[b]The Agriculturalist, the Golden Lady, and the New Presidency[/b]

Archibald Santos' first order of business was to send out messages to the mobile courts to begin another circuit, as well as the regional assemblies stationed in the provinces to move to another major city; it would not do to have individual urban centres in the Philippines get too cozy with being centres of Power. The Muslim Congress, buoyed up by its success in Sabah (a success they forgot they had nothing to do with and had actually opposed), was eager to move to Cotabato City to be closer to its new ally and trading partner. Marawi's Civilian Council would be sad, but they'd understand. It was Davao which was the larger problem.

Despite land reform further north, the Christian settlers trickling into Mindanao have only slowed down their migration into Muslim and Pagan lands, and were demanding their own representation. Davao City had the loudest voice for that, being home to Christians, Muslims, and Japanese Refugees exiled from Japan because of left-wing views. Due to the land around Davao being host to an increasing number of small cacao farms exporting chocolate to the global market - the sellers usually labelled the cacao as Mexican or African to avoid any tarriffs against Priscilline Confederalist Philippines - the city's voice was getting harder and harder to deny.

Archibald mused that it was his own agricultural techniques that had led to this rise in influence; an unforseen consequence of good intentions. Either way, he was thinking about how to please Davao's Civilian Council without alienating the Muslim Congress.

Footsteps were heard entering the room, which was situated in the small and modest guesthouse he lived in now that he was President. It was Aurelia, dressed in an immaculate black-and-white robe that made her look a bit like a Zebra, not that he was going to say that outright. Archibald said to his Vice President: "Hello, Aurelia, what's the order of business?"

"Christians want to join the Sulu Pirates," was the sudden and surprising reply from the normally refined lady. "Same for Sabahan Muslims. Should we extend tacit permission?" She would then blink a little. "Also, you might want to re-confirm ties with certain Rhodesian...entities."

Archibald would say to Aurelia, "I know about the airplanes you're buying from them as gifts to the air force. And we can always use a new market for agricultural products." A look at her. "By the way, you do realize my agricultural research ought to help [i]their[/i] business; so can you ask your contacts to call off their assassins?"

Aurelia's eyes opened slightly wider. "You're more assertive and perceptive than I gave you credit for. Power must do that to a person. So, what about the pirates?"

"Tell Davao City that if they support the Christians' ridiculous requests to join in piracy, they can kiss being a seperate political unit from the Muslim Congress goodbye. We are not muddying up the waters. Sabhans, meanwhile, need to register the names of every pirate captain - who would then keep a list of crew - in the Sulu and Manila Registers." At Aurelia's expression turning quizzical, Archibald continued, "Priscilla and Sultana Sabiha forced all pirate captains who want official support to register their names in Sulu, which would be copied in Manila; these two registers will be regularly cross-referenced with each other."

Archibald revealed more, "Each pirate captain then keeps a smaller ledger of their crewmembers and their activities. It is a measure to ensure a minimal level of ethical behavior between Pirates; keeps them semi-honorable. Not merely that, but all ledgers have a coded message in Arabic Script but in the Esperanto language. This coded message cannot be deciphered by the pirate captains, but is widely understood to be a means of distinguishing said ledger from any imitations." A purse of his lips. "Any pirate who does not have a ledger with said message, or who claims to understand said message, is actually an impostor or infiltrator."