Paradise Burning (The Virtagwalla Series Book 2) (9 page)

              Rove sighed, “You and me both.”

              Ray, who had been pacing around the office with his arms, folded murmured, “I just don’t even know what to think. The only thing that keeps going through my mind is that analogy of the sinking boat. I feel like the Parliament, instead of taking the option of attempting to save the boat or not doing anything at all, chose the most horrible course of action available to them,” attempting to articulate his emotions he began to use hand gestures, “Its as if they concocted this plan to take a sledge hammer to the good side of the boat in a twisted scheme of hoping that the water would leak out that damaged side. Their actions today were in no way helpful.”

              Sensado growled, “It was benign neglect.”

              Ray roared, “It was worse than benign neglect! It was destructive, mocking neglect!”

              Rove stood up, crossed his arms and shook his head looking as if her weren’t surprised by what had unfolded. He explained, “If I have come to learn anything during my time as President it is that there is always, ALWAYS, a deeper motive to everyone’s actions. The Parliament didn’t just cook all that stuff up today. It had to have been prefabricated. It was brought in, given to someone, and somehow they were able to convince the whole lot of them to go with it,” he paused sipping his coffee, “I just don’t know who it was, and why. But one thing’s for sure. This nation’s future’s bleak unless the people out there,” he pointed to the city, “wake up and realize that the people below us may not be the best people to be steering the ship right now.”

              “Do you think that will ever happen?” Sensado asked.

              Walking over to his window, Rove sighed and talked slowly looking at the numbers that were gathered below on the east lawn, “That I don’t know. But something’s going to have to give,” he turned to Sensado and Ray, “We now have less than 2 months till the biggest day of this nation’s existence. I think the bigger question is what is this nation going to look like when we get there. I think the economy is only going to get worse before it gets any better, and the Parliament will continue to do nothing robust enough about it. But what we really need to hope to prevent is an instance where the people turn on one another like we got previews of in Villaggio,” he paused again, and then said slowly, “Because if that happens, we haven’t got a prayer in heaven of sustaining ourselves as a nation, let alone becoming a part of the United States.”

              He took another swig of his coffee, as he looked down on the people gathering on the Eastern lawn. He knew it was only a matter of time before the news broke about the drowning state of Virtagwalla’s economy, and their government’s inability to do anything about it.

16

              “Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Xavier Rove greeted with a smile as he crawled out of a chase lounge on his patio to welcome the arriving guests. Jon Pacer and his wife Ellen had arrived carrying a tray of cookies. “What are these?” he asked picking at the plastic wrap that covered the clearly visible cookies from the tray.

              “Ellen insisted we bring them,” Jon said handing Xavier the tray after he had shaken Jon’s hand and given Ellen a kiss on her cheek.

“You didn’t have to, but we appreciate it. Mikey really does love your chocolate chip cookies, he is going to be so excited when he gets home,” Xavier said grabbing the tray. “Well come on let’s go into the kitchen, so you can see Rachel, and we can drop these off.”

              Xavier led the couple through the back patio door, around the dining room table and into the kitchen.

              Rachel looked up from her mixing bowl, “Oh hello Ellen and Jon,” she put down the whisk, and walked over to them cleaning off her hands. Giving both Jon and Ellen hugs she pulled herself back a smile crossing her face. “Did Xavier offer you anything to drink?”

              Ellen laughed, “Of course not. Your husband’s never really been the best host,” she winked at Xavier who rolled his eyes.

              “Well let me get you a beer Jon, do you want one too Xavier?” Rachel asked reaching into the refrigerator.

              Grabbing the two men beers, she gestured to Ellen to sit down and drink some of the red wine she was pouring. Smiling Ellen put her clutch down and took up a stool across the kitchen island from where Rachel had been mixing. Being hit on the back of the head, Rove turned to find his cook, Darlene who snapped her fingers at him.

              “Move out of my way,” she snarled at him.

              Laughing and ducking his head, he looked at Jon, “It seems like there are way too many cooks in this kitchen, let’s get back out to the patio. We will be eating out there anyways. Let’s go tag the best seats,” he smiled heading towards the back door.

              Starting out the conversation, “So Jon, how’s the Mayor thing going?” he asked facetiously.

              Taking a dramatic gulp of beer, he looked at Rove, “I imagine twice as well as how the whole Presidency thing’s going.”

              “Touché,” Rove commented, “I guess we both have our problems,” pausing for a moment, noticing somebody coming to towards the backdoor with a beer in his hand, Xavier pointed to the window, “Here comes one of mine now.”

