Cairo
After mediation by the United Kingdom and France, the negotiations finally achieved preliminary results. Jonas agreed to make limited concessions. Of course, those concessions existed only in his own eyes; the Egyptians could not feel them at all.
"Mr. Mahamud, we may choose not to pursue responsibility for your actions, but you must pay sufficient compensation. Otherwise, I will have no way to answer to our people.
"You must pay one million Divine Shields for the loss of goods, two million Divine Shields in pensions, and two million Divine Shields for emotional damages. This is the bottom line of the New Holy Roman Empire," Jonas extorted.
Five million Divine Shields was equivalent to 2.5 million pounds sterling, or 18.3 tons of gold. This figure already exceeded the Egyptian Government's fiscal revenue. How could they possibly accept it?
Mahamud retorted furiously, "Impossible! This is extortion!
"What goods could possibly be worth one million Divine Shields? That caravan was transporting nothing but pots and jars. They were worth practically nothing. All the goods put together would not exceed five thousand Divine Shields.
"Only three of your people died, yet you demand two million Divine Shields in pensions. This is simply a joke. At most, it should be five hundred Divine Shields.
"The Aliquisi Tribe's losses were dozens of times greater than yours. Should your country not also pay their pensions? We are not asking for much—just offset them directly.
"And emotional damages? That is even more absurd. We were clearly the ones who suffered losses. Even if anyone is to demand compensation, it should be the Egyptian Government demanding it from your country!"
Jonas explained with a solemn expression, "Mr. Mahamud, this only shows how poorly informed you are.
"The pots and jars in the caravan were all precious antique artifacts,