In a multiverse near you there is a planet known to the locals as Lepus Seven. In this particular iteration of the temporal plane an enlarged, carnivorous species of rabbit reigns supreme. In some bizarre evolutionary quirk Lepus Seven, a relatively small planet on the outskirts of the Constellation of Gemini, never developed primates. Instead rabbits experienced a hyper-evolution, or perhaps some malign mutation, which rendered them not as fuzzy, cuddly little garden rodents; rather, as fierce predators with advanced intelligence.
Now I say the Constellation of Gemini only because of it's proximity to what we would call Gemini. They call it something else, some gibberish that I am sorry to report just does not translate to any known human speech. The multiverse is rumored to be infinite, though given our inability to count that high we may never know for certain. At any rate much of the physical universe as we understand it is essentially the same in any version. Any other similarities are completely random and highly unlikely.
Lepus Seven has quite a history within it's own solar system. It is one of thirteen planets in the system, the middle child one might say. Each of those rocks are reckoned to be somewhere in the neighborhood of four billion years old, though any forms of civilization were indeed much later developments. For any of you who may have already concluded that these planets are designated Lepus 1-13, I must now pour cold water on this. There are only two within this system, Lepus Six and Lepus Seven. The names of the remaining eleven are, as in the case of Gemini, untranslatable in any language we can understand.
As in any civilization the history of sentient rabbits has been muddled with their own mythology. By the best information I can obtain it would seem that the cradle of rabbit civilization is to be found upon an ancient planet orbiting the star Alpha Leporis. It used to orbit the star. It has long since been engulfed by the star. Without tagging any number let us just say that it was a really, really long time ago. If the rabbits' own recorded history is to be believed their arc spans a period of roughly 40,000 years, from their exodus until their migration through the cosmos to it's current extent.
Rabbit first arrived on Lepus Six approximately 10,000 years ago when it was still a virgin, Mars sized planet of lush cabbage forests. In only 3,000 years they succeeded in a near total deforestation of the planet, a subsequent collapse of the planetary civilization and ultimately migrated to Lepus Seven. It is germane at this point to note one other development: this is when rabbits became carnivorous. There was a time in their history when this became a matter of necessity. After moving to Lepus Seven it remained a matter of choice.
The lush and warm continents of Lepus Seven's southern hemisphere were ideal for the establishment of vast vole farms. Later there was the addition of sweet corn and broccoli farming to augment their diet. On the planet's lone continent in the northern hemisphere there was little for agriculture, though it's cooler climate did allow for commercial farming of a rather hardy breed of rats. The rabbits of Lepus Seven, after only a few centuries, had entered that sweet spot of civilizations that we know as "Fat City".
It is consistent in every civilization that attains this level that they should develop parasitical vocations to give their citizens skin in the game. This is how careers like traffic cops, lawyers, tax accountants and municipal clerks get started. It was no different for an advanced rabbit civilization. And on that point specifically let it be said that the rabbits of Lepus Seven have at least one trait in common with their terrestrial counterparts: they breed prodigiously. With a basic infrastructure in place, an abundant food supply with an efficient system of distribution, there was everything needed for a society to thrive. And reproduce. There has to be something for all of those rabbits to do with their time.
Most of us are familiar with that old proverb "the Devil finds work for idle hands". I'm not really certain where the Devil figures in a rabbit centric universe, but evidently a similar canon evolved on Lepus Seven. It is indeed extraordinary that the rabbit culture of Lepus Seven has remained at such a societal pinnacle for lo these six odd millennia. Most civilizations who achieve Fat City have only been able to do so for five or six centuries. On rare occasions a whole millennium.
Somewhere along the way, as happens with any society, a culture will coalesce about an idea, an object, a trope. The tried and true for this is the eternal bogeyman. It begins with an unseen Devil. Or those exotic strangers lurking upon our borders, ready to come and devour our treasure and our children. Find or create a common enemy and one can guide a multitude. Salt it with irrational patriotic fervor, isolate it from any poison ideas and you have yourself a mythology for which there will always be zealots eager to sacrifice themselves for the greater cause.
Lepus Seven endured the arduous growing pains of any advanced society. There were the feudal fiefdoms, principalities and kingdoms growing into confederations, larger nation states. Thus is the path of history. It reads pretty much the same throughout the multiverse. The trend is ever toward tyranny. There are of course those very few instances when tyranny is challenged or vanquished. Typically one just replaces another, but in those cases that good should prevail the punishment is usually swift and complete. And that brings us to the sad tale of King Otto the Just.
King Otto the Just was a name which he chose upon his coronation. By the record he was actually King Otto XVII, the last in a dynasty which had endured since the Lepus Seven Standard Year 4545. The House of Otto ruled over Lepus Seven's largest country, New Leporia, which was also the largest continent of the four on the planet. Otto the Just had been groomed for the crown, though his ascension to the throne came prematurely upon the unexpected demise of his father. At the tender age of nineteen the burden of ruling New Leporia was thrust upon him. Most in New Leporia, as well as the rest of the planet, expected that life would carry on as it had. None of them had any reason to suspect any differently. They were all unaware of an occasion in the younger Otto's childhood which would forever alter the history of Lepus Seven.
The House of Otto had undergone a significant crisis over the past century. After centuries of rule the Ottos had grown complacent and entitled, easy prey to unscrupulous manipulation and temptations. To help sustain their extravagant lifestyle they began to issue ever larger bales of fiat currency into their economy. They became indebted to off world bankers, eager to obtain liens upon the vast wealth of New Leporia. It gradually became known to more and more subjects of the Kingdom that the House of Otto was literally selling their nation out from under them. It was not looking good for the grand old house, but there was a plan. Some of the advisors of his grandfather's court were in fact agents of the bankers and they sold Otto XV on a diversion.
