The Goth had come to Berlin in winter, the sun setting in the afternoon and the air freezing cold. Ice dripped at midday from the grande old buildings and slicked the streets at night. The locals, Human or otherwise, had a style about their dressing warmly, could wear warm layers beneath deceptively slim black leather and just look unbothered. Justin said it looked like a European version of New York and made the rest laugh. Claudia had visited the city once in what could remotely be called adulthood, got that same look in her eyes that John had seen the last time. They had been together, and David and Joy with them. Claudia had wandered off to leave John to racing about in the car Joy had bought for him. He didn't remember the cold, but then Joy had said, "never cold..."

      They had driven the enormous train of vehicles here from Frankfurt am Main as winter came on. Passing through the central parts of Germany through the lowland between two mountain ranges. Giessen, Kassel, Gottingen, Halle, Dessau...each had gone routinely. Again they were safely in Union territory and there was only the shopping and trading for basic needs and the collecting of tribe members. They hadn't needed in the past few months to worry that much about armies.

      There was still a war going on. John never forgot that. His half-brother Leon had managed to get another message to them, to apologize for not having time to write or call and to say they had heard Rudolph might have been part of the Polish Army that went into Germany with the government in exile, but they had not actually heard from Rudy. John had not seen him yet either.

      Being a large group the tribe was camped somewhat southwest of the inner city in a slightly less urban borough. The city of Berlin was large and encompassed many older cities and towns within. The Mitte, which was what they called their old town was impressive, one of the oddest mixes John had ever seen of things old and new. For example, there had been a cathedral bombed out in another war and its stone walls still stood with intact charring and jagged skyline, only now there was a newer church built right around the ruins. The modern octagonal spaces of the new cathedral were entwined with the old and John had seen Claudia stand across the wide street and stare at it for hours.

      Here in Berlin there was a hill, Sascha had pointed it out, being a native, and said it was made entirely of rubble collected after a bombing. As well, there were bits of unattractive concrete wall covered in grafitti publicly displayed behind protective acrylic. Anyone around could tell you they were meant to remind that the city had once been divided as all of Germany had been.

      You couldn't tell from looking. This was 22nd century Berlin as John remembered it, public transportation worked continuously throughout the entire city. There were parks, including specialized zoological or botanical parks that displayed rare species of animal or plant. There were places of worship for every religion he could name, and John knew of quite a few. They had museums that far, very far, shamed the demonstra John had seen in Kassel.

      Sascha stood before the worn yet beautiful head of an Egyptian queen and said, "You know? I think it really looks just like her." That disturbed more people than John alone. Sascha never explained more than to mention, "That trip Murph and I took." She spoke a few more languages now, mostly dead ones, and her English sounded more American that it had before.

      As soon as they had settled, the Berlin police had set up stake out nearby. At times the local Darkling Guard were sent to watch them. Watching the news, John understood. Things were getting very serious.

      In Berlin, citizens had been getting detailed accounts of the escapades of the tribe in the daily Alaric wrote for. Now, they picked up footage from everywhere the Goth happened to be as Gerhard and his crew from Regensburg continued to report. In fact Alaric and Gerhard were quite famous here themselves as was Merideth, but no one more than John, except maybe Claudia.

      After a day or so, the local police had been needed to control the crowds that surrounded their camp, asking questions or throwing gifts. Here, there was little concern of homemade bombs only of trampling deaths showing up on the evening news.

      It was overwhelming really, as bad as it had ever been when surrounded by field of onlookers in Bonn or being given the city of Regensburg. Mayor Wald still sent messages daily. John answered when he had time. Over the time they had travelled toward Berlin. Regensburg itself, spared invasion by soldiers, had been stormed by reporters from all of Germany. It was a great controversy that a property of Germany had given itself away. There were legal issues, of course, but, moreso, a surprising public support for the citizens there, as well as the Goth.

      They were recognized on the street. Old friends would run up to Jayne or Marcus and others from Berlin who were now Goth. Acting as if they had always been best friends these people would beg introductions to their favorite tribe member chosen from those named in the news or dailies or even on the net. Merideth and her son had a huge following of fans. Presents for the child arrived pretty much every day.

      It had been about a week they had been in Berlin, with several trips to the inner parts of the city. John wanted to avoid those who asked for him, long enough to get a feel for the city and to make sure the tribe would remain safe. Now, he planned to seek out the Polish government in exile, which was fairly intact, and housed in a building formerly used for university classes.

      The Polish government, President, parliament and various officials had temporarily been split between Berlin and Gdansk. But, with continued advance of the Russians, they had slowly made their way into Germany. They were gathering what they could of the Polish army here and recruiting from refugees, many of whom had come into Berlin during the last year.

