by Chris Red
" Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen. I introduce myself, I am captain Allegro. Fernando Allegro. You were declared
Outlaw because of the acts of vandalism which you committed on the statue dedicated to our governor to all, Lazarus Stambouli. As from this day, you will be prisoners, before being questioned then judged. I am going to indulge to escort you personally up to the doors of the prison. "
Temba, Ayame, Jérémy, Carlos and Dario did not respond. He made a sign to his men to help them to recover, and then invited them to leave places.
"Vamos" says raising his left hand.
Without the need to indicate to them, the militiamen are mirrored in a specific formation, surrounding prisoners, whether it is, in front of, behind, or on sides. Indiscreet were attended the arrest and had already begun to spread the rumor that the persons in charge of the acts of vandalism had already been identified and arrested. The captain had noticed of course that inquiring minds had come to the search for information, but it was in their interest to let the rumor propagate. Anyway, an official statement would soon be established. So, the reactivity of the militia made no doubt, this is what arrived at those who dared to create disorders.
Arrived at the prison, the captain entered with his men and ordered to the master of the place to find a personal cell for each of them. They must be separated of course. The orgone had already made effect. They were all more or less lethargic, and were allowed manhandle without having the strength to protest. When the captain was assured that each has a roof on the head, he dismissed the militiamen, congratulating them in the passage of their efficiency.
Salina and the others arrived too late. The front door was half-opened. They were not asked. The disorder reigned inside the restaurant. Yizrah came to put the hand to comfort Salina. She bubbled deep down in her heart. Edwin was held in his left, and tried to analyze the situation.
" You have to have an idea of the place where they were able to take them, right?
- They are probably in the prison, If they are still alive.
- Good. We do not have time to lose in that case. We will have to postpone the guided tour. You know where the prison is?
- Yes, it is within the governmental district. It will not be easy to get inside, Even more difficult to get out of it.
- Any problem has a solution. We are going to find. "
Edwin turned around towards Natan and Ieleana. He observed the young man. Beads of sweat dripped on his front, his cheeks were scarlet red. He had the feverish air." Everything is fine, Natan? " Asked Edwin.
Salina and Yizrah turned around. Natan remained silent. Ieleana took him by the hand and scrutinized him a look with a lot of care. Then suddenly, he seemed to return to him. As if he had left somewhere else. He saw the looks aimed at him and understood that we had had to speak to him.
" Sorry ... I was somewhere else ... I had a vision.
- You wish to express us what you saw?
- I saw a big assembly within the city. Men who seemed the others announced the appointment of a new governor. I am not sure to understand all.
- It has to be the management board. They are going to dislocate Stambouli? No, it does not hold water. You are sure that you understood well? Salina questioned him.
- I don’t know ... That went so fast, everything is strange to me in this city and I knew none of the faces ... except one in particular, that of my brother. We were all gathered, and we attended in a corner his appointment. There were also black banners which had been raised with the scene.
- Wait Natan. I am going to try to concentrate. "
Edwin thought of the first vision which Natan had shared him. He discovered, as he, this city, but he realized that it got ready to dive into the chaos. The foundations of this city were about to collapse.
" Oh, my God! Shouted Salina , who was not able to hold on.
- Then? Asked Natan.
You saw well. The current governor is going to die. The black banners are the symbol of the mourning. It is good your brother who is going to take his succession. But I am well afraid that we are not saved for all that. However, Ribardielli was discharged. We can maybe take advantage of this short-lived disorganization to save them.
- It does not settle our situation, but for the moment, we have to develop a plan to save our friends, intervened Yizrah. Eyal is not any more our priority Natan. "
The captain of the faction Earth had just appeared in front of general Ribardielli. This one was embarrassed. Governor Stambouli had just calcified in front of him, its natural alchemy for the fire was common knowledge. The captain would not delay establishing the link. For the first time in his life, he was afraid. He was in a situation of which he mastered no parameter. He developed in review various hypotheses before the captain had time to open the word, but he saw only the only one allowing him to find an outcome, The confrontation. But it would establish only a short-term solution. It would allow him only to push away the term and especially, he would sign his confessions of guilt there. The general was certainly that he is going to have to fight to prove his innocence. He needed somebody to drink the cursed water. It was certainly poisoned and at the origin of the death of the governor. However, his subordinate was going to give the benefit of the doubt to him. Pat Khan was the youngest captains. He had quickly soared levels within the hierarchy. His baby face and his young appearance seemed to mask a pernicious being. He was brown, restrained eyes which let reveal his origins. They were slightly pulled behind, what gave the impression that he smiled permanently. He seemed cheerful in spite of the paleness of his complexion and knew how to carefully hide his most mean desires. Ribardielli was about to realize that Pat Khan was friendly going to stab him and, with the smile.
