Order and Chaos

Communism

It struck me that something about the mayor's story was odd. The driving purpose behind my father's conquests, as he was fond of telling anyone he could force to listen, was to enforce the radically redistributive economic system he was enamored with. (And understood surprisingly well for a man with little interest in the administrative aspects of monarchy.) Some might raise the question of how exactly this was compatible with a monarchy, but very few would dare ask it in Malcolm's presence.

So what the mayor was telling me, essentially, was that he was running a rebellious capitalist enclave operating on an illegal local currency. I asked him about it, and he gave me an odd glance.

"It's what everyone does," he said. "Nobody uses Vindictus' worthless currency except on the rare occasions he sends someone to check in. Malcolm might be able to hold this empire together, but when he dies? His daughter won't last a week."

It was good to know that my future subjects had such confidence in me. My tutor regularly said I wouldn't last an hour.

"nope can't think of anything. good luck with that" continue on your journey!!

Seeing no need to aid the mayor in his illegal-and-evidently-widespread attempt to evade economic laws, I told him I couldn't think of anything. He sighed deeply.

"I suppose it was too much to expect from a complete stranger. Oh well, guess I'll go back to the town council and see if we can figure something out. Or maybe just take my mind off it with a good raid through an arrested house."

"I hear someone just had their house arrested today," I said nonchalantly.

"Really! Well, at least the day won't be a total loss."

He marched off, leaving me alone among the tree stumps.

I had to reflect on what I'd just learned. The defiance on currency and economic policy in general made more sense when I realized that I'd never heard of this town's notion of "house arrest" in all my extensive readings on the law. In this and other regards, they were attempting to operate as an independent government within our borders, defying our laws wherever they seemed inconvenient.

That left the question of what, if anything, I was going to do about it.