Part V: Resistance

He's not who we thought he was…"

Shefqet Verlaci took a slow drag from his cigarette and attempted not to scowl.

"No…no he's not…"

Few things seemed to be stable in Albania these days, but you could almost set your watch by Aloisi (1) saying something fucking obvious. Keeping a neutral expression around the Italian was proving to be more difficult today than he'd initially anticipated. If he didn't find himself needing the Italians so goddamn much, he wouldn't even be having these regular conversations. But he wasn't about let some upjumped goat fucker from Mati strip his family of the position they had worked so hard to maintain…

Shefqet took a deep breath and tried to settle his mind lest errant words slip out and ruin what was becoming a more tenuous situation by the day. The Baron and him had initially started meeting shortly after realizing that Zog's sudden decision to honour his engagement to Behije with the tacit approval of the Duce had been in fact a colossal bluff by the new king. At the time, Zog's audacious move seemed to be a manageable setback which, if managed properly, could even see the Verlaci family climb higher than ever before. Though Shefqet doubted Aloissi felt the same way about his family's prospects, the possibility of avenging his blunder at the coronation while gaining theoretically even more Italian control over Albania kept him personally invested in the Verlaci's.

Once again, the silence proved overwhelming and Baron Pompeo Aloisi opened his damned mouth. "Well he can't possibly keep spending this much. He's going to bankrupt himself and give us an opening."

What I wouldn't give for a needle and thread right now…

Up until a few months ago, Shefqet's reaction probably would have been a good deal milder as Aloisi's comments had become something of a refrain during their past meetings. Initially, their repetition of the phrase was a good deal more enthusiastic and filled with anticipation due to the sizeable loans Zog had taken out following his coronation. That enthusiasm had understandably dimmed when Zog's investment strategies paid off, particularly in East Texas, and had completely disappeared when the goods from his factories began to fly off shelves around the world. Despite having a career filled with no small numbers of failures up until 1928, the past year and a half had seen the new "King" of Albania score coup after coup.

Shefqet sighed before replying "Bankrupt himself… With all due respect Baron, I doubt it. My sources tell me that the money from East Texas alone should keep him afloat even with the continuing steep decline of oil prices. He might have to cut back on some of his spending, but I doubt he'll ever be as vulnerable as we once thought."

"And how do you think his workers and informants will respond then?"

Shefqet waved his hand, both to cut through the cloud of cigarette smoke and to signal his disapproval "As expensive as they are, I don't think you understand Baron that the workers are a distraction. All of those vaunted FMSh factories are built on sand, so to speak. When Zog cuts back his spending the factories and all the things they support will disappear, but his growing network of supporters elsewhere will remain. That's where the real base of his power is and that's what we should be focusing on."

This time it was Aloisi's time to sigh. "What you're proposing is not exactly cheap…"

There the Baron had a point. While a good deal of Zog's spending was pure nonsense: the factories, the rural roads, and the schools, he'd also taken care to shore up power where it counted. By all accounts his network of allies and informers in the aristocracy had grown exponentially since his coronation and his decision to use his own resources to pay the civil service and gendarmerie had only further facilitated that end. Whereas information and allegiance used to be cheaply bought by either the Italians or men like Verlaci, allegiances seemed to be constantly shifting and the information they were getting was proving to be increasingly costly and unreliable.

"…Soon that's not going to matter. The world economy is recovering and Zog's going to find out pretty quickly that he's not the only one who can make money appear from the markets."

Truth be told, Verlaci still wasn't entirely comfortable with his current course of action, but what choice did he have? The sum total of his family's influence and power in Albania stemmed from their wealth and while the recent downturn had hurt, he still remained in a comfortable situation. The only thing that had changed was the Zogs now becoming one of the richest families in the world and the richest in Albania by a sizeable margin. If the Verlacis were ever going to regain the influence they once had, they were going to need to acquire enough wealth to compete if not surpass their new rival. Verlaci knew Zog must have secured someone's advice for his investments so he had done the same. While the Italians were certainly expensive, they assured him that because he was buying in at a lower point, his eventual gains would be even higher. Such was the price of political power in Albania these days.