The first day of Winter was six weeks after the crisis broke. On that day the skies over New Leporia were filled with swarms of drones and other larger craft. From various corners of the country there began to trickle in accounts of strange monkey creatures landing in force, taking over major road junctions, power and water plants and other critical infrastructure. A confused and panicked population were advised over TV and radio to shelter in place. By nightfall a pale and visibly shaken Otto XV appeared upon the nation's TV screens, broadcasting from a secure, undisclosed location. He then informed his subjects that they were under attack from The Clan of Fudd, a rogue, mercenary force from somewhere in the Orion system. He readily admitted to his audience that New Leporia was teetering on the brink, but assured them all that the brave defenders of their land had succeeded in halting the enemy advance. He closed with a determination that these invaders would be expelled and that Leporians shall breath free again. He exhorted his subjects to unite in this struggle and to accept new measures to prosecute this war to a successful end.
Well that was the official story for public consumption. On his fourteenth birthday, a mere five years before assuming the throne, it was revealed to him for the first time the real story surrounding the Clan of Fudd. His father and all of the family and court were gathered in a great dining hall at the royal residence. Young Otto was ushered in to be feted by the assembly. Then he was suddenly shocked as a cadre of the monkey creatures had surrounded their party. He turned from one side to another, desperately seeking a weapon or some party to rise to their defense. And then suddenly there was laughter. All of them, all around... laughing. At him! After a moment he saw the monkey creatures suddenly removing their heads and the rest of their strange garb to reveal that they were in fact rabbits of the kings guard in costume. This is how it was revealed to him.
Everything that he had believed was crushed in that moment. He felt a hollow pit fall in his gut at the realization that the House of Otto was a fraud. And also the equally wrenching understanding that the only reason this had been revealed to him was that he was expected to perpetuate the fraud. The younger Otto spent a good deal of the next five years making discreet inquiries as to the state of the treasury. Piece by piece he came to understand that the wholesale mortgaging of the continent had continued apace through the remainder of his grandfather's reign and throughout the reign of his father. He could hardly believe that he could be the only one to see that the entire regime was a house of cards. Surely others knew, yet he dared not speak of it.
On a bright Autumn morning in his nineteenth year the younger Otto awakened to the news that his father, King Otto XVI, had aspirated on a hair ball in his sleep at the age of 61. Before his breakfast had even been set the new King of New Leporia was besieged by members of the court with plans for a coronation at the earliest possible date. This was vital, he was told, to reassure a nervous public. He listened rather absently, nodding and grunting periodically, as they droned on. He understood that it was necessary for him to go through these motions, but he was already thinking of what he was going to do. He'd been thinking about it for some time.
Within a week the coronation had passed. There was much buzz about at the new king's choice of moniker. "Otto the Just! Pray to the Hare Krishna that it be so!", they would say in the streets. Through the remainder of Autumn and over the Winter the new King Otto enjoyed what we call the honeymoon period. With the arrival of Spring Otto the Just was prepared to commence his daring plan.
Once the crown was seated upon his brow there were members of the court's council who discreetly made him aware that they represented some of the universe's most powerful banking institutions. If there were ever concerns of money they were certainly eager to be of assistance. When the apple blossoms had flowered Otto summoned the bankers and select members of his court. He proceeded to give them his pitch to take on an additional loan in an amount four times greater than the last loan issued. The purpose for this loan was for further military spending, in response to the next fraudulent threat. It might be Clan of Fudd, or maybe something new. He was open to suggestions.
There was never any doubt of the loan being granted, but there came the inevitable awkward moment when the subject of collateral was raised. It was expected that the young King would offer more real estate. Instead he told them of something better, summoning one of his servants to retrieve a cart from an adjacent room. Shortly after the servant wheeled in a wooden cart of about a four bushel capacity, filled to overflowing with raw, gold ore. The bankers' eyes grew to the size of saucers at the sight of this. Otto teased that this was but a taste of the yield to come from a newly discovered gold vein on the north island, to which the bankers would be entitled an ample share. In exchange for the loan. The deal was struck and phase one was complete.
There may have been an actual gold vein on the north island, but there were none that Otto was aware of. The gold presented in the cart at the conference was taken from a cache that the House of Otto had been hoarding for at least ten centuries. It had been only bait and the bankers had swallowed it, as he had been certain they would. Greed is an entirely predictable quality.
The next step was to go to the state treasury with instructions that they should print an additional four trillion units of paper currency. The affairs of the treasury had gone long past any concerns of the consequent inflation. They were on the dope of what we might call modern monetary theory. They didn't call it that. Their description of their monetary policy was something closer to what we would call "the privilege of unaccountability". Again there is that difficulty in finding a clean translation, but you get the idea. Otto was assured that new bills would be in circulation in about thirty days and the full lot completed by the end of Summer. Phase two was underway. Then came the most critical phase in Otto the Just's scheme. It required some speed, but more importantly it would require stealth.
The young king had spent the last years of his youth studying hard. He had examined everything that was within the purview of statecraft. Most of all he delved deeply into Leporian history. After the stunning revelation of the fraudulent Clan of Fudd he was determined to discover what other lies had been told in their history. As no one really expected that Otto XVI would expire so suddenly there was no rush in thrusting the younger Otto into official duties. He was free to spend long hours roaming through ancient catacombs beneath the castle, perusing the vast archives of the Otto dynasty.
There were numerous discoveries. Some were only a mild surprise, others utterly astonishing. Deceit and guile were consistent themes throughout the centuries. On more than one occasion he uncovered history that was buried; both in the literal sense of finding piles of dusty parchment, as well as it being a history never revealed or long forgotten. There was one particular episode of Leporian history he had never heard, one which occurred before the Otto Dynasty. It was this that most captured his imagination and fueled his thirst to learn more.
