Once they reached the estate, Carlos went straight to his office with his aide, Ezequiel. After sitting down for a moment and sighing, he looked at him and asked,
"What do you think we should do now that we know we can't fully trust those so-called liberals?"
Ezequiel hesitated before answering."I'm not sure, sir. We still need them, but it's true that they'll be difficult to control. Everyone has their own ideas and their own interests. Independence won't benefit all criollos equally—some will be hurt by it. So we should tread more carefully with the people we associate with."
Carlos sighed."How is Francisco's school in Antioquia going? They might be the future of independence."
Ezequiel nodded."We're doing well. We hired some mestizos and criollos to teach the children, Mutis sent a few apprentices to help with the classes, and the dormitories are finished, so the orphans can live there. But there's a problem—the mayor of Medellín is getting suspicious."