Shefqet narrowed his eyes as he fixed them on Aloisi "Still, that doesn't mean we need to wait until then. There is no way that Zog could compete with even a fraction of Italian wealth. Surely…"

"We've been over this my friend. I do not have an unlimited budget…"

"'Unlimited' is not required, only more. Surely your superiors must see that Zog is now trying to do to Italy what he did to Yugoslavia. That's all this SVEA payment is. There is no way that Italy can retain its current level of influence with Zog as King."

"Look, my friend, as I've said before these things take time…"

Shefqet took a deep breath and reminded himself to keep his voice controlled as he tried to cut through Aloisi's continued stalling. "No, you look. You may think that if things remain as they are you can get transferred to some other country and come out looking relatively fine. Afterall you managed to get Zog to repay the blasted SVEA with goddamn American dollars! You're the one who secured the "golden goose!" But let's be honest Baron, you have a personal stake in this. Everyone in the Farnesina knows you let an uneducated mountaineer get the better of you. Do you really think they're ever going to forget you pissing away decades of investment? You have a personal stake in all of this, so start acting like it!"

To his credit, Aloisi remained unflustered by the impromptu rant "My friend," he replied calmly "let me assure you that I am just as eager to get rid of the King as you are. While we're being honest, let's also admit that neither of us is in a particularly dire situation. You are after all father in-law to the king, who I would like to point out, has done his best to end the bloodfeud between your families. I have been assured that additional funds from Rome are forthcoming. In the meantime, I have it on good authority that Italy will be withdrawing most of their teachers from Albania in order to secure more concessions. Zog may very well try to fill the gap there as well which will only make our job easier in the end." (2)

He still doesn't understand…

Fortunately, a messenger appeared in the doorway. Even if the boy hadn't signaled that it was urgent Shefqet probably would have taken it just to escape this meeting. After today he was seriously wondering if seeing Aloisi regularly was worthwhile until the money he was supposedly asking for came in.

All of that frustration melted away as he read the note. Ever so slowly a grin began to crease his face.

"Good news I presume?"

The grin became a predatory smile "Excellent."

Behije herself had written him. Apparently, all the women in the "royal" household thought she was pregnant. She hadn't bled in months and was by all accounts quite nauseous. With an heir on the way, their timetable finally became clear. Up until this point they'd shied away from assassination despite rumors regarding the fool in Gjirocastra. Personally, Verlaci wouldn't have balked at the assassin's bullet striking a bit closer to home, but such a move would mean losing Zog's economic empire. Now with a child finally on the way, Verlaci's hope that he could keep it seemed to be a possibility. Verlaci might not become king, or president, but he had to admit that "regent" had a good ring to it.

Behije Verlaci.jpg

Behije Verlaci. This is the only photo I could find of her.​

Zog likely knew that Verlaci was eventually going to pursue this, so he'd be ready, but Verlaci's men only had to succeed once…

June 13, 1930. Mati, Albania

I can't believe we're doing this…

Yet perhaps more fantastical in Abdulrahman (3) Mati's mind was the fact that even at her age, Sadije Zogu seemingly had no problems navigating the goat trail up the mountain. Had he known that all of the pent up worry and frustration would mean that he wouldn't have to carry her up to see the crone, he would have spent far less energy stalling over the past six months. If all this trip amounted to was a simple summer hike up the mountain, he could live with that.

A small price to pay…

It had taken him well over a year to adjust to living back in Mati, but he'd slowly come around to the various benefits. Though there were still days where he missed everything that came with living in the capital and the thrill of doing business there, his new salary went a long way towards salving that wound. His current pay would have gone a long way in Tirana, and it went even further here in his home valley. Abdulrahman also found the slower pace of life a welcome change from the anxiety of the capital. Whereas he had felt increasingly isolated and paranoid there, with increasingly powerful foreigners arriving every day, here in Mati there was no one conversing in any tongue other than the one he grew up in.

