After the Second Fall

"Surely Northumberland knows by now that they can't stop us, right?" Cassidy looked to Geo, who nodded. "What would happen if we sued for peace instead of beating them into submission and then absorbing them, like we did with Brock-Loren?"

"Well..." started Cassidy before trailing off. "Actually, I'm not certain, but why would we let them keep their independence when we could take their resources for ourselves?"

"Would we also have to accept their problems?" asked Lilith in response.

Cassidy's immediate reaction was to get defensive to argue the point, but she took a breath and thought on what Lilith had said. John waited until the Executive Director took a breath to reply, then started talking quickly. "You know it's a fair point, Cass. I can see advantages to what Rachel suggested. For example, in exchange for equal access to the river, we can require that they completely dismantle their Arena program, which would tie them tightly to us for protection. In addition, we would get access to their gene tech, which we know is at least comparable to ours. We would also be able to share gene tech on the ag side, meaning we could both produce more food. And since they're so far North of us, it means more variety, since some of the things that grow there won't grow here. Not to mention --"

"Enough," said Cassidy definitively with a chop of her hand.

John still had his hand raised, as if he was making a point. He lowered it slowly, drawing out the moment, then shot a wink toward Lilith.

Glaring at John, Cassidy asked, "Pip, what do you think?"

Responding immediately, he said, "The two fighters from Northumberland were both skilled. Presto was arrogant, but with good reason -- I can forgive him for being an overconfident ass. I don't think they, or the other people in their program, had anything to do with the rally. So long as we do the same to the city council members and program directors that we did with Brock-Loren, I don't have a problem with it."

"Actually," said Lilith, her eyes widening as the marketing portion of her brain engaged, "I have an idea."

Chapter 26

Arena matches are a point of pride for cities, and losing one can dampen the feeling in a city for days. Losing consecutive matches to a hated rival, as well as the top two fighters, in such a short period is dramatically more difficult to absorb. At the same time that Cassidy and Geo were being added to Pip's list of confidants, news of Presto's defeat was propagating across Northumberland. The following morning, it was the sole subject at most cafés and shops. On the sidewalks, residents walked a little slower, smiled a little less, and felt the weight of uncertainty begin to build.

It took two days of discussion and debate for the Complex Council to arrive at unanimity, an important point for Cassidy. It wasn't so much that Directors Baker or Richards were against the idea of a peace pact, but rather that the concept was entirely foreign to them. Furthermore, Richards was of the old school: no quarter asked and no quarter given. After all, why should they not utterly consume a defeated foe. In the end, it was actually Baker that won him over with a combination of unbalanced arguments that were too convoluted to follow. It may just have been that Richards was tired of talking about it.

In any case, the Executive Director took the recommendation to the Meister's Office the following day, for what she knew would be a more difficult task. A week later, having considered as many possible consequences as they could foresee -- known-knowns, unknown-unknowns, and everything in between -- the negotiation team, itself a branch of the city's Public Relations department, began crafting a proposal. Just before Pip walked into the Arena a week later, the offer was sent to the Arena Council, to be delivered to Northumberland's government in the event Pip was again victorious.

He was.

This time, instead of leaving immediately, Pip prowled back and forth in the Arena as the Northumberland support staff retrieved the several pieces of their fighter. When one of the trio would glance at Pip, he was always staring back, as if finding it difficult to restrain himself. As they finally left, Pip followed them as far as the door, shouting angrily, "This one got off easy," before turning around and stalking back.

In the transport ride home, Pip dropped the show and laid back, entirely uninjured. "All went as planned?" asked Doctor Shepard.

"His bones were only a little harder than ours," replied Pip without opening his eyes. "My guess is it must take years to build the kind of durability that Presto had." The doctor nodded thoughtfully while Pip drifted off to sleep.

The message to Northumberland was brief and extremely direct, it said:

We prefer peace to war and will gladly provide terms for your capitulation. Should you refuse, Northumberland will be destroyed. Let us know if you are interested.

