Asante Rising

[Kooluk Swordsman]

LONDON, JULY 1884

In a smoking lounge located in the fashionable part of London, two men dressed in the most expensive fashions of the day sat discussing the future of Europe. Which in itself wasn't too different from what people in bars and lounges were doing across the world, but the difference was that these two men actually had the power to influence things. Thus what they discussed, and decided on, would have profound effects on millions of lives. But since what they were talking about is something everyone who read a newspaper felt knowledgeable enough to talk about, no one around them listened much.

"Interesting things happening in Japan" one of them started. "They're industrializing at an astounding pace. Even their army is improving speedily."

"Yes, but you do know that they're army is being trained by the French."

A sigh, and then "Indeed, they seem to be quite close. Already the French have backed a reversal of the so-called "unequal treaties" with Japan. It's looking very likely that an alliance between the two will be announced. That will make our position in East Asia very complicated."

"Well, the Japanese can't threaten us yet, even with French backing. Still, it's best to look ahead. So are there any powers in the region that we can buddy up with to counter this soon-to-be Franco-Japanese Alliance?"

After a deep drag of his cigar, the man answers. "Hmmm, the Chinese, the Dutch, the Americans..."

"The Chinese are out. Too unstable, too weak, too many foreign interests in the country. We don't need to attract more hostility. The Dutch are already caught in a bad place; what with bordering France and being "surrounded" by the Royal Navy; they'll probably just want to be left alone. And the Americans are too busy looking at their navels to be interested in East Asia. Their isolationism will be the death of them, let me tell you."

The men order a drink and move on to other topics, business deals and the economy, trips to the Raj and other mundane conversation pieces, before inspiration suddenly strikes one.

"I've got it. What about the Russians?"

Perplexed, the other man can only offer a look of confusion. "Why would the Russians be interested in putting forts in Africa?"

"No no no, I mean to counter French influence in Asia. What about the Russians?"

The man is silent for a few moments, considering. "Yes... they also have some interests in Asia, well, Manchuria anyway. Sooner or later they'll butt heads with Japan over it... it could work. But that business in Central Asia has to be ended before we can seriously approach them about it."

"So let's end it. No one really believes that the Russians really want to invade the Raj; let's just end this silly game and move on."

"Okay then, I don't see why we can't float the idea their way. The only problem is that we don't have much to give them, but we can brainstorm some more with the others, see if we can think of something Russia wants that we can offer. Perhaps- oh wait, I almost forgot to tell you, did you hear that the French have put down trading forts in Dahomey?"

"Dahomey... Dahomey... isn't that in West Africa? Bordering the Asante on the right yes?"

"That's the one. Apparently they've decided to throw in their support to the Dahomey, probably in order to compete with us for influence in the region. It seems that the French want to compete with us anywhere and everywhere we send cargo ships."

Chuckling, the other man took another drag of his cigar and said, "We certainly don't want to drive them out ourselves, but we don't need a French-friendly tribe in the area. What about our trading partners the Asante? Could they handle the Dahomey?"

"Normally, yes, the Asante armies could probably steamroll the Dahomey straight to Abomey. Realistically, the roads in Asante are terrible and would probably do more damage to their war effort than the Dahomey armies would, not to mention that most of their roads, even the new ones, point south to the coast. They also just finished a war against the Fante and are still digesting their conquests. At the moment they'd be of no help."

"Hmmm, what if we sped things along? Built them some roads pointing east-"

"Spend taxpayer money on an infrastructure project in Africa? I think someone has put some opium in your cigar my friend-"

"No no, hear me out. We certainly wouldn't build these roads for free, we could easily extract something from them worth more than the roads are, trade concessions or something like that."

"Perhaps, but wouldn't it be easier to just conquer the Asante and put British troops in the area? That would certainly dissuade the French."

"Would it? No, more likely to start a dangerous precedent. We conquer Asante, they conquer Dahomey, and all of a sudden we have British and French soldiers sharing a border. Not to mention to costs of war and occupation. No, more economically sound to keep some "allies" in the area."

"I see what you mean" said the man, nodding. "But we need to refine this plan before we take it to the government and Asante. Let's keep in in mind for when the Asante have a firmer grasp of the Fante coast. For now though, we need to focus on the Orient. Big things are going to happen there soon, it looks like China and France are going to have a row..."

[chr92]

Very well done!

