BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI – Andy Sparling wanted to get his fiancee, Emma Jean Doritt, just the right wedding present.

So he planted a flag on the verge of a swamp in eastern Texas and claimed it in the name of a new Consortium protectorate he calls Outer Sparlington.

“We’re going to settle there, build a little house, raise kids, and spread good, wholesome Consortium values among the Texas savages,” Sparling said.

The land was bequeathed to Sparling by his late uncle, Patrick Woods Sparling.

Doritt, for her part, seems to appreciate the gesture.

“I’ve never had my own country before,” she said with a smile.

“Aw, sugar,” Sparling replied. “That’s just the start.”