The Private Scrapbook

by Cadabra

Chapter 48: The Department of Immigration

Chapter 48: The Department of Immigration

In spite of the broom closet being cramped, dusty, and generally uncomfortable, Smithy hadn’t had a better night’s sleep in a long time. She felt safe laying next to Crab Apple the whole night, thankful to know that somepony cared about her. After the harsh months in prison, she just wanted to drink in the sensation of companionship.

She was genuinely disappointed to be awoken in the morning when the guard opened the door. “We’re here,” the guard said as he watched the two ponies shield their eyes from the abrupt introduction of daylight. "We'll be disembarking in fifteen minutes. We need to make ourselves ready, so now is the time to do it."

The two ponies were lead out of the airship and presented before Princess Celestia, Carpet Bag, Focus, and LePeck, all of whom were surrounded by the chattering media who had heard of their arrival. They were greeted by a chorus of flashing cameras and various questions by the reporters ready to capture their every word.

Princess Celestia looked around at the various reporters, trying to calm them down. She was looking forward to seeing this media circus breaking up. “Our first stop is the Horse Shoe Bay Immigration Port,” she commanded. “Are we ready to examine the migrant boats for ourselves?”

The boat could be seen from a distance as it made its way toward the harbor. Several pegasus photographers had flown ahead to be the first to get their pictures, the griffon sailors trying to shoo them away from the ship.

It took about fifteen before the ship was able to dock at Horse Shoe Bay, fifteen minutes that Smithy had worried would result in failure. If the reporters could get out there with their cameras, what was stopping Carpet Bag from informing the sailors of the upcoming inspection? Crab Apple had to keep shushing her to keep her in her place.

The ship finally docked safely, and everypony eagerly awaited their chance to see it. As the door to the slave ship opened, horrific smells started to leak out. Everypony had to hold their noses as a pair of griffons fussed through their living inventory.

Princess Celestia approached the boat with her nose covered. “Explain yourselves!” she proclaimed, surprising the griffons. The last thing they were expecting to see was the Equestrian princess approaching them. Both griffons looked dumbfounded at each other before flying away to tell their captain what was going on. Princess Celestia rolled her eyes at the cowardly display before making her way inside with a group of reporters hot on her heels.

Nopony could be prepared for what they were about to see. Row after row of zebras lay chained to posts, stacked on top of each other like cargo. The princess could see that some of them lay dead, chained up next to the living. The floors were covered in excrements, vomit, and discarded food, all of which the rats and lice were rooting around in. The smell was amplified by how hot and humid the underbelly of the ship was. A chorus of the zebra's misery could be heard from stem to stern.

Princess Celestia emitted a blue light from her horn which helped unshackle the slaves. “Somepony take care of these poor creatures,” she commanded. Several of her royal servants were eager to help, especially the zebra slaves she had unknowingly kept.

As the ship began to empty with the weakened slaves, Princess Celestia flew up to the main deck to look for the vehicle's captain. All around her, the crew mates looked at her with a sense of dread. “Where is your captain?!?" she announced to the intimidated crew.

After the crew scrambled to obey their intruder's order, the captain finally approached the princess. “Ah, Mademoiselle Princess!” he said in a charming griffon accent. “What brings you aboard mon cargo ship?”

Princess Celestia could not believe how nonchalantly the merchant captain was behaving, especially after what she had just seen. “I am conducting an investigation on the trade you and your kind partake in,” she replied in a no nonsense tone.

The captain smiled back at her, a smile she did not return. “Ah wee wee, mon princess!” he replied. “May I give you ze tour of mon prized ship?”

Princess Celestia shook her head at the offer. “That will not be necessary,” she said. “I have seen more than enough of your vesicle, thank you very much. Though if you wish to be helpful to me, you could show me where you go with your… delivery.”

The captain was more than happy to be of service until he noticed that his cargo was outside in the open. “Quelle dommage!” he shouted as he flew overboard to look into the bowels of his ship, the princess flying close behind him. “Mon cargo! Zere is nothing left! Why did zey get let out without mon permission?”

He called out to his crew, who were intimidated by the tall pony princess who had taken it upon herself to empty out the ship with her magic. One griffon whispered the news in his native tongue to the captain, who was livid with anger. “Zut alors!” he shouted at full temper. “Mademoiselle, how dare you steal mon cargo! Moi livelihood was aboard zis ship!”

While the princess understood his conundrum, she still had a point she was trying to make. “You will be compensated for your losses,” she assured the captain. “Hopefully soon you will be able to make a living transporting morally sound goods to our kingdom. In the mean time, please help me continue this investigation.”

The captain gave Celestia a dirty look, which the press was eager to take pictures of. The princess had a feeling that he was going to be stubborn from here on out. “Rest assured, captain,” she said, putting a pleasing smile on to ease his attitude, “your cooperation will be handsomely rewarded. Perhaps double what your cargo would have brought you should your attitude improve.”

