Empire Two: Repentance: The Space Empire Trilogy, #2

Empire Two: Repentance

by

Michael J. Findley

© Michael J. Findley 2010

Findley Family Video Publications

Empire Two: Repentance by Michael J. Findley

© 2010 Findley Family Video Publications

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. Exception is made for short excerpts used in reviews.

Findley Family Video

Speaking the truth in love.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to persons living or dead is coincidental

Scripture references are as follows: The Bible: The King James Version, public domain. The New International Version, from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The New American Standard Version: Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

One

Orange juice again, eh, Andy?

Sire, I know that I’m supposed to be an example and only drink water. But I like my orange juice. Everyone needs a healthy vice. Mine’s orange juice. You spend your lives drinking a mysterious clear liquid out of clear vials -- to what purpose? To develop an acute sense of taste, to develop the ability to detect subtle differences, and to help reduce the load on the food processing units. That’s what they tell us in school. Orange juice tastes good. I’m wealthy and can afford the real thing. So I drink orange juice. Just to prove my point, I’ll have some more. He got a larger glass and had just finished filling it to the top when the videocom beeped signaling a request for a royal audience.

He’s here on schedule. The king lightly touched the videocom. Send him in here immediately.

Granting audiences in your apartment? Aren’t you a little old to be changing your personal habits?

Aren’t you going to drink your orange juice?

The door dissolved and a very nervous Baron Rabshakeh took two steps in and stopped. Yes, your highness?

Have a seat, Baron Rabshakeh. The only available chair was a glass dining room seat. The Baron sat. I don’t believe we’ve ever met before. Would you like some orange juice? Councilman Andrew has a fondness for it but he’s left a few liters of it over here.

Sire, you’re giving away my orange juice, complained Councilman Andrew, grinning.

And you Councilmen give away my gold. Orange juice is easier to replace. Baron Rabshakeh, despite the millions of rumors to the contrary, I believe that your son is alive somewhere on Earth.

Why?

"Do you know what happened to the Discovery?" asked Councilman Andrew as he took a bite of toast.

I’ve heard the rumors, but nothing official, said Baron Rabshakeh, as he sat with his hands folded politely.

I shot it down. The king swallowed his bacon before continuing. But I could have sent a message capsule to tell you that. I brought you here to thank you because you helped out more than you could imagine. I think your son is alive, though I don’t have any confirmation. He ejected and my gunners had clear instructions to wait until he was safely out of range before firing. But the supply capsule he ejected in has not yet been found.

How have I been helpful?

All in good time. We’ll spend as much time together as necessary to explain everything fully. All day today, and if it takes it, all day tomorrow. This will also give you the opportunity to hear any news about your son first hand. Have you had breakfast?

No, sire.

Please eat something. This might be difficult for you, but things never go as well on an empty stomach. I understand your daughter-in-law cooks. I can go one better. We can offer you real food from Earth. Fresh pastries, cinnamon rolls...

I’m not fond of sweets.

Ham and eggs? Perhaps a breakfast steak, fruit, or bacon and toast? Some type of muffin?

Perhaps a fruit cocktail.

Splendid, cried Councilman Andrew as he clapped his hands and jumped to his feet. I’ll only be a moment.

He leaped at the back wall. Before it could finish dissolving, he flew through it and quickly returned with a large tray of fruit surrounding a fruit cocktail. He set the tray down and picked out some peeled orange sections for himself. The king chose slices of peach and the three men ate in silence until the king spoke.

Do you know of Napoleon Bonaparte?

Vaguely. King of some prewar empire, wasn’t he? Mexico or China or something like that. Baron Rabshakeh was more interested in an elusive cherry at the bottom of his cup.

France, corrected the king. Baron Rabshakeh snapped his fingers. You remind me a lot of him, the king continued. Do you know the book War and Peace by the Russian Tolstoy? Baron Rabshakeh shook his head and set his empty cup down.

War and Peace describes, among other things, Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

Councilman Andrew leaned forward. What’s Russia? I’ve heard the word before, but never really knew what it was.

Come now Andy, you really should read some history. It’ll be good for you. And it keeps you from sounding foolish at breakfast.

Baron Rabshakeh helped himself to some orange sections as the king went on. Russia was a prewar country...

