Jaycee Woods

While raw, I like the below clip from my draft Boudica and The Butcher.

**

Boudica nodded slowly in understanding. “While politics became corrupted…and it’s a shame that they chose violence…I can understand their frustrations after being ignored and neglected…by the Union for so long…it’s no excuse to rebel…but it’s no excuse to ignore them either…maybe…politics might have never got this bad if…the Union had listened to their concerns in the first place.”

Her master said, “The political precursors to the rebels wanted the government to loot the remainder of the population. They argued that a vote of 50% plus 1 gave them unlimited power over the lives of others. They were totalitarians like those of the 20th century who sought to subordinate all life to politics. They were listened to; they were appeased; it was never enough because they lusted for power over others. Remember how the officers in your rebel army treated you? That is their utopia, and other people would not volunteer to live as you had.”

Boudica slowly began to nod, understanding. Her master really had a strong opinion about the rebels’ ideology. He was passionate about why he believed the Union had to win. “Yes, that was how the officers treated us…especially the political ones…they wanted complete power and control over everyone they could…so they could have a utopia…they were hungry for power…but they were really just…cold and cruel people who didn’t care about anything except getting what they want.”

Her master said, “Cyrus has told me that the rise of the rebels was my fault.”

Boudica looked over to her master surprised by his statement. “He…he blames you?”

Her master said, “Yes, and himself, and other professors.”

Boudica slowly began to nod, my eyes looking a little sadder. “Do you think it’s true? Do you think you’re at fault?”

Her master said, “We were supposed to be the thought leaders. We trained the next generation. However, too many of us remained in our own area of experience; business for me and science for Cyrus. We surrendered the humanities to the enemy within. We knew they were wrong, but we accepted their right to be wrong. That last was not our error. Failing to challenge them and correct them was our error. That enemy trained generations of miseducated fools only capable of destruction. Cyrus and I failed to fight on the battlefield of ideas, our punishment is to fight on the battlefield of blood.”