All of his life the young Otto had been taught that Lepus Seven had been a virgin planet when his kind arrived from Lepus Six. Anyone he had ever known had been taught and believed the same. Yet within those ancient archives he was to learn that this was not in fact true. Roughly two millennia prior to the birth of the House of Otto there was recorded a period known as the "great Leporian exile". The natives of the planet, a reasonably advanced species of moles, had been slaughtered and displaced from one corner of the planet to another for a period of nearly fifteen centuries. Finally with the ascension of the House of Petra, Otto's dynastic predecessor, the remaining mole population were rounded up and either killed or exiled from Leporian society. As he followed this disgraceful tale through some centuries he found that the story culminated in a small remaining mole population exiled to a speck of an island, roughly 300 miles off of New Leporia's western coast. The place did not even appear on any modern maps and was called Malta. From what he could find this curious name originated from a planet named for dirt.
The final settlement of this exile held more curious details. There were not only moles included in this action, but also an ancient and proud race of rabbit warriors, known to history as the Black Hares of the Guard. They were descended from those few rabbits who had made the journey from Lepus Six before it's complete collapse. The Black Hares clung to their vegetarian traditions and lived in harmony with the existing mole culture of Lepus Seven. As the pogroms against the mole population increased the Black Hares courageously took up arms in defense of the natives. As the Leporian Empire expanded the Black Hares gave as good as they got, but ultimately it was a war of attrition that they could not win. Though they were never completely vanquished in battle, the Black Hares were finally boxed in and left only two options: stand and fight to the death or accept exile to Malta with the moles. There were some who fought, but most of those that remained sailed with their mole brethren.
After stumbling into this unknown or forgotten history Otto had continued digging. After some time he grew convinced that he had exhausted the record and the tale had found it's end. At a later date he had been examining the history of contracts and contract law, when he was to find a further reference to both the moles and the Black Hares of the Guard. It seems that late in the Petran Dynasty, a few hundred years before the House of Otto, the Empire had concluded a truce of sorts with the Exiles of Malta, mole and hare alike. It became a truce as a matter of practice, but was in reality a contract. A contract in perpetuity (at least on paper), and fully transferable from Dynasty to Dynasty. The moles were able miners, but an even greater talent resided in their skill as smiths. They had been contracted to mint coinage for the Empire and the Black Hares of the Guard were assigned as the moles' protectors to defend the Isle of Malta from any invasion.
He had been near bursting at the seams with this knowledge for a few years before taking the throne. He was confident that he had uncovered the greatest secret ever held in Leporian history, yet he could speak of it with no one. In those years he had turned over his plans backward and forward in his head nearly a thousand times, always thinking that it would be years before he had his chance. He knew that at some point he must travel to Malta. With the first two phases of his plan secured he understood clearly that the time for that voyage was now.
It was upon the Midsummer's Eve that Otto exercised his royal privilege to engage in some well deserved leisure. He had endured the pomp and endless chatter of court life for nearly nine months without stop. He entrusted the hand of Royal authority to his uncle, Cicero, to act in his stead while he was away. He had actually been taking some pains to see that his uncle and other advisors who had carried over from his father's court were led to believe that he was readily accepting all of their counsel. That they were, in effect, "running" things. This suited Otto's purposes rather well. It made it easier for him to slip away for a vacation without having quite so much scrutiny upon him.
Otto had announced his plans a couple of weeks earlier. He began by selecting a trustworthy crew for the voyage, a planned two week sailing excursion into the Wester Ocean with various stops along the Hebrides Chain. The loose itinerary was marked by a lone state event at the port of Carrotlode on the Isle of Lesser Leporia; a visit to acknowledge the long ignored subjects of a remote corner of the empire. From there it was planned that they would begin the homeward voyage by a course yet to be determined.
The voyage was to be aboard the fifty foot sloop Radicchio, a personal vessel that had been moored at the House Marina for four generations. She was a handsome and sleek craft, one which might appear to be more to the favor of pirates than to serve as a royal vessel. Radicchio was ably manned by a crew of as little as five and her ample hold could carry up to six tonnes of cargo. There was hardly a need for that much capacity to hold two weeks' provisions, but Otto had designs for that space. For four days prior to their setting sail Otto had, with the aid of two trusted servants, quietly shuttled a number of crates below deck under the dark of night. The nature of that cargo remained an absolute secret.
They left port at an hour after dawn, the rising sun beaming at their backs as they sailed out of the harbor. A few hours later they had lost sight of the coast behind them and cruised at a steady ten knots to the west. For most a searing sun in the sky may be associated with a dry, desert setting, but there is in fact no sun more merciless than a mid afternoon, mid summer's day sun when out at sea. The Radicchio and it's crew were a floating speck in a brilliant sea of white light, bathed from above by the fierce sun and all about from a blinding reflection off the sea. It occurred to Otto that as they were out here all alone they were the embodiment of the Leporian Empire flag: horizontal bars of white above, blue below and with a defiant hare in profile superimposed in the middle.
The Royal sloop held this course for the better part of the day. With about three hours of daylight remaining Otto took the helm and gradually steered the ship to the north-northwest. Well after nightfall he checked his calculations against the stars and remained confident that they were on the correct course. By his best reckoning he believed they should arrive at Malta by evening of the next day. His crew was seasoned enough to be aware of this course change, but none questioned it. They hadn't any idea where they might be headed, but they trusted this young King.
The Radicchio sailed on through placid seas for hours, beneath the spectacular panorama of the stars. The crew took their rest in turns, but Otto remained awake and alert at the helm. He had for some time worked out how he planned for this meeting to go, yet in these quiet hours he had to admit to himself that never having met either the moles or the Black Hares, he should not be so certain as to what may happen. Until as recently as a few years before Otto had never even known of their existence. He had to consider it entirely possible that they may be met with hostility. The Radicchio was without any form of armament and would not appear as a threat in any way, save for her bearing the colors of the Empire. For the little bit of their history that he did know he quite imagined that there would be some lingering resentments. Before the next day had dawned, and before he finally submitted to a few hours' sleep, he had determined how the approach to the Isle would be made.
