By the time the sun rose over the smoking ruins of the Nottingham gatehouse, the castle was fully under the jurisdiction of the Directorate.
The only "Asset" that had yet to be fully processed was the surviving upper management of the Mercian court.. specifically, the Ealdormen who had barricaded themselves in the solar tower after King Burgred's liquidation.
Ragnar intended to offer them a choice: seamless integration into the Jernheim supply chain, or immediate termination.
Inside the solar tower, Ealdorman Aelfgar.. the ranking noble now that the King was dead.. paced the stone floor. He was an older man, dressed in fine wool that smelled of fear and stale smoke.
When he looked out the narrow arrow slit and saw the "Industrial Corps" cleaning the courtyard with brooms and shovels instead of looting, he could not believe his eyes.
In a fit of confusion, Aelfgar lashed out at the terrified Thanes trapped with him.
