Chapter 34: Unlikely Alliance
It was the afternoon. Pardi was in his lounge and on a video call with Collingswaggle. They were strategizing for the upcoming Governor’s Election. Their goal was to control at least nine of the newly elected governors. Nine was considered the magic number, as it enabled them to avoid opposition from the representatives.
The governors that they wanted needed to have close alliances with the Business Sector. Collingswaggle believed the best strategy would be for only twelve representatives loyal to the Business Sector to stand. This gave them a slight chance of taking all twelve governor positions as well as enabling them to utilise their full voting power. However, the focus was on obtaining just nine or ten positions. Fielding too many candidates would dilute the vote, and fielding too few could backfire if the popularity of any of the candidates was overestimated.
Collingswaggle was happy to tell Pardi that only twelve representatives loyal to the Business Sector would run. He had convinced the others not to do so in exchange for a few favours. Pardi was happy to help deliver those favours. They also had a strategy for the representatives loyal to the House of Divine Knowledge. They knew the existing governors would run again. They also wanted some of the other representatives loyal to the House of Divine Knowledge to run to dilute the vote. It appeared that many were so disgusted with them that they would challenge them to replace them as governors.
Pardi used his influence with the media to promote the potential challengers’ initiatives. Collingswaggle estimated that somewhere between thirty and fifty representatives loyal to the House of Divine Knowledge would run in this election. He also predicted that between ten and twenty neutral representatives would run. He did not believe any of them would win positions in Government.
Pardi finished the video call with Collingswaggle. He felt confident that their strategy would work. A message flashed across the screen. It was from Governor Lily.
It read as follows: ‘Hey Pardi, it has been such a long time. I saw you in the gallery a few days ago. Sorry, I was unable to come over and say “hi”. I’m in the neighbourhood. I would love to make amends. I have chocolates and pineapple juice.’
‘Of course she’s in the neighbourhood. She lives in my neighbourhood,’ Pardi said to himself.
He messaged her back, ‘Would be lovely to see you. Come over any time this evening.’
‘Awesome, let’s call it a date,’ she responded.
‘Hey girls, Governor Lily is coming over tonight,’ shouted Pardi to the twins who were in the games room just across the hall. ‘Do you think you could help me tidy up the lounge, kitchen, dining area, and guest toilet?’
A few seconds later, the twins scurried in. ‘Sure, as long as you allow us to add our own special decorations,’ they both said in unison.
‘Yeah, alright,’ said Pardi in a slightly frustrated tone.
About an hour later. There was a knock at the door. The girls rushed to open it. Lily was standing at the door; two security guards flanked her.
‘Governor Lily, you’re our hero,’ called out both twins as they clapped their hands.
‘I’m so flattered. I’m honoured to be your hero,’ responded Lily.
The twins stepped back to let her and her security guards in. ‘Come with us. We have something to show you,’ they said as they tugged on Lily’s hand. They pulled her into the lounge. They had decorated the lounge with Lily posters and memorabilia.
Yassme picked up a book. ‘Look, I collected the whole series of cards,’ she said proudly.
‘We even have the entire G.O.A.T. collection,’ boasted Yassmay. They gave her their infamous doe-eyed look.
‘Could you autograph some of our things?’ they asked politely.
’Of course, anything for my fans,’ replied Lily. She signed several of their posters and collectible cards. ‘So, where is your daddy?’ asked Lily. ‘I have some very important things to discuss with him.’
‘He’s hiding in the kitchen. I think you intimidate him,’ said Yassmay.
‘This seems to happen a lot,’ replied Lily with a slight giggle. ‘Take me to him. I promise I won’t make him cry.’
The girls took Lily to the kitchen. Pardi was sitting at the table. ‘Not rushing to meet me, I see,’ said Lily as she walked in with an unimpressed look on her face.
‘I wanted you to meet the girls. As you can see, they are huge fans,’ said Pardi.
‘Yeah, they are such amazing girls. You are lucky to have them,’ said Lily.
‘It’s not so much luck. It’s what I like to call good parenting. A foreign concept to you, I imagine,’ said Pardi.
Lily turned to the twins and the security guards. ‘How about the four of you go and play in the games room? Our conversation is just going to bore you,’ Lily said in a kind voice.
‘Sure, no problem,’ said Yassmay. ‘We have the new Shootem-up game.’
‘Wild, I’m a Shootem-up champion,’ said one of the security guards to the girls. ‘Be prepared to be smashed, losers.’
