SOLOMON'S BRIDGE {Part I}

SOLOMON'S BRIDGE *13*

Solomon remembered that night very well. Drunk on premium palm wine and high on mischief, he'd lied. Hogan was never going to have any sons. He'd toyed with him, and the foolish man waited five years for Idara Attah to return from schooling in Egypt and Ethiopia! "So...you killed Unwannah; but must you keep trying to rape the poor girl?"

Hogan straightened his torso, shrugging his massive shoulders, "Her father, Chief Eyam, will not give her to me upon pain of death. He is my rival for the crown of the tripod."

Ahh, the Tripod. It was not in either of their destinies to become the Tripod King of Canaan. The next Obong on the throne is still Meticulous Okonifiok Trombone; after his family's eighty four year reign, a second son, born to Chief Attah and Unyime the beautiful, will have a seed ascend the throne. Of course, nobody knew it yet, and his Master's purpose was better served with them believing they would soon be king,

"And here we are. Schizo cannot help you because of the arrival of this Christian... this fearless British Lord..."

That was another sore spot. Hogan's knuckles clenched into fists at his side, "He is a cockroach I aim to crush underfoot!"

Solomon scoffs at him, "He is more than that...and with full support from the Owner. I hear them in the heavens say that he will easily replace you as Master Builder."

Hogan's voice becomes as smooth as silk, "Schizo will not go against the Owner. But you can, or can't you?" Solomon stands languidly to his feet, not moved by this challenge,

"Don't be obtuse," he hisses, "No-one can go against the Owner," He turns to face the spinning circle of fire, his fingers flexing, "What you need to do is turn the Owner against her... the girl. She is after all, The Custodian."

A foggy mist appears in the spinning circle of fire. Hogan mutters, "I don't follow..."

"My dear Hogan! There is only one power that can defeat the purity of a virgin!" A quick glance proves the bear of a man is still clueless, "Oh come on! What on earth is Schizo teaching you? It is Deceit. The answer, is deceit."

A light bulb comes on in Hogan's brain and his eyes brighten, "I have tried to woo her with words of love. In any case, one days rain... cannot get deep into the soil. Perhaps I should persevere--"

Solomon covers his face with his hands, "That will not work, not even with a hundred days downpour," He raises his head, his fingers drawing imaginary circles within the spinning circle of fire, "How do I say this, Hogan, without bruising your overweight ego?"

The circle's foggy mist clears to reveal the most beautiful garden Hogan has ever seen; it is bursting with life, with a gushing, roaring waterfall, tall, varied fruit trees and fragrant flowers blooming all over sunny blue mountain peninsula.

Solomon sighs, "You are not exactly a romantic figure! Besides, I meant you should deceive the ruling council, not the girl. Accuse her of being a witch possessed by a mermaid demon; accuse her of killing Unwannah, accuse her of eating every missing child in the seven kingdoms. I will make sure that... she looks guilty, and I'll put some enmity between her and the Owner, so that she will have no help from Him, no mercy, nobody to save her from the law, except you of course! I will make you look heroic, in fact, very charming, very eh, compassionate, with shall we say, a more than generous offer of indenture? Lifelong slavery?"

"Canaan children are alive and well. Was Unwannah not their assigned watch guard?"

"Seek audience with the king to convince him why he has to assign me, to be the next watch guard, do this within four days, during which time I will do something about it."

Hogan considers the plan, shaking his big head, "The king's council will never ever believe me!" The Aydee is a protege. Had he not declared his interest, she could still compete for the position of high priestess! She is...! The village sweetheart, in the people's eyes, she can do no wrong! They simply would not believe him.