Complaints, An Emergency Meeting…
Serept walked with Francos and Megal down the hall to the Council meeting room. “All the families have a representative. Some are oldest sons, but Sera Carbajal and Sera Hypath are recognized by their families as head. Ser Valentino has objected but they were greeted warmly by most of the men,” Serept reported as they stood outside the door. Serept said that the two women were in the Council room, a situation that dismayed some of the older men to the point they had complained to him.
“About time, I now know several of my sisters have run things for years. What would I do without my Marta taking care of the Residency?” Francos smiled.
“All rise for the Overlord of Refugio,” the security guard called out as Francos entered the meeting room. Francos motioned for everyone to sit and took his place. Megal took his place as First Successor, standing slightly behind and to the right of his father. Francos had replaced the fancy throne with a more comfortable chair. Serept had insisted it was on a platform because it elevated Francos above the council table. He would not need to stand. The chaplain led them in a brief prayer and Francos declared the emergency meeting open.
“I want to repeat something that was announced at the general meeting several weeks ago. After consultations with Ser Path, we determined that prior to the stranding here on Higgins, the head of our community could be either a man or a woman,” Francos said. “Because we have found a way to prevent brain damage at manifestation, we can now return to that practice. The first Council of Houses on Higgins chose the title of Overlord. It replaced the title of Chief Executive used on Terra. The main title for the leader of the company in journey was Director and we will return to that title gradually. This will give all of you time to adjust to having either a man or a woman in the position. It will continue to be my family until such time as a successor is not worthy.”
“And we have no say in what change you are making?” Roberto Malfe called out.
“We have an agenda, Ser Malfe,” Francos said. “The first item is announcements from me.”
“After consultation with Ser Path and Poh Garza, the heads of all family groups will be allowed a voice on the issues we must address today. They have determined that on Terra before the journey, all adults voted but as is our practice, only family heads will vote. They will use the same list as was used for the election of the Poh. All on that list have been notified and are here.” The reaction to this announcement was noisy but Francos scowled, and it died down. His reputation of a violent temper was helpful sometimes.
“Simeo Path, will you allow this? Making changes without permission?”
“Roberto, you have accepted the dictates of the Overlord all your life, why do you question now? Is it because you don’t like them? That is not a reason under the law, and we are a people of law.” Malfe muttered something and sat down.
“May I address the Council?” Alejandro Pesch said in an amplified voice. Megal suspected it was being delivered to many outside the Residency. Sarita’s family was large and had been punished just as had the Malfe family. Francos recognized him, giving him permission to speak.
“The changes presented by the Overlord or Director are reasonable and well researched,” Alejandro said. “As Ser Path has said, we have followed the rulings of the Overlords since shortly after the stranding. We have survived and it is time to become a more civilized society. The charges presented to the Council by Ser Malfe in his message requesting this meeting are a serious one. The suggested solution is extreme. I call for a discussion of this message.”
Francos was not expecting this young man to be the one to bring up Malfe’s charges. He nodded his head and asked one of Ser Path’s aides to read what Malfe had sent to all the family heads. The wording of the charge was extreme.
He claimed the House Morales had led efforts to undermine the authority of the families, the Church, and the House of Justice. The accusations cited the election of a man too young to be head of the church as Poh, the luring of family members away from the hacienda with free food, the staging of a rebellion of the woman, and the arrest of Keepers of the Blood. The House of Malfe demanded the Trono Donado be declared empty and that the Council of Houses vote for a new leader. There was a reaction from the crowd gathered in the plaza below the Residency. For the first time, the Council of Houses proceedings were amplified to the crowd that had gathered.
“Ser Malfe, what evidence do you have to support these charges?” Ser Path said.
“Everyone can see it,” Malfe said standing and leaning over so he could look at everyone seated around the table and those around the edges of the room. “Morales encouraged the women to rebel when we all know most of them are like children and not capable. He encouraged the runaways from our haciendas to gather here in the city, to remain in the city and not return to do their duty to their families. He supported that much too young man to be the Poh. Finally, he stopped the work my son was doing to keep our gene pool clean by sending my son and his assistants to the Casa de Penitencia humiliating my family.”
“The House of Justice investigated the revolt of the women,” Path said. “We found it was not led from the Residency though several women of the Morales harem participated. In fact, much of the leadership came from your house, Sera Lucia and Sera Magdalena Malfe. Were you not aware of this?” Malfe sputtered and gasped something that sounded like ‘how dare you,” but he knew what Path said was true.
“As for the runaways, we interrogated many of them and found they had left home long before the Overlord became aware of the encampment in the park. He cannot be held accountable for events on individual haciendas. It is the custom of our people to feed travelers and strangers. Most of those we interrogated did not want to return so the Overlord sought a practical solution. Finally, your son and his associates were examined by the House of Justice in an open hearing. Give thanks to the Three that we took the advice of the Overlord and sent them to the monks. The women had demanded death.” Malfe fell back into his chair, pale and shaking.
“Ser Morales, I demand this unwarranted attack on your family be punished,” Poncho Valentino cried out. Several others began loudly calling for the family Malfe to be expelled from the Council.
“Ser Morales, they do not deserve to be considered hidalgo,” Isadore Leon said.
“To be stripped of the Trono Donado is a humiliation and not worthy of what has been described,” Ser Path said. “I agree but I ask the community what punishment to give to House Malfe?” The men and women gathered in the room began quietly discussing an appropriate punishment. Malfe heaved himself out of his chair and cried out.
“You cannot do this. We did this to save our people. I am acting not to avenge my son though he did not deserve what was done to him. He had only the good of Humanos Verdaderos in mind.”
