Fable III: Retold Chapter 25

294 Days to go: Crime and Punishment
"The treasury health has been doing greatly your majesty, but we must always be wary of unnecessary expenditures and watch out for possible avenues of profit, with that in mind, I would like to discuss the thorny issues of child benefits, which were abolished under your brother's rule there are vocal elements within the community who are clamoring for us to bring it back, in the interest of the treasury - - and of the long-term welfare of the people - - I have a counter-proposal, it's somewhat radical, but rather brilliant, if you don't mind me saying; we charge people for every child they have! This would keep the population low, but more importantly, the treasury high! Is it really fair to bring new life into such an uncertain world? And won't that gold go to help the children who have already been born?" Hobson said.
"We will restore child benefits" Adam said.
"Very wise your majesty shall we proceed with the rest of you appointments? Here is the royal agenda for the day" Hobson said.
~The King's Schedule~
Consider proposal to renovate the Bowerstone Shelter and Orphanage.
Consider proposal on how to deal with excess sewage in Bowerstone Industrial.
Meet with Page.
"As you can see you have two audiences in the throne room to begin, I've heard rumors that Reaver latest proposal are both scandalous and delicious, it should be most entertaining" Hobson said.
Upon entering the throne room Adam was once again welcomed with the cheers of his subjects.
"His majesty the King of Albion" Walter said as Adam took his seat in the throne, "this hearing concerns the future of the Bowerstone Shelter and Orphanage, Page will speak for the disenfranchised people of the city, Reaver will dispute her cause."
"You may speak" Adam said.
"Your majesty, the shelter has been the only refuge for the homeless, the poor, and the orphaned and until we can change the world for the better, it will continue to be their only hope of survival, isn't it time we held out a helping hand to those who need it most? The shelter is underfunded and the building has fallen into disrepair, invest in the shelter and orphanage, and perhaps we can begin to create a better future for Albion's forgotten people" Page said.
"I could not agree more, the city and its people are in dire need, but it is not charity they require, it is love, I purpose we use this dilapidated building to help both them and ourselves, for love and money have always gone hand in hand let us inaugurate Bowerstone's first brothel" Reaver said.
"A brothel?!" Page said.
"Brothel, bordello, whore house, the name is unimportant, what matters is that people get the love they need and we get their money" Reaver said.
"Yes, it's for your majesty to decide, refurnish the shelter and orphanage, or convert it into a house of ill repute?" Walter said.
"The poor of this city have suffered enough, we will renovate the shelter and orphanage" Adam said as the people cheered.
"The Bowerstone Shelter shall be refurbished at the crown's expense" Walter said.
"Thank you your majesty, you've done the right thing" Page said.
"As you wish, your majesty, the parentless tykes and their destitute friends shall have a place to call their own" Reaver said.
And so the shelter was rebuilt.
"Are you a beggar? Too lazy to own your clothes? Or perhaps and orphan aching for a bowl of gruel? Then come to Reaver Industries Shelter and Orphanage, where you'll find food, beds, clothes and even new parents no matter who you are, we care, even if you don't deserve it."
"I swear Reaver gets more bitter with each of those announcements" Anna said as the next hearing began.
"Today you will deal with a pressing environmental issue; the disposal of the city's waste, Reaver will offer his proposal a member of the Mourningwood Community will stand against him" Walter said.
"You may speak" Adam said.
"Your majesty, I'm sure you will have noticed a certain aroma permeating the city of late, even more nauseating than usual I fear it is no merely the stench of the underprivileged, Bowerstone is beginning to have serious waste disposal issue we require an inexpensive and efficient solution, and I believed I have hit upon one now currently, part of our wasteis being disposed of in Mourningwood Marsh, with very little effort, Reaver Industries could redirect all of Bowerstone sewer systems to flow directly into that region as you know it is a desolate place with no financial or culture value to the kingdom, there can be little discussion as to logic of this decision" Reaver said.
"Hang on, hang on, hang on, this isn't right, not right at all, we're all children of the soil, it's not in our hearts, it's in our blood it's under our fingernails what mean is we're all equal when it comes to dirt, like from dirt we come, to dirt we go yes? We who reside in Mourningwood have as good a claim to being clean as anyone and what of Mourningwood itself? Its nature spirits, its woodland elves, and water fairies? Do they not deserve freedom from pollution too? Don't destoy paradise with your urban dregs, man, channel the waste, be one with the cycle of life you have all these, like factories and stuff don't you? Turn one into a you know, what do you call it...one of those things...a sewage reclamation facility, right on" Yeast said.
"What shall you decide, your majesty?" Walter asked.
"Mourningwood is to be left unspoiled, we will find other ways to deal with Bowerstone's sewage problem" Adam said as the people cheered.
"The King has spoken, Mourningwood shall not be used as a waste site, the sanitation committee will look into safer alternatives" Walter said.
"Groovy, you are like a majestuous eagle, you are in touch with your inner...your inner...innards Granny Nature, thanks you from like, the bottom, of her heart" Yeast said.
"A pity, I must admit I was rather looking forwards to breathing fresh air, but I'm sure your Majesty knows best" Reaver said.
