13-09-2019, 07:46 AM
The families applauded this. The Count gestured to them and addressed the graduates. This time, Ramirez KNEW he was looking right at him!
"MY fondest hope for San Finzione and for you," Vincenzo said to his new Ultimados. "Is that you come home to THEM for dinner each night complaining of how boring work was today. How you spent it training and conducting readiness drills for the call that I never made. That the only medals you should receive are for winning competitions, noble deeds, and long service. Should I need to give you a medal for killing in San Finzione's name, THEN I shall say that I am proud of you! Because it means that you succeeded after I failed to keep us at peace. That is why you will be here for San Finzione. In case diplomacy fails... in case I fail San Finzione. Because I am only a man, therefore, I can fail. In many ways.
"If I ever declare martial law for any reason other than disaster or invasion, I will fail her. If I need to send you to aid our allies because it was within my power to keep peace and I did not, I will fail her. That is when I shall turn to you. You are not here to be the very best. You ARE the very best, so YOU are here for when your COUNT fails to live up to YOU!"
The audience's applause increased. The Count knew he'd said enough and reached for their scrolls. His back stiffened for a moment as he stood back upright. Hernando and the others rose to help him.
"I am fine." He said after rising with a small clicking noise. Ramirez noticed that the Generalissimo was the only one on stage who hadn't moved to assist the Count. He recovered and walked to their chairs, saying each man's name again. When Vincenzo stood before Hernando, he stopped for a moment, looking the Sargento in the eye before bending slightly forward to hand Ramirez his. When he rose to accept it rather than make his Count bend again so soon, he realized that the Count was subtly beckoning for him to do so. When they were close enough to whisper, The Count spoke to him.
"A new Ultimado should not have such concern in his eyes. Talk to me in the hall afterwards."
Vincenzo casually moved on. Hernando looked at Violeta, holding up the diploma he'd just been given; for now, it truly felt like he'd graduated to something rather than simply passed tests. She saw the look on his face that said "Did you see that? He SPOKE to me!" He saw the "I totally DID see that! That's so damn cool!" look on her face in response.
The Count remained in the hall afterwards for autographs and pictures with the Ultimados and their families. The Generalissimo often had to be quietly nudged out of those photos. By the time he made it to Hernando and Violeta, Santori had gotten the message and was trying to interest others in his autograph or pictures with him.
The Count put his arm around Hernando and gave a big grin and a thumbs-up to Violeta before she took the picture.
"You had something on your mind at the ceremony, Ramirez, did you not?" The Count said to him quietly before changing to a handshake pose for the next shot. "I hope my speech did not sound too rehearsed."
It took him a second to realize that Vincenzo wanted him to respond before he did so.
"Si, sir. My Count." He replied. "And no, The Count's speech was quite inspirational. It was a minor concern. A nagging thought."
"Did you see me stop and say anything to the other men, Ramirez? I would not have done so if I thought my Ultimados' concerns minor."
"No, My Count." Hernando replied quietly enough to keep anyone from hearing. "I did not see you stop and talk to the other MEN." He stressed the word. "The Count has spoken at many such ceremonies, Si?" Vincenzo nodded, sensing that the man's point was something he hadn't thought about before. "And you have handed out a number of these scrolls. Have you ever handed one to a woman, Sir?" Vincenzo thought on that and Ramirez concluded. "I know a number of women who are qualified for El Squadra. If My Count has his reasons for never handing one to a woman, then it is not my place to question."
"Quite the opposite, Hernando." Vincenzo replied, both Ramirez and Violeta smiling that he'd remembered his name. "Lie to others outside the service all you please. I would not entrust you with all that I have this day if I did not want to hear the truth from you. And you have told me a truth that I overlooked." He glanced over at Santori, still glad-handing with the other families. "I have a good idea of the answer to your question, but the reasoning is not mine. He's already noticed that I've spoken to you more than the others. If I confront him now, he'll know it was because you brought it to my attention. I just promised yourself, your lovely lady, and everyone else in that room that I would do all that I could to make your career as boring as possible. If he knows that you are the one who brought this to my attention, it will be anything but! Right now, you are just a 'special favorite' I have singled out. This may help in future dealings with your Supreme Commander. Once his memory of this day fades, I can act on this with no risk to you."
Hernando nodded, then switched places with Violeta so that she could get her own pictures with Count Vincenzo.
"It's such an honor to meet you, My Count." Violeta told him.
"Meeting a lady as beautiful as yourself is always MY honor."
Vincenzo took Violeta's hand and held it up to kiss for the photo. He noticed Santori was walking toward them as Ramirez snapped the picture.
"My Count? Sargento?" He paused for a moment, not knowing Violeta's name. "Ma'am." He finally said. He then turned back to the Count. "I hope your visit is going well, my Count."
"It certainly is, Armando." Vincenzo replied. "I was just complimenting the Sargento on his fine test scores." The Generalissimo looked confused. "Surely, you too read their instructors' reports before the ceremony."
"Ah yes, sir, of course." Armando made it clear that he hadn't.
The Count put his arm around Violeta and let Ramirez take another picture before approaching the Generalissimo.
"Excellent!" The Count said, shaking Hernando and Violeta's hands goodbye. "Then you can give me details as you walk me to my limo. Sargento, Mrs. Sargento?" Vincenzo realized that he hadn't heard the woman's name yet.
