by Ono Ekeh
“Vesta, order your people to stand down. If you do so peacefully, I will recommend a pardon when Commander Skene arrives.”
Vesta stared down the rifle pointed at her and then eyed Senaya with a side glance. “You slight our Queen and expect no repercussions?”
“Vesta, you are outnumbered,” Senaya said, steadily, “order your people to stand down.”
“The Navalese never surrender.”
Senaya swallowed. She noticed Vesta’s lower leg muscles tense ever so slightly. She was changing her pivot. She had no intent to surrender. Senaya cursed under her breath. She’d made every wrong move. She should have taken out the Navalese in the first instance. Now, having given them time to regroup and assess, things weren’t going to turn out well. There was only one way out of this. A few people had to die. Her pistol was still holstered and there was no way she could get to it quickly enough. But her soldiers knew that. In fact, they had trained hard to read cues in situations like this in enemy territory, that’s what vanguard scouts did. She held her breath until it would be obvious she wasn’t breathing. She blinked and the exhaled loudly.
A loud boom sounded in the sanctuary—the aggregate of thirty guns firing a single shot at pre-determined targets which landed with loud thuds. Screams filled the hall, followed by the pandemonium of hundreds fleeing. An intense acrid smoke permeated the area.
Senaya, on one knee, had her pistol trained in front of her. The smoke cleared and she gasped. Twenty beautifully sculpted Navalese bodies lay sprawled on the floor. Witcum, crouched among them, screamed in a high-pitch, but he was fine. She looked around quickly to her people. There was no one on the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Witcum!” She rushed to the blabbering man. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
He calmed down and looked around him. “Oh, sweet Lord. What have you done?”
“Secure all exits. No one enters or exits without my express authorization.” She crouched and studied the body of Vesta. The Navalese were the most fertile humans. Peace with them was not simply a matter of life without conflict, all the southern races were experiencing steep declines in fertility. The Sybu and the Navalese, the northern races, weren’t as much. As disgusting as the idea seemed, interbreeding with the northern tribes was thought by some to be humanity’s hope. Now, she had, in a series of rash decisions, killed that hope. Twenty dead Navalese. There was no hope for forgiveness or reconciliation. Everyone hated killing the Navalese but they were so easily provoked and were so willing to die.
She laid her hand on Vesta’s stomach. The shot had gone clean through the brain, so the body was intact. A Navalese female specimen was rare and there could be no wasted opportunities. “Mali,” she spoke softly, “get the females on ice. We might be able to preserve things.”
He nodded. “You want to send them back down south?”
She shook her head. “Transporting six Navalese bodies down south can’t be a stealth operation. We might run into retreating Navalese males. We’ll keep them here and wait for Commander Skene. Send someone into town to send a message. We have female specimens, intact bodies, they should send expertise up here.”
Mali removed his backpack and pulled out a scanner. He pricked Vesta’s thigh and studied the read out. “I assume their morphology is similar to ours. Maybe we can still stimulate and redirect the production of glucose and urea, it’ll facilitate the process of cryopreservation.”
“Very well,” Senaya said. She thought for a moment. “I wonder what technologies are available locally. But I don’t want to spread us out to thin. I still have to deal with the Imposter and that might get hairy.”
“I’ll call all the squads back in and we’ll stay tight, Captain.”
Witcum knelt by one of the Navalese bodies with a dazed look. Senaya joined him. “What can we expect as a response from the Navalese. How soon will they come?”
He sucked in air. “It’s complicated up here. The Navalese and Sybu despise each other. You’ll actually see little sympathy shown by the Sybu for the Navalese dead. The Navalese cities are fifty or more miles northwest. No Sybu ever goes to Naval and given the war, Navalese are more concerned with protecting their homeland from a possible invasion.”
“From whom?”
