[Private]
"Sir, police during a routine search in Valladolid found an illegally obtained printing press; several members of the party transporting fled before they could be apprehended and... those that were captured were unaware of what they were transporting. We do know that the wagon was from the north, and heading south, but little else."
The Interior and Justice Secretary sighed; with the King dead, it seemed the radicals were once again mobilising. It was unsurprising; pamphlets were found and burnt often enough, and a few found ever handful of years; this was likely nothing new, though why it was going south was beyond him - it would have been more prudent to keep it hidden wherever it was imported from.
"Very well then; have authorities conduct inquiries in Castille, Aragon, and the Basque Country; there perhaps are more of them - I have my doubts about just one arriving from Bilbao or Santander just to be sent southwards. If any are found, seize the ones on the road immediately, and survey operational ones closely and find out who is operating them - shutting them down immediately would be an exercise in futility without quashing the printers themselves." he flipped through his notes "and this Red Movement, I want more information on this; furthermore, keep tabs upon the Duque de Menorca. That fool's ego has grown too large for the Baleares."
"As you wish sir; our infiltration of the Provisional Guard there has gone well enough, though without added resources, I fear it's loyalty will remain suspect."
Correia nodded and gave his permission to expand their efforts in the Baleares. He continued through his various reports. He frowned.
"It seems the Duke of Seville has some friends in the south as well... he should take greater care of his couriers." his thin lips, opposed by his otherwise fat face, curled into a smile. "That fool of a noble may well have opened the way for us... find out who the letter was sent to - keep greater tabs on his correspondence as well."
It was then that it clicked; he reviewed the last report. A printing press heading south, and a letter to Cordoba. Signs suggested several disloyal parties and movements there as well. Perhaps the Duke had ordered the presses - Correia couldn't put it past him. Perhaps ordering them from the north was a ploy to draw suspicion away from him... or perhaps it was mere coincidence. Still, it was a potential lead, and one of the precious few that they had.
"Men... perhaps place more focus upon the Duke then you otherwise would; if possible, send more agents to Seville and Cordoba, as well as any other cities we believe these rebellious cells are operating"
These anti-royal movements all seemed incestuously linked; that would be their undoing, Correia determined. He need only find the right people, the right letters, and the road to quash them would be open at last. At least for the moment; these radicals seem to breed like rats, the vermin that they are. The Red Movement, the presses, the Duke - he had no doubt some of the most recent riots and protests were no doubt linked to them as well. Fortunately for the Secretary, his forebears had left him with many boons - a broken left, disorganised and wholly shoddy in subterfuge and lacking in guile, and an effective machine with which to pummel these forces of revolution to the ground. He would not disappoint the Crown. Still, he worried his men were being stretched too thin; perhaps it was time to call upon some much needed assistance.
"Gentlemen, good luck, and god save the King." He rose from his seat and began the trek back to the Palace, so he could deliver the reports to the King.
[Private]
To His Eminence, the Primate of Spain;
Your Eminence, your work as head of the police forces in crushing the liberals in the days of my youth, during the Golden Age of the Iron King, are well known to me; I often read the remaining reports from you and your agents for insight in my own present struggles. However, with the deal of the King, I fear that I can no longer rely solely on words in musty books and letters.
If it would please you, I would ask that Your Eminence would travel to my office in Madrid to discuss joining my present cadre of intelligence officers; due to the unpleasantness of the past, we may be compelled by forces beyond our control from making this relationship between the Secretariat and Your Eminence known, but I feel your experience and zeal will be vital in the coming years.
Yours in Faith and Loyalty,
Juan Maria de Correia y Medinacelo
