"Leave it to the king to think only in terms of POWER,"
More supporters follow behind him, on small barges loaded with supply crates.
"I'm here to give Sub Diego SELF-RELIANCE. We don't need to kowtow to the elite of Atlantis to thrive, no matter how desperate you are for their acceptance, AquaMAN."
There's only a small moment of silence here to hint at Manta's surprise that his bitter enemy isn't putting up a fight to this. Damn. Could've used that
( ... )
Arthur swims up above the crowd, very subtly using the Hand of the Waterbearer to allow sound to filter just a bit better through the water as he speaks.
All right. Manta has said his piece. Now it's time for me to say mine.
Manta talks a lot about what he can do for you. He can give you the medicine you need. He can give you construction supplies. He can give you workers. And in return, all he asks is to be put in charge. He won't say he wants to be king, because the idea of being a king is something he can't wrap his mind around, and he wouldn't want to try that in any case.
He's not offering his goods free of charge, which belies the claim of wanting nothing. Manta wants power. He craves it, hungers for it, because he's never really had it - he's had his cults, to be sure, but never a country.
That's how I know Manta can't give you what you really need. He sees taking command of a people as a glorious opportunity. That's idiotic. Taking care of a people is a heavy load to bear - it's a job where there are no vacations and no
Arthur knows Manta is scowling at him but doesn't look back.
Manta says he's prepared to give us emergency aid. Where did he get it? He's not independently wealthy, not on that scale. Being able to afford a couple of sub-aquatic cruisers doesn't mean you have the cash to feed fifty thousand people for the next two years, much less clothe them, shelter them, keep them healthy.
I'll tell you where he plans to get all these supplies, then. It's obvious, isn't it? If you can't buy, you steal. I'm not going to accuse Manta of stealing the supply shipments Atlantis sent to us in secret. I can't prove that. But if you think allowing a notorious international criminal is going to make the American government, or any other, more likely to give us the hand up we need as we rebuild this city for a new way of life?
He shakes his head.
And if you think Manta didn't know that already, think again. He's many things, but he's not stupid.
Garth does not relax, even when the ripples of Black Manta's exit have subsided. "Since the deal is now public," he murmurs quietly to Arthur, "let us seal it and be done."
He waves his guards away and drifts closer to his former mentor. "He is a pollution." Garth's voice is still pitched for Arthur's ears alone. "Against such a one, we must stand together, no matter what our other differences."
Come on. Let's go sign the agreements, then you and I can go take the tour around the city and say hello to everybody who wants to see the ruler of Atlantis. By which I mean you.
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A naked power grab? Color me shocked.
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More supporters follow behind him, on small barges loaded with supply crates.
"I'm here to give Sub Diego SELF-RELIANCE. We don't need to kowtow to the elite of Atlantis to thrive, no matter how desperate you are for their acceptance, AquaMAN."
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He shrugs.
But, fair enough. Go ahead, Manta. Make your pitch to the people. I'm nothing if not fair.
He waves a hand out at the crowd.
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All right. Manta has said his piece. Now it's time for me to say mine.
Manta talks a lot about what he can do for you. He can give you the medicine you need. He can give you construction supplies. He can give you workers. And in return, all he asks is to be put in charge. He won't say he wants to be king, because the idea of being a king is something he can't wrap his mind around, and he wouldn't want to try that in any case.
He's not offering his goods free of charge, which belies the claim of wanting nothing. Manta wants power. He craves it, hungers for it, because he's never really had it - he's had his cults, to be sure, but never a country.
That's how I know Manta can't give you what you really need. He sees taking command of a people as a glorious opportunity. That's idiotic. Taking care of a people is a heavy load to bear - it's a job where there are no vacations and no
Reply
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Manta says he's prepared to give us emergency aid. Where did he get it? He's not independently wealthy, not on that scale. Being able to afford a couple of sub-aquatic cruisers doesn't mean you have the cash to feed fifty thousand people for the next two years, much less clothe them, shelter them, keep them healthy.
I'll tell you where he plans to get all these supplies, then. It's obvious, isn't it? If you can't buy, you steal. I'm not going to accuse Manta of stealing the supply shipments Atlantis sent to us in secret. I can't prove that. But if you think allowing a notorious international criminal is going to make the American government, or any other, more likely to give us the hand up we need as we rebuild this city for a new way of life?
He shakes his head.
And if you think Manta didn't know that already, think again. He's many things, but he's not stupid.
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Right.
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He sighs.
Come on. Let's go sign the agreements, then you and I can go take the tour around the city and say hello to everybody who wants to see the ruler of Atlantis. By which I mean you.
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