The negotiation team didn't really like the term 'destroyed', but it was difficult to find a word that evoked an appropriate sense of dread, even if they didn't actually mean that the city would be razed and its inhabitants slaughtered. In the end, the Meister signed off after adding the word 'gladly,' which seemed to appropriately soften the overall effect.

The sticking point in negotiations, once the detailed demands were supplied, was that the Northumberland council did not want to be executed, and consequently saw no reason not to fight to the bitter end. This was, of course, expected. Even before talks broke down, the Meister's Office in Rieckenburg sent their own head of Public Relations, a man named Cates, to support Lilith as she worked to undermine the Northumberland city council's standing with its citizenry. Along with a typical propaganda push via the airwaves orchestrated by Lilith, Cates organized clandestine meetings with leading merchants, distributed underground pamphlets, and leaked key information to the media. This kind of activity takes time, and two weeks after the previous match, Pip killed the new top Northumberland fighter, number four in the series.

Two losses in two weeks was difficult for the Northumberland populace to accept, but four defeats in six weeks was altogether overwhelming. Even without the pushes from Lilith and Cates, there would have been a public outcry. As a result of their efforts, unfocused anger became organized rallies and protest marches.

When Doctor Shepard entered the Arena after the fifth match, he didn't bring any medical tools, but a camera. Over the protest of the other support team, he took pictures of Pip standing next to what had been the Northumberland fighter. Within four bells, the pictures had been released to the public, and violence erupted throughout the city. Northumberland, like all cities, had no standing army. Instead, they had a well equipped constabulary with authority throughout the city, led by a commissioner named Reginald Browning. When the first riot broke out, Browning sent his constables to crack down, but they quickly came back bruised and bleeding, overwhelmed by the volume and degree of violence. Additional rioting soon started as word spread, and Browning saw an opportunity. Calling together his captains, he quickly outlined a plan to redirect the fury toward the center of the city. Using bullhorns and loudspeakers, constables were soon standing on sidewalks and leading the cries: "Down with the council!" or "Violence Now, Peace Soon!" Browning wasn't particularly proud of the slogans themselves, as they lacked subtlety, rhyme, and alliteration, but they seemed to get the job done.

By dawn, five of the council were in jail -- two had died at the hands of the mob -- and Reginald Browning was the first Meister of Northumberland.

With roadblocks to peace now overcome, negotiations moved along smoothly and swiftly. The full offer was complex, and designed to tie the two cities together so closely that treachery by either would be catastrophic for both. Having no real alternative anyway, Meister Browning quickly signed everything that was set in front of him.

When the day for unification came, a large contingent made their way from Northumberland to Rieckenburg, almost a seven bell drive. After they finally arrived, Browning and his advisers were led to the Mesiter's Office, while the former city council and directors from the Arena program were herded toward the Quad.

As Browning walked through the entryway, he marveled at the construction, taking in the high ceiling and broad columns. He and his attendants quickly acquiesced to having their knives confiscated, being told they would get them back after they left the building, and continued onward. At the end of the hall they reached a grand staircase, and began their ascent, spiraling around eight full times before finally reaching the Meister's personal office.

Browning was a large man gone rotund, no longer in the same condition as during his time as a constable, so climbing the steps left him winded almost to the point of gasping. Upon arriving at the final landing, he saw that two enormous men were positioned on either side of double doors that had been opened in preparation for him. This only added to his racing pulse, and he felt faint for a moment before recovering. Taking deep breaths to slow his heart, he moved through the doors, only to have it speed up again as he looked across the room at Rieckenburg's Meister.

She wasn't as tall as the bodyguards, but she was significantly taller than Browning. Trying not to be too obvious, he took in her square-ish jaw and broad shoulders, large hips and bust, along with her long auburn hair. Taking off her black glasses, she stood and smiled warmly, actually causing Browning to stumble as he took in her red lips and blue eyes from half a dozen paces away.

