“I’d like that,” he said.
“So come back,” said Ida with longing in her gaze.
Frederich nodded, holding Ida’s cheeks with his hands and resting his forehead on her’s. Then he spun around and made for the stairs.
“Wait,” came Ida’s voice.
He stopped.
“What was that gunfire I heard before?”
He paused, then turned his head.
“War,” he said.
Ida nodded, her gaze sharp and gloomy.
“Stay safe,” he added before pushing his way up the stairs two steps at a time, already bracing himself for a showdown with Vidrik.
19
The time had come. Kalakia’s ‘Schlieffen Plan’ had failed, in much the same way as its namesake.
Like the German Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, Kalakia feared that a hostile power was eclipsing him. In Germany’s case it was France, Britain and the Russian Empire. The Germans believed that not making the first move would prove catastrophic in the long run. Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen’s answer was to devise a strategy to achieve swift victory in the West against the French before concentrating the German Army’s forces against Russia. This approach was meant to give the Germans the upper hand when the war inevitably escalated.
The Schlieffen Plan relied on assumptions and educated guesses. The Germans assumed the Belgians would put up little to no resistance, allowing them to pass through unhindered. They also counted on the British staying out of it, and were sure the Russians would be slow to mobilise on the Eastern Front. Much did not go to plan, and the result was the gruelling trench warfare of World War I, which spanned four terrible years.
Now Kalakia was also staring down the barrel of a drawn-out conflict. Without exception, history showed that the consolidation of power always had one of three outcomes; eventual total collapse, the splitting of the entity into one or more sub-entities, or the emergence of a stronger opposing power. Rome split in two, where the eastern Byzantine Empire endured while the western half fell apart. The Mongolian Empire collapsed. The Byzantine Empire was later swallowed whole by the Ottomans. Napoleon’s France was defeated. The Ottoman Empire was eclipsed by the emerging powers in Europe.
Kalakia had long predicted the third scenario, that his grip over the globe would lead to the consolidation of an opposing power. What form it would take was anyone’s guess. The League focussed its efforts solely on wiping out wealth inequality, with Kalakia refusing to pursue a global totalitarian regime. He believed that power which suffocated the freedom of the masses could never justify its authority in the long run. Tyranny was a tool to be used surgically. It did not work as a political solution. The League instead sourced its strength from its unwavering moral purpose. That was the reason Kalakia’s men sacrificed their lives, and why the world never rose up in defiance. If Kalakia grew corrupt, his fraudulence would funnel down and infest the entire organisation. Allowing the nations of the world their autonomy ensured cooperation while avoiding revolt. Only one flaw remained; by transcending the world powers, Kalakia had paved the path for an upstart to establish global dominance.
The tide was changing. The balance of power could tilt at any moment, putting global stability at risk, and Kalakia had no choice but to adapt. For now, there was work to do. They had to deal with the fall-out of the mayhem from the previous night.
Kalakia had his elbow on the armrest and was rubbing his forehead as Francois dolled out reports of the damage caused, with the night-time Moscow skyline in the window as a backdrop.
“The death toll in the Americas has been the worst,” said Francois. “366 soldiers dead so far. We don’t have a count on the injured yet. There was resistance almost everywhere.”
“It seems we have stumbled on a hornet’s nest,” said Kalakia.
“It doesn’t look good,” said Francois.
“We did find one success. We now know that Stirner has indeed recruited the underworld as the military wing of his organisation.”
“But how did they know about our attack? We must have a mole. Or maybe Five Eyes sold us out?”
“Such questions are irrelevant,” said Kalakia and stood up.
Francois stared at Kalakia for a moment then fell quiet, his scarred face appearing tense as he began stroking his long white goatee. Kalakia left Francois to his own wisdom and retreated inside and closed the door behind him. He went over to the large-scale world map hanging on the wall.
He moved his attention from continent to continent, taking mental note of the countless native people who lived within certain borders or across them. He considered the multi-ethnic democratic states, autocratic nations, the states currently engaged in civil wars, as well as the dizzying number of alliances which scaled the globe. He spent a long time imagining what the map would look like in a few months, or the following year, or in the years to come. Which borders would still be standing, which might be erased as demographies evolved and morphed into new alliances in an age of unprecedented connectivity. He visualised the collapse of nations and the possible emergence of continental states which coincided with the rise of a global demagogue. He remained utterly consumed, losing his sense of time, before being interrupted by Francois.
“Scheffler’s here.”
Kalakia nodded. Once he gathered himself he went back outside and found his General standing upright with his legs firmly planted and his arms crossed.
Kalakia passed by Scheffler and went over to the window. Scheffler’s reflection appeared soon after when he stood beside Kalakia and faced in the same direction toward the skyline.
“We must discuss your decision-making process, Vincent,” said Kalakia.
“Right,” said Scheffler.
“I understand that you are in unfamiliar territory, being thrust into this kind of leadership position at such a vicarious time.”
“I don’t want to make excuses.”
“No, I know you are above such things. Excuses will not benefit us, in any case. Tell me, what caused you to carry out the incursion in Barcelona? Surely you had