The mention of extra money put an instant smile on the ornery captain’s face. “Sacre bleu!” he exclaimed before kissing the princess’s hoof. “Ah, such a deal! I will be ze perfect guide for you, mademoiselle!”

Princess Celestia lowered her hoof from his ridiculous kissing. “Spare me the showmanship,” she said. “I want to see the truth about what goes into your profession, not be paraded around like a tourist. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

With the captain’s full understanding, he lead the way to the next stop known as the Immigration Travel Bureau. “Zis is where our inventory is inspected, mademoiselle,” he said as he opened a door to a large warehouse.

Princess Celestia could see several ponies inspecting the chained zebras with doctor’s equipment. Each pony set down what they were doing to bow to the princess. The zebras on the other hoof looked confused about the whole thing.

Princess Celestia dismissed the bows so that the worker ponies could get back to what they were doing. “Are they certified doctors?” she asked as she watched a pony force a zebra’s mouth open with a tongue depressor. “Forgive my curiosity, but I have my doubts judging by some of these cutie marks.”

The captain nodded enthusiastically at the question. “But of course!” he replied optimistically. “It is ze pony’s jobs to make sure ze inventory is in fine condition to put on ze market. Any ziggler who is in need of medicine or food is given what zey need so zat zey will fetch a good price. If zey do not heal, well, zat is for ze ocean to decide, yes? Ze dying have to go somewhere.”

Princess Celestia had seen enough of this building, and enough of the medical malpractice contained within it. “What is the next stop on our tour?” she said as she watched a zebra yelp at receiving a painful shot.

The captain held the door open for the princess, the press, and the rest. “We are on to what is called ze Department of Job Placement,” he said. “Such a pretty name for a marketplace, non? Your senator Carpet Bag says it sound less like a marketplace and more like an official branch of ze immigration. He is, how you say, clever, yes?”

Princess Celestia looked down in disgust at her once trusted senator, who she had ordered the guards to detain. “I once felt the same way,” she said, watching as Carpet Bag backed down like a colt in trouble.

To keep herself incognito in the next department, Princess Celestia ducked down low and wrapped a scarf around her mane. “I want to get an honest judgement of this place instead of differential treatment," she explained, covering her crown with the gauzy fabric. “I need you all to crowd around me to keep me from making a scene."

While Smithy and Crab Apple were confused by this latest development in the investigation, they chose not to question it. They saw how ponies reacted in the Immigration Travel Bureau, and had a feeling that the princess knew what she was doing. Thankfully, sneaking the large princess into the building was easier than they expected because of how busy the place was.

Inside the Department of Job Placement was pure pandemonium. There was a stage alight with an auctioneer pony who was presenting each zebra for the crowd to bid on. He was boasting each lot of slaves like he was selling a fine piece of property.

In the next lot was a slender female zebra, who the auctioneer played up as something special for any of the gentlemen in the audience to enjoy. Princess From her crouched position, Celestia turned to the griffon captain as the bidding began for the prized zebra. “Is this normal behavior?” she gasped.

The captain let out a jolly chuckle at the question. “But of course!” he replied. “Ze salesponies must make ze zigglers sound, how you say, appealing to ze buyer. Otherwise zey would never be sold! You would not want to buy something zat sounds bad, yes?”

The captain shrugged his shoulders at the princess’s angry looks. “You have not gone to market before?” he asked, noticing the princess’s nose crinkling in anger. “Ah, you have missed all ze fun! Of course ze females, zey go for a high price to ze buyers. Ah, zey are a treat here in ze marketplace, especially ones like zat one on ze stage. Such a prize! It has been too long since a ziggler has warmed mon bed.”

Princess Celestia picked up the captain and shook him violently. “How dare you defile them!” she screamed, getting the attention of everypony in the Department of Job Placement. The bidding patrons and auctioneers bowed the minute they saw the leader of Equestria in the back, all noise reduced to whispers Within minutes, the room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Princess Celestia stormed out of the Department of Job placement, her entourage following close behind. Making a mental inventory of all the places she knew would have to be shut down, she asked to see what else there was to see.

The captain once again held the door open for the princess to enter into the next building. “One last stop, mademoiselle,” he said enthusiastically, eager to be done with his impromptu touring job. “It is a building where two departments are kept. One is ze Department of Immigration, but zat is nothing but papers and files. Ze other is much more exciting. It is ze Department of Revenue, where I get paid.”

The last building was not far away from the glorified marketplace. Celestia noticed a secretary pony chewing gum and filing a hoof from behind the comfort of her desk. The secretary set down her hoof file before bowing to the princess.

Celestia quickly picked up the bowing secretary with her alicorn magic so that they could be eye to eye. “Lead me to the Department of Immigration, and to the Department of Revenue,” she ordered. After all of the horrors she had seen today, she was ready to have the case closed.