“The Sybu, the likes of you... They’re warlike. They’re rabid about preparing for war.” He pulled the eyelids shut of the man in front of him. “I think the guards reported in every few days. A missed report wouldn’t generate too much concern at first. You have about four or five days before they send someone here to investigate.” He covered his eyes and then pressed his palms gently against them as though to massage them. “You better hope Commander Skene gets here before the Navalese find out what you’ve done. When they’re done with you, you’ll wish you’d never lived. They don’t—”
“Forgive,” she completed, “Yeah, I know.” She stood. “Mali, we have three days until Navalese reinforcements arrive. Send a message for urgent reinforcements.” She pulled Witcum up. “Take me to the Imposter.”
SENAYA LIKED NOUEI’S temple. For one, it had much more wood than she’d ever seen in a building. Unlike the temple to Ryna, this one, though large and grand in its own right, was relatively small compared to Ryna’s. Nouei’s temple was cozy and intimate, and even more so beyond the sanctuary. There were numerous buildings hidden from the front view of the temple campus, all connected by a series of walkways. Scores of Sybu priests and attendants walked the corridors. All bowed at the sight of both Witcum and Senaya and hurried off as quickly as they could.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Senaya asked, wondering at Witcum’s confidence in navigating the maze of hallways.
“Ambassador Witcum, I’ll take her from here.” The priest, Makri emerged from a side room. She bowed to Witcum, who returned the courtesy. “The Lord is in her chambers. I’ll take you there,” she said to Senaya.
Witcum turned a left quicker than Senaya could decide what to do. She’d envisioned the whole scenario playing out differently. Now, she was deep in Nouei’s temple and feeling less and less like she was in control. They walked in silence for a while.
“Where are the Sybu leaders?” I would’ve thought your leadership would be here to negotiate terms of surrender.
“We have no leaders. The Lord leads us,” Makri said. She walked briskly and while Senaya could keep up easily, it began to feel like a race. Makri stopped and stared into Senaya’s eyes. “The Navalese don’t forgive.”
Senaya rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ve heard that a thousand times. They also don’t survive bullets.”
Makri looked downward as though contemplating her next words. “You don’t understand. Us. They won’t forgive us, the Sybu for the death of the guards.”
Senaya felt a knot in her stomach. “Why? We’re the ones who killed them.”
“Yes, but they hate us. They think us weak. They hate that our people, centuries ago, tricked them into building this temple on our land. They hate that we are the sole priests of the Queen. There were hundreds of us when this happened. We could all easily have overpowered a few dozen of you, but we didn’t.”
“If you did, some of you would’ve died.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Makri said, “we all want to die. This is our religion. It is not death we fear. The Navalese know that.”
Senaya took a deep breath and tried to sort out what the priest was telling her. “What are you saying? I really don’t have much time.”
“I’m saying that when the Navalese discover that you killed their compatriots and defiled the sanctuary. They will unleash their anger indiscriminately on you and on us. You have put our entire people at risk with your actions.”
A surge of anger burned through Senaya’s chest. “I am not responsible for the lives of the Sybu. If you’re asking for protection, then gather your leaders or whomever and make a formal request. Then, we’ll discuss terms.”
Makri reached out and touched Senaya’s arm
. “No. We will gladly die than turn away from our God. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you with this. I just thought we had more time.”
“Time for what?”
“The Navalese have waited for years to eradicate us and keep the Queen for themselves. They will accuse us of betraying the Lord and will use all this as an excuse to do what they’ve always wanted to do.” Makri’s eyes seemed to glaze over. “You’ve only made matters worse for your cause. Right now, the Sybu are all preparing to die because we know it is now inevitable. You’ll have no leverage over the Queen. She will never bow to you or to that other God.” Her words ended in such venom that Senaya leaned back in surprise. Makri pointed at a door at the end of the hallway. “The Lord is beyond those doors. You may go see her.” The priest then turned and hurried away
THE LARGE WOODEN DOORS swung open easier than Senaya expected. She waited at the entrance scanned the room. It was large, perhaps palatial, but cozy. The ceilings gave the effect of grandeur, but the warm tones brought a sense of intimacy. Tall pillars and partial walls, situated at regular intervals divided up the room. Further down by the far wall was a lavish bed with high bed posts and curtains hanging down around the bed. To the left were a series of self-contained gathering areas with couches and chairs arranged around short tables. To the far right was the washroom. A large tub with steps all around adorned the area. It was surrounded by bath counters and amenities. It was clearly not designed for privacy.
