Ilotran
The night outside the window was strangely quiet. Eric lowered his head and leafed through the documents in his hands.
He looked up at the secretary before him. "How long have Anke and the others been gone?"
"About half a month," the secretary recalled, then said quietly, "They should be back soon." "How's it going?" Eric asked, glancing down again.
"From the reports so far, quite well," the secretary said. "Mr. Anke knows when to step forward and when to hold back. He never weighs in on things he doesn't understand, but when he's needed, he takes responsibility."
"Looks like we chose the right man." Eric looked up with a smile.
He closed the documents in front of him and stretched.
"You have a good eye for people," the secretary said at once.
"Enough flattery." Eric smiled. "Are those corporate coalition forces still outside?"
"They are," the secretary said with a nod. "But Mr. Davis's threats have kept them from making a move for a long time. The siege has dragged on, though, and the citizens seem to be growing resentful. There have been several marches in the past two days. We don't know whether the corporations are stirring things up behind the scenes." "That can't be helped. That's war," Eric said, taking a deep breath. "Some people can't tell right from wrong. Give them a little corporate money, and they'll do anything."
He looked at the secretary. "Any problems with supplies in the city?"
The secretary paused at the question, then said softly, "Not at present, but some manufactured goods and daily necessities are running short. Some citizens are unhappy about it."
"That's natural." Eric rested a hand on the desk. "We've made some progress with our bills. Once they're all in place, people will put up with