John sat with Claudia and Merideth at the table inside their trailer, the window open to let fresh air in. He read the dailies on Claudia's mobile as Merideth tried to talk Claudia through breakfast. She was in a stage of pregnancy during which sickness was common, or so Merideth and all the books said.

      The door opened and Alaric came in, having taken the watch overnight. "You see the news?" he asked immeditaely. "Election results haven't been released, something about needing a manual count."

      "Right here," John said as he looked at the report. "Kirsten Hoffman tells the media in Berlin that there is no cause to place blame, and that officials chosen to oversee security and fairness of elections had announced their intentions to manually count the ballots, to check what they suspected to be an error in computer tally. The election committee promises results will be made known as soon as every ballot has been recorded by hand, but clearly it will take some time to do so, another day at least."

      "Do you know what we heard overnight, John?" Alaric asked as he took a relaxed standing position near the table.

      "I can guess, though I don't know that I like it. My name was written by hand on ballots, and, of course, has thrown off the number of votes recorded for known candidates, compared to the total number of ballots."

      Alaric nodded. "Patrick and I were listening to radio news overnight; that's what most people suspect. There were many people campaigning for you, regardless of the fact you didn't intentionally run for the office."

      "They're stalling," Claudia said. "If the majority was clear they would announce it regardless of a few write-in votes. Something more is disturbing the committee."

      "Don't say it," John moaned, "I don't want it."

      Claudia shrugged and slowly chewed at a spoonful of oatmeal. She swallowed, "If not that, then do you know where we will move next?"

      John had a vague idea of where they should go, but it was again, not the safeset course. "When I'm more certain, I'll call the Elders to meet," he told them.

      "The others are setting up to fix breakfast outside," Alaric said.

      "That's right, it's my turn to tend fire and help cook," John said and quickly stood. "We were just sitting with Claudia so she could try to get food down."

      "Don't worry about it," Alaric laughed, "Just go help the others."

      John rushed out to the fire circle. Anna and Patrick were scheduled to work this morning and already busy building the fire up and mixing food. John apologized for his lateness, and started immediately bringing out the pots and pans.

      Breakfast was done in good time and they all could sit to eat. Greta was chasing Maureen about, and Little Alaric stood laughing every time they ran by, holding his mother's knee for support. The girls would stop near Justin, where Rozz sat bundled in an infant car seat, gurgling and sucking a pacifier. Maureen pointed to Rozz with index finger. "Baby," she said and questioned Justin with her expression.

      "Yes, honey, he's a baby. Can you call him by a name? Can you say Rozz?" Justin asked.

      Maureen looked for her Father and Mother.

      "Justin is Rozz's dada," Greta explained to the smaller girl, "Rozz is the baby."

      "You know Justin, Maureen," Patrick called, "show me where Justin is."

      Maureen looked up to Justin with a big smile and pointed her finger at him.  He smiled at her. They were all so cute, John thought, just like Alicja when she had been small. He was ready. John wanted a child that would be his, like these his good friends had. Boy or girl didn't matter, just his. "They learn so fast," he said to Claudia.

      "Yes, it's known that child brains are configured differently...allow them to learn at an exceptional rate. Teenagers then go through a reconfiguration of the brain, which settles into a new and different configuration in the twenties. And then there are the brains of the old and senile, suffering with Alzheimer's or other mentally debilitating disease...they resemble in configuration the child's brain, only will only be able to learn and recall less and less..."

      Nearly speechless, John feared Claudia might be blocking emotions again. "Claudy, don't worry," John told her, made a smile, "I'm going to help you. Just don't worry."

      "I scared you," Claudia said. "I didn't mean to sound cold. I'll love our baby. But, I believe it best to know these things, to provide the proper stimuli and environment for a developing mind. I'll need to chose some good music and perhaps audio books read in various languages. They can hear sounds through the body, from inside...me."

      "Not yet?" John asked, pretty sure it was way too early to consider such things.

      "Oh, of course not yet," Claudia said dreamily, "but soon. You can chose some music if you like, or speak to it. And when it is born, good smells, good music, soft and atmospheric. And I'll speak to it in different languages so it hears all the sounds. Good food of course, and soft clothes. All the best things for our gorgeous genius child."

      John smiled. He had been thinking love and safety more important gifts but he wouldn't deny Claudia her chance to raise a genius either. "I think a set of large wooden rosary beads," John offered, "a baptismal gown, and a crucifix to hang above the bed?"

      "If you like," Claudia said, quite agreeably really. "Elzbieta found for Rozz some clothes and bedding decorated with the GothWorld theme park characters Raym and Crowley. I think they would be appropriate toy figures, though the Park does focus on Gothic as associated with horror stories. They are very cute really. Alaric likes them too. And I think having a baby doll is all right, even for a boy, and maybe toy men, hero figures, even for a girl."