“I’m hardly ever alone,” the Queen’s voice snapped her back into the present. “My private quarters are not really private.”
Senaya jumped at the voice. The Queen wore a fitted ruby red flowing dress with a colorful scarf draped around her shoulders. “The priest, Makri, said I’d find you here.”
Nouei smiled and sat on a high chair next to a tall round table. She motioned Senaya to the chair across from her. “You all must be very hungry. Please let us show you hospitality. I promise you will not be harmed.”
Senaya swallowed. “We killed your guards. Vesta threatened me and so we were forced to act.”
Nouei took a deep breath and tapped her fingers together. “I know. Their souls will be safe with me. The Navalese are very special to me. They died as they would’ve wanted. At the hands of an enemy, defending their Queen.”
“You take no umbrage then?”
“Death comes to us all,” Nouei said, “why would I fault it messenger?”
“I’m here to secure your surrender and your confession of guilt.” Senaya felt relief at getting the words out.
“You are a woman of truth. Do you think I will surrender to you?”
“No,” Senaya replied.
“Will I ever renounce my claim to divinity?”
“No,” Senaya said, again.
“So there we have it. We’re at an impasse. Will you place me in custody or execute me?”
Senaya twisted in her seat and refused to meet Nouei’s eyes. “I know what you do. Somehow you make people fall madly in love with you and it stops them from being rational.”
“Captain Tenade,” Nouei said, fixing her eyes on Senaya’s face, “are you in love with me?”
“I’ve felt this cloud around me ever since we arrived up here, tugging at my mind and unravelling my will. I am weak and maybe I’ll succumb to you. But I’ve ensured that I’ll do my duty. Commander Skene will come and he will execute you for fraud. I will return to my people and be healed of my madness.”
“You remind me of a man I loved so many years ago, so clinical.”
Senaya couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “You loved a man? I thought gods don’t love like us.”
“I do. I’m human like you. Of course, I long for intimacy. I want to love and be loved.”
Senaya leaned her elbows on the table and pressed her fingers against her forehead. “So you admit that you’re not a god.”
“I am what I am,” Nouei said. “Why does it bother you so?”
“Tell me about the man you loved.”
Nouei stood and reached her hand to Senaya who took it. She led Senaya through the residence to the other side. They walked in silence through a door and down the corridor which opened up the outside.
“Oh, look at that!” Senaya gasped at the garden laid out before them. It stretched out for almost an acre. “I’ve never seen flowers like this before and the aroma...”
“Let’s sit here,” Nouei said.
They sat on a stone bench and watched the flowers, herbs, and shrubs sway in the gentle wind.
“Where are the plains of the dead?” Senaya asked.
“Just beyond the edges of the garden.”
Senaya gripped the bench, nervous at the thought of being so close to plains. “How do you all stand it, being so close to the path of the dead? When I was a little girl, my friend’s father was an embassy official here. He was being foolish and convinced two Sybu boys to come out to the plains. The dead found them... It was awful. Even though he was only seven, when they brought him back, he looked like an eighty-year-old man. He’d lost his mind and muttered mindlessly for the rest of his short life. The dead drained his life. Every night, he would scream and scream...”
“Don’t hold the dead’s desires against them,” Nouei said, “they only seek peace.”
“It doesn’t make sense. That we live lives of such hardship and die only to be miserable for all eternity.”
Nouei pointed toward the plain. “Beyond the plains is what my people call the Cursed Forest and then there’s the waters.”
