Governor General. A fancy title, mused Argantan, yet meaningless without true power. And true power did not come from the barrel of a musket; it came from gold, it came from trade, it came from loyalty and Lascaux lacked them all. Although muskets in sufficient numbers could buy time to obtain the factors. Muskets could placate the providers who clamored for change - cannons could draw wealth in from neighbors. And neighbours Lascaux had aplenty. To the west lay the unstable Republic of Dont. To the East the Democratic People's Republic of Konzia with it's jade currency. To the South lay the tantilizingly wealthy Councilate of Arbasses. 

A cowardly man would look at the weakness of the Republic of Dont and would argue that it was a prize for the taking, that it's borders were large and that its forces would be scattered. He would say that its' government did not have the support of his people and would more easily accept foreign rule. A coward would argue that to subdue Dont and to take its riches a fight need not even be necessary that a quick decisive blow to Nacer, the capital, would incapacitate the nation. 

A fool might look east and see another republic in decline with it's people tired of war and might see a nation willing to pay off a foreign threat. A nation that,since the discovery of Aventia might see its population flee to the seas. A fool might be tempted by the rich prize of New Eastern Konzia, the republic's second city so tantalizingly close to Lascaux's borders.

Yet Argantan was no coward nor was he a fool, He understood that the eyes of King Philip and Supreme Commander Karol would be on Dont and to interfere there might bring their armies into supporting the Republic. Besides had the people of Dont had any real wealth worth looting or extorting they would not be in the situation they were currently in. Better to let the two western rulers fight over Dont and cut a deal with one later. Argantan saw Konzia as a threat with an army larger than his own. Although their forces were rumored to be ill disciplined recruits, with far less experience than his own men he would not risk his only asset on such a neighbour, for even poorly trained troops given the right reasons could fight like lions, and with the right training and local knowledge might be able to deal his own men a series of humiliating defeats. No defeats would be acceptable at this early stage of the game; it was important to demonstrate Lascan military dominance. Later he might revisit this decision if the costal people of Konzia sent sufficient numbers abroad to defend their new lands.

Instead Argentan would look to the south, to the Councilate of Arbasses whose men were famed as merchants throughout the world, not as warriors. Surely such wise men would appreciate a friendly offer of military protection and would gladly open up their purses to have the guarantee of a Commander General that Lascan troops would protect Arbassian settlements. Indeed in exchange for another kind donation the council of Arbasses might encourage Lascaux to send her soldiers elsewhere perhaps in lands of the Counciliate's foes? He sat down to write the letter. By the late morning it was sent. In order to maintain Lascan military superiority he spent the remainder of the day overseeing the drilling of recruits into regulars and consulting with experts and arms manufacturers about the possibility of pioneering a weapon with a greater range and much greater accuracy than muskets.

[i]What was it with with republics?[/i]. Republics were feeble bodies who gave the people what they wanted not what they needed. Republic taught people that to disagree with authority was acceptable and that the weak had a say in governance. Thankfully this was not so in Lascaux, the providers knew their place: beneath the heel of the the warrior.

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Henry de Stonee is promptly marched into the Morito officers' mess. Here he meets Argantan who is eager to increase productivity agricultural productivity in his lands given the state of the Lascan economy. However, the Commander General is a cautious man, He makes Henry an offer:vast swathes of land to the West of Lascaux safe from enemy intrusions to test his agricultural experiment, here he will have a proper retinue of providers to work his fields, dig his ditches and plant his seeds. Should he prove his boast and increase productivity by half in a fixed period of time he will be given a post second only to Argantan and his immediate subordinate,be given charge of Lascaux's agriculture and named an honorary warrior. Should he fail he will be excecuted and his family sold into slavery to make up Lascaux's losses.
To seal the deal his two sons are taken into Lascaux's military and are drilled in the capital to become officers his daughter will be taken on as the Commander General's personal assistant until her father produces results. Henry is given a a letter granting him the authority necessary to carry out his experiment and a mal lretinue of soldiers to enforce it.

As Henry de Stonee leaves towards his new estate Argantan reminds him that his is a military man and will not accept excuses should Henry fail. [i]"The providers will do as commanded and if they do not then the fault lies with their commander, You."[/i]
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