      "If I ever see Kit again, I know he would love to make some. He and his mother have always made play dolls and figures of all sorts. You could explain to Kit how the ancient tribal kings looked. Or lady and knight figures if you like."

      "And many puzzles and building sets, they help children develop logic, spacial and motor skills."

      "Perhaps a small musical instrument?" John asked.

      Claudia turned toward him fully and smiled, head tilted to one side. "I do love you, John," she said finally.

      John took her closest hand and kissed its fingers. "I love the two of you," he said, "always will." John heard another voice call his name and after a shared smile he looked up, listening. The call came again and John saw Austin come toward him in the costume of their Guard.

      "Leader, soldiers," Austin said breathlessly as soon as he was near, "Germans from the air base, they insist you speak to them. Quentin is waiting with them at the edge of his unit's camp."

      "All right, show me," John said. He stood up, looked down to Claudia. "Stay, I'm sure it can't be anything very bad."

      Claudia gave a nod and John hurried alongside Austin. They fast-walked through several separate units of the tribe's camp where breakfast was in its various states of completion. They slowed as they entered the artisGoth camp where wagons and vans were open as they often were to display wares. Austin pointed out a space between two tall trees, where a minor road passed and several horses were tied.

      There were just six soldiers and as Austin had indicated they wore the common daily uniform of German soldiers trained in tracking, repairing, and piloting aircraft. "Sir," one of them called and obviously meant to adress John, though he held absolutely no rank.

      "I was told you asked for me," John said to them all after a pause for breath. "Can I help you with something?"

      One held forward a foil envelope with burned-in seal. "I was instructed to deliver this to you personally, by our base commander and to await answer."

      John took the envelope. It had no outer marking but for the seal which indicated it was from the base. He reached into his belt pouch for his pocket knife and cut the top of the envelope cleanly open. There was a foil page inside, the sort often used in printers where plastics were more easily to recycle than paper. One side was matte and bore a printed message.

      John studied the note carefully. The markings at the top indicated it was a hardcopy of message sent by electronic means from Berlin as far as the base of Rhine-Main. It was from Kirsten Hoffman's office. Just below the letter was adressed to him as Leader of the Goth and listed, along with Kirsten, Ryan Valeska and Herbert Kleinstuber, of the elections committee, as senders.

      "Anything wrong?" Quentin asked.

      What John had worried about had become real. The basic message was that, after rushed recount overnight, it had been determined that the number of write-in votes asking for John to be the next leader had led the votes for the other parties by a clear margin. The sender of this message had bought time for John by delaying the announcement of this information. They asked for him to advise them of his position, especially in indicating if he was prepared to accept. If not there would have to be another election because no other party had turned in with acceptable percentage of the vote.

      "When your commander ordered you to find me did he indicate the contents of the message?" John asked.

      "No, his only other instructions were to remind us of your new status as recognized head of state of a friendly nation, of the Goth, Sir."

      John nodded. "And you said that you were to wait with me for response?"

      "Yes, Sir," the soldier answered.

      "Well, you should come along with me to another section of camp. It will take time to consider my response to this message. If you will accept our hospitality?"

      "Thank you, Sir," the lead soldier replied.

      John nodded again. "Just follow, I'll show you where you can find me, then you may move about camp if you like."

      John returned quickly to the core unit of the camp where Claudia was one of those cleaning up after breakfast. Those outside looked up as they came. John considered who might best escort the soldiers. He called to Elonwey. She came quickly, made a small curtsey.

      "Elonwey, these German soldiers will be our guests until I prepare a message for them to take. Can you escort them about camp for me? Show them around?"

      "Anything you need," Elonwey said quietly.

      John nodded.  He turned to the first soldier.  "Lady Elonwey is one of our Elders, she will see that you find your way around and have any food or place to rest as you need. I will be there," John said as he pointed out his own trailer.

      As Elonwey led the soldiers from the immediate area Miko and Ceci came to John. They had missed breakfast. "What did those soldiers want?" Miko asked, "Patrick said they asked for you, and that everyone on the news talks about you and a problem with the voting."

      John nodded. "Miko, you better gather the Elders, Elonwey can stay with the soldiers, do not disturb her. And Ceci, if you would, gather as many of the Guard as you can. But, Ceci, make sure they are not alarmed, I want them only because the Guard seem to represent areas where no Elders have come to us from. Karina should be found also. And Masha, invite Masha to stand in Elonwey's place, just for now. Bring them to my trailer."

      "Can you tell me why?" Miko asked as Ceci ran off with the message.

      "It is about a message I received from Berlin," John said, holding up the foil envelope. "I want to tell everyone at the same time."

      John left Miko and went into his trailer. Alaric and Louisa were both in bed, having been doing chores over the night. John called to Alaric as Claudia and Merideth came in after him.

      "What happened?" Merideth asked.

      "Wake them," John told her. He took his crown and sword down then went to his shrine and retrieved the small figure of Saint Casimir. Clutching the small figure in his right fist and wearing the two symbols of his rank John went to the door and looked out through the glass.

