Chapter 6: In Late Medieval Siena, state accepts you
Marco Torricelli (The Doge): "Signore de Rossi."
Borghese de Rossi (Inquisitor): "Ah, Signore Torricelli. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Torricelli: "I need your help to complete the integration of Fezzan into our beautiful Sienese Tripolitania."
De Rossi: "Oh... do you require some 'fire' or a 'sword'?"
Torricelli: "Actually what I need is..."
Torricelli: "I need you and your missionaries to study Arabic as well as the Berber languages."
De Rossi: "Excuse me?"
Torricelli: "In order to spread the faith."
Torricelli: "We will officially accept the so-called 'Tunisian' culture from now on. Their languages will have an official status in all of Sienese Tripolitania. We will only send a small number of administrators so the people will not regard us as 'evil, completely insane, greedy and corrupt conquerors'. Hmm... well as long as we're not corrupt... anyway."
Torricelli: "Those administrators... will be you and your team of missionaries. And your task is to convert the provinces to Catholicism. I mean... of course it's a complete coincidence. Officially you are not assigned in order to convert anyone... no, you are just assigned because you are a very capable administrator and you just 'happen' to be a very devout man who is going to convert the provinces in a private initiative. Okay?"
De Rossi: "What happens if someone refuses to convert?"
Torricelli: "It doesn't matter. What really matters is that when the Papal legate visits Tripolitania, it has to look like a Catholic country. It doesn't matter whether some people want to convert or not... we just need enough people. We need enough churches and a big parade of faithful Catholics when the Papal legate arrives."
De Rossi: "Okay... I will be cautious then."
Torricelli: "Also, I want you to send one of your men as an envoy to Tunis. Make sure the following message reaches the Sultan: 'After the creation of Sienese Tripolitania, we are now completely saturated and will not seek any further expansion in Africa.' Okay?"
De Rossi [starting to laugh]: "But Signore Torricelli, I mean... do you really think anyone is going to believe THAT?"
Torricelli: "We can try."
Messenger [entering the room]: "My Doge, important news! We have now officially left the Venetian trade league. It seems we have violated their terms... so now we're out."
Torricelli: "Wait. We were in a trade league??"
Messenger: "Yes... it was also referred to as 'non-corrupt treaty for mutual gain wherein trade power is exchanged for protection' and the term 'trade power' is defined as..."
Torricelli: "Ah yes, that one. Well they can manage by themselves."
Marco Torricelli (The Doge): "Signore de Rossi."
Borghese de Rossi (Inquisitor): "Ah, Signore Torricelli. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Torricelli: "I need your help to complete the integration of Fezzan into our beautiful Sienese Tripolitania."
De Rossi: "Oh... do you require some 'fire' or a 'sword'?"
Torricelli: "Actually what I need is..."
Torricelli: "I need you and your missionaries to study Arabic as well as the Berber languages."
De Rossi: "Excuse me?"
Torricelli: "In order to spread the faith."
Torricelli: "We will officially accept the so-called 'Tunisian' culture from now on. Their languages will have an official status in all of Sienese Tripolitania. We will only send a small number of administrators so the people will not regard us as 'evil, completely insane, greedy and corrupt conquerors'. Hmm... well as long as we're not corrupt... anyway."
Torricelli: "Those administrators... will be you and your team of missionaries. And your task is to convert the provinces to Catholicism. I mean... of course it's a complete coincidence. Officially you are not assigned in order to convert anyone... no, you are just assigned because you are a very capable administrator and you just 'happen' to be a very devout man who is going to convert the provinces in a private initiative. Okay?"
De Rossi: "What happens if someone refuses to convert?"
Torricelli: "It doesn't matter. What really matters is that when the Papal legate visits Tripolitania, it has to look like a Catholic country. It doesn't matter whether some people want to convert or not... we just need enough people. We need enough churches and a big parade of faithful Catholics when the Papal legate arrives."
De Rossi: "Okay... I will be cautious then."
Torricelli: "Also, I want you to send one of your men as an envoy to Tunis. Make sure the following message reaches the Sultan: 'After the creation of Sienese Tripolitania, we are now completely saturated and will not seek any further expansion in Africa.' Okay?"
De Rossi [starting to laugh]: "But Signore Torricelli, I mean... do you really think anyone is going to believe THAT?"
Torricelli: "We can try."
Messenger [entering the room]: "My Doge, important news! We have now officially left the Venetian trade league. It seems we have violated their terms... so now we're out."
Torricelli: "Wait. We were in a trade league??"
Messenger: "Yes... it was also referred to as 'non-corrupt treaty for mutual gain wherein trade power is exchanged for protection' and the term 'trade power' is defined as..."
Torricelli: "Ah yes, that one. Well they can manage by themselves."