victrix is the Legion that has the greatest transfer demands. The waiting lists are humongous.

Geoff who had seen said transfer lists, nodded.

- And that could be our opening, said he.

- How so, asked Jane.

- We could perhaps use that popularity with the troops to transform the XXth into our very own troop reserve unit. Let's suppose that the XXth becomes an unusual Legion with one, two or more redundant cohorts that we could use to launch special outside projects. The number of Legionaries in London would be the same as in any normal Legion, but a few cohorts would be used for missions outside of the City.

He shrugged.

- Be it somewhere in Hibernia, Pictland or, who knows, some unknown spot elsewhere?

He smiled in the camera's direction.

- Somewhere like Eastern Britany? They would still wear the XXth badge to show off while being available for special missions where they would be in charge of the Gods' protection.

- The German campaign is a long way from over, said Jane. It could still last for at least a decade.

- I agree, said Geoffrey. But even the Huns Chieftains have overcome their rebellion phase. The six Legions Theodosius maintains in Greater Germany should be able to uphold peace and good order without encountering more than a local uprising once a year. Varus Legionaries have learned to be perfectly well-behaved, and they will avoid exactions on civilians. Pax Romana is, perhaps for the first time, a reality even for those who have been beaten and forced into the Empire. The six German Legions will, as I see it, spend the next two decades building roads, waterways and bridges.

He winked at IT's camera.

- And with the local IT's worldwide communication coverage, the whole Empire is always monitored and under heavy scrutiny. It's not a thing the assassin in me likes very much but with said coverage Theo's Empire is what one could call a police State.

- IT in London could give you the exact same in Pemberley, said IT.

- William doesn't like the perspective, said Jane. He prefers low -as in no-surveillance…

- Which is rather hypocritical since that other IT under Pemberley is doing exactly the same as I aka monitoring and collecting everything. The difference is that he only signals what he considers to be real problems to your husband whose advice is always welcome in London. But nevertheless, the data is present and should William want to have access he has only to ask.

- Imagine Fouché having access, said Maureen.

- Not in the least a problem, said d'Arcy who even if he was a very staunch personal enemy of Fouché had nevertheless great admiration for the man's skill set and loyalty to the Empire.

- Fouché is, indeed, a very reckless man, but he is also a faithful servant of France and he is honest to a fault! He won't use what IT could give him to further his own agenda. Napoleon would be a lot more problematic because, like me, he has no respect for his fellow human beings… He would use everything he can get to further his personal position.

- You are not like Napoleon at all, protested Jane exactly as Geoffrey knew she would…

- And I love you too, dear, answered he with a smile and a kiss on her fingers.

- But, added he, the fact is that would I not have my wives as my moral compasses, I would be very bad news for Mankind. I hope that I'm not in the Stalin-class of Crazy Blood-lusty Paranoid Tyrants but I know that, had I have to replace Timur Lin in his campaigns I would have done exactly what he did to the locals i.e. kill all of them to the last because to avoid guerrilla warfare it was the only solution.

He smiled at his first wife with what looked very much like mirth.

- I spend my time trying to convince you that I'm a real unscrupulous bad guy who, had you not shown him the Light, would have wadded in blood like no one before him.

- I know you are no Saint, admitted Jane, and I'm quite sure that a Saint wouldn't have enthralled me half as good as you, but I'm still sure that even without me you would have known when to stop…

Geoffrey who was very convinced of the contrary just answered with a more powerful embrace. He had witnessed too many crimes in his life to still believe that criminally aligned minds could ever understand that what they were doing was bad.

Because the only constant he had been able to observe everywhere he had been was the fact that crime paid.

Handsomely!

And almost always…

Some criminals had paid their misdeeds with their life and because of that, had gotten a bad bargain out of it but, all in all, the people who had used or been used by said criminals, had most of the time, come out richer and more powerful than they had been before.

Napoleon being a perfect example that if crime paid, big crime paid hugely.

And because he loved her, he would do everything in his power to ensure that nothing came near enough to his Jane to burst her little bubble of optimism.

Because, when everything was said and told, that very optimism had become an integral part of his current inner balance which had been, for years now, able to smother the monster who slept in his guts.

- The real reason I'm behaving is because not behaving would tarnish the most beautiful face I know with a frown. And we wouldn't want that, now, would we?

Jane's eyes showed that she liked her husband's answer even if she had to plaster a false frown on her brow.

- You can't always elude the truth by joking about it, love. I don't like it when you compare yourself to a monster.

- Neither do I, love. But I owe you the truth about who and what I am. I believe you when you say that Mankind is worth fighting for and I will fight at your side to the very end of times! But I've been rubbing shoulders with the likes of me for so long that I no longer have any hope when it comes to Mankind's goodness. Some, rare, Humans are good and, in my memories, It's them who die first killed by the others who aren't. Believe me when I say that most Humans are just indifferent! Which means that they will always choose the least challenging path, whatever it is, to survive. But some, and let's agree that it's a tiny minority, will use and abuse their power and the circumstances to come out of any struggle on top. Those are neither honorable nor chivalrous. They are just very decided to win…

He looked Jane in the eyes.

- Don't delude yourself, love, I am one of them! Always have been, always will be. You are there to show me the direction that's honorable, you are all the difference there is between me and, say, Napoleon. But I'm not better than him, I'm just better contained…

Jane closed her eyes and took a pair of long breaths…

Maureen used the lull in the conversation to join her sister and to embrace her from behind while Geoff was embracing her from the front.

- Don't belittle your role in this matter, whispered she in Jane's ear. He is right but what you do for him, you also do for me, and you do it too for William and his wife. And all those kids you've raised in love and respect have at least once in their lives seen goodness at work. Thanks to you my hatred for everything English has muted into a mild heartache based on frustration. Your soul is radiating peace, patience and compassion. It helps us to smother the fire that burns within us. Thanks to you what could be very unhinged acts never come to fruition.

As was always the case when Maureen embraced her from behind, Jane enjoyed her proximity and warmth by leaning back on her.

- Let's go on, love, said Maureen after she felt Jane relax. We have a hundred years' war to end. It had already lasted way too long.

I

-°-oOo-°-