OR1-EP5: Hymn of the Bridge (11)

The Rhodesian delegation that arrived in the Transvaal in a special plane and under the watchful eye of the defense forces to meet with the South African authorities was led by Jan Ham, the Rhodesian Free State-appointed Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, a 43-year-old man who had previously stood in several unsuccessful South African parliamentary elections, and who was commonly believed to have defected to the Rhodesian Rebels simply for the chance at a rise in power and wealth. Despite the fact that many officials did not see the need for the Governor-General himself to attend this meeting, Governor-General Herzog remained determined to meet the Rhodesian delegation face-to-face, the only way he could make the scheming traitors fully realize their position.

"It seems that these traitors can only accept some no-good losers to be their officials, I am completely relieved." The Governor-general, before the start of the talks, had said this to his secretary in no uncertain terms, "These guys will surely use every opportunity to show off their pathetic talents in order to prove themselves ... Hopefully, they'll screw things up soon."

The first day's talks took place in a cordial atmosphere, the meeting was held at the Governor-general's residence, and both delegations were composed of African Britannians, which seemed to give Jan Ham the illusion that Governor-general Herzog had chosen to concede to the natives only in order to preserve his power, and that he would still stand with his fellow African Britannians if given any other opportunity. With that thought in mind, Jan Hahn's tone lightened as he and the Governor-general talked about some of the social news that was happening in South Africa and the Britannian Empire, making the respective entourages of the two of them seem at a loss for words. This was nothing like the saber-rattling they had expected, and even if the togetherness in front of them was just an illusion, it was far too realistic.

"It's all thanks to you that we in South Africa have been able to reverse the recession we've been in for years." Jan Ham didn't forget to compliment Governor-General Herzog on his accomplishments.

"I didn't do much of the work, it's all a triumph of other officials who have a knack for their area of expertise." The Governor-general said with a smile, "Other than that, for the transformation of Rhodesia's industries alone, we would have needed hundreds of economists and mathematicians to build a reliable model to minimize the losses ..."

The Governor-general's sincerity did not seem feigned. No matter how much he favors the EU, he always puts South Africa first. But when only one can live between South Africa and the African Britannians, who will he choose? South Africa is South Africa, it is the South Africa created by the African Britannians, without the struggle of the African Britannians there would not be this African colony which is claimed to be the most prosperous and strongest under the rule of the EU. The African Britons have openly rebelled and in order to strip them of their power it is necessary for the world to forget the past, and what would a falsified history mean for South Africa?

Governor-general Herzog contemplates his path, even if it must be in a sea of blood. He believes that South Africa can only prosper under EU rule, but to eradicate the African Britons would be to cut off the roots of South Africa, and is denying history worth it or not?

People who had no hope for peace talks now saw a glimmer of peace. Citizens rallied again, and they strongly urged the Governor-general and Rhodesia to realize reconciliation. As for the atrocities committed by the African Britannians against the natives on the Rhodesian side, they were selectively ignored by the citizens. Of course, it was inhumane for someone to commit violence against the natives, but if the perpetrator had guns, cannons, tanks and airplanes, then it was still debatable whether or not the perpetrator should be reprimanded.

The Governor-general stood grimly on his balcony watching the parade passing in front of the Governor's House. His secretary came out of the room and whispered:

"That McNeil is still here; he didn't return to Rhodesia."

"Correct. There's a temporary ceasefire at the front, so he can't do much by going back." The Governor-general stopped looking at the irritating citizens, "Just leave him alone and keep watch."

Under the cover of half-true and half-false sensationalist propaganda, both sides finally started the real game. Jan Ham had changed into a gown that Britannian nobles only wore out when attending important occasions, and his associates had put themselves in similar shells, a getup that reminded the South African delegation across the street, dressed in suits, of a ball. They forced down their displeasure despite their many opinions of the Rhodesian delegation and decided to listen to the other side's tale.

"Here are some requests from our side, I would like to ask Your Excellency to take a look at them." Jan Ham respectfully handed the folder in his hand to the Governor-general with both hands. The Governor-general took the folder and did not immediately turn it over, but unexpectedly said in a sarcastic tone:

"Why do you not wear the clothes of civilized men?"

This remark caused a furor, and the Rhodesian delegates immediately showed their displeasure, while the officials on the South African side put on an air of unconcern and just watched Governor-General Herzog's next move. Governor-General Herzog was still the same tough head of the Establishment, and he would not let go of any opportunity to attack his enemies, even if it was only to comment on them, so that they would lose some of their sharpness first.