Doing as she was instructed, the secretary lead the princess to a large storeroom with drawers and boxes full of paperwork. “Dis here’s da Department a Immigration,” she said sarcastically as she blew a bubble with her chewing gum. “It’s a glorified filing system your majesty. You wanna dig around in it, be my guest. Just make sure you put everythin' back where it came from. I don’t wanna get chewed out for your mess, you got it your majesty?”

Princess Celestia turned to some members of her government who had made the trip. “I need some of you to begin going through these files,” she ordered. “Look for anything useful to use in this case. We will also need to build a case against the griffon king for these misdeeds. Is this clear?” Several officials saluted before going into the arduous task of scavenging.

The secretary lead the group to another room filled with safety deposit boxes and a large wall safe. “Dis here’s your Department a Revenue, or as da locals call it, da Department a Payday,” she joked, noticing that nopony seemed to get her sense of humor. “You can root through it all you want, but don’t take anythin’! We got guards posted in here for a reason you know.”

The princess nodded her thanks to the secretary. “I appreciate your assistance,” she said. “I believe that will be all I need from you for now. Where can I find you if I need you again?”

The secretary pointed down the hallway. “Front desk,” she said. “Now I gotta get back ta dis chipped hoof before it drives me crazy.”

With the secretary walking back to her desk to finish her hooficure, Celestia was once again able to turn to Carpet Bag. “Is this where you keep your accounting books?” she asked.

Carpet Bag was shaking at all the evidence piling up against him. “Why of course not, your majesty!” he lied, his politician’s smile failing him.

One of the other politician ponies pulled a book from the shelves with the senator’s writing in it. “I believe this is what you’re looking for, your majesty,” he said as he set the book before them.

Carpet Bag gulped as he watched the princess levitate the book in front of her face. He could not tell what it was that she was thinking due to the book obscuring her face. He heard her make a low whistle before she once again made eye contact. “Embezzlement?” she asked. “On top of all the power, all the wealth, all the societal stature I gave you, you felt you needed more?”

Carpet Bag collapsed on the floor in tears, begging at the princess’s feet. “Forgive me!” he cried. “I did it for our allies in the Griffon Kingdom! I did it to keep trade routes open! I knew the extra money had to come from somewhere, so I embezzled and cooked the books so that nopony would get hurt! The Griffon Kingdom is a powerful nation, and the king is an angry tyrant! The money had to come from somewhere, I swear! I invested much of my own money into this to keep peace between our two nations, but it just wasn’t enough!”

Princess Celestia had seen enough. “Guards, take him away from my sight,” she commanded. “Senator Carpet Bag, you will be put in Foalsom Prison until further notice to await your trial. As of this moment, you will be stripped of your political titles and influences. If you would like to redeem yourself you will help us build a case against the Griffon Kingdom for slave trafficking. Is this understood?”

Smithy and Crab Apple stood back and watched Carpet Bag weeping bitter tears as he was dragged down the hallway by the strong earth pony guards. They winced as he let out a final desperate scream before the door closed behind him, remembering how something like that felt.

Princess Celestia stood by them to watch the pathetic display. “I must thank the two of you,” she said with a sad sigh as the former senator was dragged out of sight. “It is hard to believe that somepony I trusted so much could betray me like this. Tell me, is there anything else that I am being kept in the dark about?”

Smithy looked to Crab Apple, who just shrugged his shoulders. “I surely can’t think up nothin’, yer majesty,” she replied. “If I hear anythin’, I’ll surely come a knockin’ on yer door.”

For the first time that day, Princess Celestia let out a sincere smile. “You have an honest nature to you, Granny Smith,” she said. “Have you ever thought of becoming a politician? I could use honest ponies in my government.”

The very notion shocked Smithy, especially after so much time in prison. “Oh, I don’t know,” she blushed at the offer. “Iffin’ I gotta be honest, I just wanna go home to mah mama, son, and daughter. It’s been a right long time since I’ve seen ‘em, and I want us to be a family again.”

The princess acknowledged her request with a simple bow. “That is very noble of you,” she said. “Mr. Crab Apple, would you like to take her place in politics? You have a very brazen style about you that is sure to capture the voter’s attention.”

Crab Apple was just as equally floored by the offer. “Wow, dat’s a big change,” he said humbly, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to process the offer. “I gotta think somethin’ like dat over before I just jump in on it. Mind if I mull it over for a while?”

The princess’s smile beamed upon the two of them. “You are both free to think the offers over,” she said. “In the mean time, I would like your opinions on what we should do with this slave problem.”

Crab Apple chuckled at the royal request. “Havin’ us make political decisions already?” he joked, much to Celestia’s joy.

Princess Celestia's musical laughter was refreshing after such a serious morning. “I don’t like to waste time,” she said with a wink. “I would assume you are both the experts after all.”

Comments

[Dapper Guy]

It's amazing what's put on display behind closed curtains and no one sees until its a problem.