      John mainly hoped to find his brother, but it was clear the President wanted to speak to him. Days earlier, the police had delivered documents to the camp. These told John that the German President wanted to speak to him on the matter of Regensburg. The President of Poland did not mention the precise nature of his interest.

      It was morning and cold. John was thinking that he would have to visit these experienced heads of state and think of something to say. And the way that Claudia smiled to herself and was perfectly dressed...just the particular way she looked was in John's eyes proof that she had arranged something, thinking it might help. Claudia and Alaric had often been ones to do this, from the very beginning.

      When Robbie had first come to them, pretentious and used to being in charge, Claudia and Alaric had made John sound like the coolest most inspired genius. The clothes he wore, always they were special gifts, made to present an image. Alaric was the same, only his method was in implementing rules and procedure that held order and peace by using the phrase, "the Leader says." People jumped when Alaric said that, veritably scurried to touch dead bodies or offer the coat off their back.

      Now, Claudia was smirking, had for weeks been feeling good. Jayne and Melitta liked to play at being Freud with her, but John believed when Claudia was feeling bad like that, it was result of the intense mental trauma brought on by witnessing too many times war, abduction, torture, discrimination, and death. If something triggered a memory, and she were on the verge of the bloody period of her cycle, her usual suppression of emotions broke down. He'd learned that, oddly enough, it came along with the full moon, and the oddness of it had seared it in his mind so that while others wondered at her, he knew it would pass.

She was never not going to have experienced real and and multiple psychological traumas, but on good days, she had coping mechanisms.

      Actually, though he didn't even speak it to Claudia, John was certain the fact that David had been some part Wolfbreed apart from Vampyre had imbalanced Claudia chemically, more than another Vampyre might have in giving her small infusions of their blood. Basically, David's family tree was combination of just about all the varieties of Darkling and witch there were, and he'd infected Claudia by feeding her his blood. John didn't really like David for this.

      John smiled at Claudia. "Find me some clothes," he said and laughed in his head thinking it would sound rather chauvinist, if this were not exactly what Claudia wanted to hear. He nodded as he saw how quickly she returned with a stack of garments already folded together. She had chosen black pants and jacket, antique looking white shirt, and his better riding boots.

 The usual cloak was black now. Over the time since leaving Frankfurt am Main, they had been advised that they wore a number of salvaged military garments, and with the number of hooded grey cloaks and jackets, they were going to be mistaken for every army there was, including the Rowan, and were asking to be targeted. So, huge metal tubs of water and black dye had been boiled slowly over a fire. Now, it was like they were all BCG. Almost everyone's outerclothing was consisteantly black and much of what they wore beneath. The only significant exception was that Miko still owned a red DG jacket, only he never wore it, and instead wore Justin's old dress jacket, while Ceci cherished the red jacket without wearing it.

      John's cloak was suede of course. Claudia had actually taken it to be colored professionally, with a few other expensive garments owned by the tribe. Even their artisans now bought fabrics in a set number of colors, black, red, white, and gold. Now, at a distance, they looked like they belonged together without ever wearing uniforms. If they ever go themselves a flag Claudia and Alaric would design it and it would be those colors.

      John dressed and then fit his crown on his head. Claudia came forward to belt the sword for him. She stood back to admire. "It'll do quite nicely I think," she said.

      "You've planned something."

      She smiled. "Let's go."

      John opened the door hesitantly. Once he looked outside he smiled. Here was an entourage befitting a moderately powerful head of state. All their growing number of Gaurdsmen and Maidens formed ranks behind Justin, and all including Justin wore a single red streak in the forelocks of their hair, braided if length allowed, and a black beret.

      Justin touched his fist to his heart then showed his palm, elbow still somewhat bent so that hand fell level with shoulder. As he had the guard repeated. "He's your new Captain of Defense, well, all of ours," Claudia said quietly behind John.

      John stepped down to the ground. Besides the nearly uniformed escort, half the Elders were gathered and these were all that had been with them when they left Poznan, excepting that Sascha seemed to be in place of Leonore who was absent. Robbie stepped forward and handed a device to him. It looked like a mobile phone. "Site-to-site radio audio and video communicator," Robbie said, "We scavenged a lot of them at the battle, American issue, Finnish make actually, quite decent. Use channel seven if you want to talk to Justin, Claudia or any of us with you.  Channel nine Leonore will be listening in if you need to get a message back here."

      As Robbie stepped away Sascha stepped up. "Don't speak German to any locals. You speak it tolerably, but stick to Polish or American. American if you know you are being recorded, more people in the world will get the gist of English dialects. If you definitely need anything translated just give me a signal, my accent is native. It's all better for our image."

      John spotted Gerhard making his introduction to a live report. "What's the president's name again?"

      "Kirsten Hoffmann. Just say President, they understand. And tell them we'll see her first because it's the host country."

