Ethos & Amity

Chapter 3: A Contest Of Ills

"It was in those days that the continual upheaval of the majority class, caused by economic and social irregularities, were finally dealt with unilaterally at the highest level of government, so that, by the conclusion of the first writings of the Coalition, all peoples contained a share of socialistic equalization of forces, political clout, individual sovereignty (to an acceptable degree) and republican merit. All issues were clearly laid out, addressed and appreciated, the propagandist fears of old retired. At long last, the tightrope had been walked."

                                                                                                     -Henritt Ashen, Concise History of the Coalition

"Hmm. 'Socialistic'. 'Majority class'." Ambassador Klavin stroked his chin as he murmured.

"A problem, Ambassador?" Marvus asked, the stain of sarcasm apparent.

They were thirty-three minutes into the tour of the Museum of the Unison, and Marv took every care to not only note the time, but to emphasize those aspects of the Coalition he felt were its strengths. Each time, the ambassador from the Gem Estates huffed, looked amused or uttered a single word from the plaque before him. About their heads, sea green tiles, fitted together to resemble the endless might of sunbeams, bold black borderlines, rose up to a ceiling depicting those self same rays merging into a torrent beryl-into-periwinkle sea.

Currently, they stood before an encased bust of Zanthan Neer the Fifth, last autocrat of the land back when it was still the Neerian Technarchy. The Neerians prided themselves on their artisans, and art appreciation continued to be a lasting hallmark of the nation, though no longer consigned to the whims of royalty. This monarchical carving out of marble on a pedestal of bronze bore a striking difference from other busts which came before (and were situated around this antechamber dedicated to the Neerian Age).

"Yes. The majority class referenced being those not counted as higher ups on the scale of wealth. Once they were termed working class, at varying strata. Basically, the majority of the Coalition's, or any nation's, populace."

"Radical terms, I think." Klavin raised a brow, stretched thin lips. "What of these markings?"

Autographs. Marv took exquisite delight in relating the tale to Klavin about how the statue had been 'ritually desecrated' a century earlier.

"The Coalition Accords lasted for seven years, give or take a month. Lots of arguing, bickering, thousands upon thousands of pages of letters back and forth from ambassadors across the five nations. The Neerians were dominating over Yu-Tal-Uz, the Synchim Tribal States, Arch Nation and Arimia for ages. Slavery. Forced sterilization and eugenics. Genocide of the Facha Peoples. Prejudice. Classist behavior, though we from the beginning stated in the old Litany an abstinence from it, a lie, really. Women had no rights nor even a say over their own bodies until ten years before the Accords, during the end of the Crowning War. Every grievance came to the forefront. But the vast majority were met, settled and unanimity attained. The Accords were signed by many, but began from a meeting of three pivotal persons."

"What I hear, is the demands of extremists were catered to. Is this not so?" Klavin studied the bust, the autographs of the signers of the Coalition Accords scarring the stern face of Zanthan.

"How so?" Marv asked, shocked.

"Our countries are very different, but they share one common thread. Social discontent."

"I concur with that assessment," Marv offered, with a blatant reluctance in his drawn out response. "The sixty years before the War witnessed many a riot, protest and political actions on the part of minority groups and tribal elders. But the elapse of time has revealed those once called dissenters and terrorists were ahead of their day."