The View from Prospect Way

Michael Trenton
1528 Prospect Way, Apt. 411
Richmond, Virginia
AM6 LB7

Flight Lt. Robert Trenton
Landing Base Mimico
Toronto-Negawaya, West Niagara District, New York
FV6 KS2


June 16th, 1966

Dear Bobby,

Yesterday a flock of passenger pigeons flew over the city and I thought of you. That time in Stellarton Park just after Uncle Henry passed away, remember? You said to me they were the souls of the departed and that one of them was him, somewhere in there. You know, I don't think I've eaten a single one since you said that. The ones I saw yesterday must have taken a quarter hour to cross the sky, heading north. Folks here are saying it's a good omen. I hope they're right. Maybe it's Uncle Henry watching over us.

I'm getting used to life in the national capital, but the drive from Richmond to Franklin and back every day is still pretty taxing on me. Still, this is what I always wanted, right? Let me save you the trouble of saying 'I told you so'. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Much as I miss home sometimes, there's so much history here. So much of importance. So much is going on all the time. Especially these days. I was there, you know, for the emergency session of Congress two weeks ago, doing whatever Rep. Nichols needed done. There, in the Roundel itself when they opened the session. I can tell you without shame that as they rose to sing Heart of Oak , the hundreds of them, men and women from every corner of the British Republic, I had tears in my eyes. I've never felt it so strongly as I did right then. At that moment, I was ready for anything.

As far as negotiations go, I wish I had better news for you, and everyone else in uniform. The French seem eager to play last month's incident off Haiti for everything it's possibly worth to them. It's all a trumped-up excuse, of course; they've never given up their aspirations to getting New Orleans back. All of you back home must be watching the French and Ottawa Rivers with a chill down your backs these days. Everybody here is focused on New Orleans, but people like us know the thing they most after that is to see West Niagara annexed from New York and back in New France. Fancy a king, Bobby? Might give our rough little corner of the Republic some glitter, if you don't mind losing habeas corpus and having to tithe to the Catholic Church every time you buy so much as a stamp. I thought all this was over in our grandparents' time, but here we are on the brink once more.

Still… it's not over yet, or even begun. So here's my big news… from the national capital to the federate. That's right, I'm off to London next week with Rep. Nichols for the emergency meeting of the Senate. We'll be asking for the backing of the Federate Allies. Ordinarily that would go without saying but India's been so balky lately. If we don't get their support, it will encourage France, and we could be in big trouble. But with their support, I can't imagine France will think it wise to push the matter to the brink.

I've never been to the Union of the Isles. How many times have I been back and forth across the American march, from the St. Lawrence to the Columbia? Two dozen? But I've never been to the European march or the Australian. Well, finally, off I go. England. London. Another front line, staring across that channel at the very original frontier between us and them. A chance to see the ancient imperial city, with all of its old royalist history and splendor. I only wish it were under happier circumstances. I imagine I'll find the people there worrying themselves over a repeat of the French Incursion. Those awful years. It might have been almost 200 years ago but it's still with them. You can hear it in the voices and the remarks of the representatives from the Isles in Congress. They'll be out in force burning the Freddies this autumn, I'm sure. I wonder if I'll still be around to see that. It's hard to believe we Britons were once as proud of having a king as the French are. It seems so backward. Well, here's to King Frederick, roasting down in hell; at least he did us the service of breaking us of that obsession.

Naturally, I'll take a lot of pictures, which I will force on you and Jenny and the kids, and Mom and Dad, when I'm home for Thanksgiving, or if I can't make that, Christmas, at least. God willing, we'll all be meeting in peacetime, not war, when we do so. If India and Federate Africa will stand by the Union of British States, we certainly will. Without their help, it promises to be a long, cold, anxious winter.

I hope the next time I see a passenger pigeon, it's Uncle Henry with good news.

Wish us luck in London! I should be back in Franklin by September, if all goes well. All my love,

Mike.