by Zoha Kazemi
Tirad reads the text over and over again. Some of the words have no meaning for him like ‘genetic mutation’, ‘evolution’, ‘ecosystem’ and ‘species’. Yet he has seen with his own eyes what the Saviour had tried to say. He had heard about the malformed babies of Asin and her persistence to give birth on land. The Ship women believed their babies won’t stay alive unless they give birth on the islands and had fled to the Oxan refugee harbour. He had seen his own baby that looked more like a fish than a human baby, breathing under water and nursing on a dolphin’s breast, going with the dolphins to a new ecosystem in the depths of the sea. Armina had said the Saviour was not a seer or a fortune-teller, but he was a scientist and his parents were scientists too. The Saviour Ship was a large library and the Saviour was a learned man, having read a lot. Perhaps these new words had come out of the pre-rain books and his prophecy was only a scientific prediction of the future based on some pre-knowledge. The same way that Armina had said, he had predicted the location of lands based on his geographical information. Armina is not here anymore for Tirad to tell her about his baby and to know that the Saviour’s prophecy, whether based on facts or fiction has come true. He sighs.
Hurmaz and Armina probably knew the relevance of the Saviour’s prophecy and the deaths of the pregnant women but for some reason they hadn’t given him all the cues. Armina had even denied the existence of such prophecies and Parsana’s pages saying no one knew where they were hidden, even though she had one of them herself and Tirad had the rest! Why did she hide it? Perhaps Hurmaz and Parsana wanted to make sure the suspicious deaths of the pregnant women had no other reason and then reveal the prophecy. But these pages were kept away from the Saviour Ship and Hurmaz had given him the first pages with caution and had insisted that no one but Tirad should know of such mission. If he was still alive, would he reveal Tirad’s findings or hide them to prevent the spreading fear and chaos throughout the ships? There is no way to prevent this natural phenomenon. On the other hand, some of the recent problems were related to this great and inevitable change, such as the immigration of ship’s women to the Oxan refugee harbour and the attacks of dolphins. If the Circle knew this, they might have acted differently and do something to help the women instead of torching them out of the floating harbour. But the Circle has no ears for the truth, Tirad knows now! Even if they knew, they would have probably ignored it.
What if Hurmaz had another motive for giving him this mission? Hurmaz had always swayed between doubt and faith about the Saviour ways and his Rules. Perhaps he wanted to put to test the rightness of Saviour’s words and to see how reliable the handwritten narratives are. When he had heard about such deaths, he had found a way of examining the Saviour Narratives, if the deaths were not related, he had to stay in doubt; it still wouldn’t prove the Saviour wrong, since the prophecy might have become true later on. But if they were relevant, there would be no more room for doubting the Saviour Narratives. And Tirad had proved them to be true! Even though he is more sceptic about the Narratives, the Rules and the Saviour followers than he has ever been before. He even believes finding these handwritten pages and the suspicious deaths of the pregnant women might just be a coincident. He can’t accept the Saviour’s prophecy to be true and undermine his Rules. There is no way to find all the original ancient texts, separate the scientific and factual predictions from the added fake and self-serving Rules of the followers. He prefers to deny them all. The Saviour Rules that has led to Hurmaz’s murder, the deaths of the refugee women and children, the massacre on the Parsana Ship and the war that is going to take many more innocent lives cannot be accepted by any justifications. Perhaps this is the reason Hurmaz and Armina had hid these pages, to avoid validating and confirming the Saviour Rules that would sacrifice human lives rather than accept the realities.
Tirad sobs aloud, in the silence and the dim light of Armina’s cabin. He has lost everything and has failed. He had left Lealy behind…lost his faith in the Saviour and the Circle…escaped…he was scared and had run away again…changed his name…lost his identity…but he could not live a normal life at the end. His baby was not human. He had only completed one mission, closing the case of the suspicious deaths of the pregnant women, but at what cost? The cost of never holding his baby in his arms? Or the despaired face of Dalia that would forever dwell in the pain of losing her baby? What good can ever come from such discovery? How would the sea people react to the dolphins raising their children? How can he reveal this to them and not make them afraid of having children and stop them from further killings of the dolphins? He doesn’t know what to do yet. Maybe it would be better if he kept it all to himself for now. They cannot fight nature and even if they do, there is no victory. But there is another war going on now and he might already be too late to stop it.