Once again trying to steady his breathing, he coasted to a halt near one of two chairs and leaned against it for support, trying to look casual. "Meister Browning," she said, "thank you very much for coming. Please, have a seat." She smiled at him for a long moment before looking up to one of the bodyguards. "Rover, please see Meister Browning's associates to our waiting area." Browning turned around in his seat and saw his three retainers walking back toward the double doors where several seats and couches were clustered together.

"Didn't have much of a choice, did I?" he quipped, not entirely without spite, "but it will be good to be done with this business."

"I couldn't agree more," she replied. "As I'm sure you've realized, I am the Meister of Rieckenburg. You may call me Cassidy, if you like, or Meister if you are feeling more formal." He nodded, but didn't say anything so she continued. "Our business today will be short, and then we can go down to the Quad where the executions will be held.

"Meister Browning, executions performed by Rieckenburg are quite rare. It is only an odd quirk of timing that the ones scheduled for today come so closely following the ones held in Brock-Loren. One must go back decades to find a similar occurrence, and the scope of those executions was much smaller." Browning let out a sigh and rolled his eyes impatiently. Cassidy smiled sweetly at him and continued. "I point this out specifically because we value human life, although I understand it may not appear that way from outside the city walls.

"As you know, the men and women slated for execution are given a chance to fight for their lives. If they prevail, they will walk away without further harm, although they will not be allowed to remain within the city. Given that our Adams perform the executions, it is widely believed this has only happened once in the history of the city, and that may only be a legend."

Browning let out an even louder sigh and made a circular motion with his finger, urging his counterpart to increase the pace. Cassidy didn't alter her smile or the speed of her words. "We do this because killing is not usually an easy thing for a man to learn, and it provides our Adams with experience so that the death of a person is not wasted. Today will be different."

At this last statement, Browning sat up straighter and looked up at the woman in front of him. "How so?" he asked suspiciously.

"We usually use inexperience Adams for this task, ones that are not yet fully mature. Today, our Lead Adam will perform this role."

"Good Lord, why?" asked Browning, horrified. He saw what the man had done to their best fighters, and the idea of him doing the same to soft bureaucrats seemed wholly unnecessary.

"To send a message, Meister Browning, to the other cities. There are very few men remaining in the world that could beat our Second Adam, and not a single one that can beat our Lead Adam. Unfortunately, his prowess is only just becoming known, so he is not yet acting as a deterrent. Today, we will change that."

Cassidy rose so Browning did as well; he was astonished that she stood more than a head taller than him. "Rix," she said to her other bodyguard, "please escort the Meister and the rest of his party down to the Quad with Rover." She turned back to the smaller man and offered her hand, which enveloped his. "Good luck, Meister Browning. I really do appreciate all that you are doing for your city."

Reginald Browning was suspicious by nature, and the interview with the other Meister did not go as he had expected. Furthermore, the idea that a woman was bigger, stronger, and significantly more attractive than him wounded his pride. Consequently, he was in a foul mood as they walked, shutting down attempts by his advisers to talk with him. As they neared the Quad, one of his advisers became more and more agitated, eventually screaming out, "They're going to kill us!"

Browning tried to stop but was immediately urged forward by one of the bodyguards, causing him to stumble. He tried to turn and accost the man, but was again herded forward. Taking in his surroundings for the first time as he continued to shuffle along, he realized that two more of the giants had joined their party, such that he was boxed in. He also noticed that they were on the path leading directly to the center of the Quad, where a black rope had been pulled back from an otherwise complete ring.

To his right, the Assistant Meister had a wet stain spreading down his leg, and on his left the new commissioner of the constabulary passed out, only to be picked up by the pants and carried along by the one the other Meister had called Rix. "Do you know who --" started the Meister, only to be cut off as one of the giants again pushed him forward toward the black ring. By this time, they had reached the throng of people that surrounded the Quad, who looked to be having an amazing time. When Browning tried to shout at the bodyguards, his words were entirely lost in the noise.