      John nodded. "I figured that."

      Miko was smiling, gesturing to the horses. Of course the cameras would have to look up to him then. John went to Darkling and patted his neck. "We got them all new shoes, collected the rest from the tribe so we all could ride. We're not putting anyone out really, the others are mainly those the Spanish let us have in thanks."

      John nodded to Miko silently, and climbed up into the saddle. He noticed, as he saw the horses the other side of Darkling, that all had new saddle blankets, red, some trimmed with gold. Gerhard and his cameraman approached. "John, tribal leader of the Goth," he said in introduction. "John, can you tell us your plans for today, seeing you have gathered your entourage to go into Berlin Germany?"

      John nodded to the camera then spoke in American. "I have been invited to speak to President Hoffmann of Germany and also President Veleska of Poland's government in exile. Since Germany is our host country we will speak with them first. We do want to speak to the Polish President as well. President Hoffmann has included in her invitation a wish to discuss Regensburg."

      Gerhard repeated again for his audience the status of controversy over the town giving itself to the Goth.

      "Any comments on what you will say to the question of Regensburg as a Goth domain?"

      "As I have said before, I did not ask for the city, but was honored by their decision to declare themselves Goth. Mayor Wald of Regensburg trusts me to consider the best interests of the city and its people. If there are any complaints against me or the tribe by Germany, I pray I can answer such peacefully and to their satisfaction. I wish no quarrel with Germany."

      Gerhard went on with his usual semi-dramatic retelling of how Regensburg had been threatened by two armies and only John of the Goth was able to save the city.

      "Let's go," John called when he saw everyone was horsed. The cameras trained on them as they rode out, the guard in two lines flanking the Elders.

                      †               †               †

      The police had tailed them leaving camp and as they neared the various government buildings their car passed to the front and signaled with lights that they should follow. They followed the car as it paced the horses and came to the building Sascha said was the Presidential Residence and also housed many offices used by President and German officials.

      "Suits," Sascha said as they dismounted.

      "Security agents protecting the President," Claudia elaborated. She took Johns arm as they walked up to the main entrance which was removed from the drive.

      It was the suits who took over as the police left. "You are expected," one of them said, "this way."

      They were all let into a richly decorated anteroom, afterwhich Sascha and Claudia agreed in whispers that they had just been scanned. John was not entirely sure if they were happy or worried to be in a nation or city that had retained a measure more technology than others in Europe.

      "She will greet you in the west room," the suit said.

      John gave a nod, and followed as the doors were opened into another room. John realized immediately there were many people in the room, including some photographers. They had brought the President of Poland here to meet him, John knew the aging man's face. He recognized President Hoffmann, a woman twice his age dressed in dark grey skirt suit.

      John bowed deeply into the room. Perhaps not sure how to react, several of those in the room bowed back. John turned quickly to find Alaric or Justin. "We'll manage our people, just act like we already know what you want," Alaric hissed quickly. John tried to make his face expressionless as he hoped Alaric knew the best way to act. John smiled then and walked Claudia into the room.

      Claudia made a small curtsey and then extended her hand to Hoffmann. It was Sascha who spoke. "President Hoffmann, I present our Leader, John and Lady, Claudia." John took the president's hand; her shake of it was firm. The whirring of cameras. "President Valeska, John, Leader of the Goth, Claudia, his wife and Lady of the Goth," Sascha said.

      "Lady Claudia, John," Valeska said in greetings, kissed John either side his face. He touched his head and laughed.

      Claudia laughed. "Not even scratched. It does take some getting used to."

      The damn crown. John felt his smile fading. Sascha saved him again, "Our Leader has asked me to act as translator, if needed. John and Claudia do speak four languages between them, but as a native Berliner I should be able to correct any confusion. We were not informed that you would be here with us, President Valeska, John does speak flawless Polish."

      "Thank you, Sascha," John said.

      "Please, be seated," Hoffmann invited them with gesture to a long sofa opposite the one she stood by. John sat with Claudia to his right. Sascha sat beside him and he saw then that Merideth sat further along the couch and took her son from her back and put him on her lap. The others in the room sat. There were many seats but each had some manner of table near it, many of these spotted with pitchers of water, paperwork and small computers.

      "Shall we adopt your custom and use first names?" Hoffmann asked.

      "Yes, Kirsten, that would be most comfortable," John answered.

      She gave a small nod, but not to John, it was signal to someone behind him. John looked up and saw Justin was shaking his head in way that said there was no worry. A suit brought a tray toward them, empty upturned glasses on it. "I'll pour," Sascha said and took three glasses.

      "Ryan and I are both glad to meet you after seeing so much about you," Kirsten said. She took a sip of water from her own glass.

      "As we are honored to meet you," John said.

      "There is one matter I wish to get out of the way."