“Where the dead congregate?” Senaya said, incredulously. “Don’t you fear the dead?”
“I am their salvation,” Nouei answered quietly.
Nouei then got on her knees and plucked a few leaves of a plant a few feet from them. She rubbed them in her hand until they were all joined and moist. She held it up to Senaya’s face. Senaya took it and chewed.
“Don’t swallow it until it loses all flavor,” Nouei said.
Senaya had never tasted anything like this. It was a little sweet but it stung her tongue at the same time. The leaves’ aroma filled her nostrils and seemed to leave an aromatic trail as it went down into her stomach.
Nouei knelt again and collected more of the leaves. She stuffed them into Senaya’s pocket. “When you feel the morning nausea, rub them hard and then chew like I showed you.”
Senaya watched Nouei sit next to her. “What do you mean about the nausea?”
“Is this your first time? Being pregnant?”
Senaya gasped. Her heart thundered in her chest. “I’m not fertile. I can’t be pregnant.”
Nouei’s brows furrowed. “You didn’t know?”
“No, my Queen, it’s not possible.” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Well, technically, yes.” Three weeks ago, she’d had private moments with Mali, but she was a certified Infertile. It was a reason she could be used as a scout. She looked at Nouei and pointed. “You? Are you responsible for this?”
“This is my gift to you and your people. I can make you thrive, if you’d only bow to me and love me.”
Senaya struggled with waves of emotion. The impossible had happened. She’d never thought about being a mother. She wasn’t destined to be one. She’d never been around children, because the few children there were, were often carefully nurtured. But now, a life had germinated in her. Her body was the fertile ground that would nourish a new human being. Overwhelmed with joy she burst out in sobs. She felt Nouei’s comforting arms around her and she fell into her Queen’s chest and cried.
After a few minutes, Senaya sat up and dried her face. “I’m sorry about your dress,” she laughed.
Nouei smiled. “I would do anything to have you cry in my arms again. I barely get to touch any one. Except my attendants, when the wash and clothe me.”
“My Queen.” Senaya grabbed Nouei’s hands. “Commander Skene is marching north... I do not want you die. Flee to Naval. Maybe the Navalese can protect you.”
“You�
��re sweet. But if I set foot in Naval, no Sybu will ever see me again and I can’t do that to them.” Nouei closed her eyes and enjoyed a wind gust that blew against them.
“I don’t understand you. You say that you are a god, yet you act so powerless.”
“I am subject to the forces I create. The past is rewritten. I have told it and now I must wait for it to come to pass.”
Senaya watched the Queen stare off into the distance. “So you know the future?”
“I know the past. I know the present.”
“Will my child be healthy? Will she be beautiful?”
Nouei looked at her. “You will never know.”
Senaya froze as the night-black irises stared into her. “What do you mean? What’s going to happen to me? Will the Navalese attack?”
Nouei held her gaze but said nothing.
“Queen Nouei, please tell me. Will I live? Will my child live?”
“The past is written. I have etched it upon the fabric of truth. What is to be will be.”
Senaya felt the blood drain from her head. “Please save me, my Queen. Please!”
“The past is written,” Nouei repeated, this time more urgently. “Don’t waste your supplication on what can’t be undone. You cannot be saved.”
“Then save my child,” Senaya begged.
“But if you die, so does your child.”
“You know more than you’re letting on. I know you can do this. I believe. Please save my child.”
“Name her,” Nouei said.
“What?”
“Name her.”
“Maja,” Senaya said, immediately. “I name her Maja.”
SENAYA WATCHED MALI give instructions to the new queen’s guard—a squad of her scout force. Mali was unhappy about the task but carried out the order as he always did. In the past twenty-four hours, the secret of her baby felt like it was burning a hole in her. Every little bit of her wanted to tell Mali that he was a father, but then how could she prove it to him? Her only proof was the word of the queen and citing her word was nothing less than evidence that she had become a traitor, like Witcum.