Capri growled. “I won’t be cowed by propaganda. While I respect what you people did in the war for mankind’s survival, my people will do as I command. Stories mean nothing to men and women who wish to eat.”
“You’re misguided, Chancellor. Don’t you see that you’re taking mankind down the same path it was on before the demons came. Force a man to kneel and all he will do is dream of freedom. Give a man freedom and he will dream of a better world. We can build that better world, Capri. New Hope will not kneel, but it is willing to offer a hand in friendship. My people are brave. They are ferocious. Stick a hand through our bars and we will bite you.”
“Even so, you shall be crushed.”
“And the stain of that will follow you around for the rest of your life. You’ll be remembered as a tyrant who subjugated heroes and warriors. Do you really want mankind to begin again with more atrocity? Have we not earned peace? Can we not work together for something wonderful? What kind of a man do you want to be, Chancellor? What kind of world do you want to live in?”
More silence on the line. Then, “Hand over Commander Klein and I will consider it the start of a new friendship. The German Confederation will not tolerate nuclear capabilities under foreign command.”
Maddy sighed. She turned a couple of switches and opened a second line. “Klein? Are you hearing this?”
“Yes, fräulein. Capri wishes to be friends.”
“If you hand over your nukes.”
“Ja. Men always seem to want them. It’s getting very tiresome.”
“I’ll bet. Should we hand them over?”
“Ja! Activating launch sequence in drei, zwei, ein.”
Capri came back on the line. “Wait! Wait, what are you doing?”
Maddy snarled. “Sending you those nukes you want so badly.”
“Nein. You are insane. What have you done? This is madness.”
“You’re right,” said Maddy. “Killing each other after what we’ve just lived through is madness. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, Capri. You’re just a man, and you can be killed. If you continue to threaten New Hope, I’ll be the one to kill you, just like I killed General Thomas. He, too, thought he was strong. He, too, thought I was weak. Yet I live while his body rots.”
“You’re a murderer. You just authorised a nuclear—”
“I just authorised Commander Klein to relinquish his warheads into the sea. Right now they are probably headed, unarmed, into the English Channel. There, they will sink harmlessly to the seabed and hopefully stay there for all of time.”
“What? You are more insane than I thought. Those warheads were the only leverage you had.”
“You’re right. I could have kept you at bay with the threat of using them. That’s why you’ve been so eager to get your hands on them. Probably to use them as your own leverage against China and Russia. I hear they’ve become quite friendly recently.”
“Ja! And they no doubt have nuclear weapons of their own.”
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to try and put out a fire by starting a bigger fire. Klein’s nuclear warheads are gone. They will never kill anybody. I’ll never be tempted to fire them at you and kill your innocent citizens. I won’t be brought down to your level, Capri. New Hope is no threat to the German Confederation. The only thing you have to gain here is an ally, if you want it.”
Capri hissed. “Our radars have detected multiple jet signatures over the English Channel. Is it true? Has Klein really disarmed?”
Klein answered, still on the line. “I am glad to be free of the wretched things. They are zunk to the bottom of the sea.”
“Heaven’s above. I can hardly believe what I am dealing with. You people are fools.”
“We are people who just want to live in peace, Capri. Will you take that away from us?”
“No. You have proven that you are fiercely independent, and that is no problem providing you remain on your island. The German Confederation offers friendship and alliance to the people of New Hope, and recognises its sovereignty over the former British Isles. Remain peaceful or said alliance will end.”
Maddy looked at James, barely able to keep from gushing with happiness. She kept her cool and finished the call. “The people of New Hope thank you. Best health to the German people, and cheers to you, Capri.”
“Ja! Auf wiedersehen.”
Maddy switched off the radio and threw herself into James’s arms. “Commander Tosco, did I really just do that?”
“Spokeswoman Maddy, I believe you just did.”
She smothered him in kisses and then stepped back. There was no benefit in getting excited. She had to stay focused. “Do you believe Capri will keep to his word?”
James shrugged. “We’ll spread the good news of our newly acquired friendship on the airwaves. Capri needs his people to respect his decisions, so he won’t attack an ally without cause. We just have to play nice and be friends like we said we would. Capri’s biggest concern is competition, and he has enough of that with China and Russia. He doesn’t need any distractions.”
Maddy shuddered at the mention of China and Russia, mainly because she knew so little about what was going on there. “Do you think they’ll ever go to war? After all that’s happened?”
“No, I don’t. I think it’s a land grab, and eventually the chips will fall where they may. The worst we’ll get is a cold war. No man wants to be the first to fire a bullet at his fellow man after we survived extinction. History has taught us too much to see sense in war, and the demons taught us too much to see sense in killing. Whether men like Capri realise it or not, mankind has changed. We are fearless warriors, and yet every one of