Over the many hours that followed the skies and seas underwent a change. The night had remained mostly calm and starlit and dawn had seemed to promise another day of tranquil seas. By early afternoon an ill wind began to breath from the east, with banks of low cloud riding upon it. The winds remained moderate but steady and as hours wore on cloud seemed to boil from all about. By the evening hours the atmosphere could sustain no more of it and the clouds gave forth with rain. It came not in torrents, but kept a steady dowsing. Otto at this time reckoned that they were but four to five hours off from being in sight of the coast of Malta.
He retreated to his cabin for a short time and then emerged with a flagon of rum and two flags made ready for hoisting. He called his crew to assemble at the mast and and handed over the rum. He encouraged them to imbibe, but cautioned that they should remain sharp. He went on to explain that it was his intent to sail on course until near midnight and then drop anchor until the morn. On his order they were to bring down the Empire standard and instead hoist the two that he had brought from his cabin. They were to raise the white standard of parley first, followed by the unfamiliar deep green banner he presented. It was the ancient standard of the Black Hares of the Guard; a deep jade field emblazoned with the head of a large, black hare. Otto had found it buried deep in the family archives. He had considered that these two raised in tandem would be the safest means of signaling to shore. He hoped he was right, lest all his plans come to naught.
True to his calculations they came in sight of the fortress Isle just nigh unto midnight. Through the rain soaked lens of his telescope Otto spied the mighty white rock at a range of about 1500 yards off the starboard bow. He called the order to change the flags and make ready to steer seventy degrees to starboard for one half hour, after which they would drop anchor for the night. The Radicchio was gently guided to within 500 yards of shore, displaying her broadside to the coast. There they would await first light.
The rains continued through the night until just before sunrise. Otto had attempted to doze, but only stirred restlessly in his bunk. At first light he went on deck and surveyed the Maltese coast through his telescope. They were but a half mile from shore and even in the soft light of early dawn he was able to discern it's entire length in great relief. It was a daunting sight which only grew more dramatic as the rising sun shone upon it. The coast he could observe was a length of not more than two miles. It was the southeastern side of the Isle and from one end to the other a sheer, alabaster cliff rose to a height of nearly 900 feet. There was no beach, only jagged stones jutting from the surf that beat mercilessly upon the great rock. There were no piers nor a port of any size to be seen on this coast. Despite this apparent desolated scene Otto felt certain that they were being observed from the heights.
It would not be a very long time before his suspicion was confirmed. One of the crew called out loudly "Ships approaching from aft, my Liege!" In an instant Otto and the rest of the crew made for the port side aft deck to see for themselves. There were two motorized craft; one a small frigate veering to their starboard, the other a smaller ship like a harbor patrol boat. The brilliant emerald standard of the Guard waved brightly from each as they sailed into the sun. Otto's crew looked to him anxiously for orders, but there were none.
The frigate had pulled up at a distance of 100 yards off starboard. There were no armaments visible, but they were clearly positioned for a broadside. The smaller patrol boat had cut it's motor and was coasting to pull abreast of their port side. It was only then that Otto issued his orders to the crew. "Go below deck and secure the cargo. I can handle this on my own." Some crew members looked to one another somewhat quizzically, but obeyed the order without further question.
Otto put himself at amidships against the port side rail to await the patrol boat. The small craft pulled up at a distance of 20 yards and maneuvered a U turn to display her port side. Since no shots had been fired yet, when clearly there was the advantage to do so, Otto felt that he was safe. After a few moments a very large black hare stepped from the cabin and hailed Otto in a heavy brogue.
"Ahoy! 'hoo is it bears the standard of the Guard to seek parley?"
Otto noted that the hare was missing his right foreleg, or rather just the foot thereof. This signified that he was a member of an ancient order that still practiced the Rite of Fussgeben. He had heard of such, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed one. Exceedingly rare in the modern era, members of this order were commonly referred to as Fuggers (an abbreviation of fussgebers, or "foot givers"). The sacrificial rite originated in the age when rabbits were persecuted by hunters from the Orion system. Rabbits were harvested for their feet, which were held to be a magic talisman in the Orion culture. Fussgeben was created to appease the hunters and thus spare other rabbits the mutilation. The hunter culture had long before died off, but the powerful symbolism of Fussgeben had survived for millennia.
"Ahoy! It is I, King Otto of New Leporia. We are unarmed and come with no provocation. I wish only to speak with the Mole King, and to deliver a cargo, if he will have it."
The Black Hare stood stoic and replied with but a single word, "Aye", before retreating to the cabin. Otto waited patiently. He surmised that the Black Hare was on the radio with his superiors to give report and obtain any orders. The minutes crawled until just shy of a half hour before the hare finally returned to the deck.
"The Duke of Malta extends his greetings to ye, sir! I am afraid, however, that I must ask permission to board and inspect your ship before bringing ye into port. May we approach and bring a small party to board?" As the Black Hare had done in their initial exchange King Otto likewise replied with but a word, "Aye".
The boarding was accomplished in short order and formal introductions were made. Otto learned that what he had assumed to be the Captain of the small vessel was in fact the Captain of the legendary Guard. He introduced himself only as Captain Duncan. Duncan had boarded with four hares of equally imposing stature, each of them identical to the other. The Captain could be distinguished by the numerous silver hairs amid his sable coat. His subordinates were coal black from the soles of their feet to the very tips of their ears. Even their eyes were glistening black orbs.
After their examination of the entire hold of the ship it was determined that there was no threat present. Captain Duncan reasoned correctly that the crates of gold ore were the cargo the young King had referenced, and though quite curious as to the purpose he thought better of asking. To his knowledge it had been a century at least since any official representative of New Leporia had come to call upon Malta. Their mint had ceased it's production even before that and most residents of the lonely isle were of the belief that they had simply been left forgotten, a condition not lamented.