      "Yes?" John asked as if he didn't know."

      Kirsten touched a hardcopied document that lay on the table between them. "Regensburg. No German lands may cede from Germany. As it was never in other possession it has not been given away and therefore belongs to Germany."

      John took a moment to consider. He had been playing variations of this conversation in his head. "Kirsten, I do not really wish to own any city or country, but if Regensburg is Germany, and German retains the present relationship it has to the Union, then Regensburg is held by the Union, and the Estates Liberte will want to take its bridges and riverports and industry for itself, and if the Estates Liberte wants it and approaches then the Union must enter to defend Regensburg. In short, if Regensburg is yours it will be fought over, most likely by Russians and Darkling Guard, as troops are positioned now. I can tell you right now, both those armies have heavy assault vehicles, incendiary devices, small explosives, missiles and blasters. All of those can cause loss to a thousand year old building or a child as easily as an armed soldier. Don't you think it to all our advantage to allow those at war to believe Regensburg is held by the Goth rather than by Germany, regardless of who it legally belongs to?"     

      "By your logic, all of Germany should pretend to be Goth to avoid loss," Kirsten said heatedly.

      John glanced to Claudia. She seemed gleeful. "Kirsten, Ryan, I seek no country or nation, but if loss is what you seek to avoid, especially if it be loss of lives, then adopting our ways may help you toward that goal."

      "Excuse me," Ryan said as he saw Kirsten about to speak, "John, are you saying that you would allow occupation or foreign rule so long as an invading country didn't kill? Or maybe your ways are to run and wander another nation?"

      John frowned slightly but Claudia squeezed his hand. He had to respond as an equal. "Ryan, I am grieving for Poland now. Do you want to know my way? My way, the way of all the Goth, is to protect lives above land. This is stressed so that there will not be wars fought soly over borders. But, it does not mean the land a people currently live on should be abandoned, if there are other ways short of massacre. You may know better than I the current state of things within Poland, I would very much like to know. But however bad, I know it is bad enough that it has reached the point of civilians being killed. And that precise point is when some show of force is necessary."

      "So you do fight?" Kirsten asked. 

      "Show of force," John repeated. "Stand up. If I knew that standing in some location within Poland where the invading Russians could see me would save more lives than my one potential death, I would do it. Fortunately, there are a few alternatives before it comes to that. Virtual assault on their systems of communication is one way. Demonstrations of large civilian groups acompianied by media is one. No nation really wants bad PR. Propaganda war, sometimes very successful, if it has been used cruelly in the past. If you get enough volunteers willing to die to save the country for the rest, you can send small teams on sneak attacks to raid supplie lines or armories. How does an army fight short of ammunition or food? You are a Pole, like me, I know you want to fight. I also want to fight, but just having that angry feeling does not mean I will act on it by killing, if I am able to avoid that."

      John glanced at Claudia. Her slight smile said she approved. She turned to look at the President of Poland and her mouth opened. "Ryan," Claudia said, "It was the best thing for you to leave, and John means absolutely no offense to you. He gets emotional when he thinks about his family and friends there in Poland, when he is here. Surely, you have a team under you working out ever strategy for regaining Poland for your people. I'm sure they have even mentioned that attempting to negotiate with Russia could work, maybe having the Church mediate. Perhaps, they probably tell you, if you offer some portion of the former country to them, Russia will leave the rest alone and there will be no arrests and executions. But you, as President, know the history. Poland has been partitioned too many times already, you just can't do it. We know the people could not stand for it. So, your alternatives are what? Complete surrender and willing Russian rule? It may save lives, but again, the people will be demoralized, and people body and soul are more important than the land. Fight a war against a large army in winter over land they presently hold? That will sure cost many lives. Or what? Find a way to fight without war."

      "They have wisdom at a young age," Ryan said.

      "Or naivete."

      "Ryan, you didn't specify why you wanted to speak to me, but I had time to think about what I would want to say if I could speak to you," John said, "Mainly, Claudia and I share your frustrations over the war and the occupation. If there is anything we can do to help you in making our people safe, we will. Making our people safe is entirely why we begun the tribe. When we were in Poland, before the more recent degree of violence there, we did our small part to help those in immediate need. And I say this so you know...whenever we spoke of our intentions and wishes we found people who offered their support. We always found people who volunteered to risk themselves. The people in Poland want to have a safe place to live. Even the Russian soldiers want a safe place, they are just scared now, convinced of dangers posed by Poles and Darkling and Union. All they need is a leader. Any leader, to appear and tell them there is hope. It doesn't matter if it you or anyone else, only that they believe what they say. Even a voice on the radio...someone to tell them if they work together they may just be able to have that safe place, or their children will."

      "I cannot order civilians into a war," Ryan said.

      "No leader today can. Because it isn't right," Kirsten added.

