A very official discussion (shouting match)
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Introduction
The War Rooms--Sertia's official chamber of government, Hemberdale
It was Sunday evening in Hemberdale. The day markets were closing, and the restaurants, auction houses and casinos were only getting started. Tourists went inside as the wind from the sea blew cold. Locals simply put their coats on, and continued working.
Life went on.
All the while, in the War Rooms, members of the Braetha had been seated for approximately 36 hours, discussing the possibilities of the referendum outcome, and what was to be the government's official stance.
They'd decided to allow a referendum for fear of being tone-deaf, a fear that had only recently taken hold. For a long time the Braetha couldn't give a crumb what many of their people thought.
But ever since the Aspernian rebels were threatening the very order of Sertia...
To say it had been a 36-hour "discussion" of politics is essentially to deny that you are in Sertia. There are no discussions about politics in Sertia.
There is only silence, or a shouting match. Why else would the official seat of government be called the War Rooms?
The full Braetha was in session.
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PART I:Hour 36 of discussion
The War Rooms consist of eight adjoined chambers running horizontally. There is one room for each member of the Braetha themselves, then one communal meeting room: Room 4.
Room 4 was in complete tatters. Before the meeting began, attendants removed all the ancient valuable relics to prevent them from being destroyed. All the rooms were decorated with ancient artwork, except for Room 4.
Berra Nacar, the Braetha for infrastructure, was screaming at Head Braetha Fornithias Cranst:
"Why won't you listen to me? Eh? I've said about a million times now, NO!" Groans followed from the other members.
"We are not," Berra said, "and I REPEAT, we ARE NOT, letting ONE MORE person from Spain into this country, EVER AGAIN!"
"Berra, calm down!" barked Thomas Ilgras, the Braetha for mechanical industries. "In the past 36 [nearly 37!] hours, you have contributed nothing but a sniffly and upturned nose to this discussion."
"Oi!" said Cranst. "That's your fifth ad hominem attack this session, Thomas. I must expel you after the next one".
"Stop threatening me, Fornithias--"
"MASTER Cranst. Mr Ilgras, we are public representatives, certainly not friends. You will not address me by my first name if you do not want to be chucked out by your suspender braces", Fornithias said.
"Yes," Berra continued. "I can SNIFFLE, all I WANT! As I was saying, we must remove all Spanish forces from Sertia regardless of--"
"regardless of the results of the referendum?" Thomas interrupted, "regardless? Master Cranst, I must remark that at this point in the discussion, we have allowed Ms Nacar to barrage us with Aspernian Spanish-hating propoganda for 36 hours.
"Need I remind you all", Thomas looked around at the members of the Braetha pacing the margins of Room 4, "that Ms Nacar was Mr Guthrun Wond's pick to be European Councillor? That ought to speak louder than anything more I can say".
"Oh my goodness, really?" said the Braetha for Energy and Sustainability with a yawn. "That's groundbreaking, Thomas. Tell us again, for the 6,000th time, would you?"
"Thomas, need I remind YOU that I denounced Guthrun almost immediately after he'd said that. I just didn't know the EU rules about choosing a councillor, so I accepted his offer," said Berra Nacar.
"That is exactly my point, master Cranst. All Wondites are incompetent and lazy enough to allow dictators to simply do what they want. That is what democracies do, Ms Nacar. We are not a democracy here," Thomas said, pointing at Berra, his very long finger nearly touching her forehead.
Berra gave Thomas a very long, condemning scowl. "Oh," Berra said snidely, "you're a hypocrite too, are you?"
Thomas went for Berra's hair. Shouting erupted, and then--
A well-dressed intern rang the dinner bell. It was time for dinner.
Berra and Thomas sat down, huffing and puffing. There was finally stillness in the War Room.
Finally, Cranst spoke: "I am making an executive decision for everyone's benefit".
"36 hours later," groaned the Braetha for Education and Welfare.
Cranst glared at the Braetha for Education and Welfare. Then he spoke: "I propose we contact Spain about this after we receive the referendum results. Only then do we make a statement".
Berra scoffed. "This is just ridiculous. You really trust Spain to answer the phone for us? For all we know we've scared them off. You know, we wouldn't be in this malarkey if not for the free press".
"Don't you start, Berra," Cranst said. "It's time for dinner."