Besides, it wasn't like Zog had totally cut him off from additional supplementary income. The reconstruction of the Zogolli's ancestral castle of Burgajet was proving to be quite lucrative in that regard. A little padding of the official reports regarding the labourers' wages here, a few tweaks to the building material costs there, and some "unforeseen delays" all added up to a hefty profit. Had he been the only one in the valley benefiting from Zog's benign neglect, Abdulrahman might have been more worried, but the entire valley was in on the grift and seemingly had no problem with it.

Well, not quite the entire valley. Abdulrahman wasn't such a fool to think that Sadije had no idea about the corruption in Mati, but unlike seemingly everyone else she chafed at being so far from her son in the capital. Having Nefije and Tati with her did help, at least initially as she turned her attention to raising the boy in the same way she had raised Zogu. But as weeks went by without so much as a visit from her son her worry began to mount. Her exuberance over helping Zog negotiate what the population now called "The Royal Marriages" vanished overnight as the once close mother-son relationship vanished into thin air. She confessed that she knew that the marriage would change things and had accepted her "assignment" in Mati with that in mind, but she never expected this level of isolation.

Had Zog stuck to his policy of isolation things might have been better than his eventual strategy of sending monthly letters to his mother. The isolation may have laid the foundation, but it was the letters that ignited Sadije's paranoia and set her on the path that eventually led her up this mountain. While it was true that Zogu had only written a handful of letters prior to his coronation, what Abdulrahman saw as an adaptation to his new circumstances, Sadije saw as something more sinister. "His voice is wrong!" she insisted over and over again. How she would know given the lack of other letters confounded him but perhaps it was her maternal instinct going into overdrive. Her paranoia only got worse after the failed assassination in Gjirocastra earlier this year. Apparently, her son "would never endanger himself like that…" Apparently, he was a different man than the one Abdulrahman had fought beside for nearly a decade and got two horses shot out from under him fighting the Serbs…

Like every good Albanian matriarch, Sadije saw her current predicament as a result of the Syri I keq (4) and blamed herself. That being said, Abdulrahman could deal with Sadije constantly bemoaning her failure to take adequate precautions and guarding over young Tati all the more carefully. Her newfound conviction that she could take some kind of action to "bring her son back" was far more concerning to him, if not something of a relief to Tati and his mother. Normally, most Albanian matriarchs would have been content to bemoan their new situation, but Sadije Zogu nee Toptani wasn't about to surrender her son to the mercies of the Evil Eye without a fight. Rumors of a crone living in the mountains were enough to spur her into action and only the poor prospects of returning due to the winter weather had kept her from storming up in January.

If there even is such a woman…

Rumors from shepherds were hardly grounds to trek up into the mountains for a woman of Sadije's age, yet here they were struggling up a goat path as a testament to her desperation and determination. Albania's mountains had long been host to rumors of the sort along with a host of other myths. Simple shepherds scratching out a living from these rocks kept them going and every boy they ran across added fuel to Sadije's fire. Unfortunately for her, the crone seemed always out of reach. Perhaps, Abdulraman hoped they would begin their descent soon. Then just as she began to slow the faintest hint of smoke from beyond the ridge spurred her on.

Sure, enough a small fire outside of a cave greeted them upon cresting the ridge and further examination succeeded in drawing out a frail woman armed with a flintlock rifle. Abdul's hands clutched nervously at the holster at his hip. He'd expected to run into a bear if anything, but this was crazy. Fortunately for him, the crone seemed fixated on Sadije meaning that if she did fire, Abdul would be able to finish her off before she could reload. Only to have everyone string me up for killing the Royal Mother!

No such explosion of gunfire occurred, however, as Sadije's impassioned pleas and offering of food proved to be enough to convince the crone to lower her rifle and cautiously beckon them forward towards her small fire. As they shared the food he and Sadije had brought with them, the crone listened intently to Sadije's interpretation of what was really happening to her son.

"This sounds like a problem for a priest…" the crone whispered between bites.