      "A leader doesn't order a people to such an undertaking. A Leader inspires," Claudia said.

      "No army can stand against a people inspired with hope and faith..." Alaric was drawing a picture in the air, "Look out your windows onto the street," John said. He knew what they would see without having to look. "I didn't order them to do that."

      "Ineffable charisma I hear so much about?" Sascha whispered.

      "The street is full of people, thousands of them. The media also," one of the Germans said from behind John.

      Kirsten rose and then Ryan.  John stood slowly and turned. Kirsten moved quickly to the windows where others held the drapes open. Claudia's hand came to John's neck and he bowed to look at her directly. "I love you," she said. John had to kiss her. He stopped. This feeling wasn't love only between them. This particular love was to be shared.

      "Ryan, you really want the Poles to be inspired to stand against Russia?"

      He turned away from the window, "Of course."

      "And Kirsten, Regensburg is safe now and belongs to Germany?"

      "Glad we agree," Kirsten said.

      "Excuse me a moment then...unless you care to join us." John went to the door. In a second, the Elders and the Guard were behind him again. They made their way through the anteroom and then outside. John stopped on the steps.

      Thousands, tens of thousands of people were crowding the wide historic street and, as he stopped, they cried out as one...it sounded like his name.  Slowly, he walked down the drive. Some of the gathered people had signs demonstrating their views. Some expressed love, others a desire to save Regensburg. A line of barricades and armed police kept the crowds away from the building.

      John stopped a few feet short of the barriers. Claudia took his arm again and as she did her turned toward her. When she looked up to question John kissed her. It made the crowd cheer. John meant to draw away from Claudia's lips, to not give in to temptation, but her hands were climbing up about his neck. His heart really fluttered.

      Claudia slipped away and then John was standing gazing at her before a silent crowd with boom mics about his head. He recovered quickly enough, look up over the crowd and spoke. "I truly love you all for coming here today...we've just spoken with Presidents Hoffmann and Valeska. Regensburg is safe." He had to pause for audience response, but he was getting used to that. John smiled. "Right now I just want to thank God for helping me along this far, for bringing you all here today. It really means a lot to all the Goth when any people show such support for us."

      "The presidents are coming out," Alaric hissed at John's ear.

      John gave a nod meant for Alaric. "So there is no need to worry for Regensburg, President Hoffmann aggreess they are safe. We spoke to President Valeska of the Polish government in exile, who have been generously sheltered by the people of Berlin for some months." More cheers. "President Valeska has spoken to me of his wishes to inspire the people of Poland and all Poles harbored safely in other nations to have faith that something will be done to restore to the people of Poland their living space. President Valeska and myself share a hope that our people still in Poland will do whatever they can to be safe and we hope that the soldiers of Russia ordered to hold Poland will treat the natives as they would wish their own families to be treated, just as the great prophets and saints have taught us, from so many religions."

      John saw the presidents were at his left. He addressed the two leaders so that the microphones could listen, "My friends, I have told the people of your assurances and hopes for the future, I know they would love to hear from both of you, standing here together...I feel it is a very historic moment." He lifted Claudia's hand in his as he turned to the crowd of people, "who would have thought years ago that Poland and Germany could stand together like this, here, in Berlin!"

      John waved the cameras toward the two Presidents, of course having to smile and agree with the wonderful things just said of them. As the microphones travelled left John walked away with Claudia. He signaled the other Goth with him to do their mingling thing. Merideth had Alaric on her back again, well wrapped against the cold. She took photos as they went.

      John moved right up to a section of barrier as the other Goth would be. Claudia continued with him. John took hands as they were thrust forward. He smiled, sometimes even kissed smiling faces. Claudia likewise was in her more ladylike mode, which she was comfortable with. Sometimes they would ask him to sign something. Usually he tried to think of a smart thing to write, telling them to have faith, or love peace.

      There were cheers or questions shouted out, sometimes the sound was such that they couldn't tell one voice from another. Rudy. He wasn't there but he suddenly thought that he should have asked about him. John went back to the drive. Kirsten was addressing the crowd, claiming to have no further comment on Regensburg but that John had of course not lied.

      John walked up to Ryan. He was looking into the crowd, questions being shot at him. He suddenly realized it was John next to him from the jolt that passed through him. "There's something I meant to ask you," John said and the microphones sailed toward them. "When we spoke of Poland I completely forgot my own personal request. I am looking for my bother that is in the Polish Army. Though things are difficult in Poland now, our other brother sometimes gets a message to me. Hey says mother has not heard from my brother in months, but has not heard of his death either."

      "Perhaps off camera. They might seek out your family," Ryan said quietly in Polish.

