The House Part 15

January 15th
Chapter Three in which Brien makes an announcement
“John,” Matthew said, shaking John awake, “John, you need to get up.”
“What time is it?” John asked groggily, reaching for his bedside clock. “God, Matt! It's Five Forty Five! Why did you wake me up?”
“The Foremen,” Matthew said, tossing John some clothes, “Are making an important announcement at six.”
“So?” John asked, getting out of bed and putting the clothes on while Matthew turned around to give him some privacy. “What's it about?”
“That's why I woke you up.” Matthew explained, “Josh has no idea.”
“Why?” John said, as he put on his shirt, “Doesn't he have spies?”
“He does.” Matthew said, turning back around, “But they had no idea that an announcement was coming it looks like Brien May and maybe Ben September are the only ones to know what this is about.”
“So it should be important.” John said, nodding.
“Yeah.” Matthew said, “That's why I woke you up. Coffee is in the outer room. Tom is already up. He's in the outer room with Josh, Margret, and Ava.”
“Cool.” John said, “How long have you been up?”
“Since Seven Thirty yesterday morning.” Matthew said sighing.
“You didn't sleep?” John asked, shocked. He couldn't imagine going an entire day without sleep and still function, he needed his sleep.
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“Well,” Matthew said leading the way into the outer room, “After you went to bed last night I had, what I thought was going to be, a quick meeting with Ava about some of the legal options for the whole terrorist threat. Then, about halfway through the meeting, Julian October bursts in saying that he and his team had found some books on Floor 59 which looked interesting. So I went to talk to him and then Tom comes running in saying that the Foremen had announced that they would be making an important announcement this morning. So I went to see Josh and then I spent the rest of the night trying the find out what the announcement would be about.”
“So what do you think it will be about?” John asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“We believe,” Josh August, who was sitting on the couch said, “that they are going to say that they are willing to deal.”
“Deal?” Margret asked. She was messing with Matthew's laptop, trying to find the Foremen live feed. “What does that mean?”
“We don't really have any knowledge of what they are planning.” Josh said, “But, since the war is not going that well for them, we have made the educated guess that they are going to try and negotiate peace.”
“How can they do that though?” Margret asked, finally finding the feed and full screening it. Currently it was just showing a black screen with a little countdown to six am. “What do they have to offer us? I mean, before in history, when there is a war, and one side wants to end it they have things that they can offer the other side. Like land or money or whatever. We don't have any of that.”
“Probably what they will offer us,” Josh said, “at least to begin with is a split council. Half our people half their people. We'll counter with a two state solution.”
“How could that possibly work?” Ava January asked, she was also sitting on the couch.
“We will split the house into two sections.” Matthew said, “Half theirs half ours. With the food machines being neutral ground.”
“But what about other goods?” Thomas asked, he was standing up by the coffee machine, “Let's say we control the shoe making machines but they control the pant making machines, would their people just go without shoes and our people just go without pants? Because I don't think that will work.”
Everyone laughed at that.
“No,” Josh explained, “You see we would have to trade. We would trade them shoes for pants and vice versa. But we don't predict that they will accept that. It's just our opening offer. You guys know the rule about haggling; start high, end low.”
“Guys,” Margret said, “I think it's starting.”
They all turned to look at the screen. Brien May had walked onto the screen and stood behind a podium.
“Hello,” Brien said somberly, reading a prepared speech “and Good Morning. Today I have a few important announcements. The first announcement is in response to recent calls for us to negotiate with the rebels known as the October Conspiracy, I wish to state that as long as I draw breath and am able to hold a gun we will not negotiate with them. I consider them to be little more than terrorists and murders. And I do not deal with terrorists and murderers.”
“The second announcement is that we are getting the High Council back together. Unlike the rebels I do not believe that we need to 'Reform' it. I do not believe that the Founders were mistaken when they created the Founding Charter. So the High Council Will function exactly as it did before the war began.”
“The last announcement is that Emily February has agreed to return as President and Nyssa March has also agreed to return to the council, though in a different position. She will serve as Vice President of the House. Benjamin September will serve as Prime Minister of the House. I will serve as both Chief Legal Consul and Chief Security Officer until a suitable replacement can be found. Olivia July has declined to rejoin the council and she will be replaced as clerk by...” He fumbled with his papers.
“Bet he names himself.” Thomas said and everybody laughed.
“The new clerk will be,” Brien continued, “Allison October.”
“WHAT?!” Margret cried.
“Wasn't she your roommate?” Josh asked.
“Yes she was.” Margret growled, “The little traitor.”
“Be quiet.” John shushed, “He's still talking.”
“Allison October will now make a statement.” Brien said and stepped away from the podium. Allison walked out and took her place behind the podium.
“First,” She began and immediately everyone realized why she was named to the council. She was a marvelous public speaker and she was also an Under 20. “I want to thank Brien May for his wonderful introduction. Who knew that he was such a charmer? I also want to thank both Emily February and Nyssa March for their willingness to jump right back into public service, I honestly and truly look forward to working with them.”
“Now,” She continued, her tone getting more serious, “I want to make a promise to the residents of the House. I will end this illegal and baseless war that is currently being waged. This war is nothing more than a grab for power by Johnathan June, Matthew January, Margret November, Thomas March, and Joshua August. They have manipulated Philip October's death from being the simple execution of a person who was breaking House laws into being a brutal murder by the Foremen and a justification for war.”
“Here is the truth,” Allison said leaning in, “Philip October was a friend of mine. He was, but unfortunately he decided to reveal classified information that would have put everyone in the House at risk. He forced the Foremen to excecute him. Do you think that they wanted to shoot him? Do you think that, as the so called October Conspiracy would like you to believe, they woke up that morning thinking 'Hey let's go shoot an innocent kid for fun'? No you don't, because that is preposterous. It is ridiculous. It borders on insanity. And Johnathan June and his cronies know this, but they have phrased it in such a way that their supporters do not see the true insanity of it. I will give them this, they have mastered the art of spin.”
“My God,” Matthew said, his mouth open, “She's really good.”
“Too good.” Margret said darkly.
“This war is nothing but a grab for power.” Allison said, banging her fist on the podium for effect. “They have made the Foremen, and Brien May in particular, into the cause of all problems inside the House. My God! This is total and utter madness! They have sacrificed hundreds of lives just to feed their own ambition. This. Can. Not. Stand.”
“I am the first to admit that the House is not perfect. I am the first to admit that there are problems. I am the first to admit that the Under 20s probably need more of a voice in government, and that is what this war is about the Under 20s wanting more power. But war is not the answer.”
“As long as I am clerk of the High Council we will not negotiate with the rebels, for this reason: If we give into them now then we will be expected to give into them next time and the time after that and the time after that. It will never end, unless we end it now. And I will end it now, we will win this war. I promise you that. We. Will. Win. This. War!” Allison finished.
Matthew turned to look at the others.
“I think,” He said seriously, “That we might have a wee bit of a PR problem on our hands.”


end of part three