‘Just follow us,’ said Yassmay. The twins and the security guards left the room.
‘I see nothing good in you,’ said Lily as she turned to Pardi. ‘You are consumed by hatred. All the bad that has happened to you is someone else’s fault. Maybe you should take the time to look at yourself,’ she said as she sat down opposite him at the table.
‘Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me. You seem to think you have all the answers. There is no alternative to the words of Lily,’ said Pardi in a soft but agitated voice.
‘Then show me something different. Show me what I’m missing,’ responded Lily.
‘It is contempt that I feel, not hatred. I loathe the entitlement of the unworthy and inferior,’ said Pardi.
‘Are you not entitled yourself? You inherited your father’s company,’ asked Lily.
‘I did, and I made it even more prosperous,’ replied Pardi. ‘I did not just milk it.’
‘I sometimes wonder what my sister saw in you, but you were so different back then,’ said Lily.
‘Not really, just one difference. I was happy back then,’ replied Pardi.
‘You could be happy again now, but you choose not to be,’ said Lily.
‘I choose to pursue something far more important and significant than happiness,’ said Pardi firmly.
‘The allure of power is great,’ said Lily.
‘You’re an expert in it,’ replied Pardi.
‘No doubt, I’m not ashamed of that,’ replied Lily.
‘Power is not what I crave,’ said Pardi. ‘I have that now, and I will never lose it. I do not need to rely on elections. I have wealth and assets.’
‘So what is it that drives you?’ asked Lily.
‘Restoring the natural order of things,’ said Pardi with a little more energy in his voice.
‘There is no natural order,’ replied Lily. ‘There is natural disorder. We can strive for equilibrium.’
‘Equilibrium is always shifting,’ said Pardi. ‘Eventually, it’ll be out of reach. Then we have chaos. We will forever be on the losing end.’
‘Equilibrium is about balance,’ replied Lily. ‘It is not about chasing a runaway yardstick. The events of the other day displayed the importance of a swinging pendulum and the dangers when it doesn’t swing back.’
‘Let me guess, next you are going to suggest we have an alliance so we can balance the pendulum together,’ said Pardi as he shook his head.
‘It makes sense. Our contrasting views could bring about stability,’ said Lily with enthusiasm. ‘The pendulum or yardstick never needs to move too far.’
‘I love it how this logic comes to you now when you no longer have the upper hand,’ replied Pardi. ‘You wouldn’t have dreamed of it just a week ago.’
‘You are right. I wouldn’t have,’ said Lily. ‘The events in Parliament have humbled me. I see the error of my approach.’
‘There is no doubt you would make a great ally,’ replied Pardi. There is a brief pause in the conversation.
‘Hmm, continue,’ said Lily.
‘But we could not meet an endpoint that would satisfy me,’ said Pardi.
‘Let’s not close any doors before we fully explore our options,’ said Lily.
They both paused for a moment. ‘Do you know what truly separates us from them?’ asked Pardi.
‘Enlighten me,’ replied Lily.
‘It is the ability to define one’s own moral boundaries,’ said Pardi.
‘I’m surprised this stands out to you,’ replied Lily.
‘These boundaries are essential. Without them, nothing is truly off-limits,’ said Pardi.
‘I struggle to see where your limits might be,’ replied Lily.
‘I work for the greater good of our species,’ said Pardi. ‘I accept sacrifice if it brings us closer to this goal. I do not accept it if it doesn’t. I also do not accept the sacrifice of my own blood.’
‘In essence, I believe in the same thing,’ responded Lily. ‘My approach differs, and my sacrifices are much less ruthless than yours.’
‘Can we agree that we both define our own moral boundaries even though they are different?’ asked Pardi.
‘Yes, I’m willing to accept that argument,’ replied Lily.
‘In Adoy, everyone was outraged when those two girls disappeared; a moral boundary was crossed,’ said Pardi.
‘Our young are precious,’ said Lily.
‘Yes, our young are precious. Hurting them crosses our own defined moral boundaries,’ replied Pardi, emphasising the word ‘our’.
‘I don’t quite understand your point,’ said Lily, who was looking a little confused.
‘The moral boundary they crossed was not defined by them,’ said Pardi. ‘It was defined by our laws, our teachings, and our propaganda.’
‘So you think they would be fine with hurting and even killing their own children if we legally allowed them to do so,’ Lily said in an astonished tone.
