* * *
The President stood.
A thousand attendees rose from their seats with her and the cheers and ovations reverberated through the Eight Nations. The media’s lights flashed from aisle to aisle and gallery to gallery. She made her way across the stage and ascended the first step to the podium with a deep breath.
Chants rung out from Capital Plaza in titan drum beats:
“NOV –UM – MUN – DI – RE – SUR – GENT!”
She smiled meekly, bowed her head and raised a regal hand to the world, rousing them to a storm that shook the Earth. Her heart drummed in her breast. There was angst in adoration – a galvanising of duty from which she would have gladly been unburdened.
Smile, she thought, smile, through the sustained hurricane of worship.
When the silence finally fell, she cleared her throat:
“Brothers … and sisters.”
Her voice resounded through the Capitol and the cheers exploded with new vigour.
“It brings me great joy and even greater honor to share this day with you all. And a great day it is. A day of providence. For history has never known a nobler cause. And the world could not have hoped for a braver, more faithful people, to rise to it.”
Another eruption of cheers and upwards of a minute’s ovation ensued. Their joy moved her to lamentation and, for a moment, the thunder of ovations faded into memory, When the storm allayed, she continued:
“To see you all gathered here today, in that spirit from which the bonds of our accord were forged, leaves no doubt in my mind that the new world is on the horizon. The end of martial order. The end of perpetual war. Though it may be many long years before we gather here again in the same spirit as this day: what a glorious day it will be! On that day, and for centuries thereafter, the world, and all the generations that are to come, will – know – us, for our time is at hand. Our light will set the whole world aflame… never to fade again.”
Then she lifted her head and pronounced:
“Novum mundi resurgent!”