[Kooluk Swordsman]

JAPAN DECLARES WAR ON CHINA, ALLIES WITH FRANCE
CHINA PUTS DOWN COUP ATTEMPT IN KOREA, JAPANESE NATIONALS KILLED. JAPAN RETALIATES WITH WAR, CHINESE NOW FACING A WAR ON TWO FRONTS

"The Sino-French War was entering its fourth month with the French holding the upper hand, but tenuously. Overtures had been made to the Japanese to enter the war on the French side, but Japan refused -until a reformist coup against the Korean government by Kim Ok-gyun was made. The Korean government requested the assistance of China to crush the coup, and troops were sent to Seoul to do just that. However several prominent Japanese nationals were killed, giving Japan the excuse to declare war on China. The French navy has already been deployed to block Chinese troops from entering Korea, while Japanese troops landed on the peninsula and linked up with Korean reformist groups..."

MANKESSIM {FORMER FANTE CAPITAL}, DECEMBER 1884

Atu Badu ate at a tavern in the lower part of Mankessim, having come to the city a week prior from Safoy. His purpose here, on the surface, was to establish contacts in this new province of Asante before any of the other farmers-cum-merchants could beat him to the punch. The actual purpose was to gain information about the world; fast becoming a commodity more valuable than gold in the increasingly globalized Asante economy. He was accompanied by his 17-year old son Enam, his pride and joy, and who would inherit the business in the later years. At this moment, Atu and his son were sitting with two businessmen -one British man named Clyde Harrison, the other from a country called Portugal who only went by Abilio- to discuss world affairs.

Atu had brought his secret weapon; palm wine made fresh by his wife, Ababuo. That wine bottle now sat half-empty in the middle of the table, though most of it had been drunk by the two foreigners. He had, prior to the meeting, given two instructions to his son; do not drink, and do not speak. Enam would be there to watch and learn, not offer opinion.

"There's pretty high tension between the British and French these days" pointed out Abilio. "I mean, they've hated each other since the day after Rome fell, but it seems like these days the hatred is particularly acute."

Atu nodded and grunted in agreement. He was only vaguely aware of a country called France; they didn't do any trading with the Asante so he wasn't even sure he'd seen a Frenchmen before. Still, best not to let them see your ignorance. "I see. Didn't some Frenchmen recently open some trading forts in Dahomey?"

"Indeed they did" said Clyde. "Clear as day they want to compete with us, and plan to use the Dahomey to spread their influence. They don't know that the British and Portuguese are going to become real close in Africa soon enough, while they try and eke it out alone."

Two soldiers, apparently just finishing their patrol of the city, walked in and sat at the counter. Atu only paid them a moment's glance, but Enam kept his eyes on them for quite a while. Abilio noticed. "See something about them you like boy?"

Enam was snapped out of his revere. "I was just looking at their guns sir."

"Their guns huh?" The Portuguese man nodded. "Are you interested in guns?"

Enam snapped a quick glance at his father, worried about breaking the rule of not talking. Atu seemed unperturbed however, and at his subtle nod Enam answered. "Yes. I have taken an interest in them ever since I was a boy. Sometimes, my father would give me a gun to go hunting with, but I found more joy in taking them apart to see how they worked. But-" he added, chuckling, "I would make sure to put them back together again, lest my father become angry at me for breaking an expensive weapon."

Clyde laughed along with Atu, who was remembering the first time he walked in on Enam surrounded by the pieces of the weapon. He was so enraged that he nearly struck Enam, before his son quickly put the gun together again.

Abilio however, only smiled. "So you could take guns apart and put them together since you were just a young lad. Without schooling I take it?" Enam nodded. "Well, you have quite the skill in engineering. Atu-" he said, turning toward him "you should consider sending him to Europe for schooling. Hone his craft."

Atu chuckled, then said "Thank you for the offer, but my son will become a merchant here, in Asante. Besides Abilio, it's too expensive."

To that Abilio laughed. "Don't make such jokes, we all know the Badu family of Safoy daily has to be rescued from drowning in their coin. You really should consider it; a man with a European education in Asante would be at a tremendous advantage over his fellows."

Clyde reached for the palm wine and poured a cup for everyone at the table, bar Enam. "I agree with my friend here. We have it on good judgement that guns will soon become a lot more valuable in the region. And those who can fix guns, even more so."