              Laughing Pacer reached out his hand, shaking the new guest’s hand, “Hello Hampton, you should hear how your boss is bad mouthing you,” he wittily quipped in his usual monotone style.

              Glaring at Rove with a playful grin, “That same boss is the one that would not be able to function one day without me. Yeah,” he greeted his boss, shaking his hand.

              “I assume Whitley was able to find her way to the kitchen?” Xavier asked looking around for her.

“Yes, yes,” he responded jokingly, “Hence is where I got this.”

              “Makes sense,” Rove nodded, “Gosh these past couple weeks have been so crazy. I am so glad we could get some time to just relax,” he laughed, stretching a little, “I don’t know about you Jon, but I feel like if things don’t start improving soon, the people in Capital Tower are going to start rioting like our friends in Villaggio,” they laughed. 

              Pacer’s tone sobered and asked, “Speaking of which, have they found out who organized it?”

              Rove nodded, “I have been told the event was organized by a student group at the college, but the really exciting stuff only started happening after, our friend, Kel Goldberg walked in and spiced everyone up.”

              “Oh Mr. Goldberg, always starting things,” Pacer said sipping his beer. “I wonder why he would be doing such a thing.”

              Uncrossing his arms Ray explained, “I assume its fed by the fact that his citizens are placing a great deal of pressure on him to express their great detest with our nation’s decision to become a state. Yesterday morning the Minister’s from Villaggio have officially petitioned the Parliament to allow Kel to testify to share their concerns.”

              “I just don’t see Kel intending to be destructive,” Rove quipped quickly.

              “I would agree with you to an extent,” Ray said pointing to Rove with his beer bottle, “However we both know how wrapped up Kel gets in things like this. I know deep down he has the best at heart for Villaggio. Though, he does tend to get carried away with things.”

              There was a silence for a couple moments until Pacer suggested, “Regardless of reason I know one thing for sure. Both Villaggio and Ponchertrain are in the same boat. Our unemployment is skyrocketing, our budget’s are plummeting, and neither Kel nor I can really do anything about it. I have this nasty feeling things are only going to get worse before they get better.”

              “Unfortunately I can’t disagree with that either,” Rove said mournfully, “I realize its probably not what the President should be saying but as far as I can tell we’ve gotten ourselves into quite a bind. After Sensado’s report the other day I can image many people are seeing it that way-”

              Cutting him off Ray jumped in, “Unless they are getting news from the papers.”

              Pacer looked back and forth, “What do you mean?”

              Rove sighed and looked off for a moment. He glanced at Ray, “Jon what was published in the newspapers isn’t exactly what Sensado said a couple days ago. It seems the news is being softened.”

              “So unemployment isn’t at 15% like the newspapers are saying, and that the government is in danger of some serious financial issues in the upcoming years?” Pacer asked aghast in disbelief.

              Ray sighed attempting to figure out how to explain, “No it’s far more dismal.”

              Rove swigged to finish his beer, “Unemployment is hovering around 20% and she is expecting it to climb potentially higher still.”

              He looked back to Ray, who relayed, “And Minister Sensado has warned the National Government could be bankrupt in less than three months time unless we do something drastic to cut our expenses and increase our revenues.”

              Jon could barely grapple with what he was being told. After a moment of processing he asked, “Why would the Virtagwallan Times lie about what is going on?”

              Rove shook his head looking at Ray, “We have no idea. We had a conversation about this yesterday with Jacqueline in my office,” he paused looking off to the ocean, attempting to measure exactly what he wanted to say, “We think there is someone influencing the media.”

              Jon’s face crinkled up confusedly, “Are you saying someone is manipulating what is being reported. Why?”

              Ray was hesitant to spread rumors; “We think there is someone in the Government, who has some very old political allies on this island, ugh, massaging the news. So that what is being reported does not portray Virtagwalla in such a negative light.”

“For what reasons?” Pacer asked at Rove, “Are they trying to protect the people, from maybe scaring them too much? Allowing ignorance to prevail may keep them calm.”

“We have a couple thoughts, but we haven’t hammered it down quite yet,” Ray intercepted the question.

              Jon glanced back at Rove, “Who could be doing such a thing? Isn’t that kind of illegal?”

              Laughing, “It’s very illegal. We have our predictions, but I don’t wish to falsely incriminate people quite yet,” he smiled.

              “Xavier you always were a terrible liar,” Pacer said smiling, “Let’s be serious, both of you have settled on Artimus Zhang. You can just say it.”