As he prepared to return to his own ship the elder Duncan took a more studied look upon this youthful monarch and felt no fear of him, nor of his title. He felt no impulse to dislike him, yet nevertheless he was eager to conclude their business and send "the Bonnie Prince" on his way. Despite their isolation life was good on Malta and it was generally considered that the absence of Leporian overlords had much to do with this. The Captain cordially offered ropes to provide a tow into port on the other side of the isle. Otto respectfully declined the offer, but stated that he would indeed appreciate their escort into the harbor.
It was a very short passage around to the north face of the Isle. After passing the eastern tip the towering wall of Malta descended gently into broader slopes, folding down to envelope the harbor in the middle of their north coast. Giant carrot fronds danced lightly in the morning breezes, swaying with each breath of air. From out on the water they appeared to wave and beckon one inwards. It appeared to Otto that this was the only welcoming aspect of this windswept rock, every other face was stark and forbidding. It was as if this great cylinder had been thrust into the sea, anchored to the ocean floor, and then struck with a mighty maul to nick out a gigantic vee from it's face.
After being properly moored preparations were made to move the cargo. Otto instructed his crew to remain on board the ship to assist with this, while he would be ushered by a Black Hare detail to meet with the Duke. He carried with him a slim satchel containing a few important documents he'd prepared in anticipation of this meeting. He had not been certain that he would get this far, but as he was being escorted to the Maltese throne he felt more confident that he had included all of the legal instruments required for the occasion.
There did not appear to be a great deal of activity about the port, though he could hardly guess as to what might have been the norm. Their party passed with little notice from those who were about. Otto noted that, whether out of reverence or fear, the hunched and stunted moles averted their gaze from the Black Hares as they approached and until they had gone.
The ground was still very wet and as they approached an enormous arch carved out of the rock their column had to step around a rather deep puddle which had settled near the entrance. Here a set of heavy, wooden doors nearly twenty feet high opened inward to a large vestibule. The entire space was carved right out of the stone, the ceiling gradually tapering lower until reaching a set of smaller doors opposite the entryway. As the massive outer doors were closed behind flickering torches brought the stone to life. Between the long shadows they cast the torchlight reflected a shimmering light off the walls, capturing brilliant flecks of aquamarine, copper and deep violet.
Their party entered the middle door to a dimly lit hall. Otto could not see to it's end. The path was straight and after proceeding forward for a few minutes he understood why he'd not been able to see down the hall: they were going downhill. It wasn't terribly long before they had reached the bottom and arrived at a lift platform set in the floor. Duncan instructed his detachment to stand down and keep watch at the platform until summoned. He then bid the King to step on the platform and away they rose to their audience with the Duke.
Duncan stood stiffly at attention for the duration of the ride, remaining utterly stoic, until coming to a halt within a glass enclosure at the very top of the island. Once the brake engaged on the lift this triggered doors to slide open to a garden space surrounding the enclosure. Duncan gestured toward the opening with his lone forepaw and announced, "The Duke has asked that ye should meet in his garden. If ye would please follow me."
Otto obliged to follow the Black Hare down a sandy path winding through plots of lush vegetation. There were all manner of plants and almost none of them were any he recognized.Weaving through these plots they finally arrived at a small grove of trees surrounding a circular clearing. Cobblestones in the colors of the stone walls were set in the ground as a circle and in the center stood a small fountain, gurgling gently. A semi-circular bench was placed before one side of the fountain and seated in the middle, with his legs dangling over the side, was the Duke of Malta. They halted at the edge of the circle and Duncan announced, "M'lord, I present ye Otto XVII, King of New Leporia."
Now other than what he had garnered from the dusty archives, he knew very little about moles. He had expected to find them diminutive, hunched creatures with dull, dirty fur and dim eyes. For the most part they seemed to live up to this expectation, but before him sat the reigning sovereign of their race. He had to check himself not to betray his initial reaction of shock at what he saw. Duncan turned to him to complete the formal introduction, "M'lord, I present ye Mortimer IX, Duke of Malta."
Otto offered a bow to the Duke and the wizened ruler responded with a feeble nod and the brief wave of a trembling paw. Duke Mortimer was shaped like a pear; a bloated body with a tiny head perched atop it. His fur was in dirty brown and grey patches, and his limbs were shriveled. He gave all the appearance of some homeless beggar, rather than a Duke. When the Duke finally spoke in a rich baritone it was even more surprising than his apparent decrepit condition.
"Well! I had heard word from the pelicans that we had a new King, hmm? Come closer and let me have a look at you, young hare, hmm? I'm afraid my eyes are not well suited to the light."
Otto stepped over closer to the Duke and for the first time got a closer look at those deep set, beady eyes. There was more animation behind those eyes than the physical appearance would suggest. He had no clue how to judge the age of a mole, but he was confident that the Duke was of some advanced years. It was this that exuded a certain gravitas which left him at least mildly intimidated. Otto tried to hide this, but still nervously stammered his first address to Duke Mortimer.
" It is my...er, it is indeed an honor to be the first... Leporian King to... uh...."
The old Duke was amused at his discomfort and erupted into a deep, rolling chuckle. "At ease, son....ho-ho ho! Oh, I beg your pardon, your Majesty! Ha ha! Please, come sit by me, hmm? You and I have some things to discuss, hmm?" He patted a spot to his right on the bench and then called to Duncan, "Duncan, old man! Fetch us some tea and join us, hmm?"
The Captain gave a curt nod and replied, "Aye, m'lord!"
With the ice sufficiently broken and tea served the three of them settled into what might be called a mini-summit, of sorts. Otto, rather awkwardly, tried to offer his most profound apology on behalf of the Leporian Empire for past transgressions. He was shrewd enough not to divulge everything he had learned in recent years, but detailed enough of his evolution of thought to lead in to the explanation of his plans. He didn't give away all of the plan, but enough for them to be clear on their part, should they agree to it. He laid out his broader vision of restoring the wealth of the land to it's citizens and removing the chains of the off world bankers. Then he drilled down to the purpose of this voyage.