Atu looked toward his son, who's face did not betray anything going on inside. He knew, if he was honest with himself, that Enam did not want to be a merchant. The boy spent too much time dismantling foreign devices and not enough keeping track of food prices to be a good merchant. Atu sighed. "Enam, why don't you go talk to those soldiers at the counter. I'm sure they'd be happy to show off their weapons to you."

Visibly brighter, Enam stood up and, after thanking the Europeans and bidding farewell, rushed over to the soldiers, who were rather surprised by the newcomer.

Looking back to Clyde and Abilio, Atu sighed again. "It's hard, knowing that your son doesn't want to follow in your footsteps."

"The agony of fathers the world over" Clyde said, drinking to punctuate the statement.

Nodding, Atu continued. "But I guess it's either let him go to Europe or let him ruin the business once I die. I suppose he would give it to his younger brother or work something out later. Abilio, do you know of any schools in Europe that would take him?"

Taking a gulp of wine, Abilio nodded. "I have some connections in Lisbon. If you could perhaps lower the price on your sweet potatoes this time... I could insure a place for him next semester in a great engineering university."

Atu smiled. "You Europeans will bleed us dry the way you make deals. Fine, I'll have one of my slaves handle-"

At that, the Europeans' faces visibly darkened. "You have slaves Atu?" Clyde said. "In this day and age?"

Perplexed, Atu nodded. "Yes of course. All of those who can afford them have them. What's so strange about that?"

Clyde and Abilio looked at each other, then back to Atu. "Take it from an old friend" Clyde said. "Sell your slaves while the selling's good. Trust me on this one."

"Agreed" Abilio chimed in. "But before you do, make sure he changes the numbers on those sweet potatoes." And at that the two Europeans laughed. "But seriously Atu, Europe doesn't look very kindly on slave-owning states. We'll look the other way for a time, but sooner or later, the powers-that-be will force a change."

Atu could only nod. When he got back to Safoy, he would have to rethink his business...

[Kooluk Swordsman]

Originally Posted by chr92

Very well done!

Why thank you sir.

[Velkas]

Quite good so far. Subscribed. This'll be the first TL I can follow from the beginning...

[twovultures]

It's good to see an African timeline with such potential. Subscribed.

[Kooluk Swordsman]

EUROPE ON THE BRINK OF WAR
THE SINO-FRENCH WAR THREATENS TO DRAG EUROPE INTO CONFLICT

"The Sino-French War has ended with a stinging defeat to China, who was forced to give up influence in Indochina to France, acknowledge Korean independence, and cede Formosa to Japan. The problem occurred with Article 6 of the treaty, which ceded Port Arthur to Japan, who had seized it during the conflict. Port Arthur has been a goal of Russia for a long time now, and she would not see it lost to the Japanese. St. Petersburg has begun to apply strong pressure on Tokyo to return the strategic port to China. Japan so far has refused, and is backed in her position by the French. The British, along with the Portuguese, have taken the side of the Russians in the argument, while in a stunning turn of events the Spanish have sided with the French, revealing a probable alliance between the two.

A conference has been called for in Berlin, who has taken a neutral stance in the conflict as she cannot afford to antagonize the French or Russians. The conference, to take place a week from today, has not stopped the Russians from mobilizing her troops to the Far East..."

Author's Note: I am aware that Russia has not completed {or even started I think} the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Also aware that the Japan of 1885 is not the Japan of 1905. Don't worry, this isn't going to be the Russo-Japanese War 20 years early. This is also going to be a short post, as I have things to do today.

As always, your kind words are appreciated.

[Ganesha]

Good update. At that point, I can't see either France, Russia, China, or Japan wanting a continuation of the war. There'll be a peace, probably brokered by Britain and the United States.

Cheers,
Ganesha

[Kooluk Swordsman]

Originally Posted by Ganesha

Good update. At that point, I can't see either France, Russia, China, or Japan wanting a continuation of the war. There'll be a peace, probably brokered by Britain and the United States.

Cheers,
Ganesha

You are correct, no one wants to actually start a major war over this; it's just being blown out of proportion by the media, as well as being exasperated by the Great Powers. Expect peace, but Asia will look different than OTL.

[Cuāuhtemōc]

This is extremely good.