              Ray grinned shaking his head, “We have reason to believe that Artimus may have had something to do with it yes.”

              Walking over to the small fridge on the patio Rove grabbed three more beers. Opening them he responded strolling back, “He is best buddies with the Virtagwallan Times, and he has been hounding me about the delicateness of leaking too much negative information about the nation. He keeps warning that if we are spewing negative information, we run the risk of other nations or companies losing faith in us. So as Ray said, Artimus is probably massaging the media in order to make it seem like the situation isn’t as bad as it really is.”

              “Well the people aren’t dumb,” Pacer flatly said sipping his beer, “I had probably two hundred people calling my office when Lis Moring got up in front of the Press Corp and announced the Metropolitan Foundation Service was being cut completely from the budget of the National Government. Hell I had Peter Riddle in my office faster than a cat can jump off a hot tin roof.”

              Rolling his eyes, Ray nodded, “Talk about a huge mistake on their part. Rove and I have been attempting to solicit private donations and scrape together extra monies for the MFS,” he paused to sip again.

              Pacer was a bit shocked, “Why solicit private donations, which I imagine are rare these days for such a relic of technology?”

              Ray smiled, and bit his tongue, as Rove jumped in, “John, I don’t mean to belittle your knowledge, but are you familiar with what the MFS is responsible for on this island?”

              Pacer signed, “Yes, they man the system that is the insurance policy to prevent us from sinking into the harbor,” he joked repeating the fifth grade rhetoric taught at all the schools over Ponchertrain.

              “Right but they actually do significantly more than that,” Ray dug in, “They are also headquarters for the Virtagwallan Tsunami and Seismic Activity Centers. Meaning, the Metropolitan Foundation Service is responsible for watching out for earthquakes and tsunamis. Now the likelihood of either of those things happening here are pretty slim, but so are the chances of a barrel being punctured.  Either way I would consider them pretty important. Especially given the round of mini quakes we have been experiencing the last few months.”

              Rove crossed his arms, “I can, to an extent, understand why the National Government decided to snip them. Over the years the government has spent billions and billions, maybe even near a quarter of a trillion dollars to install and upkeep that system, and never once has it ever been used. They probably figured it to be a facet that was designed and built during a decadent era we simply can not afford anymore.”

              Ray shot a glance at Rove, “A fully state sponsored health care system, over generous unemployment and retirement benefits, and frivolous bailouts, which were all designed during the “decadent eras” aren’t even feasible anymore and yet those will not be touched given the recent acts of our Parliament.”

              Jon smiled, “That’s because some silly pipes below our feet don’t get you elected Mr. Ray, and that’s what makes all the difference here. Politicians,” he glanced to Rove and then down at his own feet, “Politicians of the days past governed for their people. Not for themselves. Sure there was a certain selfish drive behind their actions, but at least they did it in the name of improving society. Nowadays we have become so concerned with making everyone happy we have somehow missed the fact that at some point someone is going to have to be poor, someone’s going to have to work for what they get. Our nation has changed. We have moved away from the dreaming of a better tomorrow and going out and working for it, to demanding a better tomorrow and whining when it doesn’t come,” he paused for moment. 

              “Ok no more shop talk, the ladies are here!” Whitley Ray said stepping out from the sliding glass door.

              Xavier walked over to Whitley, “How are you my dear?” giving her a hug, she kissed his cheek. Directing people to the table that was set up, the three couples sat down, with one couple on each side, and the Roves at either end of the table. Rachel sat down with her large glass of wine, and glared at Xavier.

              The aged President looked at his wife as if for the first time in a long time. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but she looked different. He knew their marriage had become strained, ever since the day he had taken office. But he seriously hadn’t noticed the recent strain until that very moment. He felt distant from her in a way he never had before. He looked at her smiling and chatting with Ellen and longed to simply speak to his wife. It had been so long since the two of them had merely a conversation. He then began to think of is son, Mikey, and realized that relationship too had become strained. The three of them had grown in such a way their lives consumed more time than they could spare to spend together. And while neither of the three specifically went out of their way, their family structure existed merely on scheduled family dinners and social engagements. He looked at his wife again and realized for the hundredth time in his life just how beautiful she was. Her smile was charming and her elegance made her absolutely attractive to him all over again.

              “So Ellen how are the boys?” Rachel asked placing her chin in her palm.

              Sipping from her wine glass, “Oh they are doing just fine. They are in their third semester at Bradley University in the cornfields of Illinois. I assume they are doing fine. Tony is still on the soccer team, and his brother Carlos is as active as ever in his fraternity.”