"As the Duke is no doubt already aware, I have delivered to your port this day a cargo of three tonnes of gold ore. This ore is offered in good faith as a retainer to Malta. This is not a gift of the Leporian Empire. The Leporian Empire knows nothing of this gift; I was never here." The King paused here, in part for dramatic effect, and to sip from his tea. "This is from the personal treasury of the House of Otto. And there is more. Much more."
The Duke rocked back and forth, rubbing his chin as he listened. Here he interjected, "You mean for us to resume the mint? That may take some time..."
"Yes, we have need of the mint and will for some time. It is my intention to repudiate all Leporian debt to off world bankers and to rescind any title or liens they may hold on Leporian soil. I am fully aware of the consequences. The citizens of Leporia will awaken the next day to find their paper bills only good to shred and use for bedding. And they will learn that this event did not cause this condition; only expose it. This is why I need your mint, your smiths and your loyalty. I need 4 million units of gold coin delivered and ready for distribution in one year. Can you do it?"
The Duke sat still with a bemused grin as he heard this. Captain Duncan, the coal black sphinx, betrayed nothing.
"Four million, you say hmm? One year, hmm?", the Duke ran calculations quickly in his head, reckoning that it would take eight months to get the mint back up to full production. They would need only 13,000 units per day, + or -, to hit the four million mark in eighteen months. "That would be eighteen months from the date we would commence, hmm? And the gold?"
"You shall have all the gold you will need. In my valise I have some documents for you." King Otto paused here as he removed a sheaf of papers and sorted through them. " First, here is your copy of an official Imperial Decree of apology for the genocide committed against your species. It is further decreed here that the Moles and Black Hares of Malta are free to travel without let or hindrance anywhere in the Empire, and that they may enjoy a full repatriation into Leporian society. I will sign this decree to render it binding upon your agreement to mint the gold, to be officially enacted upon my return from this voyage."
Neither the Duke nor the Captain were overly impressed with the apology, and the societal repatriation was a gift roughly akin to kissing one's sister. But, they accepted it graciously enough. Otto continued.
"Next , there is this new contract, negating any previous contracts held between Malta and the Empire. This contract is between Malta and the House of Otto. It states that Malta shall provide at regular intervals craft of their own fleet, with a minimum capacity of 20 tonnes; that these craft shall have passage to the personal port of the House of Otto for the purpose of taking on gold ore for return passage to Malta. Malta is to take a twenty percent share of each shipment for their own treasury, the remainder to be minted as Imperial coinage to be shipped back to the House of Otto. This arrangement to remain in effect until such time as the gold may run out. Are these terms acceptable?"
The Duke and Captain Duncan exchanged a look, very subtly. Otto thought for a moment that he detected the slightest of shrugs from the Captain. Almost. The Duke replied.
"Er, the gold, hmm? You say there is much more, hmm? So...when might the gold... run out, hmm?"
"Years. Probably twenty. Maybe more."
"Mmm. Mmm.... yes! Yes, your terms are acceptable!"
Otto was ecstatic that everything had fallen into place. "Excellent! I am very pleased that we could reach an agreement. This heralds an auspicious era for Leporia and Malta alike. I would much like to stay and celebrate this great moment, yet I must ask your indulgence. Due to the clandestine nature of this visit we must soon be back at sea."
"Oh, indeed...yes. Understood. There will come a day for celebrations, hmm? You'll forgive me, hmm? I am afraid I can not rise so easily, or I would come to your ship to see you off, hmm?"
"Ah, not to worry. You should make plans to have your first ship arrive two weeks hence. I expect you and the Captain to be aboard and join me for a state dinner at the palace. We can make it the formal announcement of a new covenant between Leporia and Malta!"
"Indeed we shall!"
And thus was the final piece of Otto's plan cemented. Captain Duncan escorted him back to his ship, leaving the Duke pondering this strange fortune. He understood what the young King meant to do and thought "Krishna save him, that he might succeed."
The Radicchio returned to port in New Leporia on the eve of the seventeenth day after departure. They were really only a day late, not so much as to cause any alarm. The return was greeted with no fanfare, only the normal detachment of the King's guards. Otto was quite happy to slip quietly into the palace and find rest in his private quarters. Sleep came easily to him after the long voyage. There were blessed hours, dreamless and fitful to ready him for the next day.
The sun arose the next morning, and did for many, many days to follow. The affairs of the Leporian court went on largely as they had for many years. The petty factions carried on, each in their own way pursuing their own agendas, while ever striving to convince Otto that theirs was to be his most trusted counsel. He had practiced the most convincing smile and nod that he could muster, feigning both interest and ignorance daily. It still suited his purpose well to allow each jester to believe they were a Prince. With no other was this more true than his uncle, Cicero.
Cicero was worrisome because, as Otto was barely an adult and with no heir of his own, he was next in line for the throne. And Cicero was deep in the pockets of the banking cabal. Otto was young and still growing in the job, but he was clever. He knew well enough that if Cicero were to discover his ultimate design he would no doubt go straight to the bankers. This did not take a great deal of sleuthing. There was ample incentive.
So while it appeared for the next year that Otto was just yet another in a long line of pampered potentates, he was skillfully monitoring his uncle's machinations. Most of these were, as they had always been, some manner of either grift or graft towards his personal enrichment. His intentions were nearly always clearly broadcast in advance when one paid attention to the ever shifting alliances that he managed. Another tell would be on any occasion that Cicero made a loud display of something that he was doing "for the Empire", or "for the House of Otto". While it may not have been obvious to many, Otto found his uncle's ulterior motives entirely transparent. He was just smart enough not to let on that he knew this.
There was a moment of some tension that arose between them with the unveiling of the Maltese Accord. Otto remained assured that his uncle knew nothing of the gold or the mint, but the diplomatic overture was met with howls of protest. How could he "think to defile the House of Otto with those disgusting fuggers and mudsuckers"? The bluster was mostly manifest in this intemperate and ancient bigotry, but Otto was also scolded quite sternly for assuming any diplomacy initiatives without consulting him first. Otto quite cleverly played this event to his advantage. Both in private, and before some members of the court, Otto played very contrite and subsequently made a great show of whenever he would seek out Cicero's counsel.