He wipes his tears with the back of his hand and sniffs. He gets up. It’s time to go and put an end to all this. He needs to take care of Dalia and find his way back to deal with Mart once and for all. He wraps Armina’s page and the other blank papers in her green scarf and rolls them in a small, leather piece he found on the floor. He ties the leather on his head. If he doesn’t put his head under the water, he can take the papers back with him to the boat. He has to show Armina’s page to Dalia. Even though she can’t read, but seeing the ancient handwriting might help her to calm down. She needs to know neither of them was to blame for losing their baby. Dalia had no other choice but to give birth in the water and even if Tirad had caught the baby, it would probably never survive on the boat. And how strange it was that the dolphins knew the baby belonged to them without having read any ancient narratives.
Chapter 36
The Spawn-Scorching ceremony and the dry season festivities are being held with an extra celebration this year. The original Saviour Narratives are to be unveiled by the Circle. Mart walks behind the fire that is lighting the dusk sky towards the platform placed in the middle of the Saviour Ship deck. The guards escort him to the platform and the pilgrims’ crowd follows him. The Circle members walk up the platform and the guests from Oxan and the ships sit on the special benches of the ceremony. Mart stands in front of a glass box, covered with a purple Saviour turban. He is wearing a long yellow dress that covers his arms and legs. He waits for everyone to sit on the benches and the frustrated crowd, annoyed by the heat of the season and the ceremony fire become quiet. The heat has gotten to Mart as well. He is not used to the long covering dress and the smooth expensive textile is sticking to his body. He turns to Akhgar and asks for his permission to start and with his sign, he looks to the crowd.
“We shall continue this season’s festivities by unveiling our greatest discovery of the last rain season. As we searched all the books in the libraries, we have come across the original handwritten narratives of the Saviour. This original, ancient version will be our only true source for following the Saviour from now on,” Mart starts his speech and with the cheering of the crowd, pulls down the purple turban from the glass box and unveils the book that is placed inside it. He then bends gently towards the box showing how the pilgrims are to pay their respects to the sacred original copy of the Saviour Narratives.
“With the help of the true disciples of the Saviour, we have gathered and destroyed all the fake narratives of Parsana. We have made recycled papers from them to be able to produce copies of the true narratives!” he continues as the crowd cheerfully claps and shouts in joy. He feels inspired and looks at them proudly.
“The Saviour Army has reached the Atlan borders. We shall soon hear the great news of our victory to overthrow Atlan and capture Tirad… The Saviour Ship has never in the past abandoned its followers and shall never do so in the future… We will get revenge for the innocent lives of Oxan refugees!” Mart finishes his speech and the crowd cheers him louder than before. Mart thanks the crowd and goes to sit on his place, next to Akhgar on the Circle members’ bench. Most of the pilgrims are women, children and the elderly. They walk up the platform with a guard’s si
gnal, bend to the glass box to show their respect to the original Saviour Narratives and go to the back of the ship to receive their free food of the festivities. Akhgar happily puts his hand on Mart’s shoulder and asks him to bring his face forward.
Akhgar whispers in Mart’s ear telling him that a harbour guard had come looking for him before he had started his speech. Mart listens to him indifferently and tries to smile at the pilgrims who bend towards him as well as the glass box to show their respect.
“You need to go to the harbour and see what is going on… The guard said someone has entered the harbour. He has introduced himself as Tirad and wants to surrender!” Akhgar says.
“It is not the first time we have such troubles. You know better than me. How many times had Atlan and the Ships tried to hand over someone to us instead of Tirad? It’s probably another imposter!” Mart replies.