A look of embarrassment appeared on Jan Hahn's face as he looked fearfully at his equally angry colleagues and stammered back:

"... How, how is it not civilized?"

"These clothes, they are only worn by those animals who regard their kind as barbarians, Your Excellency wears this kind of clothes, that means that Your Excellency thinks that you are of the same kind as them." The Governor-general held up his black-rimmed glasses, "In our South Africa, there has always been a rule: we do not welcome uncivilized barbarians."

"That's not true, Your Excellency has given equal citizenship rights to those true savages." Jan Ham wiped the perspiration that kept rising on his forehead, and he was beginning to regret a little bit that he had come to the meeting in this heavy set of clothes. It wasn't exactly a cold winter in South Africa, and the old building, the Governor-general's residence, wasn't air-conditioned, so the sweaty Rhodesian delegates were getting more and more agitated. They had planned to stall for time with negotiations, but if they were really effective, no one would let slip the opportunity that had slipped into their hands.

The Governor-general picked up the glass of water on the table and took an unhurried sip in order to make his raspy voice sound softer.

"Gee, what you call barbarians are just people who will behead the poor people passing by, unlike some people who use modernized equipment to efficiently exterminate the unfortunate ones who weren't born with white skin in an industrial assembly line fashion." The Governor-general flipped through the papers this time, consciously hindering the other man from dwelling further with him on this topic. What he wanted was to inspire anger in the other party so that they would reveal their true purpose on their own.

The Rhodesian Free State, relying on the fact that they still had tens of thousands of troops in their hands, had put forward conditions that were devoid of any sincerity. According to the first version of the outline of the terms of the peace talks, the Rhodesian Free State would become a protectorate of the Union of South Africa, but the Union of South Africa would not have the right to send any officials to Rhodesia, which would only be aligned with South Africa in terms of overall actions. If Governor-general Herzog agrees to this condition, Rhodesia will be fully independent in fact, and since Rhodesia does not have to answer directly to the EU Colonial Affairs Department, this independent state will only swear allegiance to the Britannian Empire, I'm afraid.

Governor-general Herzog didn't move to check the conditions proposed by the other party, while observing his expression. He needed to repeatedly provoke the other party's anger to the point where he would eventually make the Rhodesian delegation lose their minds.

"Your party's conditions are understood." The Governor-general closed the folder, "It would also be a good thing for the people of South Africa if we were to make a truce on this. However, we on the South African side have encountered a small trouble, and we still hope that your side will sympathize."

"What is it?" Jan Hahn, as soon as he heard that Governor-general Herzog was willing to relent, busily expressed his willingness to understand the Governor-general's new conditions.

Governor-General Herzog said amiably, "We are of the law, and South Africa cannot do anything in terms of its authority under the law alone-so, please go to the Senate in Paris and make a report of your duties, and wait for the Senate's approval."

"That-" exclaimed Jan Hahn, "you should know that the Senate cannot approve-"

"The point is that we in South Africa have no right to make decisions ... I hope you understand that your side can only propose conditions that are within South Africa's power, and leave the rest to the Senate." Governor-general Herzog looked indifferently at the hand-wringing Jan Hahn, "Or is it that your legal experts do not even possess such common sense?"

This was originally Governor-General Herzog's usual tactic of shirking responsibility in the past, but now it came in handy in a surprising place. The Rhodesian delegation was truly disoriented; they had long understood that neither the EU Senate nor the consuls were likely to be willing to achieve a rapprochement with them, and that if South Africa, the only country likely to accept the terms, lacked the power to fulfill its promises, they would be left with only a bloody war with South Africa and even the entire EU. Jan Ham urgently contacted officials in the Rhodesian Free State, and the reply given was to make the conditions as far as possible within the limits of the authority possessed by Governor-General Herzog, while other issues could be set aside - or pretended to be agreed to. This ambiguity was a great disappointment to Jan Hahn, who could not for a moment make out the real intentions of the Rhodesian rebels. So he had to go back to the Governor-general on the third day after the negotiations had begun with his self-inflicted revised terms.

"In exchange for freedom, we can send another delegation to Paris." Jan Ham and his colleagues were no longer in their gowns but had changed into suits identical to the dress code of the South African delegation across the street, "In exchange, we would like the South African side to allow Rhodesia to maintain its purity ... that is to say, that Rhodesia does not accept, except for the African Britannians, the immigrants into it."

Jan Ham had expected Governor-general Herzog to refuse. Therefore, his mouth dropped open in surprise when he heard the Governor-general endorse this condition.

