At last, Francisco was forced to intervene.
"Gentlemen," he said, raising his voice just enough to halt them, "might we first return to the matter at hand? What is to be done with the indigenous?"
Both men fell silent.
"I require a system," Francisco continued, more steadily now, "one that grants them sufficient rights to accept a new government, yet preserves the limited autonomy they desire. At the same time, my father must retain the legal authority to exploit the resources within their lands, should such resources exist. Do you have any proposal that might reconcile these demands?"
Heyne and Blumenbach exchanged a glance. The shift in the room was immediate. What had moments before been a heated academic dispute settled into something heavier—more deliberate. The air took on the stillness of calculation.
They were no longer debating Sparta or Athens.
They were considering the design of a future.