“It’s different this time! I think it might actually be him!” Akhgar tells him but Mart shrugs. He doesn’t understand how this time could be any different? Most probably, the divers or fishers had found a Saviour missioner and arrested him, thinking he must be Tirad; they all yearn for a way to stop the war and this seems as the easiest to them.
“A woman is with him with the same specifications of the girl who had helped him escape! The guard said he had recognised him from before,” Akhgar continues. Mart freezes in his seat. He wants to get up and leave immediately.
“Why didn’t you say so before? What if he escapes again? I need to go…” Mart says, as he tries to get up but Akhgar stops him.
“It could still be an imposter… Even if it is him, you don’t need to hurry! Since he has come on his own, he won’t escape! Don’t worry and enjoy the ceremony for now,” Akhgar convinces him to stay and smile indifferently at the poor pilgrims. But he is restless. He had thought of everything except Tirad coming back on his own! Has he gone mad coming to the Saviour Island? It’s probably an imposter. But if anyone is as mad to come and surrender himself, knowing he would be killed but still victimising himself to stop the war and save the people, it would be Tirad. He wanted to arrest him in an awfully humiliating state and sentence him to death right on the docks. But how can he arrest him and put up such a show, when he has come with his own feet. His arrest scene must be glamorous and memorable. He had even planned to take him to Atlan and put up a show there if he was found on the ships. But now is not a good time…not on this night…the festivities and guests…right when Akhgar is about to give the attack order… If people find out about his surrender, they will lose their excuse to start the war. Mart can’t wait any longer. He gets up and orders two guards to escort him.
Mart enters the gate booth. The guard turns on the light and shows the arrested couple to him. Dalia and Tirad are sitting silently in the corner of the booth behind the head-guard’s desk with their hands and feet in chains. Mart orders the guards to get out.
“Well! Well! It is really you! I thought the fish had chewed your bones by now!” Mart say to Tirad in a mocking tone. Tirad looks at him from head to toe. Mart can’t tell if Tirad is surprised to see his new appearance or he is looking down on him. Whatever his gaze means, it has made him uncomfortable.
“I have nothing to say to you… I already said to the guards I will only speak to the First Disciple!” Tirad says calmly. Mart laughs.
“But he has sent me! Why would he even speak to you! If he were here instead of me, you’d be long dead by now! He’d throw you out into the sea,” Mart says laughing louder. Dalia wants to say something in his reply but Tirad asks her to remain silent.
“I have come! And I will testify to whatever crime you want me to. I am surrendering myself to stop the war… You have no excuse to go on with it now!” Tirad says trying to keep his voice low, not to get too excited. Mart laughs again and stands above him.
“You really think I would stop the war just because you finally found the guts to surrender yourself? Look at you! No one would even believe you’re Tirad, the great Saviour criminal! You look like shit!” Mart says sneering. Tirad turns his face to Dalia and sighs.
“But don’t worry! You will have your public surrender soon enough! And I promise you I will make you look like a criminal that people expect to see… I have to go now! It’s party time!” Mart finishes his word and goes to the booth door. But Tirad stops him.
“I won’t let you do it again in Atlan and other ships…what you did to the healers of Parsana and the refugees of Oxan… I will stop you!” Tirad says with rage.
“And here I thought you had come to give yourself in! Did you change your mind already?” Mart answers him tauntingly.
“You do know well that I have a copy of all your dealings! I know what you did and you’re trying to do! So does Atlan. And soon, the people will know the truth. You may not truly believe in the anger of the sea, but you do fear the anger of the sea people!” Tirad says, but Mart stops him with his hand gesture.
“If you think you are being a hero, let me notify you! You are too late! It’s no use giving yourself in now! Do you know how many Saviour missioners were killed by the sea people, thinking they had caught you? You are solely responsible for their deaths!” Mart shouts at him.