" I understood that you were with your beloved governor, but I do not see her, declared the captain by looking around them.
He was a victim of an excess of curiosity and greediness, it seems, answered Ribardielli without ducking out of it.
- What do you want to say general?
- He drank this water, he says in pointing at the aqueous area, and a little time after, he was dizzy, he fell on the ground before of ...
"Ribardielli hesitated before continuing. He had difficulty in imagining himself and realized that if he had been instead of Pat Khan, he would not have tried to see a whit of truth there; he would cheerfully have taken advantage of the opportunity to eliminate a competitor. All that he could make, was to push away the inevitable. He was held, motionless, the finger always clocked in the same direction, the eyes plunged into the space, the open mouth, in total prey in the confusion, what was totally unpublished coming from him. Pat Khan had seized well in which at least delicate situation had got the general, thus he invited him to pursue:
" before what?
- Before dying, of wasting away and dying in atrocious sufferings, concludes the general.
- Is he this smoking corpse? Asked for Khan by indicating what a governor was there.
- We can hide nothing from you.
- You are the only one to have attended the scene?
- Yes, answered Ribardielli by hawking.
- So correct me if I am wrong, but your brilliant control of the element fire is rather recognized within the militia, right?
- It is exact captain.
Thus - You understand well that is difficult to me to take your history seriously?
- You will not get rid of me so easily captain Khan. I should be judged, by the members of the Management Board personally. They will recognize my innocence. It is enough that somebody drinks to give evidence of my statements.
- We shall see well it a general. I am willing to give the benefit of doubting you, but put yourselves in my place. The facts seem to speak about themselves. That is why because of the powers which are conferred on me, and in spite of the fact that you are
My immediate superior, I declare to you right now under arrest for murder and treason of governor Lazarus Stambouli. Men are going to come to
my request to look for you to take to prison, and an investigation will be opened to solve the truth of the forgery, I assure you personally. Honor me by not bring into conflict resistance.
- Let your men come, captain, abdicated the general who had hardly the choice.
- Very well. From now on, you will be also suspended from your functions until further notice.
Two soldiers' patrols arrived a few minutes later, and handcuffed the general, neutralizing him his powers with the orgone and led him to prison. From his part, captain Khan warned the other captains of the situation. The state of crisis was declared. They will have to inform about the situation to the management board, which should name a new governor and a new general. The captain paraded in his beautiful green suit when he went out of the tunnel behind the patrols taking Ribardielli. He moved with a triumphant look.
As for captain Allegro, he was totally embarrassed when Pat Khan told him about the death of the governor and the arrest of Ribardielli. It made too many events that they had not planned so that he manages to see clearly to determine what is waiting for him afterward. From their part, the members of the Management Board has reunited after being warned by Pat Khan. The management board consisted of four members. Their order had been based by governor Stambouli himself. It was this man that they were indebted of their authority. Stambouli needed a council, a species of assembly to vote and govern the laws. He had made so that this one is restricted, but had wished to leave a certain room for maneuver to the citizens: he had established a selection of twelve men, and the inhabitants had voted for electing four that they found the most capable to train the management board. Any bill could not be ratified without the agreement unanimously four members. If he had to arrive although it is to the governor and that he was not anymore able of governing, the responsibility of the city returned to their hands.
and, by the way, if he had to have governor's change there, it was of one of their responsibility. However, the role which they had accepted involved acting in the shade. They had to take out of it only in case of extreme urgency what had not even arrived until today. They held a meeting once a week. It was the council of the management board. Their reports were published then officially. Exceptionally, at least unusual council took place.
The room, in which they met, situated a floor below the office of the governor ,it is beautiful and a luxury splendid. The ground was covered with marble. Four columns were set up bounding the heart of the room. They protected their intimacy. The antique style was the proof that these men were not divested of taste. However, it was as well the proof as they were full of their person. Rare were the ones who were authorized to penetrate into the cave. Only the governor and exceptionally the general were invited to it. It was with a lot of disappointment that they allowed captain Pat Khan to walk on these places. During the foundation of the city, everything had been thought well from their part. If the governor was the one who possessed a big responsibility in the election of the members of the Management Board, the latter then saw attributing an authority without any limitation, not only on the city, but also on the governor. If the governor in function was not anymore able of presiding, only they had any legitimacy to name his successor. They had even the possibility of discharging him. However, they did not deceive too many their powers. To check and to dominate suited them amply. They had managed to make so that the population does not use its capacities and had been at the origin of the company of secret searches in the region, innocents having been removed to serve as workers, or more exactly, as slaves. They did not need to give reasons to the people to rebel. The citizens had confided them the keys of the city. All that they wished, it was that we manage the city on their place. A big part of the population did not have to complain. Rare were the ones who were deprived. Disparities remained, but we were very far
Social problems of the XXth century. Between these men and Lazarus Stambouli, tacit and mutual agreements had allowed a total influence on the region. The loss of this man confused them considerably.