In order for the South African public to fully support the war, Governor-General Herzog had to make the Rhodesian rebels appear irreparably flawed in the eyes of the citizens. Previously, even though the African Britannians had openly expressed their discrimination against the natives, many citizens had still seen them as objects to be drawn in before their large-scale campaign of violence. In the eyes of these good people, citizens should unite to take power from the Governor-general, not fight each other. This was enough to explain why, until now, there were those who believed that Governor-General Herzog's suppression of the African Britannians had caused the war that could have been avoided.

"Yes, perfectly." The Governor-general added a few words at the back of the second version of the terms of the peace talks, "However, since the Rhodesian Free State is willing to become a protectorate of the Union South African, there is a lingering problem that must be resolved. Indigenous people who are not recognized by your side as legal citizens are being massacred in the North. We in South Africa have granted full citizenship to citizens of indigenous descent, and your unilateral denial of citizenship amounts to a huge economic loss to us. The aftermath of your massacres and expulsions of indigenous people has overwhelmed our treasury. Therefore, we would like the Rhodesian side to allocate a sum of money for the relocation of the natives still remaining in Rhodesia and an additional contribution as a pension for the victims."

Obviously, the Rhodesian Free State's obligations and responsibilities towards South Africa in the terms are none. Governor-general Herzog naturally intended to use this opportunity to extort a sum of money from the Rhodesian rebels, and he wanted to make the rebels' refusal to appropriate funds too costly to bear. See, His Excellency the Governor-general was already willing to call a truce, and merely wanted to get the African Britannians to pay money in exchange for their freedom; would these guys value money more tHam freedom?

Unfortunately, no one was willing to pay.

Immediately after Jan Ham politely explained the predicament to the Governor-general, Governor-general Herzog called in the loyal old butler.

"Make this matter public." He gave the order without hesitation.

The gray-haired butler was a bit hesitant, fearing that doing so would ruin the Governor-general's reputation for a lifetime - though Governor-general Herzog's reputation was already bad.

"Think it over, milord."

"Go ahead and do it, I have my ideas."

The gossip spread, and both South Africa and Rhodesia were engulfed in fury. Learning that the South African side was actually planning to make them pay for those bipedal animals that worth nothing, the African Britannians were enraged, all clamoring to fight with South Africa to the death; while the citizens of South Africa, who were originally opposed to the war, after hearing that those rich African Britannians were so stingy as to be unwilling to allocate a single penny to pay pensions for the innocent dead, they likewise set off a wave of denunciation against the Rhodesian rebels. The wave of condemnation of the Rhodesian rebels was similar. Naturally, the South African side was more vocal, and Herzog's months-long war of public opinion finally succeeded in portraying the African Britons as bloodthirsty barbarians. It was no longer possible for the peace talks to proceed smoothly, and even if Jan Ham or Governor-General Herzog were suddenly all for peace, the surging public opinion would push them towards a break.

The complacent Governor-general Herzog invited McNeil to be his guest, and he wanted to hear McNeil's views on the war situation. To his some surprise, McNeil walked through the door with a photograph and a newspaper and sat straight down on the sofa opposite the Governor-general.

"What are you-?"

McNeil handed the newspaper to the Governor-general, the front page news on the top of this old newspaper reported the cause and effect of the assassination of Governor-general Herzog several years ago. Assassinations were commonplace in the EU, and a politician who hadn't suffered one was not a mature politician.

Governor-General Herzog looked at the old photo again. Old Jack, whose spine hadn't yet curved, was standing in front with a smiling woman, and behind him was a tall young officer.

Jacob Herzog set the picture aside and asked, slightly languidly:

"You've put him on a plane to Paris, this should be over."

Michael McNeil turned the paper over and pointed to the striking name on the list of dead and wounded on the next page. Thomas Land, Attendant Military Attaché to the Governor-general of South Africa.

"You have no ... particular emotion?"

"With so many people dying every day, how could I remember those insignificant characters?" Governor-General Herzog didn't bother to look at the old photo as he pushed it in front of McNeil's eyes, "I thought you had more important things on your mind."

McNeil sighed heavily, crossed his arms on the desktop, and said to Governor-General Herzog in a single word:

"Your Excellency, if I hadn't found these things while sorting through his discarded clutter, I wouldn't have guessed in any way that there was such a coincidence in the world. Your Excellency, his only son died in defense of you, his wife died that year of a broken heart, and he himself is living in the streets, and I have never heard a word of denigration against you from his lips in all these months. He was justified in hating you, yet he did not - the question is, are you worthy of that trust?"