“You started all this, not me! I had my head down, minding my own business! What have you gained by killing so many people? Huh? You think Akhgar would give you anything? It’s all vain promises… They will get rid of you, when they don’t need you anymore. You really think they will have your back?” Tirad answers furiously. Mart walks towards him and points his finger to him with a threatening gesture.
“You think I’m a pawn in their game? You and the Circle…all of you…are my little playthings… I have been playing you all, the way I desired!” Mart says boldly and Tirad grins. Mart becomes agitated by Tirad’s laughter.
“Poor Lealy… She used to think like you! I had to show her who is in charge…when I finished her off in Parsana… You will have your turn and this little frog too!” he says and points to Dalia. Mart pretends to laugh loud and as soon as he gets out of the booth, he immediately replaces his fake laughter with a frown. He lets the guard go back in and starts ordering him and the other two guards that escorted him to the harbour. He speaks loudly, probably so that Tirad could hear him as well. He keeps raising his voice as he speaks, once to catch the guards’ attention, another time to babble and then to warn them.
“This man is obviously not Tirad…and who knows who this poor girl is. They are imposters. But since the man is not alone, we won’t send him to the soldiers yet. We have to decide what to do with the wretched girl first… Take them both back to the Ship for now!” Mart orders loudly. The guards walk to the door but Mart shouts, stopping them.
“Cover their heads. They shouldn’t see where they are being taken. Take them to the lowest level to the paper storage cabin. Don’t take your eyes off them until I return!” he continues his orders. One of the guards turns to Mart.
“Please, Master… Do not go back to the Ship alone… I can go and bring two guards to escort you,” the guard says. Mart agrees. He shouldn’t even stand there alone, even though its celebration time and no one is around the harbour. He is afraid of walking alone in the Saviour Island routes. He gets back to the booth. The head-guard hands him a bag.
“What do we do with this, sir?” he asks. Mart takes the bag and hangs it over his shoulder.
“I know what to do with it… Did they have anything else?” Mart asks.
“They came with a personal boat… We have ceased it,” the guard replies. Mart orders them to search the boat thoroughly and give him whatever they find in the boat. He then orders him to unchain Tirad’s and Dalia’s feet and cover their mouths and put something over their heads. The guard looks around and finds only one empty sack around the booth that he puts over Dalia’s head. He looks at Mart desperately asking his permission to allow him go and find another sack. The outer booth door opens and two boatmen enter from the docks with a box that they are caref
ully carrying. Mart shouts at them and wants them not to enter. The guards send the boatmen out, ordering them to wait outside. The boatmen say they have brought the wine that Master Mart had ordered for that night. The feast has already started and Mart had ordered the wine for dinner, trying to impress his special guests: the chiefs of Oxan and the Ships. Now that it has finally arrived, it should at least be served at the dinner table. He can’t keep them waiting outside on the pier. It will take time for the guard to go and find an empty sack and Mart doesn’t want the boatmen to see Tirad’s face. Mart inevitably takes off his purple Saviour turban and hands it to the guard ordering him to cover Tirad’s head with it. He then allows the boatmen to enter.
As the boatmen enter the Island, three guards come in to the booth. Mart orders each one of them to take care of Tirad and Dalia and walks behind them as they step on the newly paved Island alleys. The sound of cheer comes from the stranded ship that can be seen from here with its lights on. Mart wants to show Tirad his achievements. To let him see how he has changed the Island for the better. Everything is renewed and in order. He wants him to see how he has reconstructed the Island and the Saviour Rules. Not all of this done solely to his advantage, he has done so much good for the others as well. Tirad needs to know every progression has its costs and victims and the bigger the transformation, the greater the sacrifice. Bringing down the Atlan Island, will be the greatest achievement in the history of the Saviour, in favour of all the people in the Oxan area. But to achieve, it they need to fight and in fighting they will lose men. They can never get so far confiscating Atlan riches by just sitting in the stranded Ship, teaching and lecturing. But Tirad doesn’t understand such things. He was always happy for the little he had and can never desire great things as he does.