Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine. Evil be thou my good.

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine. Evil be thou my good.

"Good afternoon," Yorrick said pleasantly.

He'd been waiting for this meeting for the better part of three hours, and he didn't particularly feel pleasant, but as this was the only world leader he'd been able to arrange a meeting with, he wasn't going to sour the well just because he'd been left cooling his heels.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

"Good afternoon Mr. Wrathsbane," A tall woman, wearing a suit that fit her form quite nicely, smiled and gestured for him to follow her. "My name is Taylor, and I'm the President's chief of staff. I'm terribly sorry that we've kept you waiting, the process of evacuating our entire country is one that demands our attention in constant and unexpected ways."

"I've been assigned the task of liaising with your world on behalf of the Karcerian Empire, and as you are the only government I've been able to arrange a meeting with, all of my time is dedicated towards you," He smiled brightly. "I've spent the time learning more about your world, so it certainly wasn't wasted."

Which was true. While they were appallingly weak, the people of Earth had developed fascinating machines to compensate.

"The President has an opening now," Taylor said as she preceded him down a hallway. "It's only a thirty-minute slot, but depending on what you're looking to accomplish, it's likely that there are others who can accommodate you."

Yorrick nodded, keeping his affable smile in place. He had no doubt that was true. The government of this country did not control its citizens and business, not to any significant degree. He'd started using their 'internet' to investigate the mechanics behind their cellular phones and had discovered that while the government regulated them, they had no input on the development and deployment of the equipment beyond safety mandates.

The Emperor had been quite explicit in his desire to obtain this instantaneous communication system. After seeing how people used them in Harbordeep and then witnessing it on Earth, he could appreciate the Emperor's foresight. Considering how inexpensive it was to power both the transceivers and the devices themselves, it would revolutionize communications in the Empire. As it stood unless you could afford to spend the hundreds of crystals for a ritual, your only method of communication was to send a letter, or if you were spendy, a visual crystal, with the messengers that portaled from city to city. Even that was not an inexpensive service.

Coordination during Tides was a crucial and often lacking factor. He needed to come back with a plan in place.

"Yorrick Wrathsbane, the President of the United States of America, Elania Hartford," Taylor had led him into an oddly rounded room where a handsome woman sat behind an imposing desk. "Madam President, Yorrick Wrathsbane, High Seat of the Warlocks Guild, Third Pillar of the Karcerian Empire, and the Emperor's Envoy to our world."

"What would be the appropriate address?" The President asked as she stood up and walked around the desk to shake his hand. "Our protocol department was uncertain, and in this instance, our friends in Greenwold were less than forthcoming."

"In this instance, Warlock Wrathsbane would be the appropriate title," Yorrick shook her hand, still smiling, "but I'd prefer to dispense with formality as much as possible, so please, call me Yorrick."

She gestured for him to take a seat on one of the couches and then sat across him, with Taylor sitting in a chair to the side.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yorrick, on behalf of a grateful world, allow me to thank the Karcerian Empire for their generous donation," The President said warmly.

"Think nothing of it beyond the fact that our Empire has the capacity to offer further aid on the same scale," Yorrick replied. He'd hoped to provoke a reaction with that statement, but despite their laughably low levels and tiers, these people had mastered hiding their emotions.

"The Federal Communications Commission," Elania replied, her mind rolling over what he'd said. "Taylor can make an appointment for you."

"Excellent," Yorrick replied. "If I may take my leave, I'm sure you have important matters to attend."

Elania nodded and stood, shaking his hand once again, watching as Taylor escorted him out.

Elania had just sat back down behind her desk when Taylor came back into the room.

"That man is dangerous," Taylor said with a shake of her head.

"He is definitely the right man for the job," Elania replied with a sigh.

"I feel like one of us has to say it," Taylor broke the silence. "He's not wrong. At least not about the propensity Americans have to sin against their better interests."

"I think," Elania began slowly, "that we need to put together a fact-finding mission to evaluate the Empire."

Taylor nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"While I don't want to consign any of our citizens to an Empire that freely admits that is Evil, even if they protest that their Evil is a lowercase 'e' sort, half a million Dungeon slots isn't an opportunity we can afford to ignore," Elania went on, her thoughts coalescing. "He was non-specific as to the aid that we could negotiate for, which I do not believe was a mistake or omission on his part."

Taylor blinked. "Come again?" She asked.

"I'm surprised you missed it," Elania flashed her friend and chief of staff a wicked smile. "Maybe you were too distracted by those pretty eyes and that smile?"

"What did I miss?" Taylor asked, dismissing Elania's suggestion with a sniff.

"When he stated that we could negotiate for additional aid, it was after I'd mentioned both the Mana Crystals and the Dungeon slots," Elania replied. "That leads me to believe that the Empire could provide additional Dungeon slots as well Mana Crystals, with the Dungeon Slots being arguably more valuable."

"The big question is just how evil is the Evil Empire, and what can we offer them in return?" She mused.