[Kooluk Swordsman]

CRISIS OVER, PEACE RETURNS TO EUROPE
JAPAN DROPS CLAIM ON PORT ARTHUR

"What is now being called the Port Arthur Crisis has ended without bloodshed, as Japan has agreed to return the strategic port to China. In return, she has wrested from the Great Powers a full nullification of the so-called "unequal treaties" placed upon her, as well as obtaining a larger reparation from China. Russia has demobilized. The talks were held in the Netherlands, who have been "speaking softly" in terms of international politics..."

EQUALITY WON
EUROPE DROPS THE UNEQUAL TREATIES

"The victories of our armies has forced the Europeans to recognize our nation as an equal, and as such have dropped the unequal treaties placed upon us years ago. Our allies the French, who have been pushing for the nullification of those treaties years ago, showed that her friendship is true when she pushed for that nullification in the Netherlands. Already Tokyo is looking to increase the bonds between them and Paris. French naval officers are becoming a more common sight in Japan, as..."

SAFOY 1885

Through the market stalls of Safoy, through the rich merchants going and coming from the coast, through the new roads and across the fields, Akua was running.

Five years ago, she had been a girl of modest means living in the Fante Confederation. She had dreams of being a mother with one boy and one girl, and a tall handsome man from the Fante interior, someone with dark skin and piercing eyes. She and her mother would often prepare meals for her father and two brothers, meals that Akua put all of her heart and soul in because she liked watching her brothers and father eat and enjoy her food. Her mother often gave Akua most of the credit even though she did most of the cooking, and Akua beemed when her father patted his stomach exaggeratedly and said "I don't know how you do it Akua. Ten years old and you already cook better than your mother."

While her brothers played soldier with branches that were supposed to be guns, Akua would often join her mother when she went to the market stalls. She learned how to pick out the ripest fruits and freshest vegetables, the best spices, and for the cheapest prices. Akua would watch her mother haggle with the stall owner -"no no, six is too high, try four and maybe we can work something out"- for what seemed like ages before they inevitably caved and agreed to her prices. Then they would go back home, sacks bursting with food, and prepare the next meal.

Her parents did not tell her about the tensions with the Asante; she was too young and it didn't concern her. Still, she was able to pick up bits and pieces. In the markets, people would discuss the latest news and Akua would get a shred of it. "The Asante have move troops to the border." "The British declare neutrality." "Our diplomats failed." And on and on, through she didn't really understand any of it. Her mother made no effort to explain it, she would just say "do not worry about complicated politics my dear. Focus on that sweet potato pie."

Soon enough her father was sent off to the border. Akua made him a bowl of yams for the road all by herself. Her father smiled and gave her a big hug. "I'll be back soon, so don't let those cooking skills dull okay?" And of course, that was the last time she saw him.

The next three years were chaotic. Battles in the distance, more soldiers sent to the fronts, food shortages, beggars roaming the streets, crying mothers weeping wives battles getting closer people fleeing market stalls empty brothers hungry mother doesn't eat scavenging for food Fante marching through, retreating.

Looking back, Akua did not know why her mother didn't want to leave. Perhaps the house had too many memories, perhaps she felt that her husband was still alive and did not want him to return to an empty house. Maybe she was too weak to leave; she had been giving her meals to Akua and her brothers. But when the Asante marched into the town and started searching homes, Akua wished that they had left.

It was only a matter of time before they were found. Her mother stood in front of Akua and her bothers as three Asante soldiers armed with real guns ransacked the house, looking for valuables and food. Of course there was nothing there, spare a few peanuts that Akua's mother was going to make soup with. Those were pocketed, and then they turned their gaze toward Akua's mother.

What happened next is something Akua doesn't think about, even though it haunts her dreams every night, even though it comes in flashes throughout the day, even though sometimes the memory is so strong that she is constantly transported to that day, and she can hear her mother's screams and she can see the soldiers running after her brothers, who tried to escape and failed. Needless to say, Akua is the sole surviving member of her family, and she was sold as a slave to the Ebo family in Safoy. But this, this catastrophic chain of events that led to her bondage and misery, she does not like to think about.

Instead, she focuses on more immediate concerns. Cooking for the household meals that they show no appreciation for, getting food from the markets that refuse to haggle with a slave, caring for the children that cry and whine and show her no respect, mentally preparing herself for the now-nightly visits by her master, enduring the cruelty of the mistress for "seducing" her husband.