      John shook his head and raised his voice, "The Goth are at war with no one. If anyone in Poznan later sees this video, I know that my family will understand this. If they are safe or not safe, it is not what I do that changes it. I pray to God they are all safe, but if they are endangered, it is only by dishonorable, godless people. No honorable or religious man or woman would hurt children or mothers to make their relatives elsewhere feel the pain of grief. My mother is Maria Sobieski, the same who was Maria Poznanski, an actress in many films, she lives in Poznan, and if I ever find out that she has been harmed, I will know the name of those who have done so, and I will tell that name to everyone. The name of the person who ever dares harm my mother will be written in every history text as a dishonorable, godless individual who hurt a mother of a young girl, a woman that goes to church every day, that worries every day and night about her children and husband. If those who harm innocents die in doing the harm, their families will still have to live with their shame forever, and it will be known all over the world."

      Ryan was blinking silently. Everyone was. The cameras whirred. John turned to the cameras, smiled half a smile. He touched a hand to Ryan's shoulder. "Emotional, but the truth of it is President Valeska may very well be the one to send out investigators of war crimes when the war is over, and it would be simple to enlist telepaths or pychometrics in the investigation. Any Polish citizen mistreated would be known, and every offender would be known. President Valeska might have to read the list of names, the list of those who acted dishonorably. Someone will know the names. I would never wish my worst enemy to be on that list and forever associated with evil."

      John turned again to Ryan. "My brother's name is Rudolph Sobieski. If he is well, I wish him to know that, so far as I last heard from our brother Leon, his family is alive and fairly safe. They would like to hear from him if possible. I would love to see him if possible."

      "I will certainly see if my military commanders known of him, John. And I will think long on all you have said today. I wish that fear of shame and dishonor was enough to dissuade soldiers from their orders, or to dissuade politicians from giving the orders."

      "Sometimes a hero is known for what he does not do," John said, "Let all the soldiers fighting in this war remember Saint Casimir. Casimir was ordered to lead an army to attack another country. He disobeyed that order. Now we call him Saint and Peacemaker. If my name is written, let it be with his, for I love him for what he didn't do."

      "Anyone would be honored to have their name written with yours," Ryan said.

      John felt he would cry. Somehow Poland had to be saved without fighting the invaders who believed they did God's work. Crusades, all stupid. He embraced Ryan and kissed both his cheeks. "You are a good man, Ryan," he whispered.

      John took a step away, wiped his eye. Claudia was standing with Kirsten, seeming to be pleading some logic. Whatever it was, Kirsten wasn't going to respond at all in front of the cameras. John moved to them and as he reached Kirsten he embraced her warmly. Claudia smiled at him over Kirsten's shoulder. "You can be a hero, Kirsten, I believe in you," John whispered to her ear. He stepped back, made an elegant bow to her.

      "Your President is a most heroic woman," John said to the crowd, "I know that in the days and weeks to come President Hoffmann will make you all believe in her as I do." They seemed to like that.

                      †               †               †

      It was the middle of the night and really rather cold within the trailer even though it was somewhat heated. Many of the vehicles depended on running motors or else generators all fueled by some form of gasoline and being winters their overall fuel cost had risen greatly. Some camped in tents and never had heat. But still, they had persevered.

      Pieter had been a help, and Justin. Their knowledge of cold weather camping or military protocols said cold could be overcome. Now it was winter, all the tribe slept in slightly larger numbers to a space, four in a bed if there had been three and so on. All available money had been spent on bedding Pieter recommended for its heat retention and insulation. Otherwise layers, lots of layers.

      It felt cold, but curled up with other bodies and having layers of blankets made it just tolerable enough to sleep. All had taken to wearing clothing to bed if they had not before.

      The honking of a car horn seemed too close and John realized he wasn't sleeping. No, too cold. He moved his mostly bare leg against Claudia's sleeping gown and tried to sleep. Muffled voices somewhere. John was only half asleep and wondering why he wasn't fully asleep. For a second it seemed he dreamt it was a soldier's voice and he was saying to Claudia, "Don't move, they won't find us."

      "John," She said and he realized Claudia was actually speaking. "Someone's come into the camp. There's a car of some kind out there, light on."

      "One of the kids went clubbing," John said.

      Claudia nearly elbowed John's face as she propped herself up. He dodged and ended up cold. Someone banged on the door of their trailer. Claudia mumbled something about boys just skin and bones. She wriggled down from their upper bed to the floor. Little Alaric had woken and was crying.

      John hurried down. Alaric would kill him if he had to get out of bed too. Claudia already had the baby against her shoulder but her attention was on the door, it's pane of glass. "John, it's Rudy!"

      The door opened as Rudy let himself in. "The boy's out there act as if I were here to kill you."

      John put his arms around Rudy and hugged him. "You know how soldiers are, can't think for themselves to tell one uniform from another," he laughed, quietly so as not to wake the others.