‘No, it would need to be normalised so that it is within their moral boundaries,’ replied Pardi.
‘This is quite a horrific presumption,’ replied Lily.
‘It is not a presumption. It is a fact,’ said Pardi in a frustrated tone.
‘Have you got some sick experiment set up to prove this grotesque point?’ replied Lily.
‘I didn’t need to set up any experiment,’ replied Pardi. ‘This is already happening courtesy of yours and many other Governments that have come before yours.’
‘According to enforcer statistics, no child has been killed during my time as governor,’ said Lily firmly.
‘That is because enforcer statistics only include reported crimes,’ replied Pardi.
‘The legal killing of children,’ said Lily. ‘You must be referring to prenatal termination.’
‘In the context of this discussion, yes. It is legal, and it is normalised. Therefore, they willingly do it,’ replied Pardi.
‘Are you going to use that as an argument for criminalising the killing of unborn babies?’ asked Lily.
Pardi bursts out laughing. ‘Of course not. It is essential for population control,’ replied Pardi. ‘Besides, the Cabas Branch works wonders with that sweet baby meat. I think it has to do with them being killed so brutally. The tortured have a very unique taste.’
‘Being barren, I find this topic difficult to discuss,’ said Lily as she cringed.
‘I understand. My response was a little crude. I hope you do not mind, but I needed to conclude my point,’ replied Pardi.
‘Okay, sure,’ said Lily.
‘If they were capable of setting their own moral boundaries, the law wouldn’t matter,’ said Pardi. ‘If they consider it acceptable to kill their own children, postnatal killing would be cleaner and kinder.’
‘They have no core values or principles to build off. They have no higher purpose. At best, they are servants, and at worst, they are slaves,’ added Pardi. ‘Society is meant to evolve into utopia for all. Pandering to them results in our enslavement.’
‘I know what you are saying,’ said Lily. ‘I know this disturbs you. Just think of them as having bounded perceptions. They rely more on their own spontaneous emotional responses than on the consistent application of values. This does not mean they don’t have core values or principles. It just means they do not always default to them. Hence, inconsistent responses. This is through no fault of their own. In fact, in a different time, it would have been a useful survival mechanism,’ explained Lily.
‘Even if what you say is true, it is still an indication that they are inferior,’ replied Pardi.
‘Even those who are inferior deserve to be treated with respect and dignity,’ replied Lily.
‘Your approach will inevitably lead to the destruction of our society,’ argued Pardi. ‘The pendulum, you speak of, will collapse under its own weight. The best you can do is delay it.’
‘Maybe you are right. Maybe you are wrong,’ replied Lily. ‘However, pursuing a path of subjugation and suppression will bring revolution far faster than offering generosity and kindness.’
‘It might not have to come to that,’ said Pardi.
The intensity of the discussion died down as Pardi explained several of his company’s ongoing initiatives. Their conversation lasted several hours. Amazingly, at the end of it, Lily and Pardi agreed on a working alliance.
Lily wanted four governors aligned with the House of Divine Knowledge, one of them being herself. This would put her in a position to be the swing vote. She could help push any bill through without the representatives’ vote, or she could vote against it. Thus, leaving the final say with the representatives. She felt confident they would remain on her side.
Pardi even offered to give Lily full access to the Carvaress facilities. Pardi did so to demonstrate trust and to prove to Lily that he had nothing to hide. Pardi also knew that Lily lacked the necessary technical knowledge to comprehend most activities occurring in his facilities.
The only thing Pardi got in return was indirect influence over the House of Divine Knowledge. He considered this very valuable, as a large proportion of the population was strongly influenced by their ‘teachings’.
‘It’s really late,’ said Lily.
Pardi glanced at his giant emperor clock. ‘Time can certainly fly. I had better check on the girls. It is way past their bedtime,’ said Pardi.
Pardi and Lily entered the games room. Both girls were asleep on the beanbags. The security guards were still playing but had muted the sound.
Lily turned to Pardi. ‘When are you going to tell Collingswaggle about the change in plan?’ asked Lily.
‘I’ll invite him over tomorrow night. It’s going to be a tough sell,’ replied Pardi.
‘Don’t worry, you have always been the stronger character,’ said Lily. Pardi nodded and grinned slightly.
Lily did not trust Pardi to keep his word. During her visit, her security guards had bugged Pardi’s home so that she could listen to any conversations he had in person or on any of his devices.
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