      Alaric and Louisa went about dressing from their sounds.  Merideth was changing Alaric's diaper. "I was right," Claudia whispered, "About the write-ins."

      John nodded.

      "Waiting for others to come?" Claudia asked.

      John nodded again. He closed his eyes and felt the figure in his hand that represented the saint known as the Peacemaker. He was still fighting in his head over how to answer. He wanted to say no, to outright refuse. But then he thought he recognized that first response as based in fear, in selfishness. The message indicated the exact numbers. Clearly people asked for him, needed a leader to put their faith in. Could it be right to be that leader? Or was it wrong?

      John prayed for a sign, for guidance.

      There was speaking nearby. Claudia was asking Louisa to help her lay out blankets on the ground to seat those who were arriving. It sounded like Alaric was trying to soothe his son with silly rhymes.

      "Claudia," John called.

      It took half a minute but she came to him, touched the back of his hand. "I'm here."

      "When Miko and Ceci let you know everyone is here read this aloud to them," John asked and gave Claudia the envelope. "I will be praying that someone here can say something to make my mind clear." The envelope left John's hand.

      Ceci spoke nearby as John opened his eyes to look down at the figure in his hand. Kit had given it John's face and the saint wore with it a red jacket, gold crown and held a lily in his hand. John asked silently, How exactly can I help the most people?

      John looked up slightly as Claudia began to read. She read the transfer tags and addresses then went on into the message that explained to John that he was wanted by many as their leader. Claudia finished by noting the copies of the original signatures and who had signed. God help me, John thought. What am I supposed to do?

      "It's just what we thought," Alaric said, "and they were just buying time with those stories."

      John looked up to the group, slowly looked at individual faces. Most seemed happy and relieved. John supposed there could have been worse news. "The decision has to be mine, I only wanted to hear from all of you how you feel about this. I ask my people's advice," John said.

      "You wouldn't leave us?" Ceci asked.

      "No," John said quickly. "Whatever happens I will not simply leave, not now. I think that in the future another will take my place, but not just now. So, I will not give up being Leader of the Goth so long as I am wanted. We have work to do yet."

      "Then you can't go be Chancellor or President in Berlin, if you lead the Goth...can you?" Marcus asked.

      John tipped his head, "That's what I have been wondering. Is there a way to lead all those who desire to follow?"

      For a moment there was silence. It was Claudia who spoke. "The most obvious way is to have all of the United States be Goth, as Regensburg is. Leave it up to those currently in office to decide how. Otherwise you and all our people are entangled by existing laws and protocol...isn't that what we mean to escape, the divisions of the land by borders and governments and these kinds of problems?"

      "I agree," Sascha said, "Let them know that they are asking you to decide what you have no right to decide. Otherwise you are just another dictator setting yourself up as chancellor. It is all the system of government that must change, not you, John."

      John made a small nod. "Can it be done? I truly wish to help, if I can help. I wonder if..."

      "John," Robbie said, "when my crew came to meet you in Poznan it was made clear you did not ask to be Leader, or set yourself up. You only announced your intentions and invited anyone with similar intentions to follow if they chose. And we all made that choice, we decided to be the followers, so you could lead. It's all you've asked of those who came to hear you speak, that they follow your ways if they choose. Remind them of that."

      "Exactly what happened with us," Patrick said. "We did not even formally declare ourselves at first, but followed where you went until we knew we would stay. And we have followed since."

      "Clearly I will invite them all to follow as you all do," John said. "but there must be some manner of remaining leader without having to administer to billions of people. I have work to do. Business must continue. Laws must be clear so that people feel safe."

      "You need a declaration," Justin called from the back, "You need a document that sets it down and you need representatives of the people to sign it."

      John nodded. "Then I will invite them here. Frankfurt am Main is as good a place as any to stay until things can be worked out, if you all will have patience. I need to write an invitation to them, I could use some help."

      "Your words usually sound good enough," Merideth assured him.

      "I'll type for you, "Claudia offered, "Just tell me what you need to say." She only left him to get her mobile and then Claudia sat near the others, on the ground. John sat in the doorway of the trailer.

      "I, John, Leader of the Tribe of the Goth have received their words and am now prepared to give them my intentions in the matter. All currently designated leaders of Germany and Poland or of the United Duetch-Polski states or legally designated representatives thereof, along with representatives of the Goth enclave of Regensburg, tribal Elders of the Goth and official representatives of any interested nations, tribes or terretories are invited to Join me in the city of Frankfurt Am Main to sign a legal declaration of the intent of those we represent to join the Goth in recognizing me as current tribal Leader, in following the ways of the Goth, and in recognizing the authority of Arbiter and Elders of the tribe. Further details of our declaration will be decided in committee by all attending who intend to see the process of declaration through. Etcetera and so on."

      "Just going to polish the grammar a bit and when printed you may sign copies to be sent to those involved," Claudia said.

