Forged in Blood And Steel

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20-June-1921

’’We are having a serious problem with the arrival of Britons at our ports, mein Herzog. According to our men on the islands, the number of British families packing their bags after hearing the stories in some newspapers and by word of mouth among the sailors who make the round trips is causing many to come and accept the offer that has been made’’ Alexander said while handing me several papers with some figures from the ports and from the latest ships that had brought British families to populate some villages.

’’Yes, I can read it. Thirty-two thousand in less than a month is too much. That is practically a small city. What is happening in England for this level of migration to be reaching the Duchy? We expected a few thousand per month, but if this continues long term, we would be talking about almost two million Britons by the end of the year, and God forbid, because we do not have anywhere near the number of houses necessary. That would vastly exceed the number of homes being built each month under my orders and, recently, a not insignificant percentage of the Baltic Construction Company was sent to Ukraine and Ruthenia, where they are carrying out multiple works to prepare for the drought, in addition to different infrastructure improvements’’ I said while reviewing the figures.

’’According to what we know, England’s internal crisis has reached one of its most serious points. Many companies are going bankrupt, English consumption has collapsed and a good part of their industry can no longer survive under the current conditions. That is precisely why they imposed the tariffs, to prevent local factories from having to face such fierce competition with foreign companies. According to the British Government estimates we managed to obtain through some inquiries, there are almost three million unemployed people desperately looking for work, while the crisis in Ireland continues to worsen’’ Alexander said, sharing my concern over such an increase in population.

’’How are we regarding the maximum percentage of foreign population in the colonial towns and cities? Do we still have capacity to continue absorbing the newcomers, or will we have to take measures to discourage the arrival of Britons?’’ I asked while adopting a thoughtful expression and continuing to review the data they had handed me.

’’The established maximum of five percent foreigners in the colonies has not yet been reached, but we are advancing too quickly. With Spaniards, Portuguese, Swedes, Danes, Finns, Norwegians, Italians and now Britons, we are rapidly approaching the limit. Adding all migrants together, we are absorbing around fifty thousand people each month, something that is not sustainable in the long term’’ Alexander replied as we began walking toward the port of Riga, where the ferries loaded with many of those migrants arrived.

’’The British labor crisis has existed practically since the conflict ended. What is the great dilemma that has caused so many people to start packing their bags and overflowing our ports now?’’ I asked while continuing to walk surrounded by my guard.

’’According to what we understand, the more of our ships travel to the British Isles for commercial work, the more people return with them. The captains do not want to return with empty ships and prefer to make better use of fuel and cargo capacity. Since your current order is to try to increase the population, until now practically anyone who wanted to migrate and seek work was being accepted. As long as we had the capacity to absorb them, there were not too many problems, but now we are reaching the point where more people arrive than we can house. Besides, not enough Germans are migrating to our lands to properly maintain the law we have in force’’ Alexander said while pointing at a ship arriving at the port.

’’Good, then that means we can solve things easily. I do not want a cultural group from a single nation growing too large, so we will have to place a temporary halt on British migration so we can continue increasing our housing surplus while continuing to urbanize the entire Duchy. There are still enormous amounts of territory that are nothing more than forests, plains or swamps and that could become new colonies... What about Ruthenia? How is the urbanization project going there?’’ I asked while looking at Alexander as we finally reached the port to directly observe what was happening.

It did not take us long to see large numbers of families beginning to disembark from the ship. From what I could distinguish, practically all of them were English and they were quickly received by members of our administration, who tried to identify them, register their documents and organize their transfer to the places where they would be resettled.

’’It is increasing, but nothing too large. A good part of their efforts were redirected toward preparations for the drought, so they probably cannot help us too much with this. We also have an important report from our security agency. The considerable increase in foreigners is beginning to take a toll on their personnel, especially considering that we are still maintaining foreign operations and that a good part of the most qualified staff is being sent to support those areas. They need more resources and personnel, if possible, to maintain the same effectiveness in the defense against British spies who continue trying to infiltrate our research centers’’ Alexander replied while both of us watched as Britons kept getting off the ship.

’’That damn ship looks like a clown car’’ I said while placing my hands on my waist and continuing to watch as people kept coming out.

’’A what?’’ Alexander asked while looking at me strangely, tilting his head and trying to understand the joke I had just made.

’’Forget it... Look, focus instead on the fact that we have to give orders to stop accepting Britons for a couple of months, except those who come with permits issued by British companies or who are truly necessary, such as educated people: engineers, biologists, scientists and things of that sort. It does not help us much to have people arrive who will only occupy houses that could be used by Germans and thus maintain the Ostsiedlung law. We will also have to find funds somewhere to increase the number of security operatives’’ I replied while remaining beside Alexander and observing everything happening at the port.

’’Then I will go report it so the rest of the administration can adapt to the new rules and prevent the captains from continuing to fill every available space on their ships with migrants until they cannot fit any more’’ Alexander said with a slight smile.

’’Yes, it is appreciated that the migration plans have gone well, but they are working far too well for my taste. The plan remains mainly to bring Germans. The Britons, for at least a decade or two, will be little more than taxpayers and an additional burden on our administrative systems. Unless they come for medical, scientific, technical work or some profession we truly need, we should not continue allowing their entry in this way. Besides, the police and the administration are already having too many problems processing them all’’ I replied while nodding and beginning to move away from the port.