"MY fondest hope for San Finzione and for you," Vincenzo said to his new Ultimados. "Is that you come home to THEM for dinner each night complaining of how boring work was today. How you spent it training and conducting readiness drills for the call that I never made. That the only medals you should receive are for winning competitions, noble deeds, and long service. Should I need to give you a medal for killing in San Finzione's name, THEN I shall say that I am proud of you! Because it means that you succeeded after I failed to keep us at peace. That is why you will be here for San Finzione. In case diplomacy fails... in case I fail San Finzione. Because I am only a man, therefore, I can fail. In many ways.
"If I ever declare martial law for any reason other than disaster or invasion, I will fail her. If I need to send you to aid our allies because it was within my power to keep peace and I did not, I will fail her. That is when I shall turn to you. You are not here to be the very best. You ARE the very best, so YOU are here for when your COUNT fails to live up to YOU!"
The audience's applause increased. The Count knew he'd said enough and reached for their scrolls. His back stiffened for a moment as he stood back upright. Hernando and the others rose to help him.
"I am fine." He said after rising with a small clicking noise. Ramirez noticed that the Generalissimo was the only one on stage who hadn't moved to assist the Count. He recovered and walked to their chairs, saying each man's name again. When Vincenzo stood before Hernando, he stopped for a moment, looking the Sargento in the eye before bending slightly forward to hand Ramirez his. When he rose to accept it rather than make his Count bend again so soon, he realized that the Count was subtly beckoning for him to do so. When they were close enough to whisper, The Count spoke to him.
"A new Ultimado should not have such concern in his eyes. Talk to me in the hall afterwards."
Vincenzo casually moved on. Hernando looked at Violeta, holding up the diploma he'd just been given; for now, it truly felt like he'd graduated to something rather than simply passed tests. She saw the look on his face that said "Did you see that? He SPOKE to me!" He saw the "I totally DID see that! That's so damn cool!" look on her face in response.
The Count remained in the hall afterwards for autographs and pictures with the Ultimados and their families. The Generalissimo often had to be quietly nudged out of those photos. By the time he made it to Hernando and Violeta, Santori had gotten the message and was trying to interest others in his autograph or pictures with him.
The Count put his arm around Hernando and gave a big grin and a thumbs-up to Violeta before she took the picture.
"You had something on your mind at the ceremony, Ramirez, did you not?" The Count said to him quietly before changing to a handshake pose for the next shot. "I hope my speech did not sound too rehearsed."
It took him a second to realize that Vincenzo wanted him to respond before he did so.
"Si, sir. My Count." He replied. "And no, The Count's speech was quite inspirational. It was a minor concern. A nagging thought."
"Did you see me stop and say anything to the other men, Ramirez? I would not have done so if I thought my Ultimados' concerns minor."
"No, My Count." Hernando replied quietly enough to keep anyone from hearing. "I did not see you stop and talk to the other MEN." He stressed the word. "The Count has spoken at many such ceremonies, Si?" Vincenzo nodded, sensing that the man's point was something he hadn't thought about before. "And you have handed out a number of these scrolls. Have you ever handed one to a woman, Sir?" Vincenzo thought on that and Ramirez concluded. "I know a number of women who are qualified for El Squadra. If My Count has his reasons for never handing one to a woman, then it is not my place to question."
"Quite the opposite, Hernando." Vincenzo replied, both Ramirez and Violeta smiling that he'd remembered his name. "Lie to others outside the service all you please. I would not entrust you with all that I have this day if I did not want to hear the truth from you. And you have told me a truth that I overlooked." He glanced over at Santori, still glad-handing with the other families. "I have a good idea of the answer to your question, but the reasoning is not mine. He's already noticed that I've spoken to you more than the others. If I confront him now, he'll know it was because you brought it to my attention. I just promised yourself, your lovely lady, and everyone else in that room that I would do all that I could to make your career as boring as possible. If he knows that you are the one who brought this to my attention, it will be anything but! Right now, you are just a 'special favorite' I have singled out. This may help in future dealings with your Supreme Commander. Once his memory of this day fades, I can act on this with no risk to you."
Hernando nodded, then switched places with Violeta so that she could get her own pictures with Count Vincenzo.
"It's such an honor to meet you, My Count." Violeta told him.
"Meeting a lady as beautiful as yourself is always MY honor."
Vincenzo took Violeta's hand and held it up to kiss for the photo. He noticed Santori was walking toward them as Ramirez snapped the picture.
"My Count? Sargento?" He paused for a moment, not knowing Violeta's name. "Ma'am." He finally said. He then turned back to the Count. "I hope your visit is going well, my Count."
"It certainly is, Armando." Vincenzo replied. "I was just complimenting the Sargento on his fine test scores." The Generalissimo looked confused. "Surely, you too read their instructors' reports before the ceremony."
"Ah yes, sir, of course." Armando made it clear that he hadn't.
The Count put his arm around Violeta and let Ramirez take another picture before approaching the Generalissimo.
"Excellent!" The Count said, shaking Hernando and Violeta's hands goodbye. "Then you can give me details as you walk me to my limo. Sargento, Mrs. Sargento?" Vincenzo realized that he hadn't heard the woman's name yet.
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