At the end of that year Otto had learned that the mint was ahead of schedule. All other aspects of the plan had been secured and it was two months before the second anniversary of his coronation. It was then that he decided when and how the final act would occur.
Otto called an emergency security council meeting of his court. As no other fresh ideas had emerged, Otto proposed that Clan of Fudd should be revived as an existential threat. If for no other reason than they still had loads of the costumes. He further proposed that the triggering event should be staged at a grand second anniversary ceremony, to be held on the great mall in front of their treasury building. They didn't seem entirely bowled over by the plan, but none raised any objections. There was little discussion before it was put to a vote, and.... well, the consensus was that it was good enough.
Shortly after announcements were made and preparations begun for the great anniversary celebration. The capitol city was abuzz with activity for weeks and the excitement for this great event became palpable as the date drew near. There were cheers for peace, cheers for the Maltese, and yes, cheers for Otto, who at least for the time being was called Otto the Just. There were other preparations behind the scenes.
Otto had tasked Cicero and his goons to put together a team of shock troopers for the Fudd ruse. None of the team were greatly enthused for this operation. There was a general sense that the Clan of Fudd was a tired trope, yet there was still confidence that it would work on a lazy and docile public. Perhaps it was so simple as they had just grown bored with it. All of the necessary preparations were made nonetheless. This was old hat, a simple operation performed countless times before. Cicero assured his nephew that everything would be ready.
With only a little over a week until the great event Otto sent a secret communication to Captain Duncan on Malta. In it he provided a very detailed set of directions for the Captain and his most elite Guards. All the pallets of new bills were properly staged at the treasury and he had marshalled all of the new gold coins to an outbuilding on the grounds of the Ministry of Agriculture. The night before the grand celebration Otto slept like a bunny, dreaming of all those shocked faces he would see tomorrow.
The day finally arrived and excitement in the streets had reached a fever pitch. Official events kicked off on the Imperial Mall at 10:00 AM, with Otto's address scheduled for noon. A stage had been arranged to oversee the broadest section of the mall, where members of the Imperial Court were seated to flank the dais. Around twenty minutes before he was to take the stage a chant began to rise from the crowd, "Ot-to! Ot-to!". For anyone who was paying attention it might have been noted that Cicero and some other members of the court seemed a bit unnerved by the growing fervor. The chants and cheers reached a crescendo as Otto finally mounted the stage.
As Otto reached the dais he smiled and waved at the crowd, allowing the applause to continue for a few moments before raising both paws up to ask for quiet. Gradually the crowd settled and he began to speak. Now one might expect at this point that the author of this tale would include, at least in part, the content of Otto's address. Sorry to disappoint, but what he said really isn't that important. Otto was of better conscience than most rulers, but speeches that rulers give to their subjects are pretty much standard boiler plate. You've all heard it, so I'll spare us both the exercise. What happened during his address is important.
About three minutes into his speech a humming sound from some unseen source began, growing steadily louder. As the volume rose a murmur began from the crowd. One could watch heads turning in a wave to look toward the skies. Then the growing shapes appeared from over the horizon, approaching steadily until the humming grew to a roar. There was a fleet of large, freight ornithopters descending upon them. There were strange markings on these craft that no one could recognize. Except for Cicero. He recognized them as vessels that were utilized in black ops. Then he jumped into his role for this part of the scheme.
A team of the Kings Guard surrounded Otto and rushed him from the stage as Cicero leaped to the microphone. "Take shelter! We are under attack!", he shouted. Instantly cries of terror rose as the crowd began to scatter in every direction. In the midst of this mayhem Cicero continued shouting orders to security forces over the address system. Panicked security forces began to fire indiscriminately; sometimes into the air at the approaching craft, but also frequently striking innocent civilians. Warning sirens began to wail from throughout the city. The scene descended into complete chaos and Cicero was greatly pleased. Everything was going according to plan. Or so he thought.
What Cicero and the other plotters did not know was that ninety minutes earlier, under directions from Otto, the Black Hares of the Guard had intercepted the deceptive force at their secret staging area. They had then taken control of the crafts and flown on to give the illusion that all was proceeding according to plan.
Still huddled within a protective detail Otto watched as the 'thopters landed all about the mall. Most of the civilian population had exited the scene, though there were yet a few shell shocked stragglers here and there. One of the strange craft set down less than one hundred feet from the stage. This spooked his guards who then attempted to hustle him away. Quietly, calmly he told them to stand down. Stunned by this they protested and continued to pull at him, insisting that he come with them. Otto resisted more forcefully, coming at least part way free until he could reach the microphone.
"Soldiers! Citizens! Stand down!", his voice boomed over the loudspeakers. "This is your King! I command all of you, STAND DOWN!" The final two words thundered and echoed amid screeches of feedback. The gunfire stopped, the engines of the 'thopters whined to a halt and everywhere raised weapons were slowly lowered. The frenetic chaos gave way to a confused silence. Off microphone he turned to his guards and said, "Look around. Where have the others gone to?" The guards looked about to see that Cicero and other members of the court had indeed slipped away in the chaos. A perplexed look grew on all their faces. Now completely unhindered Otto returned to the microphone.
"Let there be calm. There is no danger here. Please... listen. Today I will show you all the true danger." The mall had grown utterly silent. Otto stepped aside from the dais for a moment and called out from the stage to the nearest craft. "Captain Duncan, if you would please, step out now."
A door on the airship slid open and a ramp emerged, descending to the ground. After a moments hesitation the very tall, silver-black figure of Captain Duncan appeared in the doorway, impeccably dressed in his most impressive emerald green dress uniform. He came to end of the ramp and turned to address the ship. "Detail, present!" On his command a column of very odd, monkey like beings were paraded down the ramp in shackles, with two heavily armed Black Hares to either side.