"There is nothing as important as the health of our citizens as such Reave Industries is delighted to announce the opening of the Bowerstone Sewage Recycling Facility because there can be no affluence without effluenice."
Adam stood in the Treasury with Hobson as they discussed his last appointment.
"The day is almost over your majesty, only one more appointment left, Page has requested a meeting in the old rebel headquarters, how very cloak and dagger! I wonder what she wants" Hobson said.
Adam and Anna soon made their way to the Bowerstone Resistance base where they met with Page in the war room.
"It's not every day a king walks into the rebel headquarters , you've changed the world since we last stood here" Page said.
"You had a lot to do with it Page" Adam said.
"But we still haven't changed things enough, without Logan's troops, crime is becoming a serious problem there's one man in particular, Nigel Ferret, he's making the city his own, every criminal in Bowerstone reports to him now he's too powerful for me to deal with, and he's not easy to find but I know how you can get to him" Page said.
"Nigel Ferret? We've dealt with him before, we can help tell us what we need to do" Adam said.
"Good, Kidd went undercover with a gang of robber and found out their plans, they're going to strike the tavern in Bowerstone Market if you both get there in time, you can stop the raid and at least one of those thugs must know where Ferret is holed up" Page said.
"Were on it" Adam said.
Later that night Adam and Anna stood outside the pub as they walked into to see guns pointed at the owner and employees.
"If you cooperate, you won't get hurt, if you give us any trouble, we'll kill you, now just so you know we mean business, I'd like one of you to give us trouble, so we can kill him as an example to the rest, who's it going to be then?" Gaz said as he spotted the heroes, "oh look, we have a volunteer, the king no less, have at him fellas."
Adam and Anna then closed the doors as from the outside the sounds of smashing grunting, gun fire and sword clashes were heard as Adam and Anna took out all the robbers and Adam found a letter and key on Gaz.
It is no longer adventurous for any of us to frequent the hideout in industrial, presently I shall inaugurate a new center of operations in Bowerstone Market, you've been provided with a key which will permit you access, please endeavor to prevent its transference to an unauthorized individual.
"Come on, the hideout here in Bowerstone Market" Adam said as they stepped out of the pub and Adam looked at the clock tower, "you know my father met my mother here."
"He did?" Anna asked.
"Yep, this is where they met, dad took me and Logan here once and told us that story, this was mum favorite spot in Albion, they had their first date here mum always took Logan and I here whenever we wanted to go to Bowerstone Market" Adam said.
"Come on, you can tell me more about this story later, we should stop Ferret" Anna said.
"Good idea" Adam said.
They hideout they found was under the bridge in Bowerstone Market as Adam and Anna walked through to see Ferret with his men.
"You again! It does tend to obviate the entire objective of maintaining a secret hideout if your enemies can simply infiltrate whenever they've the inclination! Lad perform the specific services for which I employ you, expeditiously!"
"Huh?"
"Kill them! Fast!" Ferret yelled closing the door as Anna and Adam took out the men and moved down through a hideout where they found a man in a cage.
"Please set me free!" he begged as Adam broke the lock and Anna opened the door.
"Go get out of here!" Anna said as they headed down the wall and opened a door to see Ferret close the door to a cage.
"I believe I can state with relative confidence that your efforts are in vain, even should it transpire that you vanquish my associates, this door is completely impenetrable in addition to which, this cell contains a secret egress through which I may abscond whenever I desire, meanwhile my compatriots shall brutalize your person" Ferret said a two large mercenaries came at them as Adam and Anna quickly took them out with one powerful spell and one strong whack to the skull as Page walked into the room.
"You haven't lost your touch, I'm surprised his men were foolish enough to fight you two" Page said.
"Truth be told, my superlative intellect notwithstanding, it would appear this is not in fact the specific cell I so confidently referenced earlier, the one with the secret exit has two beds" Ferret said.
"Moron" Anna said.
"All right - - you have prevailed your majesty, I concede, however, I entreat you to entertain a certain proposal" Ferret said.
"You have nothing to offer, Ferret, it's over" Page said.
"That pronouncement is objectively devoid of merit, I happen to have on my person, a substantial quantity of currency, let me go free and the money is yours" Ferret said.
"As far as I'm concerned, you can stay in there and rot" Page said.
"I agree with Page but I will have to it that my guards come pick you up so you can be trial" Adam said.
"You royal miscreant! This grievous malefaction shall be rewarded with equally grievous retribution!" Ferret yelled.
"Thank you your majesty, thanks to you crime should soon end" Page said.
"It was no problem Page" Adam said as he and Anna went back to Bowerstone Market.
"So did you and Logan used to come here as kids?" Anna asked.
"All the time, dad and mum didn't like us being bottled up in the castle all the time and whenever they went to places dad handle the business while mom showed us the sights, I remember coming here all the time when I was a child she and dad wanted to show Logan and I where they meet" Adam said touching the cold stone of the clock tower.
"My mum and me were close too, it's actually a rather interesting story how her and my dad met" Anna said.
"Really, we got time tell me about it" Adam said.