SLSL: Under the Rose - The Situation

[Samuel Moyer]

THE SITUATION

The closing of a century, one man's discomfort with the changing times,
dissapointing sex...

The story takes place in Egypt in 1898, a time of tension between rival
imperial powers.  First a little bit from the history books:

Africa in the late 1880's was only in the middle of European land scramble
that would go on another couple decades.  By 1886 the Spanish, Portuguese,
British, Germans, Italians, Belgians, Turkish, and French had pieces, all
mostly around the perimeter of the continent.  The British, by the time of
the story, 1898, were moving from their positions in Somalia and into the
Sudan.  The Germans were South of this point, below lake Victoria (German
East Africa).  The French had grabbed much of West Africa and in September
of 1898, they came to Fashoda, a marshland about 700 miles south of
Khartoum.  Khartum is roughly about 1200 miles south on the Nile from Cairo,
and the German position is maybe 500 miles south of Fashoda.  Lord Kitchener
and General Marchand actually met on a Warship near Fashoda at this time -
the British position that the French must leave, The French position that
the land was theirs by right.  Both men realized that a battle at Fashoda
could start a war*.  But other events took place.  In France, The Dreyfus
Affair caused many political problems, the Russian Navy was becoming ice
locked in the Baltic and could not support the French in a battle with the
far superior English navy, and so Lord Salsbury offered the French a way out
and the French retreated and held Chad and Central Africa.  Perhaps more
specifics and some scans at my website later on, but I thought a general
overview would help.  It is at this point of possible war that the events in
Under The Rose take place.

Of course it surprises no one that this story is filled with paranoia and
humor.  Here we follow Porpentine in Egypt looking around corners and
tumbling down staircases waiting for a defining moment at the close of the
century.  Apocolypse?  Porpentine is an English Spy in Alexandria, recently
from Brindisi - wondering if the German's who had been shadowing him there
have arrived before him in anticipation or if he gave them the slip,
arriving a full week ahead.  But no - they knew and were there.
Porpentine's partner is a younger man named Goodfellow, always with a girl
on his arm.  Like in _V._, this is Victoria Wren, but Victoria only shares
characteristics with the girl she will become in the novel.  That night the
party will be at the Austrian Consolate - everyone will be there - and
Porpentine will keep his eyes open - on top of the situation.


* The conversation as remembered later by Kitchener (from _The Scramble For
Africa_, Thomas Pakenham. Random House, 1991. p. 548)

Kitchener: My instructions are to regain possession of Fashoda in the name
of the Sublime Porte and His Highness the Khedive.

Marchand: My orders are to occupy Fashoda and the other parts of the upper
Nile abandoned by Egypt and therefore without a legal owner...

Kitchener: I cannot argue these points, but I would suggest you consider the
preponderance of the force at my disposal...

Marchand: Until we recieve orders to retire we shall not haul down our flag
but are ready to die at our posts...

Kitchener: But this situation could lead to war...  (all elipses are the
authors, not mine)