On this day, Akua decides to run. There was no particular event that encouraged this, no straw to break the camel's back. It was more of a culmination of events, starting with the war, each event placing a burden on Akua's shoulders that she could not shake or put down. Today, the burdens feel extra heavy. So she runs, across the fields and through the roads and past the rich Asante merchants trading Fante slaves and far from Safoy.

She does not know where she was going. And her mother's last moments keep drifting in her mind; the heaviest burden.

Author's Note: Modern-day Asante say that slaves were treated rather well in Asante compared to European slaves. I've found that most non-white peoples will say that the slavery of their past was always less barbaric than the slavery Europeans practice. I think this is BS, but if anyone has proof otherwise I may change this post.

[twovultures]

Originally Posted by Kooluk Swordsman

Author's Note: Modern-day Asante say that slaves were treated rather well in Asante compared to European slaves. I've found that most non-white peoples will say that the slavery of their past was always less barbaric than the slavery Europeans practice. I think this is BS, but if anyone has proof otherwise I may change this post.

Eh, even taking into account that the Asante slaves weren't being crammed on slave ships (unless the Asante sold them to European slavers, of course) and were not being used to produce industrial amounts of cotton and sugarcane, I'd say you've described the precarious situation of a domestic slave pretty well. For all that slave masters may protest otherwise, 'house slaves' are never part of the family and are often badly abused.

I remember when I visited Elmina slave castle, someone yelled at me "You did this to us". Wanted to point out that all 'we' did was buy what his ancestors were willingly selling. Jerk.

[Braganza]

Originally Posted by twovultures

I remember when I visited Elmina slave castle, someone yelled at me "You did this to us". Wanted to point out that all 'we' did was buy what his ancestors were willingly selling. Jerk.

How bad! We still have issues with that in Brazil. Some black (or of other colors) people blames the white population for slavery.
Nonsense:
1st. Their ancestors are sold by their "fellow", as you told.
2nd. Every Brazilian, no matter the color of skin, have white, amerindian and black blood in their veins.
Heck! Everyone have a slave and a master ancestor somewhere. xD

But good work with the narrative! I'm loving to read it!

[Braganza]

And a 3rd reason: Do you really want to blame someone for something that happened centuries ago?
But lets sleeping dogs die! xD

[Kooluk Swordsman]

Originally Posted by twovultures

I remember when I visited Elmina slave castle, someone yelled at me "You did this to us". Wanted to point out that all 'we' did was buy what his ancestors were willingly selling. Jerk.

Yeah, as you and Braganza have said, all races involved were guilty in the slave trade; those who blame one race over the other are either willfully denying the facts or ignorant of them. I'm inclined to be gentler toward the latter, as most schools teach only the European acts in the slave trade {which were terrible of course} but rarely explain Africa's own interest in the slave trade and how many states and merchants got rich off of it.

And I never got why my people like to blame moden-day whites for the slave trade. Not like they had anything to do with it. It's like blaming modern-day Turks for the Siege of Constantinople.

On another note, we're close to 1,000 views in less than a week! Not sure if that's normal, but I'm rather excited.

[Jonathan Edelstein]

Originally Posted by Kooluk Swordsman

Author's Note: Modern-day Asante say that slaves were treated rather well in Asante compared to European slaves. I've found that most non-white peoples will say that the slavery of their past was always less barbaric than the slavery Europeans practice. I think this is BS, but if anyone has proof otherwise I may change this post.

Most slave-owners, including those in the American South, have claimed that their form of slavery was good for the slaves. I suspect you're right to be as skeptical of such claims from the Asante as you would be if they were made by South Carolina cotton planters.

Asante slavery wasn't, as far as I know, ideological - i.e., it wasn't based on the notion that non-Asante peoples are inherently inferior to the Asante and are fit only for slavery. But like any other form of slavery, it left individual slaves to the caprices of their masters, with no recourse against cruelty or abuse. And the slave raiding for export which had taken place in that part of Africa for centuries was undeniably brutal, so the way in which Akua was captured and made a slave rings true.

It will be interesting to see how much of a struggle there is over abolition of slavery in the Asante empire - whether it will be done peacefully as part of the modernization program or whether the slaveowners will fight. You're entirely correct to characterize slavery as an obstacle to improved relations with the Europeans, who were often cynically tolerant of slavery in their OTL African empires (the French even used some slave soldiers in their tirailleur regiments) but who wouldn't accept a slaveholding country as anywhere near an equal. I'm looking forward to further developments.