Sadije spat "You and I know they are useless. This is not a Christian problem, it is far older. Only the old ways will work."

The crone glowered at Sadije as she finished chewing. Taking a drink of water, she rinsed out her mouth before replying. "You are right to appeal to the old ways. These 'exorcisms' they do…they're useless. Unfortunately, I fear you will not have the strength to follow the old ways…few do…"

"I will do what I must to save my son."

The crone nodded curtly. "You still don't understand. Your son cannot be saved. Once the evil eye has opened the door and the devil has come in that door cannot be closed. The only thing you can do at this point is to kill your son and let him rest…" (5)

Sadije's subsequent shriek seemed to echo in the mountains for hours, even after they had bid farewell to the crone and began their descent back to Mati. For most of the journey, Sadije said nothing instead allowing her body language to communicate the state of utter defeat she was experiencing. However, as they found their donkeys and began to make their way more quickly back to the town, she seemed to regain her composure. Whether this was a front to display confidence or a reflection of how she actually felt, Abdul did not know.

What he did know is that the words that came out as they both surveyed Castle Burgajet terrified him.

"We must do what we have to Mati. They will see that in time… he will forgive me… he must."

June 30, 1930. Kavaja, Albania.

Spiro Moisiu ​

"Captain Moisiu, these results are frankly quite impressive. Your promotion is well deserved and serves as even more justification of the amnesty. Hopefully all of us, even Noli himself, can move on from that unfortunate business." (6)

The King's complement and subsequent comment flew right over Spiro Moisiu's head as he sat across from him in his office. He'd expected accolades from his officer school scores, but a royal visit to his family's estate in the middle of the night? The shock still hadn't worn off.

Nor had the shock of seeing the "new King" up close and personal. Spiro had never been this close to the man before, but it was hard to not notice all the subtle ways Zog had changed since the last time he caught a glimpse of him at the coronation. Of course, the newspapers were all focused on his shift away from dressing alla Franka (7) and avoiding Friday prayers to dressing more traditionally and not missing a service, however what Spiro couldn't stop noticing was the weight gain. The slim, almost feline physique he remembered Zog having was barely visible behind better posture and probably 5 kilos of additional muscle.

The crown suits him.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here. Scores like yours are remarkable but are not usually cause for a private meeting with the King." The king said rather abruptly. "Never mind me showing up at your family's estate and having Mr. Juka drag you out of bed in the middle of the night."

"After the business in Gjirocastra, one would think you'd be a bit more hesitant to try travelling incognito again." Moisiu shot back before he could stop himself. "…your majesty." He added belatedly, hoping that Zog's capriciousness had similarly fallen to the wayside.

Zog cracked a grin "Are you going to shoot me too Captain Moisiu?" His hand drifted to the Mauser holster on his belt "It didn't end well for the last man." Then just as abruptly he raised his hands. "No need to fear, and no need for the pleasantries. We're both patriots here. Frankly, I need to leave soon if I want to make it back to the palace in time to avoid any unnecessary press."

"Sir?"

"Look, as far as everyone else is concerned I'm not here. Musa Juka arrived to give you a royal commendation for your recent graduation and that is all. Unofficially, I have a far more important task for you."

"Unofficially?"

"Look captain, we both know that the Italians have far too many eyes and ears in this country of ours. The entire army is basically under Pariani's (8) thumb and is going to be of little value if Mussolini ever decides that he wants to speed up Italian domination here. What I'm here to ask you is that we put aside our past and work together, as patriots, to save our country."

"Sir Italy is our ally and benefactor…"

"Cut the bullshit Captain. This isn't some kind of loyalty test. We both know that the Italians are trying to leverage our desperation and convince us that our only hope is for them to devour our country piece by piece. What I'm asking you to do is help me stop them when the time comes."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that? I'm just a captain…surely this is a problem for the generals…"

Zog snorted "You and I both know that all of my generals are so full of shit I should divide them up and give them to the peasants for next year's planting… Are you familiar with the Young Turks?"