      John looked over the small crowd again. All seemed proud, if he was not mistaken. "Today I will have to go into the city and find a suitable location to house our meeting."

      "There are some Goth from the city," Elzbieta said, "both travelling with us and still living here. I've met some. I can help you find them. They might help."

      John nodded. "We should warn the city's Mayor of the possibility of a large number of government officials and escorts arriving," he said, "and find Gerhard, he will want to cover this. And you perhaps, Alaric, will want to write something to send to the daily when we are certain."

      "We could break the story now if you like," Alaric said, standing as he spoke, "We'd have demonstrtors in the streets of every city encouraging their representatives to sign."

      "I'll leave it to you to decide when to report what you know, I trust you," John said to Alaric, "I trust you all, actually, which is why I told you all this now. I hope you will continue to support me. I feel there is still more to do, though this is beyond my original hopes!"

                      †               †               †

      Three days passed before there were any official discussions held, so that those travelling from further away had time to reach Frankfurt Am Main. A local hotel had offered use of its rooms free of charge in exchange for being a site of future historical importance. The upper floors were given to John and Claudia and all other Elders and officials of the tribe, to keep them closer to their work and more secure.

      Word of this historical meeting had already spread across the globe and many of those involved feared that being wartime they would be targeted by one army or another. The Goth guard stood watch around the hotel and events within along with military and police brought as escort by the others representatives involved. The first day of discussions was taken up by John's repeated answers to questions posed again and again in various words. He explained his intentions, that they together could found an entirely new nation they would all be happy in.

      The number of representatives was large. The United Duetch-Polski states nearly collapsing amid the turmoil of the elections and the ongoing war, Poland and Germany had both sent their own teams of representtives from the many smaller divisions of those nations. Regensburg had its own representative and Goth had twelve Elders besides plus John and Claudia both with a vote. Some cities in Poland or Germany which had been under occupation sent their own representatives apart from those selected by the national government of Poland or Germany. Hearing of the event, Belgium and the Netherlands had sent representatives as well.

      Many days were spent in committee even after it was decided that the remaining parties were all interested in forming some manner of agreement and that a more unified and stronger nation could benefit all. Only a few had left, initially interested fringe groups or cities considering themselves free of the surrounding state. There were still five populations being represented, all interested in stopping the war and all interested in seeing a positive change in quality of life, all knowing of the Goth and of its Leader.

      Meetings were long and frustrating, many voices violently agreeing and at the same time arguing small points. Even after the first several days, when all basically agreed that they were still interested in forming a unified nation and that John would be recognized their first Leader, there was a long way to go in drafting a final document. It had taken days simply to agree that John should be Leader, though he had been chosen by a majority of German and Polish voters not including the Goth in Regensburg or in Frankfurt.

      As the days went by, more camera crews arrived to stake out the hotel. Streets were crowded with protestors both for and against, and German military from Rhine-Main had come to keep order in the city. The Goth had moved their camp to a location northeast of Frankfurt am main, after terrorist groups had been spotted and fired upon the Guardsmen and Maidens at the former site.

      The meetings themselves were strange, the suited middle aged representatives of the several involved governments clashed visually with the youthful braided Goth. And always there was someone to point out these or other petty differences and make an argument of it. Claudia was often put in the place of pointing out how very simple their union could be. All spoke a form of German or English, many some form of French, multi-linguists were not uncommon. Already currency and measurements were standard already those laws brought by the UDN were universal and no one suggested parting from the Union of Darkland Nations. Above all, the very message of the Goth was that all were of a like blood, of a people and even when not they shared a spirit. There was no point to the arguing. Amendments could be made later if it came to matter.

      After these committee meetings went on just over a week, a document was drafted. All the four nations would unite with the Goth under the name Goth and official documents would then on be drafted in some form of German along with some form English. They remained under UDN rule and intended to continue with renegotiations with them. All members of the committee would become the representatives of the people in the new legislative branch of government and would be titled Elder and from then on be subject to review and reelections every four years as voted by the states. In fact, Germany, Poland, Belgium, and the Netherlands became states of Goth and retained their present divisions into counties and cities. John would be Leader and there would be built a residence in Frankfurt am Main for each Leader to live with family and advisors. Frankfurt would be made capital of Goth while Berlin remained Capital of its state Germany. Frankfurt would be given to the Goth rather than counted as a German city, but Regensburg would be given to Germany as part of its state, still within Goth.

      The Goth Declaration was signed by the last hand on the 17th July 2165.

      That evening, the finalization was announced to all the world by the gathered journalists and reporters. For the next 24 hours, John was followed by microphone and camera almost everywhere he went. There was so much to say and now the world listened all the more. He was the boy who had united a large chunk of Europe bloodlessly and during wartime. Already, the artisGoths had made several flags so they waved behind him for the cameras as backdrop, gold eagle on descending horizontal stripes of black, red, and white.

