Vetnam

[Mor'os]

Lengmal Budes surveyed the tiny island of Autang from the balcony of his makeshift residence. When he had first come to Autang, adrift in the southern seas to oversee the development of the purchase from the Mercantilist States, he had been very displeased about the idea of being so far removed for home for such an extended period of time in some sort of dismal little backwater. But as time passed, he found that he was warming up to the place. It had grown to be such a peaceful place, disregarding of course the various sounds of construction that were to be found on most any part of the island. The sky was so much clearer here, and the sea stretched out on every side for mile upon unseen mile. It was almost unreal, a sort of dream. And the life on this island, so incredibly exotic and diverse. It almost moved him to feel the slightest touch of remorse that it might soon be paved over. His musings and day dreamings as he stared off into the setting sun were suddenly and rudely broken by the one part of his experience on the island that he had not come to love.

"Ah, Budes-sam!" wheezed the annoying nasally voice from behind him.

I could just ignore him and wait for him to go away... though Budes.

"Budes-sam, Budes-sam, it's very important!"

What am I saying? He'll keep this up forever if he has to. Suppressing a sigh, Budes turned around and looked with the most detached face he could must at the short and stubby  and above all ugly form  of Nezkau Disko, bane of his existence.

"What is it Disko?" he asked with force levelness.

"Budes-sam, there is a," he broke to inhale through his nose, creating the most disgusting sound imaginable, "A representative from the Imperial government here to see you regarding the islands. He says it is important."

"Oh?" Budes hated to agree with Disko, but this was important. "Then I will be right in to see him."

[Mor'os]

The man who was waiting for Budes sat there, motionless, staring off at nothing in particular, or perhaps staring at a very interesting point on the utterly bare wall. He was a man who in every way at every moment gave off and incredible and undeniable aura of absolute dullness, the sense that he was a person who was completely boring beyond all hope and salvation. This was not entirely true, but true enough as far as most of the people who new him cared. He did not show an sort of response as Budes walked into the room until he stood in front of him. The man at this point then rose with a robotic motion from his seat and then stood there, simply staring at Budes blankly in a fashion that made him feel incredibly awkward. The man for his part did not give away whether he was feeling the same sensation of awkwardness or not. His face was an apparent stranger to emotion.

"Welcome," said Budes with a touch of nervousness on the edge of his voice as he bowed, "I am Lengmal Budes. Satlau"

The man returned the bow automatically and stated levelly "I am Daun'av Ūdan. Satlau."

"I am told that you are here with a message from the imperial government? What matter is so important that it had to be delivered in person?"

Ūdan noted with the same practiced and stiff motion with which he had bowed. "Yes, that is true. I am here in regards to the status of these islands, collectively Vetnam."

"Oh?" said Budes, slightly curious and even more completely unnerved by Ūdan. "Am I being removed from office?"

"Not now, but perhaps eventually. You see, the Assembly and the Emperor have decided that Vetnam shall be granted full status as an Autonomous Region. Your office of director will of course be replaced by the office of provincial governor as the head executive of the purchase. There is of course no guarantee that you will be subsequently elected to the office. There will be a regional legislature as well though, perhaps you might be able to be elected to that instead. The Shinchi Party is quite popular."

Budes mulled what had been said over in his mind. Instinctively he could not help but feel some anger at the fact that his position was about to be snatched from him like that. Now that he had grown used to the island he could fully enjoy the power it afforded him over his own little world. "Is that all?"

"Yes. But I won't be leaving. I will be here to make sure that the process goes smootlhy and correctly, and that no one tries to pull anything funny," Ūdan said, giving Budes a meaningful look. "Vetnam is quite far from the mainland, and they can't handle everything."