people with bad teeth and fragile skin had an empire across the world.”
The pilot promptly replied, “The law of primogeniture.” He looked at Francisco and saw the small roll of his eyes. “Ah, you don’t believe me,young master. You thought I was going to say because of the queen’s dominant navy. Or perhaps you thought I was an ethnocentrist and believed it was our naturally superior intelligence and appearance. But no, that would be rubbish. It was the rule of law—and particularly this law—that gave England the world’s greatest empire.”
Despite his desire to stop the old pilot’s show of superiority, Francisco was curious to hear the reasoning. “OK. Tell me what this law is and why it made everyone speak English.”
The old man explained. The law of primogeniture gave the family’s full inheritance to the eldest son once the father passed away. In the rest of Europe, when the father died, the inheritance was split among the sons. Therefore, many Englishmen who were raised in wealth grew up under the specter of needing to make something of themselves to avoid being impoverished once the eldest brother received his due.
With England being a small country with modest physical resources, these men were forced to take their education and breeding into the world, colonizing it for mercantilism. In addition, the eldest son, who had full control of an undiluted inheritance, could invest the money in large projects in trade or manufacturing. By contrast, the six sons of an Italian count were each given a sixth of the count’s lands. Then, their six sons were each given a sixth of their father’s lands—enough to live without the motivation to avoid hunger but not enough to make investments to change the world.
Francisco never researched the story’s historical accuracy, but even if it was only a fable, it held wisdom. He needed new markets to send his ever-expanding list of working-age nephews and cousins into. Let them take the lessons he had taught them, as Pablo had taught him, to new markets. Let them stand on his shoulders and help him conquer the world, or let them be gobbled up by others trying. If they stayed within the current operations, they would eat each other up with petty grievances, and eventually, there would be internal warfare.He had watched with interest as other families had turned their guns inward. He would not let this happen to his empire.
Yes, Francisco needed to capitalize on this growth opportunity. And of course, he did not divide up his inherited or accumulated wealth, so he was willing and able to make world-changing investments. He well knew some investments were repaid in currency, while others were repaid in blood.
The long highway drive to Savannah had alternately run through overcrowded urban areas and long stretches of barely populated farmland. As Francisco now rocketed southwest in his new G5, he wondered why more
norteamericanos
didn’t fly private. The minimal effort and maximum comfort on his first flight in his new jet reinvigorated him for the tasks he faced. He chose this Gulfstream because the seating arrangement allowed a cabin with a door to be built around the back couch if he desired.
Sitting in his plush leather seat, he reflected on his brief stay in Miami. The city was so changed from before. He wondered where the Jews and blonde-haired
norteamericanos
had gone. Rich Hispanics and Russian service workers were all he met in his explorations. He had spent the prior evening—morning, technically—behind a velvet rope at a nightclub with a grass-sod dance floor in the company of a certain type of Russian service worker. A new grass floor each night! Who thought of these things? He liked this new Miami. It cost more, but more was for sale.
The copilot came over the intercom. “Excuse me, gentlemen. We touch down in Sanford in thirty minutes. A white Porsche Cayenne with the starter fob under the driver seat is parked at the FBO for your use this
The pilot promptly replied, “The law of primogeniture.” He looked at Francisco and saw the small roll of his eyes. “Ah, you don’t believe me,young master. You thought I was going to say because of the queen’s dominant navy. Or perhaps you thought I was an ethnocentrist and believed it was our naturally superior intelligence and appearance. But no, that would be rubbish. It was the rule of law—and particularly this law—that gave England the world’s greatest empire.”
Despite his desire to stop the old pilot’s show of superiority, Francisco was curious to hear the reasoning. “OK. Tell me what this law is and why it made everyone speak English.”
The old man explained. The law of primogeniture gave the family’s full inheritance to the eldest son once the father passed away. In the rest of Europe, when the father died, the inheritance was split among the sons. Therefore, many Englishmen who were raised in wealth grew up under the specter of needing to make something of themselves to avoid being impoverished once the eldest brother received his due.
With England being a small country with modest physical resources, these men were forced to take their education and breeding into the world, colonizing it for mercantilism. In addition, the eldest son, who had full control of an undiluted inheritance, could invest the money in large projects in trade or manufacturing. By contrast, the six sons of an Italian count were each given a sixth of the count’s lands. Then, their six sons were each given a sixth of their father’s lands—enough to live without the motivation to avoid hunger but not enough to make investments to change the world.
Francisco never researched the story’s historical accuracy, but even if it was only a fable, it held wisdom. He needed new markets to send his ever-expanding list of working-age nephews and cousins into. Let them take the lessons he had taught them, as Pablo had taught him, to new markets. Let them stand on his shoulders and help him conquer the world, or let them be gobbled up by others trying. If they stayed within the current operations, they would eat each other up with petty grievances, and eventually, there would be internal warfare.He had watched with interest as other families had turned their guns inward. He would not let this happen to his empire.
Yes, Francisco needed to capitalize on this growth opportunity. And of course, he did not divide up his inherited or accumulated wealth, so he was willing and able to make world-changing investments. He well knew some investments were repaid in currency, while others were repaid in blood.
The long highway drive to Savannah had alternately run through overcrowded urban areas and long stretches of barely populated farmland. As Francisco now rocketed southwest in his new G5, he wondered why more
norteamericanos
didn’t fly private. The minimal effort and maximum comfort on his first flight in his new jet reinvigorated him for the tasks he faced. He chose this Gulfstream because the seating arrangement allowed a cabin with a door to be built around the back couch if he desired.
Sitting in his plush leather seat, he reflected on his brief stay in Miami. The city was so changed from before. He wondered where the Jews and blonde-haired
norteamericanos
had gone. Rich Hispanics and Russian service workers were all he met in his explorations. He had spent the prior evening—morning, technically—behind a velvet rope at a nightclub with a grass-sod dance floor in the company of a certain type of Russian service worker. A new grass floor each night! Who thought of these things? He liked this new Miami. It cost more, but more was for sale.
The copilot came over the intercom. “Excuse me, gentlemen. We touch down in Sanford in thirty minutes. A white Porsche Cayenne with the starter fob under the driver seat is parked at the FBO for your use this
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