All too soon, Browning and the others were given a final push into the ring -- the unconscious commissioner was set down reasonably gently -- and full realization dawned. Also in the ring were the five surviving council members, four of whom were arguing while the fifth sat in the sand crying. A short distance away, the Managing Director of the Gladiator program was staring silently off into the distance, while the four board members were huddled together talking quickly and gesticulating wildly.

At the far end of the Quad, the redheaded Meister climbed onto a stage and stepped up to a podium built to her extra large proportions. The crowd quieted more quickly than Browning would have thought possible.

"Rieckenburg," she said loudly into the microphone, "as your Meister, it is my duty to preside over today's proceedings." The crowd cheered and smacked their hands off their thighs repeatedly, making a sound like rolling thunder. "You all know what happened the last time we came together in a forum like this. Today, our city will put that ugly chapter behind us, as we forge a new bond with Northumberland." Again, cheering and thunder rose up from the crowd.

"Today, you will have a chance to see inside the Arena. I present to you, Adam Piper and Adam Stash." The roar from the crowd was almost deafening, so much so that Browning actually pushed his plump fingers into his ears as far as they would go. Pip and Stash both raised their hands when mentioned, but didn't otherwise respond.

"I also present to you, Meister Reginald Browning of Northumberland, who has courageously taken personal responsibility for the atrocities committed by his predecessors, some of whom are also here." There was a mixed reception to these words, with some in the crowd politely smacking their thighs while others booed. Fortunately, no one was throwing rocks or rotten vegetables.

"The fighters from Northumberland were provided with a choice, to fight in our arena today or to join the Complex. Seven have chosen to face our Adams." Browning's eyes opened in shock. Piper was going to fight seven Gladiators in a row? Surely, that was impossible.

"If Adam Piper should fall, Adam Stash will step forward. Should Adam Stash fall, any of the condemned still alive may go free, so long as they never return to either Rieckenburg or Northumberland." The woman paused and closed her eyes. "Lord have mercy on us all." With her blessing complete, she stepped back from the podium.

The whole situation was surreal to Browning, whose mind was trying to come up with a way out. Across the sand, Piper was stretching while the other fighter stepped out of the circle. Behind him, a procession of enormous men made their way down the same path he had come. In front were seven of Northumberland's Gladiators, followed by more than two dozen others dressed in black. Once the first group had entered the circle, the second split and surrounded the ring, clearly intending to keep participants in and non-participants out.

Looking back to Piper, he saw that the man had removed his shirt and pants, standing only in tight black shorts. Behind him, the Gladiators were doing the same, although their shorts were gray. Switching back and forth quickly, he realized that this Piper was significantly smaller than all of the Gladiators, as well as almost all of the Rieckenburg fighters. Furthermore, the man called Piper wasn't nearly as broad as the others, appearing lean compared to them. Browning also remembered that Rieckenburg's fighters didn't have the stronger bones like the Gladiators. A smile came to his face, realizing the situation wasn't as hopeless as it had been made out to be.

A noise to his right startled him, and when he turned to look, he saw the bodyguards from before place a table next to the rope. On top was an array of knives and clubs, including his own. Moving over quickly, he muscled his way through the group of condemned and snatched his knife back from the Assistant Meister, knocking him to the sand for his impudence.

This was absolutely insane. All of the Gladiators were still in the ring, and they were going to give them weapons, too? That's when he realized that none of them were moving to the table. "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you getting a weapon?" he shouted at the nearest one. The giant man looked down at him with disgust.

"No honor in fighting with weapons. If I beat Piper, it will be with my own flesh and bone."

The Meister -- former Meister? -- scoffed in disbelief, and was about to say something rude when a hush settled over the crowd. The change in noise level was so dramatic that Browning's eyes snapped around to their single opponent. He had raised his arms level with the sand and was motioning downward, urging the crowd to be silent.

The moment stretched and the tension rose as the man in black stared down seven fighters and fourteen others. A bell rang loudly and Pip stalked forward confidently.