Otto returned to the microphone. "Citizens of Leporia, please! I implore you all, return to mall! There is NO danger here. Captain Duncan? Would you be so kind as to bring our guests up to the stage?"
Very slowly, gradually some numbers began to timidly emerge on the edges of the mall. A slow murmur of many voices began to return as Leporians filtered back into the open air. They came in twos and threes, then tens, then scores as their King continued to encourage them from the stage. More and more, and many with cameras or other recording devices. After fifteen minutes or so the space was a shadow of the throngs that had clamored there such a short time before, but there was an audience of several thousands to bear witness.
Amid all this aid workers arrived to treat and remove the wounded. The other airships had likewise opened and swarms of the Black Hares of the Guard were now on the ground. Some came with more prisoners, others marched off into the treasury building. And there were a few of the Guards' most elite hunter teams of the Ancient order of Fuggers. They were off in all directions to search for very specific targets. To the crowd present there was much wonder and bewilderment, yet they stayed. Watching. Waiting. What was to come next?
Again Otto pleaded for calm and quiet as he prepared to continue with his address. The murmuring quieted and he resumed. "You have all heard the horrors of the Clan of Fudd. Our mortal enemies....", he collected the microphone from it's stand and walked over to one of the monkey creatures on display. "Let me show you the FACE of the Clan of Fudd!" At this he ripped the mask from the top of one of those prisoners to reveal the rabbit beneath. A collective gasp rose from the crowd.
"Look upon the face of your mortal enemy! Captain Duncan, would you please unmask the rest of these frauds?" The Captain obliged and more gasps erupted. There were some angry shouts, but most were still struggling to process what they were seeing. Otto continued, "The Clan of Fudd is a lie. It was a lie then and it's still a lie today. It is a lie created by off world bankers and perpetrated upon YOU by the corrupt state officials that do their bidding." His words echoed from the loudspeakers and like a siren's song lured more back onto the mall. Slowly the ranks were swelling.
"The time for lies is over. The time for war is over. The time for the theft of Leporian treasure ends today!" Reading his audience well Otto paused here to allow a wave of applause to rise. "Up there, right now at the other end of the mall...", he gestured toward the treasury building, "... the Black Hares of the Guard are preparing to remove pallets of worthless paper currency, to the tune of trillions. This money was funded by off world bankers to fight a war. A war against our mortal enemies. The mortal enemies you see here on this stage. These trillions of bills are the price of your safety. I ask you: do you feel safer now?" A resounding NO came from the growing masses. He was hitting his stride, playing the crowd like conducting an orchestra.
"We were not obliged to take the loan, nor to print the money. I have the authority to say no. But I did not. I authorized both and soon you will all learn why."
Otto left them all hanging on these words and left the dais to confer with Captain Duncan. The assembled crowd remained uncertain what was happening on the stage while they waited, but all stayed to find out. By mid afternoon the elite commandos had returned with their quarry, depositing a bound Cicero and other members of the banking cabal onto the stage. Teams of Black Hares had finished wheeling the mounds of cash out of the treasury building into a mass at the far end of the mall. Otto was at last satisfied that it was time for the final act.
Before making his final address to the citizens of Leporia he went over to his uncle. He had waited seven years for this moment. Otto knew that at heart Cicero was a weak rabbit. He expected him to beg, but was instead was met with a scowl of contempt. Through gritted teeth Cicero hissed, "You damned fool! You have no idea what you have done!" Otto had an involuntary chuckle at this and leaned down to within inches of his uncle's face to whisper, "On the contrary, uncle. I know exactly what I have done!" He then stepped back to address the assembly of malefactors. "I have only spared your lives long enough to witness this." He then returned to the microphone.
"I wish to thank you all for your patience. We come now to the close of our ceremonies for today. Today dawns a new age in Leporia. Today we choose liberty over servitude; self determination over enslavement. I direct your attention to that space in front of our treasury building. I want all to witness this, but especially those seated behind me since it is largely of their doing. Captain Duncan, would you give the order please?"
At Captain Duncan's signal the Black Hares at the treasury building let loose with flaming streams of napalm upon the pallets of cash. In seconds it was ignited to a massive inferno, roiling thick, white clouds of smoke skyward. Gasps of shock rose from the crowd initially, but as the flames licked higher gasps grew into cheers and sustained applause.
"I authorized this printing so the traitors on this stage might witness it all go up in smoke. This is their world going up in smoke. Effective immediately I decree all debts to off world banks are null and void. Additionally I decree that all liens and titles held by off world banks are rescinded. Beginning next week citizens may exchange their worthless paper currency for gold. We are returning tangible value to Leporian currency. In the short term there may be some difficulties, but this is a price we must pay to free ourselves from these vipers. Go home to your warrens and sleep well this night, knowing that tomorrow begins a new age of freedom and prosperity! Good night, and Krishna bless Leporia!"
The crowd roared their approval and erupted again into the chant "Ot-to! Ot-to!" as he departed the stage. In a brilliant coup de grace of statecraft the traitors were left bound and unattended. Otto was sure that the crowd would figure out what to do. He was not wrong.
Otto the Just learned in just seven years what most rulers who enjoy a lifelong reign never do. Otto had figured out that kingdoms and currencies are made that lesser rabbits might prevail in an otherwise free contest of authority. Otto's epiphany was affirmed by his ultimate fate.
I regret to report that, despite the momentary triumph, Otto's fate and that of Leporia was no happy ending. Within a week off world assassins arrived to murder Otto the Just and extinguish the lives of every other member of the Otto clan, thus bringing the dynasty to an ignoble end. The banking cabal succeeded in installing a puppet of their liking and Leporians never tasted freedom again. In fact this is the point at which sentient rabbit civilization advanced from being carnivores to being full blown cannibals. Or should that be devolved? I guess history will decide.
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