Spiro nodded slowly. Every Albanian his age remembered the Young Turks, the hope brought by their revolution had been one of his generation's most formative memories as had the disappointment which followed… (9)

"I need you to find other likeminded patriots in the army, officers, enlisted, I don't care. I want you to form secret cells."

"Cells?"

"You heard me captain. I may be the king, but I'm under no illusion that the Albanian army is going to be entirely loyal to me. Nor do I think that the Italians are entirely unaware of what I am doing. Nor do I think that even at this very moment they aren't plotting something to try and wrest further control of this country." Taking a deep breath he paused "So yes, I am instructing you to form secret cells within the Albanian army. I need sharpshooters, artillerymen, logistics officers, hell, men from every branch to be ready…"

"Ready…get ready for what?"

"Look Captain, I sincerely hope we can look back at all of this and laugh one day. But we both know deep down that eventually the Italians are going to get impatient with the way things are here. They're going to invade and when they do, I need at least some of the Army to fight with me."

"Your majesty, surely you can't be serious. The Italians have planes, tanks, battleships…"

"I was in command at Vlora. They had far more and we had far less back then or don't you remember?" He said sharply, cutting Spiro off with a glint in his eye "Look, I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you and I both know that the Italians don't have the stomach for a real fight. They might win all the battles, but if we kill enough of them, they might throw in the towel just like they did 10 years ago." Taking a deep breath, he continued "Look the plan isn't to fight right now anyways. I'm going to play the part, pay back that loan and try to see if I can't negotiate a better deal for us. If things start taking a turn for the worse, you'll sure as hell be getting more instructions."

Reaching into his cloak Zog produced a hefty stack of bills and handed it to him. "For your expenses Captain. You'll find that I am more than willing to compensate those who decide to be both discrete and loyal. Mr. Juka or his associates will be in touch on a regular basis. If you need more, I'll do what I can."

"What's to stop me from just taking this?"

"Your love for the fatherland?" Zog chuckled "That, or the constant threat of Musa sticking you like one of his pigs in the night."

With that the King fastened his cloak and left the room, leaving Spiro alone in the dark holding the equivalent of two years pay and even more bewildered than he was when he woke up.

Notes

1. Baron Pompeo Aloisi was the major Italian figure in Albania during the early portion of Zog's reign. In OTL he ended up falling out of favour due to Zog's reluctance to agree to further concessions in 1931. Jack's repayment of the SVEA loan however boosts his figure considerably in TTL meaning that despite other reversals such as the "royal" marriages, his position is stronger than OTL.

2. Withdrawing Italian teachers was Mussolini's go to strategy in OTL as well. Given the continued strategic importance of the Albanian army and the loss of the SVEA repayment leverage in TTL, Mussolini doesn't have many additional levers to use to try and get Zog to follow orders making it unlikely for him to not at least try this strategy in TTL.

3. Given the derogatory nature of the nickname Krosi, I highly doubt he would call himself that in his inner monologue.

4. "Evil Eye" A common figure in the Balkans and Middle Eastern Mythology.

5. Obviously I'm stretching Albanian mythology here a bit, but the general gist of the crone's remarks is true. Once the evil eye afflicts you, you're pretty much up the creek without a paddle.

6. Spiro Moisiu was a supporter of Fan Noli in OTL who took advantage of the amnesty Zog offered and became one of the best young officers in the country. He eventually joined up with the partisans and became one of their best military commanders.

7. Western style clothing.

8. Alberto Pariani, Italian military attache and chief advisor to the Albanian army until 1933. Later served as the last Italian governor general of Albania before Italy's surrender in September 1943.

9. Of course referring to the Young Turk revolution of 1908. It's worth noting that the third highest ranking Young Turk was Niyazi Bey, an Albanian, and that the primary officer school where the Young Turks got started was in Monastir/Bitolj a major Albanian centre. Albanians eagerly supported the initial phase of the revolution, thinking that figures like Niyazi Bey would secure them a better position within the Empire. When their position remained unchanged and the Turks instead took away their freedoms while increasing their taxes, they understandably revolted