      John reaffirmed Goth's support for the Union of Darkland Nations yet demanded they renegotiate the terms of their agreement with his representatives. Kirsten and Ryan were being sent as Goth's ambassadors to the Union, to meet with the High Lord, as did the representatives and military commanders of other nations.

      John stood before cameras wired to broadcast live and read names of persons sought for questioning in bringing in alleged war criminals. When he was done with the list he asked any who were on the list might surrender themselves to the nearest Goth Peacekeeper. He warned that in time all war crimes would be investigated and suspects would be arrested and tried and when found guilty forever known to history for their crimes. He had really wanted to call the list "godless war criminals", but new legal advisers had warned that he should use words like "alleged" and "suspect" to insure that those who might be by some small doubt innocent were protected until such time as guilt was proven. John decided this was just, finally, and read the list as they advised. 

      John stood, with Claudia beside him, and urged all the nations of the EL and the Union to call a truce and stop the violence. He pointed out known cities where civilians were being harmed in the course of the war, the same cities he had received these reports of war crimes from. John spoke to any citizens of lands now Goth who might be under orders to fight as part of the Darkling Guard or the VC. "Know that all of Goth prays for your safe return to us, whether Darkling or Human serving the Union military, we do not hold your actions taken under lawful chain of command against you, we only wish you be allowed to return home where all are needed to build our nation and protect its borders. We wish to give thanks to all the soldiers who have died and served thus far to protect our lands and people, though we do not condone the course of action that made it necessary."

      John announced that volunteers of all ages were needed to join the Goth Peacekeepers and Goth Guard, both male and female, Darkling and Human, so that their borders might be protected and their cities kept safe. John addressed the cameras as if they were the military commanders themselves, "We have extended our hand as brother to all men and to no institution. We have saved the lives of people who were soldiers of the Union and the EL as well as civilian lives and asked peace from all, but now we are left with no other choice but to consider all who make war on lands now Goth to be our enemies. We will hold the lines! All former military and police forces of our states, Germany, Poland, Netherlands and Belgium have orders now to cease all attack and hold defensive positions. No soldier of Goth will attack, but we will stand against all attackers. We grant permission, temporarily, to all armies in our lands to move freely to destinations beyond our borders. First move of agression by any foreign army and all permission is revoked and all are borders sealed. Do not mistake the determination to preserve life as weakness, offending armies will witness demonstration of our superior disabling and stun weaponry. Prisoners will be taken and cared for most humanely. Goth will have the homelands of its people restored! Goth will allow no bloodshed on our lands! Other nations and countries wishing to join us may follow the first in declaring Goth and all just means will be taken to spare and restore their people and lands from the ongoing war. Our love goes out to you all. Good night."

      "No more," John said and waved the microphones away. Days they'd been following him. "I must sleep. Please."  To John's own amazement all drew away silently, leaving him a path down the hallway to his rooms, the temporary residence in the hotel. "Thank you, thank you all. I will be sleeping; tomorrow there will be news."

      John moved quickly down the hall, removing his crown as he went. He gave a nod to the guard, Sammy tonight, outside his door. John opened the door himself then and went inside. It was dim, flickering greenish light in the adjacent room. John closed the door. He put his crown and sword on the table before the sofa and sat to remove his boots. "Done threatening armies of the world?" Claudia called.

      "Was it that bad?" John asked, "I was falling asleep, probably looked drunk on camera." He had the knots undone and picked the laces of his boots.

      "I was trying to be funny," Claudia called, "You looked fine."

      John left his boots before the sofa and walked across the plush carpeting into the bedroom. He closed the pair of doors behind him, afraid still a camera crew would find a way inside. Claudia was lying on the bed, propped on one side as she worked the keys of her mobile one-handed. "Really, no one would notice you were that tired, and if they noticed, they must think it just that. You've been under the lights and lenses an entire day."

      John pulled off his socks and then his shirt. "I'm so tired, I hardly remember half the things I said. I'll wake tomorrow and Elders will be coming at me left and right telling me something I said has pressured their region unfairly." John took off his pants then sat on the bed.

      "It's not a parliamentary democracy, you have more immediate power as head of state than any of them, and you should. It's all been your work, you are the inspired one. You remember that. Their purpose is to help you by looking out for chunks of your people and correcting you as a group in agreement when you really do get a big head and make a mistake. But this stuff now, it's not your personal power trip, you are doing you best to solve all their problems and everyone is impatient."

      John smiled then turned to face Claudia. "I love when you are so calm and logical," he sighed.

      "You just love me," Claudia said and she was funny that time.

      John turned down the bed clothes and scooted along to sit near the double row of pillows. "How do you feel about going to France?" John asked.

      Claudia froze in the midst of unzipping the back of her dress. She turned and looked through loose strands of hair to John. "Serious?"

      John slid under the covers and dropped his head to the pillows. Claudia was half out of her dress and crawling toward him. "Serious."

