A Message for the Queen

[Dr.Tesla]

From:
Anführer Matthias Reisenburg
Hoffnung, Häverist Commonhold of Helreich

To:
Konung Anna av Kulla
Östervallen, Vittmark


Konung Anna av Kulla,

As a fellow Stoldavian and Dölmer to a fellow Stoldavian and Dölmer, I felt that this message was of great concern.

As of late I have heard that the Antarans that you have unexpectedly has received have, hopefully to your knowledge, been doing much more within the confines of your people’s nation. These actions we both know are for purely Antaran interests and profit. If your Antaran guest hasn’t discussed it yet, he soon will. Large corporations of Antara such as Makraven Mining & Mineral, ChemWorks, and Alamant Industries have been noticed in their interest in expanding their resource pools into Vittmark. A corporation as we know is a body created for profit, with all disregard of common good and the betterment of others, unless it favored them. We both know of these corporations, or similar Anarian and Antaran corporations and their senseless exploitation of the Mörenburgers after the Great War. Mörenburg was in shambles as the corporations of Antara and their allies came in, and as a result took great profit in the Mörenburgers with little return to the people. I fear that the same can happen to another fellow Stoldavian nation, one that is already experiencing Antara’s expanding control.

I would insist in the stalling of such deals with the Antarans until all options are known. I am willing to propose an alternative. The betterment of Stoldavia is of great importance, mostly if it benefits only Stoldavians. Helreich is willing to help with the development of efficient, swift, and effective transportation infrastructure that would connect the south with the north. Profit is not achievable for the Commonholds of Helreich and Mörenburg, simply because it does not exist in the traditional sense for us. All that the Dölmer of Helreich and Mörenburg ask is for the opening of further developments in new special economic zones between our people. Such developments in the south would reduce costs of doing trade with Helreich due to the nature of trading directly to your neighbors, and not in sending goods across great distances of land and mountains just to reach Nabben, then to be shipped to locations that were once less than 100 miles away from your nation’s southern border. The cooperation of economic goals of both of our nations would symbiotically benefit both of our nations. The lands south of the Blue Mountains need relief from their poverty, and the development of special economic zones in the south would offer a great lift to the people of the south.

In addition such developments would inevitably lead to the decrease of Häverist extremists in the south as their situation and living standards improved. The Commonwealth does not condone extremists that interfere with the economic benefits of both of our peoples and would assist in the removal of such extremists.

The Commonwealth’s assistance in the construction of railways and other similar projects through the Blue Mountain Railways would allow businesses within Vittmark be the main profiteers, and the people of Vittmark as the second largest profiteers of this project as it allow Vittmark citizens to buy from Vittmark companies that benefit their country. The citizens’ Crowns stay within Vittmark and not overseas to the benefit of the Anarians.

This is my proposal to the people of Vittmark for the betterment of both of our nations. I hope you consider the generous offer.

Sincerely,
Anfüher Matthias Reisenburg
The Stolvic Häverist Commonwealth

[Pepijn]

Queen Anna had just time to change and update her ladies-in-waiting before a sealed message from the embassy of Helreich arrived. She sat down in her study and read it twice. She then called for Hans Kronobäck, who still had to be in the house, and Chancellor överste Gummun Hampesson av Hagen.

"Is the Stormhawk still docked?" she asked Hampesson, who arrived very quickly.
"She still is, majesty. They are probably waiting for something."
"Make a quick copy of this and see that they get it, somehow. Not retraceable of course."

Hampesson put the clerk that accompanied him at work, who made a quick handwritten copy that could be sent out. In the mean time, Hampesson was reading the contents over the shoulder of his clerk.

"Oh, this is rich. This is so rich. How do they know these things so quickly?"
"Rats," Anna replied, "they're all over the place. If I want a private conversation, I go to my stims mantalshus at the large Hall of Vind. or to my bedroom. The mantalshus is exactly where we're going as soon as Kronobäck arrives."

A knock on the door announced that that moment had come. Anna took the original and signalled the two men to follow her towards the meditation room at the side of the large indoor ceremonial hall.

"So," Anna started when she had closed the door behind her, "the game is on. What does this message tell us?"
Kronobäck started.
"That this place is infested by disloyal people. The message itself isn't a suprise, but the speed with which it was delivered."

"Good," replied Anna, "anything else?"
"They say they don't know the concept of profit, but still formulate in stockist terms. Symbiotic benefits..."
"Not only that, överste, but they blame Antara for the poverty in Mörenburg and our southern provinces, while we all know that Mörenburg took every mean of production they could carry with them when they were forced to hand over the south to Vittmark."

Kronobäck and Hampesson looked at each other. Anna had found an interesting detail. This letter had been hastily formulated and lacked all the checks and balances which were usual in diplomatic mail. While the formulation was standard propaganda in Mörenburg and Helreich, the Häverists knew that Vittmark knew that the truth was slightly different.

"More importantly, they admit that they are stirring up things in the south, they are almost threatening to step up the extremism if we don't want to cooperate with them economically."

After 20 minutes of analyzing every word, point and implications between the lines, it was time to make a decision.

"OK, the main thing is that with these two sources of outside help, we can invest all our own funds into the main line through the Blue Mountains. Let the Antarans help out with the network between the mountains and harbors, like a transition station in Ådalen and single gauge towards three port cities. We can ask Helreich to help out on the network south of the mountains, continuing into Mörenburg. We don't have any fundings for that part yet. We can connect it to the special economic zones, whatever that will be."

Anna looked around.
"Could you formulate something nifty along that lines and have it on my desk within an hour? Make it an invitation to the ambassador, I will be receiving him for diner as soon as possible."

Kronobäck summarized.
"Partial yes on the help with infrastructure, yes on the special zones. I am curious to see how they propose to cooperate with a monetary economy like ours. Interesting..."

"Majesty, I don't trust these Häverists for a bit of an öre," added Hampesson.
"Me neither. They are not getting what they want, but we can try to get what we want. If not, we can make this message public. Their conformation of the presence of Häverist extremists in the south is enough to get the Antarans and Wolgos to jump even higher for us."
"It is risky."
"What do we have to loose?"
"The entire nation..."
"Not much then."

The three laughed when Anna opened the door.