In Shanty Row, after years of meetings and planning sessions, Omar had organized the first group of those brave enough to demonstrate against the monarchy, and each day they marched at the entry to the mines and through the town, carrying signs and chanting. And each night, they carried torches, singing. They protested their low wages in the mines and fields; they protested the monarchy’s denial of access to the folium vitae; they protested the restriction on their personal movement; they protested the monarchy’s denial of their receiving a basic education; they protested the violence perpetrated on them by the monarchy’s guards; and, they protested the imprisonment of their innocent comrades in the dungeon.
***
The chief minister entered the king’s office uneasily.
“Go ahead,” the king said, continuing to write.
“Sire, what we’ve feared is coming to pass…”
“Continue.”
“It’s true…hostilities are increasing.”
The king finally looked up, sighed and put his pen down. He opened a drawer and pulled out a cigar, lit it, and poured himself some whisky. “What exactly are you saying?”
“I’m saying that we may very well be facing an uprising, Your Majesty.”
The king put the goblet to his lips and guzzled. “Are your informants certain?”
“Yes, Sire.”
“Alright,” he inhaled deeply. “Tell me what we know at this point.”
“There’s a workers’ strike for more wages, better living conditions…”
“Strike, eh?” he mumbled, biting his bottom lip. “Do we know who the instigators are?”
“One young man in particular has been mentioned, but no-one seems to have a name…”
The king tapped his fingers on his desk and pondered silently.
“Your Majesty?”
“Yes?”
“It…” the minister hesitated. “It gets worse…”
“Speak, man!” ordered the king, putting out his cigar.
“Well, there seem to be some among us who’ve become sympathetic to their plight…reports are that they’re being secretly educated.”
“What?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“By whom?”
“That’s just it, Sire, we don’t know.”
“Goddamn traitors!” The king rose, banging his fists on his desk. “Damn the whole lot of them! If they think they’re going to take away all that my ancestors have worked for, they’ll be very sorry they tried!”
“Very true.”
“They had no idea what this country was capable of!” he raged, gritting his teeth and pointing forcefully outside his window. “We built it! We reaped the minerals from the earth and turned it into a thriving economy…and now they think they can just take it back? I don’t have to tell you that that will never happen, do I?”
“Not at all, Sire.”
“What’re their latest numbers?”
“Still growing.”
With one sudden movement, he swept everything from the surface of his desk, toppling brandy and sending papers and ashes flying through the air. “Alright, get the commander in here at once…it’s time for a more aggressive plan!”
“What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?”
“A new order, my man, a new order. The time has come to show the might behind this throne. And they’re not the only ones who’ll be sorry…any traitor secretly aiding them will be rooted out and eliminated!”
***
“So it is war?”
“Of course, it’s war…they declared war on us three hundred years ago and we’ve been eating their garbage ever since, but the time has come. It’s upon us.”
“Then, let’s go now, Omar, let’s launch a full-on attack. I’m ready and your followers are. What are we waiting for?”
“Stop…we must be patient and smart. We’ll do what we have to in the beginning…then we’ll strike. Then we’ll launch a full-fledged attack. We have the manpower, we just need the arsenal,” he said punching his fist over into his palm over again. “And when that day comes, I’ll avenge my sister, my father, and every poor, innocent soul brutally put to death by these marauders. This monarchy is inhuman, downright evil…it’s a blight to mankind…a blight that needs to be eradicated!
***
“Omar, I’ve already told you…I’ve seen and experienced more horrible things than you could ever even imagine!”
“Then why won’t you help us, Jade?”
“I want to help you, Omar…I just can’t hurt her. I was inches away from death and she saved my life! We’ve become friends. Don’t you understand? I would’ve been dead if it wasn’t for her!”
“Yes! But she only saved you because she wanted her own little songbird, not because she cared…why would you defend someone like that?”
“Because I know more than you do…because, I know her.”
“Oh, sis…”
“I agree that things have to change…this just isn’t the way to do it!”
“But, I told you, there’s no other way.”
“Would you let me try…please? I had a long talk with Miss Ramla and I realized that I can be…maybe…a mediator between you and Liana. I’ll convince her to write an order releasing the prisoners immediately! She’s queen now… she’ll be able to make that decision.”
“What makes you think you have that kind of influence over someone like that?”
“I just told you…I know her.”
“Maybe you think you do, but these people, they’re all the same…they’ll do anything to keep what they have, they’re not willing…”
“I know you don’t believe me, but please…”
“It’s grown much bigger than me now, Jade.”
“But, you can change the way things are going!”
He rolled up his sleeves and shook his head. “No, I can’t. It’s long overdue, this is the time…this is our time.”
“Are you really ready to start a war?”
“Yes.”
“But, how? The castle is surrounded by guards, experienced soldiers…with firearms! They’ll kill you before you get very far.”
“We have spears and swords…even a few firearms of our own.”
“Where did you get them?”
“Smuggled down here from those on our side. Jade, you don’t understand the magnitude of this…many are willing to fight and die for this cause.”
“Many? Are you saying that you have an army?
“Yes.”
“You have an army? Of how many?”
“Several thousand.”
“What?”