      She grinned. "It's the perfect place to go next," she said.

      John raised both brows to say he knew. "I've been thinking of it a while. Now I'm really Leader, I can split the original tribe and ask for volunteers to go on this mission with me.  If any other nation is more in need and more deserving to belong I don't know what it is. Paris is under one side's martial law and mostly in ruins and Gaul has stolen more land from France since the partitioning. Everyone there is suffering."

      Claudia slipped out of her clothes and then under the sheets. She sidled up to John and draped an arm over his chest. "I would so love us to go to France. I'm not related by blood and yet they are still as much all our people as the other states. And I did grow up there. I feel so bad for the people who have tried to keep the traditions alive and only suffered for it."

      "Then, we'll go. Not immediately, but soon. And as secretly as possible." John yawned.

      "That won't be easy," Claudia said.

      John blinked his eyes open. "I know, but it's better we get underway before anyone can object. We'll have to take the volunteers all from the original tribe. Somehow, we'll do this, and then maybe we'll be done."

      "I hope so," Claudia said. John could feel the general warmth of her but that was it, he was fading into sleep.

      †               †               †

      Another month passed before John could think of moving again. There was work to do staying in Frankfurt am Main as much as anywhere. All the government of the new nation had to be set up with residences and offices. Each of the four state governments had to reorganize within their capitals. Banks were negotiated with to transfer percent of national funds of the states into the new unified government's accounts. There were buildings to be built in Frankfurt. There were a myriad small details to take care of.

      And still the media hovered, as they did over all world leaders, just slightly less than they had when the united nation of Goth had been formed. Still, there was the temporary residence kept in the hotel. There were meetings, and working out of formerly unspecified procedure and routine. John had appointed a cabinet of advisers and ministers to help him in keeping track of Goth. As well there was the appointing of new ambassadors to other countries and nations and the recalling of the staff from former nations now states who had worked abroad.

      Those who had been the first twelve Elders John encouraged to remain so, to continue their support through the new larger house of Elders with their votes. Elzbieta, Robbie, and Sascha all resigned and left their posts to those who would be elected to replace them, two from State of Poland one from Germany. Though Marcus and Leonore kept their positions as Elders, the rest of the old crew went corporate and formed Visitecha. Claudia held a position on their board as did Marcus and Leonore along with all the old crew, Miko and Merideth as well, but Sascha was elected Chief Executive Officer and Robbie Chief Financial Officer by the board of Visitecha. Headquartered in Frankfurt, within weeks, they were training new employees and advertising their services as technology testing, consulting and design firm and within a few more had branched into software training and design and partnered with Nouvotech to launch a new line of mobile computers.

      Of course Claudia also had them secretly monitoring the Alexandria mainframe for data relevant to the Goth. Thus far there was no news but some messages found addressed to the High Lord from various advisers telling him of the meetings in Frankfurt am Main, the Declaration and those Elders they knew of. Claudia figured Shade knew very well what was going on, from her father.

      She had told John how her father still wrote to her. And she had said that since the Declaration, he had warned her that the High Lord was upset by their actions.

      John worried. His ambassadors called home with messages that the High Lord would not give them a personal audience and that at war meetings they had recently been excluded with reason given by the guards that they represented a neutral country and had no business in the planning of the war.

      John supposed that Goth encompassing four former Union nations and openly denouncing the war, plus giving temporary permissions to all armies, would mean a great loss to the Union in allied armies willing to take orders from the General. Their invitation to other nations that encouraged them to join in accepting their ways must have seemed insult to the Union government.

      "He won't move against you directly," Claudia had assure John.  "From what I can read, between my father's words, and what I have learned of our High Lord in the past, I believe he is more upset that he cannot be in your place than he is upset with you personally."

      John tried to imagine it, that someone as ancient and powerful and likewsie first generation of the Nephillim Spawn hated being the leader of the Union because he had to carry on the war. Probably, in the beginning, when there had been DG reporting sightings of increased Swiss and Russian soldiers in the eastern countries, and everyone had wondered if they really were there to protect the interests of the local churches...someone had come to Shade and suggested they send assassins. Clearly an easy task for the more ancient of Vampyres or those immortal half-angels able to teleport; they might have slain in secret entire regimes in a night an returned home to act surprised at the news. But Shade had done what he thought fair, had sent troops against troops.

      John thought, there were some who would call it underhanded, but why not take out the real enemies rather than those they manipulated? How many people in the aftermath of a war asked themselves, "Why didn't someone just kill that despot before so much was lost to us forever?" Surely Morpheus had some acquaintance who asked why he did not kill those who would be wretched dictators and emperors before they could do harm.

