Pawn Threatens King

AC: “The United States government, upon reviewing the agreement between the United States of America and the Wallace family, has decided to exercise eminent domain over the property of said family and ...”

Michael calmly took a sip of water. “Are you declaring a hostile action?”

Senator Finley stopped for a moment. “No, we are exercising eminent domain.”

“The barony is held by the family Wallace in lieu of the Crown. Therefore, you are exercising eminent domain over British soil. Do you wish to continue on this course of action?”

Finley looked carefully at the preciously preserved document. It had been carefully scrivened and signed. There was also a typed copy that he was allowed to abuse in his usual manner. The copy was rolled up and being pointedly smacked on a podium when Finley spoke.

Michael Wallace held his family's copy of the same agreement. He handled it with reverence and white gloves. Michael knew every line on it by heart. He knew the spirit of the pact and the practical and moral and financial implications if either side broke it. Michael wondered how carefully Finley reviewed the papers or if he had at all.

They were banking on Morgan's admission to sedition in hopes of nullifying the family's claims to the land and title. Michael countered that Morgan had never truly been a baron as they had found out that Morgan was not John Hunter Fitzgerald's son, resulting in a quiet abdication and passage of the barony to the proper heir. Michael had that in writing. Due to Michael's death and subsequent resurrection, the title went into abeyance until Michael could produce a male heir or permanently died, but it was also decided that he could continue to use the title Lord as a former baron that had not been dishonored. But, the title was not extinct, which was the exact condition necessary for the lands to convert to American soil. To confuse matters further, Buckingham Palace issued a writ of summons to create him as a baronet so he could continue his administrative role. Michael had gone from Honorable to Right Honorable to deceased to Lord to Sir. Even Michael wasn't sure how he should be addressed.

Finley was finding the family's excrutiatingly accurate recordkeeping annoying. He'd try to find evidence of them evading taxes, resulting in 250 years' of tax documents, meaning they payed taxes before an offical tax was levied, which was also part of the original agreement. Michael also produced even more documentation for taxes payed to Britain. “And all of it,” Michael calmly stated, “is taxation without representation. I am not allowed to vote in either country and this branch of the Wallace family was denied a seat in the House of Lords.”

“I am still not comfortable with aristocracy in this country.”

“Have you weighed your comfort against what's best for the country writ large?”

Michael let Finley and his crusade do their posturing. He kept his comments short and concise. He could see where this was headed, but he just let them have all the rope they needed. When the declaration of eminent domain was through, he stated, “Let the record show that I interpret this declaration as a hostile action against my family and the Crown contrary to the stated terms of the agreement.”

“So noted,” Finley responded acridly. “It won't make a difference.”

Michael looked over to the British consul and her attache. They both nodded to him. He spoke softly, the words' weight carrying themselves. “I invoke Article Eighteen.”

Several heads turned and the low thunder of pages flipping could be heard. While they searched for the reference, Michael exposited, “Back when the colonies gained independence, despite winning the war, the American dollar was worthless. Suddenly, there were pensions to be paid, land to be doled, and a nation to build. There was no monetary capital with which to do any of this. Both the nation and the barony were in peril. The Wallace family, through equal parts diplomacy, decency, deceit, serendipity and sheer luck, still had all its holdings intact. We still thought of ourselves as Englishmen, despite clearly aiding the ragtag army of General Washington. We supported your cause, without wanting to directly be involved. It proved impossible in practice. We fed your armies, quartered your soldiers, lent the officers our horses. Since our castle doubled as a fortress, it would have been a worthless endeavour to attempt to assail us when there were more important military targets and Frederick Wallace even allowed a hospital unit be set up in our walled area for the patriots. And, separately, he did the same for the British. Either nation could have hung him for treason. But, like all of our famliy, he was bred a businessman and a diplomat, so he drafted a compromise. He offered to back the dollar with a generous loan of ten thousand pounds troy in actual gold. He also ceded half the baronial holdings, as an olive branch. The Wallace family would consider the loan forgiven as long as we were allowed to hold our lands and titles as British subjects. Three nations witnessed and signed this loan. If we are ever unjustly removed from our land, the loan will immediately become due, adjusted for the current value, with five percent interest compounded daily.”

Morgan, sitting in the gallery, whispered a quote from the family letters, “One day, my sons, paper will be just as valuable as bullets in enforcing one's will in the world. When that day comes, a paper tiger will be the most dangerous creature around.”