Watcher's Web

Watcher's Web Chapter 30 (final)

A humid squall of wind tore at Jessica’s hair. It whipped up branches of the large trees around the square and sent a flurry of pink petals dancing between rows of soldiers. Mud or blood stained once-white uniforms. Many of the men nursed injuries, but they stood, silent as bowling pins, as the six blue-clad figures walked between them, stopping at the end of each row to type on their screens. The observers the Union had sent.

They were counting. Checking if their numbers matched those as approved by the Barresh council.

Seated on the fence, Jessica had counted them in two minutes.

There were twenty-five soldiers to a row, and there were twenty-five rows. Yet, the Union delegates scribbled their notes and conferred with each other

Commander Nemedor Satarin, lips pressed in a thin line, stood at the gate to the airport, flanked by two high-ranking soldiers. Blue eyes staring into nothingness, he clutched a document to his chest, white-knuckled hands clenching and unclenching. His gaze avoided those of the Barresh council, the lines of council guards and the citizens of the city who had come out in their thousands.

Through the foliage of the red-flowered bushes that edged the airport Jessica could see the purple surface of Daya’s aircraft. Two men in grey had taken off a side panel. He had damaged the engine by leaving from Miran without defrosting. All sorts of parts and tools lay spread out on blankets. Jessica wondered if this meant that Daya would leave soon; he was free to go after all. She wondered if he cared for the city and their kinship with the Pengali. Most of all, she wondered if he still cared for her; she missed his voice in her mind.

She couldn’t believe he would give up so easily, but maybe he found her too hard to please. As a handsome and rich man, women would be throwing themselves at his feet. She already saw it each time one of Councillor Semisu’s wives mentioned Daya, a dreamy, swooning look would come over her eyes, and Jessica would feel more lonely.

The place where Iztho’s craft had stood was empty. Although gossip at Councillor Semisu’s house told her that he had recovered enough to fly himself, Jessica had not seen him again. He had not even sent her a note of goodbye. She liked to think that he had been under strict supervision of the Mirani army and had not been allowed to contact her.

On the square, all Union observers had gathered in one spot. After some talk, the group moved towards the assembled councillors, the mediator woman from the council meeting in the lead. Her ponytail blew over her forehead as she bowed.

"I have here the results of our headcount. There are one thousand and twenty-one Mirani military personnel in Barresh. The contract you hold with Miran provides for three hundred and fifty troops. Under Union Law, you have a number of options: you could ratify the new contract and allow the men to stay. You could request that the extra troops leave. It is also your right to renegotiate your contract."

Commander Satarin inclined his head. "Miran has already ratified the contract. In addition, I would like to sit down and complete negotiations for our trade relations. Once Barresh is integrated in the Mirani agricultural cooperatives, benefits can flow into this city. But we will need to maintain our troops to protect the merchant class from the whims of the natives."

"Natives!" Sheida pushed himself through the crowd. No longer dressed in the insulting turquoise garb, he had gained in stature. Navy suited him.

"The natives are the majority of the population. We grow the things you want to sell. You negotiate with us. And we will not be mistreated."

Jisson Semisu added, "The Barresh council can’t tolerate barbaric acts against any of the city’s citizens. We are natives, too."

Commander Satarin eyed both men in a moment of silence. "If I’m hearing you correctly …" He licked his lips. "Losing the support of Miran would be very unwise. What do you think would be the viability of an entity the size of only a city, especially one dependent on us for services and export?"