Four men sat, each in their armchair. These had been arranged in diamond. Each of the seats raised a color, a symbol of their elementary nature. The fire spoke:
" We have to act fast.
- It is clear that we cannot let these events sow the disorder. But let us not rush either, added the water.
- We shall announce officially tomorrow the death of Stambouli, but we cannot inform them that he was a murdered, besides by the general of the militia, asserted the earth. A mild heart attack will be sufficient concerning him, he pursued.
- But we are also going to have to explain the dismissal of the general, objected the fire.
- An investigation for embezzlement should be enough to rule move him away.
They will not be interested any more in his fate. They will not notice his disappearance afterward, suggested the water.
- However, he must be judged, asserted vehemently the fire. Furthermore, even if the testimony that brought back to us the captain is silly, we have to make sure of the truthfulness of the words. Let us imagine that he is tells the truth ...
- Even though, you would want to restore Ribardielli? It would stir up ill-feeling within the militia. The captains would go spare. It seems to me to be a perfect scapegoat, answered the earth.
- But I laugh at this dwarf! We have to verify the content of this water. Imagine the power of destruction which it would confer on us if he did not lie. We would have a masterful asset in our hand. We would just have to contaminate the water of the city if every day the need was felt ", explained the fire.
They remained every silencer during a few moments. They were far from being angels, but the proposal was made by the fire
The most obnoxious was clearly which was never emitted between these columns, Even for them.
"It seems to me totally disrespectful. But I agree, says the earth by sketching a smile tinged with a point of sadism.
- Furthermore, Allegro put in prison the members of an organization which got involved in affairs of the militia. We have only to verify the statements of Ribardielli with one of them. Nobody will ever know anything about it, pursued the water.
- Well, I see nothing to add from my part. We have to decide who will be the new governor, and additionally the new general, put into gear the air, which to break with silence.
- It's there indeed the problem, say the fire by grimacing. The logic would want that we assert the method of the promotion. Yet, none of our captains seems to me to be up to it. Furthermore, they dream all of the power, reflects aloud the fire.
- I have a much better idea, slid the air, at the same time safe and proud of him.
- We are listening, says the earth.
- We need somebody who makes the unanimity within the population. Thus I think of somebody who is known of them and whom they appreciate, who quickly leads to forget them Lazarus Stambouli. We established our diet, the power is ours. They will not wake up. We do not need an ambitious serviceman. No, we need rather somebody whom we can treat as we please, but also somebody who was appreciated by Stambouli. The transition has to take place smoothly. I think of Eyal Turdan. I do not see better card to be brought down.
- Eyal Turdan?! The fire, the almost bulging eyes wondered.
- It is a very silly idea, against rocked the earth. You are right on the points which you moved forward. But he has no experience at this level.
- We shall take him under our cup, we shall form him. With Stambouli, we were slowed down by this feeling of obligation to him. Without him, we would not be here discussing the fate of his successor. Today, we have the opportunity to return somebody indebted towards us.
It is the reasoning which is held, but governor's post, it does not go like that. It is a question of managing a city. And not only our secret business.
- Have you already discussed with him? He is rather intelligent as boy. Stambouli had a lot of respect for him, and not only because of his sports qualities. He considered him
a little as his son. "
The fire and the earth exchanged a brief look to share their skepticism. However, the water listened carefully the air to express his own opinion, and allowed to intervene in its favor.
" It is necessary to recognize that this idea can seem quite simply crazy. But all that he says is not deprived of sense. If we assert to the crowd that we shall offer to the young governor our ardent support, they will trust him. He is adulated. If we help him in the management of the city and that everything goes well, nobody will come to put us of sticks in wheels. It is the dreamed cover. Anyway, it is either him, or a military promotion.
- Still he have to agree, brought into conflict the earth.
- We shall know how to convince him, asserted the air. And then, he is not deprived of arrogance, I do not see him refusing the power.
- The only thing left to do is hope that the captains take this piece of news with dignity, sighed the fire to enclose the debate.
- They do not have a word to say, says the earth.
- And as for the general? The fire wondered.
- Usually, it would belong to the governor to appoint the new general. Unfortunately, he died. We cannot leave the militia without a hierarchy worthy of the name. Who is, according to you, the best marionette to replace Ribardielli? The earth asked them.
- Certainly not this hypocrite of Khan, answered the fire.
- I would say Allegro, suggested the water. He bustled lately. I do not like him too much, but we could control him and if his recent successes were not rewarded, he could be a source of problems. Let us offer him the authority for which he wishes, we shall not have more than to treat him as it will please us. Furthermore, it is the most naïve captains Khan is too malignant.