      Morpheus would never do it, and John understood why. Morpheus and Julien, Orchid rather, were a team, they thought each other's thoughts sometimes. Orchid had been the boy Julien who was raised Catholic and hurt by his father's zealotry and Morpheus had been created nearly a full angel with desire to serve a greater good, but with no position in God's ranks. They were, no matter what others said, as good and as God-fearing as John. Of course one could not time travel and kill a man before his evil acts, because at that instant the man was yet innocent and that would clearly damn the time traveler for doing murder. And no time traveller should be needed during a man's evil acts, the responsibility lay with the surrounding people's free will to stop such a man.

      So the war was going to be fought by leaders who believed themselves good and perhaps God-fearing. Because the easy way would seem murder and might itself cause those who did not understand the reasoning behind such assassination to start a war...and it became rather a paradox.

      It was important to show strength if not aggression now, John's advisers had made that clear. Like those who came to ask him about their plans for the new residence he would live in, the military advisers came. Orders had gone out to regroup all forces, retreat if necessary, new orders had to be given and understood. Now wearing black red and white armbands all the former military forces of Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Poland were completely mobilized and recruitment had been constant and promising since the declaration. Their forces were broken into the more localized militia style Goth Guard, which also encompassed now police and all rescue professionals be they firefighters or mountain rescue squads, and the more mobile military style Goth Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers again had their own divisions according to areas of expertise be they the LuftGoth Peacekeepers who piloted what aircraft could be salvaged, technicians trained to repair all military equipment, or even the SchwartzGoth Peacekeepers who were sent on the most secret and stealthy reconnaisance and sabotage missions.

      All these forces were reminded daily of their duty to protect and serve. They were trained and paid, but they had to be willing to put the well being of their fellow citizens above their own safety. They had to really be willing to die and then keep on surviving. And they had to do their job with out causing more harm than was bought against them or their people.

      Goth held a great north-to-south line across Poland crossing over Warsaw and had held it for some weeks, without failure, against the Russians. Also the southern border of Belgium was heavily patrolled against the Gaul, who France had been unable to stop. In the Goth state of Germany, river patrols travelled between many of the important riverport cities that Germany counted on for much of its shipping. A large force had been rallied from German troops to hold a line roughly along the Danube with headquarters watching from the same mountain John had watched battles in the valley from.

      For whatever reasons, perhaps pressure from the Pope, who respected the pacifist ideals of the Goth, even if they maintained the controversial honoring of Darkling citizenship, the Russians had withdrawn from most of Goth, but for the  southern slice of Poland they were claiming and a few troops moving slowly into the Balkans. But Spanish and Gaul armies and many of the terrorist groups still dared into Goth as well as small groups of Swiss. The Union still had DG posted all throughout Europe, and those in Goth had been ordered to Berlin, it seemed from all their posts, without consulting John or any of Goth's officials. The VC seemed to disregard all borders, but when they came upon Goth Peacekeepers they disappeared rather than fight, at least considering them nonthreatening enough to leave behind.

      John had sent word out, through the many new officials of the government of Goth, that medals and monetary prizes would be awarded to all citizens who designed a viable defensive tool or armorment. It was for Anna, now ranked a Grand Commissioner of the Goth Guard to decide which designs would also win contracts to manufacture equipment. In fact, they were going into debt with the amount of signing awards given recruits in the Guard or Peacekeepers, money redirected throughout the new nation into building up the education network and insuring that all children had the standard equipment, and generally funding ad campaigns to encourage investment and start-up of technologies businesses.

      The minister of the treasury had formerly been the Prime Minister of Belgium and advised that they may just break even if enough people were encouraged to continued business as usual during the remainder of the war. It was important that people felt they were capable of being a strong and educated nation, rich and secure. Now John worked into every speech and interview some way of telling the people of Goth that he was doing all in his power to assist education and technologies growth. He told the people they each were important and needed for his plans to work, that they must see that their own children were educated, got as much as possible from the education net and sent in assignments. Teachers had to keep up with the new findings and technologies of other nations as well as their own. All businesses were encouraged to seek employees trained in leading technologies even if it meant recruiting outside their nation; those employees could always train others from Goth.

      It was nearly September before John could make his plans for travelling into France. He had to call to all the tribe best known to him, some of whom had moved from the city, and ask them to meet with him...and still keep the plan secret.

                      †               †               †

      They met in a local restaurant, now partly owned by Elzbieta and Justin and where they worked some days, when not occupied by the House of Elders or the Peacekeepers. Most of what had made up the core unit during their nomadic time was present, all the former twelve Elders, much of the Guard, Karina and Vivianne both, and the crew. They spoke as they ate over dinner, Elzbieta's business partner, a man born in Germany but having parents from America, along with his trusted employees, kept the media outside and told anyone who asked the building was reserved for a private birthday party.

      Not everyone realized John had anything more important than friendship to discuss. They occupied themselves speaking about who had remained with the government, or gone corporate, or moved back home to be an example to their local community.

      Then in the space of an awkward silence Alaric asked, "All right, John, why did you really invite us all here?"

