D: "It's your choice but having you along is extra insurance that we can't be intercepted. You know what's going on here, you're aware of how this works. We can't afford the risk that otherworldly powers --- of various sorts --- will interfere in any teleportation attempts.
And another thing: Are you CERTAIN that that Pillar hasn't been corrupted or made into a failsafe by the Secondborn? And is there any reason you wouldn't be able to find it even if it was moved?
Furthermore, we know that powerful forces in the form of the Mittani were working here, even you may have trouble with their sort alone since we would REALLY prefer it if you could avoid, y'know, razing the town to the ground with the powers you have access to."
A: no change, if anyone gets close enough to the fake to spot a difference in hair color (surely we wear helmets or at least hats here in the military, every military has worn one or the other for millennia) or eye color, of all things then we've already screwed up, they should NOT be allowed that close to the fake or to the real thing, we're a military in combat operations not a parade. Oh, *and* they'd need to have someone in this hypothetical rescue team who already knows exactly the color of Jacob's hair and eyes.
B: no need to slow down the pace of the game right now...furthermore the sorts of enquiries that would need to be launched to evaluate the financial situation would take many weeks at best, or months if there's a real bureaucracy to go through. In other words....it's not something that needs to be addressed between now and the inevitable rescue attempt.
Jacob's a kid right now, an overly edgy teen to be exact. He can't rot in prison for much time at all, it'd be against the laws of narrative.
“He did booby-trap the Pillar,” says David. “But I know how to get past that. And the sooner I get it up and working, the sooner I can send some more predictions your way. I’ll go with your convoy, but I don’t see what good I’m doing guarding a decoy.”
Celling watches David walk off to the side. A few minutes later, Fansworth and his soldiers step out of the building. Jacob’s squirming slightly in his new uniform, and Fansworth’s men are subtly aiming their guns in his direction. James Emand looks remarkably like the rebel, but the ruse would break down under a close examination. Good thing they don’t plan on allowing a close examination, then.
The men shuffle around as they prepare to start what to all outside eyes will appear to be a fight. The plan begins.
And it goes off without a hitch.
As Celling’s party arrives at the trains, they are intercepted by a stout Antarctican man in a suit whom Celling instantly recognizes as Prenner Goldsmith, Baron of Argentina. He is flanked by several guards on either side. Celling and his men bow before him.
“Wenton Celling,” Baron Goldsmith says, with a hint of cold distaste. “I’d like to ask you why you saw fit to have the fine city of Montevideo evacuated, causing incalculable economic and societal harm, on the fear of a hurricane, which as we can all see has not happened. And I’ll be taking custody of that rebel from now on. I’ll see to it that he’s delivered safely back to Antarctica.”
What do you do?