"But can we really stop a rebellion on that scale?"
It wasn't that Prince Albert didn't trust Franz. It was just that what was unfolding in Australia was a massive rebellion involving nearly a million people.
That number was almost equal to the total number of British immigrants in Australia. Coupled with what had happened in India before, he truly didn't dare imagine how great the losses would be.
The British regular army stationed in Australia numbered fewer than two thousand men, and their forces were scattered far and wide. Basically, each major colony had only one or two companies.
Local security relied mainly on militias and contracted companies. These people were passable when dealing with natives, but they couldn't even handle slightly larger bands of bandits, let alone an organized army.
Franz, however, said without the slightest concern.
"Don't worry. Not a penny of the dividends will be missing. You only need to make sure your country's customs officers stop watching us all day long."
Prince Albert gave an awkward smile.
"That won't be a problem. No one will come interfere with our business again."
"Let's hope so."
Franz did not want to wear such a sour expression either, but the British Government truly had been watching them closely. Whether in the colonies or at customs in Britain itself, they were desperately tightening the noose around their necks.
Franz knew why: they really had no money left.
But the royal line could not be cut off, much less could Victoria and Prince Albert be allowed to remain hands-off shopkeepers forever. People were like that—once getting something for nothing became a habit, it formed path dependence.
Yet the underlying logic of business was "exchange of value" and "shared risks." Unilateral giving would not only fail to earn respect; it would