Posted by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - I’ll Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - I’ll Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Posted by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - I’ll Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Tara nodded and smiled. “Most agreeable, I’m flippin’ starving.” and she pressed another button and staff began to arrive and soon the table was covered in food: venison steaks, boar meat, breads, fresh vegetables, homemade butter and jam, fresh fish, steamed mussels, pickled vegetables, and more. As the meal wore on, Tara encouraged the staff to come in and take some food back, making sure to introduce each person by name to everyone at the table. Of course everyone knew Seamus, and some knew Mike from his music. As they left at one point Tara said “And don’t worry about any of them. They have all served the clan for years. None of them will say a word about Michael being back.” Seamus nodded in agreement. “I grew up with most of ‘em. They’re solid as the day.”

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully with laughter and relaxing talk… even if the tense undercurrent was ever present. Soon, it was time for everyone to leave. They left as they came in so as not to be seen. As they walked into the basement, Tara handed Revna a copy of the files and whispered to her “Just between you and I. Look at Capall McKenzie.” and squeezed her hand.

Revna nodded taking the files and then hugged Tara. She pulled back searching Tara’s face. She pulled the personal comm off her belt and put it in Tara’s hands closing her fingers on it. “It’s not been tapped. Use it. I won’t take no for answer, seanmhair.” Then she was gone in a swirl of matter and energy.

As the entourage arrived back in Bømlo, Mike looked at Cuyler and held up a bottle of Napoleonic brandy. “To keep us warm while we talk?” and he gestured away from the village and towards the path to the shore.

McKenzies

Revna eyed the bottle, quite familiar with it. She led Mike a few feet away. She kissed him because she needed to and he needed it. Then eyes twinkling she tapped the bottle, “I know what’s in that bottle, Mike, you better save me some. You didn’t see me AFTER drinking it. Good think Gravel’s a gentleman.” She laughed the whole way back to her sisters.

Cuyler nodded to Mike as they started walking, “Sounds good, as long as it’s worth drinking.” The moon was almost full and there was not a cloud in the sky at the moment, so Cuyler didn’t bother with grabbing an artificial light. He glanced over Mike, for probably the 100th time that night. He liked what he saw, more he loved what he saw when he watched Revna with him. There was a lot Cuyler could say, and would eventually that had nothing to do with clan or reconciliation, and everything to do with his daughter. But Mike had a lot of his own to say and Cuyler was there to listen and help as he could. “Tell me of this idea of yours.”

Cuyler

Mike nodded as they walked, and broke the wax seal with a deftness born of years of practice. He handed the bottle to Cuyler for him to take the first drink. “So… my idea. Yeah… I’ve been thinking about how to cut this cancer out. I don’t want to do it in stages, and I don’t want to come down like a tyrannical fascist, either. This is my first move as head of the clan… I know it’ll set the tone for everything after this, right?”

Cuyler took the bottle and took a deep full pull of it. That was good stuff. “Aye it will. And you don’t want to trap yourself into a corner with starting out one way because it was necessary and feeling you have to stay in that corner.”

“So my thought is to get them blacklisted in society. I want everyone who ever supported them to turn their backs on ‘em. I want to leave them with nothing and no one. So once they’ve agreed that Argyle gets no protection from them in exchange for Reconciliation… then Tara surprises them with me… my first move is banishment from the Clan for all of them… but not forever; for three generations. And the stipulation that their descendants can return home if and only if their lines show they are people of character and decency to be determined by the Clan Chiefs of the McKenzies and the Edmans as well as a tribunal of thirteen of the clan members outside the head of the clan. Give the real Clan the right to decide who is and isn’t a McKenzie. What do you think?” He took the bottle and drew a long pull before handing it back.

Mike

“I think it’s a good plan, I adore the idea of the tribunal, very Viking of you. But it may be something you can’t live with. Now hear me out. First what exactly is 3 generations? You need to make that very clear. Is it the 3rd generation can come back or is it the 4th generation. And are you starting with your parents generation or your own? The part that will be hard to live with, is making the children, the grandchildren, pay for the sins of the parents. It’s exactly what happened to you. Your father committed a terrible crime and you were made to pay the consequences. You were, for all intents and purposes, banished from your clan. Now we see clearly that your aunts and uncles have poisoned most of your cousins. But we also see, with this mysterious information provider, that not everyone has totally fallen prey to it. Now we have a custom called Althing. It’s a court system, meets once a year where people tell their case and the clan at large decides. This is a way around for you. The adults would be útlagi, or outlaw, and would never be allowed a clan again. But their children could petition. They wouldn’t be on McKenzie rolls, but they could be Edmans. It won’t be easy for them though, the trials and proofs are convoluted and meant to test their resolve. You can also reserve the right to determine on a case by case basis. But you don’t want to make either of these options too readily known. You want them to live with this decisions, hard, you want it to eat at them and let it cleanse or destroy them. But you don’t want to abandon the good people caught in the cross fire.” He squeezed Mike’s shoulder, “It’s a difficult decision and I can see the logic and good sense of your plan and as one chief to another, I support you in it.”

Cuyler

Mike nodded and took a drink, handing the bottle back. “Three generations from those living now. Youngest one is I think seven. So their great-grandchildren could come back. I like the idea of a yearly ‘court’… but a lotta those cousins have made their kids, innocent or not in this, the kind that’ll be easy prey to whispers in the dark. I honestly think it’s best that we just cut ties with them till they prove they can be McKenzies to make us proud. Now what I could do is give special consideration to those who earn their way back in. Take the one that sent Gran the info… I don’t know what Revna thinks of it, but that was a ballsy move. And I don’t think it’s a trap… my gut tells me it’s not. And some of the things I saw just browsing on that screen? Clan politics aside… there’s adultery, child neglect, and I don’t know how many tax evasion admissions. You don’t need to make up all that for this situation. So whoever sent that? I’ll keep ‘em. And I’ll welcome back any of the kids that prove themselves… either with service to Clan above and beyond the pale… or through diligent service with no reward. They can give to the clan anything they want: time, money, information, legal help… whatever. But they get nothing for it in return except the hope that they can come back some day. So that’ll apply to the kids. But my cousins and their parents? Shit… they’re old enough to know better. They’re done. They get no chance. Not now, not ever. Banished. Permanently. Names removed from the rolls and all holdings distributed among the clan.” He said it as if trying to convince himself, not just Cuyler.

Mike

Cuyler nodded glad to see Mike thinking it through. What Mike was proposing was exactly what Cuyler himself was thinking. But it was easy to say to a young man looking for advice, ‘Do this’ it was harder, but a better teacher to provide an alternative view point and let them decide. “Absolutely, your cousins and their parents do know better. And the evidence against them is overwhelming. There is no redemption for them, their names will be added to the list of útlagi. And the children, well there may be no redemption for them either, but for those that DO there is a way. You just don’t tell them that. They can be watched, observed, and if it’s right then you can approach them.” Cuyler took another long pull of the bottle and passed it back to Mike. “Now as for Revna, I’ve never seen her be so…cautious. She’s always so forgiving and has this knack for seeing other points of view. But the only way you’re gonna know what she thinks about all of it, is to ask. You and Revna will need to be in agreement on this. Because whatever is done here, will apply to both clans now and in future. But if I know Revna, she’s more concerned with making sure this mystery person is treated fairly. That if he or she deserves leniency it’s given. I think you have a good plan, you’ve thought it through, I can’t think of anything that’s been missed. Now, what else is on your mind?”

Cuyler