’’Understood, mein Herzog. I will report everything and do what is within my power to control the situation’’ Alexander said while returning with his escort toward the port facilities.

It did not take me long to return to the mansion where I had my residence. I needed to relax a little, since during the last few weeks I had been working as if I were chained to my desk, trying to prevent things from getting out of control in the face of the possible water crisis that seemed to be developing across a good part of Europe.

’’Puff... these days are becoming more and more exhausting’’ I said while looking at the gardens which, after a little work by some gardeners, looked almost like a work of art... a work of art that consumed a stupid amount of water. ’’Was it really necessary to fix the gardens?’’ I asked, turning my head toward Tatiana, who was sitting beside me and observing the landscape with me.

’’Well, they looked terrible. What would the diplomats or nobles who visited our residence think if they saw we had a garden full of weeds and bushes growing completely out of control?’’ Tatiana replied while firmly holding my hand.

’’It is not as if we were going to invite them here. If we received guests, we could house them in one of the mansions already prepared for visits or use those residences for diplomats from other countries’’ I said while letting go of Tatiana’s hand for a moment, removing my glove and then taking her hand again directly.

’’Well, having a cleaner garden would also allow us to invite Aleksei more often. You know my parents are very protective of him, sometimes going to rather exaggerated extremes to keep him safe. If the garden is clean, there are many more chances he can explore the surroundings without them constantly worrying’’ Tatiana said while smiling at me, her cheeks blushing slightly.

’’Ah, if it is for young Aleksei, then I have no problem. By the way, where did your sisters and your brother travel? Since I no longer have a permanent escort watching them, I do not even know where they are moving unless I directly ask where the hell they are’’ I said, looking at Tatiana.

’’Romania. They are trying once again to play European marriage politics, trying to arrange some marriages with royal houses in the south. It is another attempt by my father to find good husbands for my sisters and to find a good marriage for Aleksei with some woman from a wealthy family that can help pay for everything involved in treating my brother’s illness’’ Tatiana explained.

’’Well, all of that seems a little stupid to me when I promised your father that I would have my best doctors working on a treatment for Aleksei and that he could take him out of the country if he found a better place. There are only three countries where he might perhaps receive medical care clearly superior to what we can give him here. But well, what can I do if your father is desperate to get some king or prince for your sisters and a princess for your brother using his position as former Tsar?’’ I replied, shrugging.

’’Yes, and I thank you for it anyway’’ Tatiana said before making a small signal with one hand. ’’Earlier, I heard you speaking with some of your officers about something you would like to eat and... well, I made some requests to obtain it’’.

Tatiana smiled and one of her maids approached carrying a plate.

On it was an avocado.

An avocado cut ... including the seed.

’’He, he, he... but how so...? Ha, ha, ha, ha!’’ I began laughing while looking at the avocado cut with the seed included in front of me.

’’What is so funny?’’ Tatiana asked while leaning forward to look more closely at the avocado, not understanding absolutely anything.

’’That is not how it is cut... It is terribly wrong. The seed is not cut, only the flesh. It is not the hardest thing in the world either’’ I said while bringing a hand to my face and continuing to laugh, feeling how even a few tears escaped from my eyes.

’’But it was what you wanted, was it not? I brought them from Spain. Or did you want the American ones? Because those are much harder to get here’’ Tatiana asked, now a little worried, thinking she had made a mistake.

’’They should be practically the same because, if I am not mistaken, this type of avocado originally comes from Mexico. It must be some experimental plantation or something similar, I suppose. Do you not have one that has not been cut?’’ I asked, looking at one of the maids.

The woman soon returned with a whole avocado.

I took a knife, cut the avocado until reaching the seed and then turned the knife around the entire fruit until dividing it into two halves. Then I struck the seed lightly with the blade until it stuck and, with a small movement of my wrist, managed to remove it completely.

After that, I took a spoon and slid it between the flesh and the peel to separate them.

’’That is how it should look. Now I need a little tomato... a sausage and mayonnaise... a little bread... eh... a Frankfurter, that’’ I said, looking at the maids, who quickly began memorizing everything I had requested before hurrying away to fulfill the order.

’’So you want to put that inside bread with a German sausage, is that right?’’ Tatiana asked while wearing an expression of obvious doubt.

’’I have wanted to eat it for a very long time... The problem is that bringing such a small amount of these things is rather expensive. But well, a small luxury should not do too much harm to the Duchy’s treasury, I suppose’’ I said while trying to hold back my saliva at the thought that I would finally be able to eat something I had missed for years.

’’I am glad you are happy. At least you found something that takes you away for a moment from all those things constantly passing through your head’’ Tatiana said, smiling.

I remained waiting for them to finish preparing everything, almost unable to contain my smile, and it did not take too long for them to have it ready.

Freshly baked and crunchy bread, a homemade sausage made with good meat instead of some ultra-processed product, homemade mayonnaise with salt and pepper, fresh tomatoes and an avocado that was quite good. It was not excellent, but after so many years, it was very much appreciated.

I quickly assembled the completo italiano and, as soon as I had it in my hands, I took an enormous bite.

’’Oh, que wea mas ricah’’ I said with mayonnaise staining my nose, while observing the somewhat doubtful looks of everyone around me.

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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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