The Morovian Telegraph

On Sunday August 8th, The Morovian Telegraph reported the rising nationalist sentiment in Calormen.

Shortly thereafter, on August 9th, The Rt. Hon. Sir Wyatt-James McIntyre posted On Calormen, For our discussion in which he called for a discussion by the Calormeni in the Royal capital of Baden in which he lists a number of understandings - including two statements insisting that the people of Calormen have the right to determine their own future apart from "outside influences".

This reporter, being of a sensitive nature, took being referred to as an 'outside influence' quite personally and felt that insult was added to injury when he discovered that the Great Doors of the Calormen National Council had been password protected and barred to him.

Still, on a second and more philosophical thought, this reporter just knew in his heart of hearts that the Calormeni would never dream of thwarting the people's right to know and he determined that his absence of press credentials to the site had been a mere bureaucratic oversight: they must have actually meant to exclude Prince Justin :-)

Undeterred, this correspondent hung out in the shadows near one of the back doors of the Order of St. Michael (a hotbed of nationalist fever in Calormen) which gave ample evidence (in the form of cigarette and cigar butts) of being the informally designated smoking area and, sure enough, eventually overheard the following conversation between Grand Master Ioannes and the Rt. Hon. Sir Wyatt-James McIntyre, paraphrased, partially fabricated and a bit sexed up below:

(Ioannes ) Please explain to me what these new declarations coming out of Calermon mean.

(Sir Wyatt) Calormeni is struggling right now to find it;s place in a Hanoverian Union and as such there is a great deal of fighting in political issues as they wll and might stand. These are nothing more then simple disagreements on our direction.

(Ioannes) So these new pronouncements are not declarations of independence? And what of the Lutheran Church? Why is that now in the Private Organisations section?

(Sir Wyatt) We have not declared independence nor has that been truy discussed, but it has been suggested. We are committed to working within the Hanoverian Union to make Calormen work with and for Hanover. That being said we are not going to be patronized at any point or let our Calormeni ideals be undermined.

(Ioannes) And what of the Lutheran Church? Why is that now in the Private Organizations section?

(Sir Wyatt) It always has been in private organisations with Wittenberg in Calormen

(Ioannes) Who is your skulking friend over there, behind the trash can? He has an ill-favored look.

(Sir Wyatt) My skulking friend!? I thought he was your skulking friend! Egads, it's that meddling reporter again!

(Grand Master Ioannes, Sir Wyatt scurry inside. Door slams and is bolted shut)

So the lid is on and simmering beneath is an unknown stew of nationalism, monarchical loyalty, a Garbo-like desire to be left alone and who knows what else?

We must be satisfied with watching the changing topic and reply counts to gauge the vigor of the conversation.

One possible hint of the direction this is all headed can be found in the recent post-hurricane letters patent from HM Alexander I calling for a Congress of Bergen.

A Congress in which all dominions and Hanoverian interests will (hopefully) be represented and where Organic Law will be rewritten to clarify the relation between the Empire and its component parts.

One hopes (but does not really expect) Hanover to open that important discussion to the public such that the people are informed and this reporter doesn't ruin another perfectly good suit.

Bill Bekkenhuis
Sneaky Reporter, The Morovian Telegraph
bekkenhuis@fast.net