      The silence continued and John saw that they looked at him, all of them. "Claudia and I want to go into France..." John paused only long enough for a breath not so long as to invite comment, "It won't be a state visit. There are people in desperate need, and if things had gone differently I would have wanted them with us before the Declaration. Of course, there are people in Goth still in need, I don't mean to just leave them alone. But I do need to go to France. They belong with us too, and they have been very hurt by the wars, more than any of our people, or at least just as much. They don't even have a French government anymore, it collapsed after the split with Gaul during a riot and the Premir they did have is dead. They have American soldiers in Paris as their only sort of government."

      "John wants to know if any of you will go with us, but wishes some will not go, even if they want, so that good people we trust remain in Goth while we are away. We plan to leave in secret and announce our intentions as late as possible," Claudia announced. She was perhaps as much as three months along, definitely more than two, and showing slightly her pregnant state.

      The noise grew and then John called over it, "You will have to figure out among yourselves who will go and stay. This time we need to travel quickly and stay as quiet as possible. The path we take into France will not be entirely over secure ground. You may ask others you trust to go with us, but not thousands as we had before. We really need many to stay and see that our ways are really understood."

      Soon Justin and Anna both approached John. Both had arrived in their uniforms, borrowing from the German code of dress until the new Goth Uniform could be issued to all, Anna being Guard and Justin Peackeeper. "I am going to stay," Anna said, "now that I am Grand Commisioner of our Guard it really is necessary. I thought of assigning some people to you but I've spoken to Justin and decided all the Guard should stay."

      "Once I knew Anna herself was willing to stay I knew I should come along with you. I can bring a small number of Peacekeepers under my command and be in constant communication with the base and other generals, even Minister of Defense if need be. So if that is all right with you, I'll arrange for those Peacekeepers we have here and myself to leave."

      "Good idea, both of you. I'll be glad to have you with me, Justin. Anna, I suppose there is a reason I pushed for you to be named Grand commissioner, your maternal instinct usually serves us better than most attempts at strategy and protocol, and you've got that as well. I'm certain our people will be well protected. Can either of you tell me which of the old Guard will most likely be with us?"

      Justin nodded even as Anna looked toward him expectantly. "Well, John, except for myself and Sammy, all the guard who were older than 17 and a half, I'd guess, joined the Goth Guard, and all the remainder were put in a special unit, as the former military didn't allow their age group to serve. Those are currently all under my command and it has been suggested only that I keep them in training. The other heads of what is now Goth's military weren't entirely understanding of the removal of age restriction on many of the laws."

      "The old laws were written with intention to protect, but I feel that tests of skill or capability are better ways to decide who may do a thing rather than only age. Now some thirteen-year-olds drive and other nineteen-year-olds may not be able to, but those retaining permission by grandfather clause. If they pass psych profiles, physical tests and intelligence tests I see no reason why they may not choose to serve."

      "Well all them passed," Justin said, "not a one failed you, though a few really pushed themselves over the tests of physical ability. But they've all been through their first couple months of training already. Even that girl Ceci is rated to use all the basic gear now. She's actually a crack shot and not too bad at fixing tank and Jeep engines."

      John smiled and glanced to Claudia. They were all proud of Ceci. She had come to see them after hearing from her family for the first time in about a year and said when they had learned all she had done they too were proud to tears of Ceci. Anna had been like a second mother to her and was just as proud, often fixed Ceci dinners at her new house when the fifteen-year-old soldier was not on base. 

      "I wonder if Miko will come," Justin said, "We see him and Cyprian both quite often. Cyprian won Elzbieta's former seat as Elder. I thought it a good choice, he's from the very same area originally and too intelligent to not be doing more with himself."

      "I was pleased with that myself," John said. He saw Miko now. Cyprian was with him and many of the techs who were now executives at Visitecha.  Robbie came to them and spoke to Claudia as John was still looking toward the others.

      "I'm staying behind," Robbie said, "I didn't really want to, but among ourselves we all discussed it and the coins flipped against me, You'll have Sascha, and enough others.  You let me know when you set up that other project. I'd like to retain my stock and just be a silent partner, I don't like being corporate, Claudia."

      She was smiling. "Soon, Robbie. Thank you for staying. Someone needed to. Do you know the decisions of the others yet?"

      He nodded. "You'll get Miko and Merideth; we thought it fair to let them. Marek is being sent and Leonore insists, and I pretty much agree, you need to make him do all the most boring work, he gets away with too much. Helena will stay with us and Marcus mainly because he wants to stay right in the House where he sees people. But Sascha is going to bring Jayne and Erik both and think Melitta is going to stay here also. Trust me, we all wanted to go, but with some of us Elders and all being corporate now we seriously have a lot to do that helps Goth right here."

      "I understand completely," Claudia said, "It is what we want, good people to stay behind. Thank you."

      When all had come to report their decision there were over thirty names John could list along with Claudia's and his among those going into France, either present or known to those present. After leaving tonight there would be more as those going informed others they trusted of the plan.