The Royal Palace of Madrid.
The Chief Minister of Spain, Count of Florida Blanca, shook his head repeatedly:
"No, no, this will cause trade in Baton Rouge and Shreveport and other places to collapse, and..."
Talleyrand immediately raised his voice: "Have you calculated how much it will cost to send troops there? It could very well exceed the trade revenue you mentioned.
"Moreover, if the Americans are not deterred, your expeditionary force will be stuck in a prolonged confrontation with them, with military expenses disappearing as quickly as burning paper.
"According to the Crown Prince's strategy, if all goes well, the New Orleans Port could resume navigation in two months, and certainly not more than four months at most."
Seeing that Count of Florida Blanca was still hesitating, he looked at several other prominent Spanish ministers and said sternly:
"The Portuguese battlefield is where our greatest interest lies.