      "No, that's all we know, good uniform-bad uniform," Rudy joked, not caring it was late. He glanced to Claudia. "Hi Claudia."

      She nodded, rubbed the baby's back.

      "I had no idea that was you all over the news!" Rudy said. "All this time...the guys came to tell me I'd been mentioned on the news by my brother; I thought Leon was in trouble. They kept talking and I was thinking, 'My brother is damn fool Dany, not John Leader of the Goths'"

      "No clue?" John asked.

      "I had other things on my mind. We got pulled into escort duty for some cargo being shipped from Warsaw, the Sergeant of their guys had somehow lost half their men and we'd lost half ours catching that train. I didn't know the 'cargo' was our President, though the Russians seemed to."

      "You had a hard time getting to Berlin?"

      "Well, yes, and I don't think, with the invasion, records were very well kept; none of the Army still in Poland would have known who was dead or in Berlin."

      "It's good to see you, though," John said.

      "You too, Dany. I'm not sure I get it." Rudy shook his head. "What are there? Five thousand?"

      "Now? At least. It doesn't seem like a lot, but we do see a lot of supporters who don't join in travelling. If we leave Berlin, we may suddenly double in number."

      "Sure, tell them you're going south."

      John nodded. "It's cold, but I know I felt just as cold at home," he said.

      Rudy shrugged. "I'm sorry about coming in the middle of the night but it was as soon as I could. By the time I was asking to go, they were trying to get me here as fast as they could. Some of those guys just worship you. Karina's still around?"

      "Our arbiter and healer. She delivered li'l Alaric."

      "Not yours."

      "No, of course not, Merideth and Alaric's son."

      "Wouldn't set a good example for me to be married and pregnant before I even turn 18," Claudia whispered. The baby seemed to be sleeping, his bottom pushed out so it seemed he sat in Claudia's hand.

      "Yeah, Mom will put your name on the bad list for marrying outside the church!" Rudy laughed. She would be disappointed, John thought.

      "Was it over the top, Rudy? The bad list/good list thing?"

      He shrugged. "I don't know, I just want to go home and have a home to go to. A lot of the guys in the hall, that's where we call the room most of us sleep in, talk about the list. Some rumour came down through the ranks about there existing an 'Operation Casimir' but I don't think it's true."

      John couldn't help but smile.

      "It'll be Hell for me now that they know I'm your brother."

      "Do you need a place to sleep, Rudy?" Claudia asked.

      He shook his head. "I'm going back to the hall. But you can find me there now. I'll know where you are." John embraced his brother again. He smiled as Rudy stepped back and opened the door. "Maybe tommorrow even."

      "Maybe tommorrow," John said and nodded. "Goodnight."

      Rudy waved a hand and folded his arms as he walked to the car where his friend waited.

      "Power of television, huh?" John said. Claudia was carefully tucking Alaric back into his cradle.

      "We shouldn't really go too far south," Claudia whispered as she stepped away quietly from the sleeping child. "VC have fought the Swiss into Switzerland while Russia is taking the Balkands about as easily as Poland."

      John bowed his head as he climbed up into their bed. There was something that had to be done. It was a feeling he had, this. There was a decision to make. Claudia climbed up afterward and thew blankets over her back loosely. John saw she wiped the fogged window with the side of her hand and looked through the clear patch. "Sometimes the words just come to me," John said.

      "Because you really are inspired. You have that love for everything that makes a protective space all about you. That's why you can infuriate the President by just knowing that the crowd shouting in the street before her house is there for you."

      "I felt love," John whispered, "but usually you and Alaric do things to arrange for me to appear special."

      "You really are," Claudia said. "I thought for sure after we got here we would go into Poland again, that we would need to. Now I think you have inspired them without going. That Ryan Valeska is full of hope because of you. There's no reason for us to actually go into Poland."

      "I have actually been thinking about where we might go. Spring is not far away, we could go anywhere...I need to be sure."

      "When you really know it, then we will go," Claudia said.

      "Yes, that's the way it usually works." He would pray.

                      †               †               †

      John sat near the nearest of the cookfires reading the dailies and viewing available news footage on Claudia's mobile. The things he read about himself...it was as if reading about another person. And the media could be clever, making such headlines as "Lovefest in Berlin!" or "Germany and Poland Together?"

      There were pictures of John kissing nearly every person in attendance, it seemed like that, the way they froze frame on seconds of his life and rearranged the moments. Lovefest. Even American dailies from Washington DC and New York City had some story on the meeting.

      Then there was the awful speculation. It was suggested that John's speech regarding his brother and Valeska's hope for Poland had all been a secret message to the Polish Underground telling them Valeska was sending in an army against Russia. Some thought Germany and/or Poland was about to declare themselves Goth as Regensburg had.