“We’ve been planning this for years now and our numbers have grown. We’ll outnumber the guards tenfold…and it’s gone beyond Shanty Row. Some of the very people living on that mountain…you wouldn’t know it, but some of them are actually on our side.”
“You have that many men, ready to go to war?”
“They’re assembling as we speak…just waiting for my command to attack.”
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***
The chief minister entered the king’s office uneasily.
“Go ahead,” the king said, continuing to write.
“Sire, what we’ve feared is coming to pass…”
“Continue.”
“It’s true…hostilities are increasing.”
The king finally looked up, sighed and put his pen down. He opened a drawer and pulled out a cigar, lit it, and poured himself some whisky. “What exactly are you saying?”
“I’m saying that we may very well be facing an uprising, Your Majesty.”
The king put the goblet to his lips and guzzled. “Are your informants certain?”
“Yes, Sire.”
“Alright,” he inhaled deeply. “Tell me what we know at this point.”
“There’s a workers’ strike for more wages, better living conditions…”
“Strike, eh?” he mumbled, biting his bottom lip. “Do we know who the instigators are?”
“One young man in particular has been mentioned, but no-one seems to have a name…”
The king tapped his fingers on his desk and pondered silently.
“Your Majesty?”
“Yes?”
“It…” the minister hesitated. “It gets worse…”
“Speak, man!” ordered the king, putting out his cigar.
“Well, there seem to be some among us who’ve become sympathetic to their plight…reports are that they’re being secretly educated.”
“What?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“By whom?”
“That’s just it, Sire, we don’t know.”
“Goddamn traitors!” The king rose, banging his fists on his desk. “Damn the whole lot of them! If they think they’re going to take away all that my ancestors have worked for, they’ll be very sorry they tried!”
“Very true.”
“They had no idea what this country was capable of!” he raged, gritting his teeth and pointing forcefully outside his window. “We built it! We reaped the minerals from the earth and turned it into a thriving economy…and now they think they can just take it back? I don’t have to tell you that that will never happen, do I?”
“Not at all, Sire.”
“What’re their latest numbers?”
“Still growing.”
With one sudden movement, he swept everything from the surface of his desk, toppling brandy and sending papers and ashes flying through the air. “Alright, get the commander in here at once…it’s time for a more aggressive plan!”
“What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?”
“A new order, my man, a new order. The time has come to show the might behind this throne. And they’re not the only ones who’ll be sorry…any traitor secretly aiding them will be rooted out and eliminated!”
***
“So it is war?”
“Of course, it’s war…they declared war on us three hundred years ago and we’ve been eating their garbage ever since, but the time has come. It’s upon us.”
“Then, let’s go now, Omar, let’s launch a full-on attack. I’m ready and your followers are. What are we waiting for?”
“Stop…we must be patient and smart. We’ll do what we have to in the beginning…then we’ll strike. Then we’ll launch a full-fledged attack. We have the manpower, we just need the arsenal,” he said punching his fist over into his palm over again. “And when that day comes, I’ll avenge my sister, my father, and every poor, innocent soul brutally put to death by these marauders. This monarchy is inhuman, downright evil…it’s a blight to mankind…a blight that needs to be eradicated!
***
“Omar, I’ve already told you…I’ve seen and experienced more horrible things than you could ever even imagine!”
“Then why won’t you help us, Jade?”
“I want to help you, Omar…I just can’t hurt her. I was inches away from death and she saved my life! We’ve become friends. Don’t you understand? I would’ve been dead if it wasn’t for her!”
“Yes! But she only saved you because she wanted her own little songbird, not because she cared…why would you defend someone like that?”
“Because I know more than you do…because, I know her.”
“Oh, sis…”
“I agree that things have to change…this just isn’t the way to do it!”
“But, I told you, there’s no other way.”
“Would you let me try…please? I had a long talk with Miss Ramla and I realized that I can be…maybe…a mediator between you and Liana. I’ll convince her to write an order releasing the prisoners immediately! She’s queen now… she’ll be able to make that decision.”
“What makes you think you have that kind of influence over someone like that?”
“I just told you…I know her.”
“Maybe you think you do, but these people, they’re all the same…they’ll do anything to keep what they have, they’re not willing…”
“I know you don’t believe me, but please…”
“It’s grown much bigger than me now, Jade.”
“But, you can change the way things are going!”
He rolled up his sleeves and shook his head. “No, I can’t. It’s long overdue, this is the time…this is our time.”
“Are you really ready to start a war?”
“Yes.”
“But, how? The castle is surrounded by guards, experienced soldiers…with firearms! They’ll kill you before you get very far.”
“We have spears and swords…even a few firearms of our own.”
“Where did you get them?”
“Smuggled down here from those on our side. Jade, you don’t understand the magnitude of this…many are willing to fight and die for this cause.”
“Many? Are you saying that you have an army?
“Yes.”
“You have an army? Of how many?”
“Several thousand.”
“What?”
“We’ve been planning this for years now and our numbers have grown. We’ll outnumber the guards tenfold…and it’s gone beyond Shanty Row. Some of the very people living on that mountain…you wouldn’t know it, but some of them are actually on our side.”
“You have that many men, ready to go to war?”
“They’re assembling as we speak…just waiting for my command to attack.”
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