Outlanders

Prologue

15 YEARS EARLIER

ECOLE MATERNELLE

MANDESTADT, JEMYA PROVINCE

NEW REPUBLIC

"Once upon a time, this world was a cursed place."

"Maitresse, what is cursed mean?"

"What does cursed mean is the correct version of your question, Martin."

"Maitresse, what does cursed mean?"

"Cursed is bad, as in lots of bad things always happening, and not by chance."

"What kinds of bad things?'

"Imagine a world without gas lamps. Imagine only having candles for light. Everyone here knows that playing with fire is dangerous, right?"

"Yes, Maitresse."

"Good. Without gas lamps, there were lots of fires, burning down entire cities at once. Now imagine crossing the Atlantic with an old boat, without an engine."

"Maitresse-"

"The engine is what makes our boats move fast, Martin. When the world was cursed, they needed lots of wind to make the boats move. Most boats did not make it across the Atlantic - imagine never getting to cross over to the Old Republic!"

"My Pa lives there, I'd be sad if I never saw him."

"That's right, Christoph, you'd be sad - so you see, children? Cursed is bad. When the world was a cursed place it was divided into tribes and communities and countries and not at all organized. And the worst of it - no one spoke the same tongue!"

"You mean not everyone spoke citizen?!"

"Exactly, Anna. Not everyone spoke citizen. Everyone spoke something different and a lot of people didn't even have writing for their language! One village could not talk to the next, and there were no schools, hospitals, or citizen protection units, no culture at all. Most people were savages, speaking broken tongues without-"

"But who made the world cursed, Maitresse?"

"Good question, Martin. No one is sure how it happened. Some people say that a long, long time ago the people of the world came together to build a tower. The highest tower ever built, reaching high into the sky. An evil magician was jealous of the tower, because even with all of his magic he could never reach the sky. So he cursed the people so they couldn't understand each other and they stopped working together to finish the tower. Eventually they forgot about the tower, and forgot how to be anything other than savages, and the world was cursed. But of course we know that is not the true story... Can anyone tell me why that story isn't true?"

Silence, then nervous whispers.

"Anne? Christoph? Any ideas?"

"Because magicians aren't evil?"

"No, Anne, that is a nice guess but you are quite wrong. Very wrong, in fact. We know that story is not true because magic isn't real. The real story is simple.

The world cursed itself. Lazy people chose not to learn and to live like animals before the Citizen Republic saved them. Without our Republic, the world would still be a place full of savage tongues instead of citizen. A place without science, without gas lamps and engines to power our boats, a place without hospitals and most importantly, a place without schools for children like you. This ecole maternelle will not be easy for you. Your parents do not make you learn as much at home, I'm sure. But do not forget that once upon a time, before our Republic, the world was a cursed place. Do not forget that you are lucky to be citizens - and take care not to curse yourselves."