Governor-general Herzog looked at McNeil wearily; he did not see anger in McNeil's face. The expression was more like pity-no, like one of those self-righteous priests who propagate the Lord's truth to barbarians. The Governor-general glanced at the guards who were standing guard outside the door, and he gave up on the idea of letting the guards rush in and evict the man.

"McNeil, I don't care if people honor me and harbor hatred for me." Governor-General Herzog pulled out a bottle of red wine from a nearby shelf, originally a gift someone had given him not long ago, "I'm sure you can understand that. I fight for the well-being of all the citizens of South Africa, and those who love me cannot help me in that endeavor, nor can those who hate me stand in my way. If we care too much about what other people think, our motives change ... too much about our own supporters and turn to just protecting them, and we fail."

He brought two wine glasses and placed one of them in front of McNeil's eyes.

"It is only right that retainer martial officers and bodyguards die to protect their employers. Their families must understand this ..."

"But when I told him I was going to try to save Adalbert in exchange for being near the Governor-general, he didn't object." McNeil offered to take the bottle and pour the Governor-general a glass of wine, "In my place, I would have gladly watched His Excellency's only son get killed. Even though we know that the real killer of that officer was the assassin and not you, I'm afraid that the average person would still be able to take offense at an employer who puts his bodyguard at risk."

Governor-General Herzog listened without a word to McNeil's recital of these facts. He didn't care about any of that, he had to move forward, and those he left behind didn't deserve to get his attention. Unless paying attention to those who would bring special gains, he would be slightly moved.

"Your Excellency, don't send more people's sons and daughters for the enemy to kill."

"Are you trying to get me to compromise?" The Governor-general nearly choked the red wine in his throat into his windpipe as he coughed violently, slapping his chest repeatedly and taking another large gulp of water to provide temporary relief. The old man's bloodshot eyes locked onto McNeil as he bared his teeth, "The matter is irreparable, and you were in favor of taking strong measures before, so why are you backtracking now? Are you going to teach me to do things?"

Governor-General Herzog sighed and said sorrowfully:

"I have paid so much-"

"Your price is only the future; those who would follow you forward are getting killed." McNeil said gravely, "Jake Land took me in when I was nearly sleeping on the streets, and for that reason I have a great deal of respect for him ... Your Excellency, and he is trusting you almost blindly, and I think a similar situation will arise with other citizens, and if you fail to respond to that expectation, and simply let them sacrificed in vain, what is the difference between that and the Empire of Britannia?"

Governor-general Herzog, who had been expanding his power through the Rhodesian Rebellion, had become the uncrowned king of South Africa with unprecedented power in his hands, and with his influence in the EU, he would be able to return to Europe with this prestige and fulfill his dream, as long as the war ended according to his script. But those citizens of South Africa could not leave here, they had to continue living in South Africa, to clean up the mess of all the consequences caused by Governor-General Herzog.

McNeil, in his leather topcoat, was still waiting for the Governor-general's reply.

"Would you like another drink?"

"Your Excellency, why do you have to be consul?" McNeil didn't answer his question.

"To change our homes." Governor-General Herzog's bleak eyes sparkled a little, "It has always been said that the EU is in a dead end, and I want to change it. McNeil, in front of foreigners, we say that the EU is a beacon of light in this world ... but we all know that it is a tumor parasitic on Africa and Siberia, and it is soon to be cancerous. I don't want my homeland to grow old dishonorably, and I don't want my countrymen to fall victim to this slow and painful aging."

McNeil nodded solemnly.

"I see. Should you plan to run for consul in the future, remember to hire me as an advisor."

"I thought you were planning to make a special trip here to critique me and declare your friendship severed." Governor-General Herzog smiled bitterly.

"There are no bad people among older people who like to babble as much as young idealists; they at least don't actively do evil." McNeil said with tongue-in-cheek humor, "But maybe they need some help to keep them from setting fire to irrelevant people."

Not to Governor-General Herzog's surprise, the negotiations quickly ended in a breakdown, with the Rhodesian rebels taking the initiative to fire the first shots after the ceasefire. At this point, Adalbert Herzog, who was marching through the mountain wilderness, would have no idea that he was about to encounter one of the biggest challenges he had ever faced over the next two months.

TBC

Chapter Notes:

The armed forces of the EU consist of a unified central army and the state armies of the constituent republics, and the situation is not yet so dire as to require the intervention of the central army.

Perhaps each of the citizens who lived through the dramatic changes of the times had a hand in making history in their own way.