“How can that be true, Ser Malfe? The facts belie your words and his,” Catrina Carbajal said. “There are no chemicals to discover the gene patterns of the infants. They used only the family name and social position. In my own house, only one son from each set of parents was spared. Women must work the fields and fish the delta. Many lose the opportunity to fully manifest because there are no males to join with. We have welcomed young men from other houses. They come from houses that had most of the female infants smothered. There is not enough work for them.”
“Your objections deflect us from the truth of what was done, Ser Malfe,” Gloria Hypath said. “As a healer, I often questioned the decisions of the Keepers of the Blood. Their choices of which infant would live, and which would die seemed arbitrary. Listen well to what Ser Path has said. Had the women of Refugio had our way, your son would have died a slow and painful death.”
Roberto Malfe gasped and looked frantically around the room. Not one face was friendly. He began to weep. “Please, my family has been considered hidalgo since before the journey, do not cast us out.”
“What is the suggestion of the Council?” Megal spoke up for the first time. Several suggestions were made and discussed. Alejandro Pesch was keeping track.
“Ser Morales, the consensus seems to be that the House Malfe will surrender credit value equal to three years profit on all his family haciendas and businesses, additionally, they will be denied voting rights in the Council for five years,” Alejandro Pesch said. Megal looked to Francos who agreed but asked for a vote. All but one agreed.
“We have one more item on the agenda,” Francos said. “As you all know, the damage I received at my son’s wedding was serious. The venom of the Utopian snake is powerful, and recovery is slow. Because I need more time, I appoint the First Successor as my deputy and regent when needed. We will work together as needed but his word will be considered as my word.” The announcement was met with smiles and applause.
“Ser Morales, I have a request that comes from many people in the settlement. If you would allow me to present it?” Alejandro Pesch stood and addressed Francos.
“As long as you don’t talk too long because it is hot in here,” Francos said grinning.
“I will make it concise, Ser Director,” His use of the new term caused both Francos and Megal to join in the laughter.
“In our studies under Ser Roblies, we learned that on Terra before the journey, all adults were included in decisions for the company. In other words, just like the other two settlements, we hope to begin a system where all adults are allowed a say in how Refugio is run.” As in his previous statements, Alejandro’s amplified voice carried to the people gathered in the plaza. A cheer erupted from the crowd when he suggested this.
“Ser Pesch, I think that is an excellent idea,” Francos said, which elicited a round of gasps from the older members of the Council. Rumors had circulated that the younger members of several families were going to propose this radical change in their government. The older men were certain Francos would lose his temper and reject it. “We will consult with the authorities in Utopia on how such a system is organized since they already do it. It is time we moved our settlements out of the early history of European Terra and into the more recent history.
“This council is adjourned. I believe there are cool refreshments in the plaza.”
Francos stood slowly and started to walk to the edge of the platform but collapsed back into his chair. Megal called out to the Residency Healer Maria Hypath. She pushed through the crowd to examine Francos.
“He fainted. He should not have sat so long without water, and I think he was augmenting the speakers without knowing it,” Maria said. Serept had called for a stretcher. Maria directed them to take him to the patio where it was cooler. Marta arrived in tears.
“I warned him that augmenting the speakers was not necessary, but he would not listen,” Marta said. “He decided it would not take that much energy because he would be seated.”
“The heat didn’t help, Marta, the heat didn’t help.”
***
Once in the cooler open air, Francos roused and drank the offered cup of juice. He meekly bore a scolding from both his senior wife and his healer cousin.
“It was the heat mi amiga. The augmentation was all Alejandro. Our young are becoming more powerful and skilled,” Francos said softly. “It went well, Marta, please reassure everyone I am just tired.” He slowly rose and lay down on a cot where he usually took an afternoon nap. One of the girls began pulling the cord to start a breeze and he smiled at her. He closed his eyes and Maria checked to be sure it was normal sleep. She smiled at Marta who hushed the people in the spinning group. Francos opened his eyes and told her he liked the quiet chatter among the spinners. It helped him sleep. It was so normal. The conversation resumed and he slept.
***
Megal joined Sarita in the common dining room after checking on his father. He was stunned by the announcement of his new responsibilities. His father fainting has emphasized how important it would be for Refugio.
“The meeting went well, but I did not expect to be made regent. I am not ready for this, mi corazón,” Megal said. “I had hoped we could gradually begin to help, but Serept has a pile of reports for me to review after dinner.”
“It is sooner than we expected,” Sarita said. “But few in Utopia survive the venom and those who do rarely completely recover. I was afraid this might happen. But I have some questions about what was said in the meeting. What is Trono Donado?”
“The leader of the Humanos Verdaderos has always been elected by the Council Houses so the throne of leadership is called a donated throne. It belongs to the people and is only borrowed by the leader. The whole idea of the Overlord and the harems was from some men who were scholars of ancient history in Spain. They knew a lot about how that worked and set up Refugio like a feudal kingdom. As Ser Roblie taught us, it helped in the early days when we were barely surviving. As my father said, it is time to remember what we were when we lived on Terra. Things need to change.”
“Like the changes being made in Utopia. Now they have a surplus and the idea of common ownership is not working so well.”
“True, but I wonder if Sean is willing to make the changes needed. Their bread meal feeds all the people, not just Utopia. Notice, we have no fresh bread today. We brought back some meal, but it was not enough for all of us to have bread. It will have to be rationed.”
“This hard bread is good enough,” Sarita said. “I can help with the reports if you want.”
“I was hoping you would. Two heads are always better than one.”
“Or three,” Sarita said with a laugh.
| ← Chapter 37 | Chapter 39 → |
Should you want to read the whole story…
Book One
Book Two
Amazon.com: Surviving Higgins World: Change or Chaos? eBook : Gibson, Patricia : Kindle Store