      Marcus brought a mug of plain coffee. John thanked him with a small bow of his head, really being too involved in reading up on what was thought of the tribe to speak. Others around the same fire were reading similar stories. It was usual for most of the Elders and crew to breakfast together in the morning. Claudia was taking her turn at cooking with some of the others.

      John did not think she had ever had to cook a meal for herself before they became a tribe. She did tolerably well under direction, but tended to act more a chemist and take time measuring things. Elzbieta was a terrific cook and could somehow make it all up as she went.

      Now she was flipping what Justin called hash browns, though they were made of potato rather than any illicit drug. John had lived with his father in California, when he had been younger, but he had never seen most of the foods Justin claimed to be common. "Could be a southern thing," Justin often said in explaining things. His accent, though American, was not that of New Yorkers or Los Angelinos. Justin was from Alabama.

      Actually, hash browns looked similar to latkes, but having more potato than anything else. Claudia had scrambled some eggs and now was listening patiently to Justin explain as he did every time eggs were served that one really needed Tabasco sauce or at least ketchup to put on them. He squirted ketchup from a bottle onto his plate.

      There were now what were called investigative reports written by journalists on the tribe. In these articles, the writters showed what they had learned of the Goth through various sources, some more accurate than others, and then offered their own conclusions on what was going on within the tribe or what they were going to do next. One of these multi-part articles was now telling of their recent discovery of a Goth military force. They showed pictures of the Guard in uniform berets. Yet another reporter, based in the same city, was pointing out that the Guard did not carry weapons of any kind.

      There was even a weekly paper that was highly slanted against the Goth and consistently compared anything they did to the past actions of the Nazis. Yet again, there was another weekly that believed John himself was the returning Christ. Claudia always laughed and told John not to worry. Apparently everyone knew that extremists were behind both publications.

      "Why can't half of them get it right?" John asked. Frustrated he dropped the mobile to the ground. Claudia winced and hurried to lift the machine and cradle it in her arms.

      "A lot of them do," Alaric said defensively, being a member of the press.

      "Sorry," John said, looked to Claudia's mobile, "Sorry."

      "It's working," she said, "It's fairly durable." Claudia sat and opened the mobile. "It's only a few extremists that have things really wrong. The rest at least do the minimum of phrasing opinion as opinion and such. It's their job. Some articles can be factual, others are expected to speculate: commentary, editorial...so you should relax."

      "I didn't hurt your mobile?"

      "I could have fixed it," Claudia said quickly. "Robbie has an idea."

      "What's that?' John asked.

      "He thinks we could try to forge an authorized upload to Russian military systems and insert a virus that would do nothing until written orders were sent and then the orders would all become Chinese characters rather than Cyrillic."

      "What would that do?"

      "Well, all the Russian military stationed abroad would receive orders in Chinese, possibly not even understandable Chinese." Claudia smiled.

      "It must be a hacker thing," John said. "I don't get it. What if they tried sending orders to retreat or cease fire? Or what if they suddenly invaded China? We'd feel terrible."

      Claudia sighed. "What if we just infected any Russian computer systems we could so that their displays showed text and graphics in nonsense font. They could use their systems but it would be annoying."

      "Assuming you can do it...do you want them to have a real reason to fight us, in particular?"

      "What's the point then? I thought the fact that they had shot civilians was cause enough to fight back any way short of murder."

      John nodded. "I'm sure you understand the details better than I. I thought you were trying to do something to the Alexandria computers."

      "We are, but that's only to gather information. The information stays there for them to use, it's just spying. This is assault. Sure it can cause financial loss and all sorts of confusion, but if it was watch them burn a child alive again or crash all customs and travel systems at once, so that there was no way to check anymore if travellers had warrants or were wanted or even were who they claimed...wouldn't you bring it all down?"

      John could only stare. Claudia looked furious. She looked like she could kill someone. Her eyes rolled to the side and she licked at her upper teeth. But then rapidly she calmed and her mouth shifted to a near smile. Her eyes rolled to look at John. "You'd bring it all down."

      He nodded. But then he wasn't sure. "But I thought you said one of the very reasons for the war was that too many European countires had not recovered from the Back Ages, despite Union efforts. Wouldn't this just worsen matters?" John asked.

      "Ah, then we get into the terrible illegal stuff," Claudia grinned, "forge a bank account and have specific hardware shipped to anywhere we want. Give the common people access to tools and information they have been denied and they may just recognize the truth."

      "That sounds like someone loses trillions of dollars," John said.

      "I wonder if it's possible...since they don't have so many trained technicians...that we could actually be talented enough to reroute funds meant to arm soldiers...we need someone in manufacturing on our side. Where is there a place that manufactures computer hardware that has been hurt by the war?"

      "I really don't know."

      "Someone that's gone corporate," Claudia said but she was really talking to herself.