Well, sire, if I’m going to sound foolish, I might as well go all the way. What’s a ‘country’?

"On prewar Earth, there were hundreds of separate, independent governments called countries. Each country had its own plot of ground. They spent a lot of time fighting each other in wars. They really haven’t changed all that much, but if you told the wrong person that he really didn’t have an Empire, just a bunch of countries, he’d be angry enough to kill you. The only reason they have Empires on Earth now is because of our Space Empire. We’re an Empire and we’re strong, so they have to be empires. Only they’re not.

Now Russia was a big country and wanted to be an empire even before communism.

Sire, what’s communism?

Andy! Don’t you ever read anything?

I’m afraid I’m just as ignorant as Councilman Andrew about this Communism, added Baron Rabshakeh as he picked up the last piece of fruit, a banana.

Don’t eat it like that, cried Councilman Andrew. You have to peel it first.

Peel it?

Let me show you. He grabbed the banana and stripped away the peel. The peel is disposed of. You don’t eat that. You may continue now, sire.

"Thank you for your permission. Would you like anything else to eat, Baron Rabshakeh? No? If you do, just ask the councilman. He’s familiar with every food supply on the entire Palace. He winked at Andrew. Now about Communism. It was, and is, because it’s still around, a philosophy that justifies rape, murder, extortion, whatever crime you can think of, to make the central government stronger. It steals everything from everyone and makes everyone a slave of the few who rule the government."

How’s that any different from modern governments? asked Councilman Andrew.

"Modern governments don’t have philosophies to justify their crimes. Their crimes are regarded as crimes, even though the criminals usually go unpunished. Russian Communism allowed, permitted, even encouraged calling evil good and good evil. If you’re really interested in learning about Communism, read Solzhenitsyn’s book The Gulag Archipelago.

"But this is ‘way off the subject. Before Communism, Russia was a country and Napoleon invaded it. His French armies were the biggest and best in the world. As a general, he had all the angles figured. He marched through nearly 3,000 kilometers of Russia to Moscow, Russia’s most important city. He defeated the Russian army in battle before he got there, and Moscow’s populace fled. The Russian army retreated and refused to do battle so it wouldn’t be destroyed.

"Napoleon captured their central city, Moscow, but it was utterly deserted. He could find no government to surrender to him. Gradually, as he stayed in deserted Moscow, he saw his army disintegrate around him. He was forced into leaving Moscow and returning to France. He had food and shelter in the deserted hulk of Moscow, but no discipline. He could militarily defeat the Russians, but only at the price of losing control of his own army. On the march back to France the Russian winter attacked him and the Russian army destroyed his flanks. He lost both Russia and most of his army. But in battle he was invincible.

"As I said when I started, you are a lot like Napoleon, Baron. The Council has told Michael, Alexander and many others of your party that we believe, along with you, that Earth plans a crusade against us in the near future. But because we refuse to call a war against Earth you accuse us of weakness.

"If I had allowed your son to take my sons, you would have had your war, as Napoleon did, and militarily you would, as Napoleon did, have won. You are an excellent field commander. But as Napoleon lost the war by winning the battle, so your military victory would have cost us both the Empire.

Does losing as Empire by winning a war seem strange to you? Baron Rabshakeh nodded.

Sire, may I add something? asked Councilman Andrew.

I don’t see why not. You usually do and you’re a little old to change your personal habits.

Councilman Andrew tossed the banana peel to the king, who threw it at the wall, where it disappeared. To Baron Rabshakeh he said, "The Council has called your faction the ‘Hotheads’ for years. You might understand our position somewhat, but you’re probably unaware that there’s an opposing faction the Council calls the ‘Chicken Littles’. All of you Hotheads come from well-protected planets. Mercury’s colony is built deep in the planet. Venus has the protection of a hostile atmosphere and an excellent satellite system. Jupiter and Saturn are too far away. Naturally these colonies support you. But Baldridge of Tower Three Colony, Mars, sees things very differently. He has organized the people who are terrified of Earth. He is willing to sue for peace at any cost. Their colonies are numerous; all on the planet’s surface and virtually unprotected by atmosphere or technology. Nearly half of our population lives on Mars; a planet that cannot even feed itself. Mars is utterly dependent on Earth. If there is a war,