Apothecary Shop - Gallows Day

Cagliostro observed the activity in the square through the window of his shop as he absently sipped a steaming mug of tea. A gallows had been swiftly assembled and now they were hours away from putting it to use. Already crowds had begun to gather and assume the best seats, seeded liberally with various entrepreneurs selling their wares, predominantly drinks and snacks.

Again, he mused, as so often repeated elsewhere, a sense of fragility rather than strength was shaping colonial policies. The persistence of fears, anxieties, and panics unaddressed by authorities had led to significant impact on the colonial discursive and institutional strategies. Leading the powers that be to a sense of vulnerability which those same authorities have now sought to come to terms with through instilling fear and heavy handed 'order'. No hearts and minds would be gained here; and the small colony being heavily dependent on servants and subordinates who might retaliate against 'unfair' masters or whose access to dwellings could be used by malevolent others to empoison the elite would be ripe for exploitation. Almost as if it was all being orchestrated. He smiled as he sipped his tea again.