Chapter 114
“Thank you for meeting with me,” Prime Minister Bissett said as Stringer left them. There was a translating device sitting on a coffee table in the middle of the chairs, but he spoke their language fluently. Bissett offered his hand to each of them in turn. When Rain shook it, she was surprised at the strength of his grip, which didn’t match his physique in her judgement. “I am Geraldo Bissett. This is my wife, the First Lady, Mara, and our daughter, Josie.”
Each of them shook the women’s hands as well, and they all exchanged pleasantries before the prime minister offered for them to have a seat, which they all did, Mist and Walt right next to each other on the largest chair available, the others spread out more. Rain tried not to let her nervousness turn to jealousy. She didn’t have to be touching Adam, after all, did she?
“I appreciate your willingness to meet with me on such notice. I’ve been very busy recently, I’m afraid,” the prime minister began. “Also, I hope you don’t mind my family being present. Both Mara and Josie have been following the news reports of what is happening in your homeland, and they are quite interested in your stories.”
“We don’t mind,” Mist said for all of them, offering a small smile. “We appreciate your time.”
The prime minister nodded and asked, “You are the one called Mist, aren’t you?”
“I am,” she said with a reassuring rock of her head. “This is Walt.” He lifted a hand. Pointing to the others, Mist said, “This is Adam, Seth, and Rain.”
When her name was spoken, Rain tried to smile naturally but felt odd. Her nerves were getting the best of her. She did manage a small wave.
“It is nice to meet all of you. We are glad you were able to make it here without befalling any harm. Now, tell me, what is it you would like for the Nation of Quebec to do for you?”
In a much more succinct manner than Rain had done for Lt. Laurant, Mist explained that they would like for Quebec’s troops to help free the men and women of Michaelanburg. She mentioned how the men were being severely mistreated and that the women were being brainwashed from birth to believe that was fine. She also told him about the Bridge and how people were killed for any reason at all that the Mothers felt was reason enough to take someone there, but most especially any question of the Mother’s beliefs. “Now that Spanish-America has begun to make headway, it is the perfect time to bring your large forces from the north,” Mist continued. “There’s no way the Mothers will be able to defeat both sides.”
Prime Minister Bissett listened carefully while Mist spoke. The women gasped in concern several times, and while it was clear Josie, the daughter, was caught up in the story, it seemed clear she was also distracted as she continuously let her dark brown eyes flicker to Seth. If he noticed, Rain couldn’t tell, but she found it interesting.
When Mist finished with her rallying cry, the prime minister cleared his throat. “What you are proposing will be quite costly and dangerous for our nation,” he reminded her. “You are asking us to involve ourselves in the affairs of another sovereign nation. The last time that was done, I probably don’t have to remind you, there was a world war the likes of which we still have not recovered from. I’m not sure we can take that risk.”
“Sir, we understand what we are asking you to do,” Mist said, the urgency in her voice mounting. “But… when you see the way that human beings are being treated in Michaelanburg, what they are forced to do, I think you’ll understand why it is imperative that every nation on the planet that values freedom intervene as much as they possibly can. How can the citizens of Quebec truly enjoy their own liberty knowing that others are forced into servitude?”
“It’s just terrible,” Mara said, the first words she’d uttered since introductions were made. ”It rips my heart out to think about it. I’ve heard even babies are tossed aside if they aren’t deemed to be perfect. Is that true?”
“Yes,” Rain said before she realized she wasn’t supposed to speak. Her eyes went to Mist, who gave her a reassuring nod before she went on. “Mothers don’t carry their own children in Michaelanburg. We are all… grown in a little incubator. If at any point the child is labeled as failing to thrive, they’re disposed of.” Mara’s eyes had tears in them, but Rain didn’t stop. “It isn’t just babies, though. I can remember instances growing up where my playmates just disappeared one day. Something would happen at school, perhaps a girl was a little unruly, and then, she’d never come back. The Mothers told us they’d gone over the Bridge to have another try at perfection. As terrible as that is, for the men, it’s even worse.” Her eyes went to Adam and then Walt before she looked back at the first lady. “Most men won’t live to be thirty in Michaelanburg, if they get a chance to live at all. They’re used for insemination purposes, for construction, for waste disposal, and that’s it.”
“I never saw the sun or felt the rain on my face until after we fled,” Adam continued. “I had no idea what it felt like to stand in the grass or feel the wind in my hair. Most of the men born in Michaelanburg, in the hundreds of years since its founding, never experienced any of that.”
“We need your help,” Walt said. “We’ll go back and fight if we can, but we can’t do it alone.”
“Oklasaw has been battling the Mothers that invaded our territory, and I’m fairly certain we can organize at least a small force to invade, but without Quebec alongside us, we won’t make it far. Our understanding is that there are rebels in Dafo that have weapons they may lend to us, or that their forces may join us, too. It won’t take another world war to get rid of Michaelanburg, but it will take several nations standing together and saying, ‘No more.’”
Rain smiled at Seth proudly. This wasn’t even his fight, and he spoke with just as much conviction as the rest of them. When her eyes returned to the first family, it was clear Josie was impressed by his speech as well. Seth’s eyes were focused on her father, though.
The prime minster was shaking his head. Not a good sign. Rain drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I am sympathetic with your plight, I truly am. But--”
“They’re using fossil fuels!” Rain blurted.
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