[CandyDragon]

This is really excellent. I'm looking forward to this timeline progressing.

[Russian Sailor]

I feel like while black merchants did have a huge part in creating the atlantic slave trade, European traders and landowners increased the demand for it. And ultimately created a lucrative consumer market. I mean it wasn't the black merchants that brought all the african slaves to the America's. Nor was it them who put those slaves in horrible working and living conditions. So I still believe that the fault still lies with Europe on this one.

[Kooluk Swordsman]

Originally Posted by Russian Sailor

I feel like while black merchants did have a huge part in creating the atlantic slave trade, European traders and landowners increased the demand for it. And ultimately created a lucrative consumer market. I mean it wasn't the black merchants that brought all the african slaves to the America's. Nor was it them who put those slaves in horrible working and living conditions. So I still believe that the fault still lies with Europe on this one.

From the POV of a new slave in the New World, who's worse:

-The Africans who kidnapped him, separated him from his family {at best, at worst his family may be dead or in bondage elsewhere}, dragged him to a slave port on what was a horrific journey, and sold him

or

-The Europeans who crammed him in a small ship like an animal, dragged him to a foreign land, and made him work for the rest of his life?

It's a trick question. Both of them are horrific.

[Kooluk Swordsman]

LISBON 1885

Enam hated Lisbon. No, that was an exaggeration. He hated the people in Lisbon. Arrogant, patronizing and haughty. They all assumed that he was Angolan or from Mozambique, and that apparently gave them the right to order him around or remove him from their establishments. The few times he could actually explain that he was not from their colonies, that he was an Asante, people just looked at him sideways. Asante? What's an Asante? Is that in Angola?

The idiots!

Still, even with the daily frustration of being African in Portugal, Enam had to admit that there were some amazing things in the city. It was easy to get around, and there was so much to do. All of the museums, the music, the culture. Although it wasn't his own, it soon become a weekly habit to go to this exhibit or this play. For the first few weeks it was a struggle to actually get into the exhibits and plays, but Enam had learned some tricks. He always carried his student identification with him, since Africans from the colonies were unlikely to be students. He always traveled with his friends from the university, since people were unlikely to reveal their racist attitudes in front of their own kind.

And, last but not least, he made sure to spend whenever he could. His tips for food service were extra large. Going shopping for an outfit? Buy the most expensive one, and tip too. Traveling? First class if possible. The Badu family certainly had the money for it; it wasn't even much of an adjustment since this is exactly what he and his family had been doing in Safoy. But in Lisbon, people who normally would look down on you become a whole lot more friendly when they found out you were richer than them.

Still, it was all just a minor affair; a way to make sure his stay in the city was as pleasant as possible. What he was here for, after all, was education. And when he was at the university learning about a new machine or device, Enam was truly happy. During the first few weeks he was behind his peers; not for lack of trying, but because he had never seen most of the machines he was studying, or the principals behind them. Enam was absolutely stunned to see that a great deal of agriculture was done with machines; in Asante it was still done by hand. European firearms were beyond comparison to the firearms available to the Asante armies. The gap between him and his fellow students felt as wide as the gap between the Asante and Europe.

But the biggest shock of all hit him on a class trip to a textile factory. The noise, the dust, the monotony, the beautiful efficiency! Machines and humans working in a unison that Enam had never seen. While the rest of his classmates simply wondered around the factory half-asleep and bored, Enam hunted down the factory manager and hit him with a barrage of questions. How does this work? What does this piece do? How many articles of clothing can you make an hour? A day? A year? What powers these machines? How efficient is this power source? The manager was too stunned to even wonder why an African was asking him questions on his factory, and tried his utmost to answer Enam's questions as fast as they came, but he was dust struggling against cosmic winds.

The professor of the trip saved the factory manager from what surely would have been hours of questions by announcing that it was time to go so the people could get back to work. The factory manager was about to breath a sigh of relief when Enam asked the most dreaded question of all.

"Can I speak to you again?"

Enam saw the hesitation in the man's face, but that didn't stop him, He knew what he had to do.

"Over lunch perhaps? My treat, anywhere you'd like."

That little incentive of extra food convinced the manager to agree. As Enam knew it would. He may not have his mother's palm wine, but offering someone a free lunch was the next best thing.