“Councillor Ladron, don’t you think that allowing him to spend time with Astra might be… well… unwise?” asked Councillor Chevok tentatively.
Corbani Va Dic Ladron raised his eyes slowly from the compu-pad he was studying.
“Unwise, how so?” his voice was pleasant but there was a coldness in his eyes that Councillor Chevok knew boded ill. He swallowed nervously and looked around the other Councillors for support. Eventually Councillor Zorrenson stepped forward impatiently and rapped on his desk.
“She might try to influence him, Corbani, surely you must have thought of that? This is not a game, we have far too much to lose.”
“It is my earnest hope that she will influence him, Beris,” smiled Councillor Ladron.
“Yes, yes; I know what it is that you’re planning but what about what she might be planning?”
“I doubt Astra would consider such an ill advised move and pit her wits against mine.”
Beris Va Dic Zorrenson snorted, enraged by his attitude.
“A dog will turn on its master if it is given the opportunity,” she responded repressively.
“A dog?” Councillor Ladron leaned back in his chair, placing the tips of his fingers together as he considered her words. They seemed to amuse him. “Yes, I do believe you’re right Beris, a dog,” his eyes narrowed coldly, “but a very well trained dog.”
“You think that will save you from a mauling?”
Councillor Ladron laughed but the sound was not merry, it conveyed clearly the warning that she was on dangerous ground and that his good humour would not last forever.
“I have taken the precaution of removing the teeth and claws of this particular bitch,” he returned.
“How?” responded Councillor Zorrenson stubbornly.
“Astra knows that should she displease me I would not lift a finger against her,” his smile faded, “but I will see that her adopted family die in agony.”
There was silence. Even Beris Va Dic Zorrenson could think of nothing to say, which was just as well for her, mused Corbani, as he would have stood no more insolence from her today.
He turned angling his head so that he could look up into the face of the girl standing quietly beside him.
“Is that not so, Astra?”
“Yes, Reverend Councillor.”
Astra bowed, careful to keep her face expressionless. Councillor Ladron fed on fear, to him seeing the pain he had inflicted was like a drug and that the more fear shown, the crueller he became. Councillor Ladron turned back to Beris Va Dic Zorrenson.
“So you see, there is no reason to be concerned.”
Councillor Zorrenson said nothing. Corbani could see that her eyes had dialated in shock, an expression mirrored on all of the Councillors faces. It was not a surprise that he would do such a thing to Astra: they cared nothing for that, but that he could do such a thing and do it with impunity.
Good… they should fear him. The reminder that he was not to be crossed was perhaps timely. Councillor Ladron was quite certain that the Free Nation could be manipulated into aiding the Tula cause, so long as they received a large helping of Tula technology. However no one made an alliance with a political party that was not stable. It had occurred to him that while the terms of this alliance were as yet unresolved, one of the more brave Councillors such as Councillor Zorrenson or Councillor Sendel might try to make their own terms with the Free Nation and seize power within the Council. The reminder of just what he was capable of would give them pause for thought. If it didn’t, he would kill them.
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The Una
He sat alone, very still, watching the water intently but without actually seeming to see. It was a beautiful spot; the stream that ran through the trees formed a pool here, quite deep in places and incredibly still and clear. Large moss covered boulders hemmed in the water and it was on one of these that the young lad sat. Kai watched him for a few minutes, leaning against a tree and studying the determined slant of his youthful shoulders.
“I know you’re there Kai, the sun keeps reflecting off the gold in your tunic… even if I wanted to ignore you I couldn’t.”
His voice held no irritation or anger but was pitched low as in conversation.
“Had I wanted you to be unaware of my presence you would have been, Rem.” returned Kai, extracting the grass stalk from his mouth and casting it aside before sitting down next to the boy. For a second there was silence and then Kai spoke.
“You were shocked.”
“I was surprised,” corrected Rem.
Kai raised an eyebrow.
“That’s the same thing.”
Rem shook his head.
“No, it isn’t. The first time I saw her I was shocked.” Rem looked across the pool of water so that he wouldn’t have to meet Kai’s scrutiny. “I remember exactly how it felt and it wasn’t like that today. Today I was just surprised.”
Kai heard the bleakness in his voice and understood, Rem didn’t need to explain to him after all.
“It’s not your shame, Rem.”
“No?” Rem turned meeting his eyes frankly. “Then whose shame is it?”
Kai shifted, slowly breaking a twig into little pieces.
“That matters not, only know that it is not yours… Elderman Di Ye bid me tell you so.”
“He thinks it is not my shame?” Rem tilted his head to one side, “And what do you say?”
Kai felt the comforting words rise up in his throat but knew he could not speak them; he couldn’t lie to Rem, to anyone else but never to Rem.
“That’s right; we both know the truth,” finished Rem. “She will always be a shame to us… so why is it that I don’t hate her?”
Kai glanced down at Rem and then looked out over the calm water.
He would never understand Rem’s lack of hate either.
“Perhaps you cannot hate her, maybe it goes against nature for you to do so.”
Rem said nothing in response and for a while they were silent. He gazed down in to the clear waters, a slight smile playing about his mouth as he watched the fish swim by.
“How easy things are in their world: so calm, so peaceful… why can it not be that way for us also, Kai?”
A large splash disturbed the water and Kai thrust in his hand beneath the cool surface to retrieve his knife, holding it up for Rem's inspection.
Impaled on the blade was one of the fish that Rem had been watching just a few moments before.
Rem’s slightly shocked eyes met Kai’s steady brown ones.
“Know this, Rem, that whether it be in their world or ours no one is ever truly safe, never entirely free from danger. It is best that you learn this now or you will die learning it in the future, understand?”
Rem nodded and Kai’s face relaxed in to a smile.
“Then shall we return? I didn’t even stop for something to eat before I came out to find my wayward little brother.”
Rem nodded solemnly again and Kai reached out, pushing his head gently.
“She isn’t worth it you know, don’t let her bother you like this.”
“As you remain unbothered I suppose?”
The words were there on the tip of his tongue, to deny that she had any effect on the state of his mind but he couldn’t speak the lie to Rem. Even if he could, Rem would know it was untrue.
And so Kai remained silent and his temper began to boil.
He had been silenced by her again, always silenced and always shamed.
He had once thought her return would end that shame and had longed for it. Now he knew the truth, that her return would only make matters worse. Who would have believed that the little girl he had once delighted in carrying around on his shoulders, would one day serve as his life’s greatest disgrace? Now he hated her more than any Tula soldier, he hated what she had done to him and to Rem.
And forgiveness was not an asset he possessed.