Tandoop
Tandoop knew he had seen King Mogg grab the green powder before he had stolen away from the shrine. He just did not know what to do with the information. He kept reading the leaves he had taken from the shrine, eventually understanding the pages that had pictorial illustration. Even though he did not understand the vision, he closed his eyes and found the memory of it from a few days before, then he opened a fresh page of the leaves bound together with a sharp stick and began to draw the creature; the very last page of the life and visions of Rotyuk the Spokesman.
Mogg
“Where did you say you found his body?”
“In the cove of a rock near the market place.” Edongo pointed, “There, your highness.” They had taken the body to the burial grounds adjacent the market place.
“Are you sure? And you are the first to have seen it?”
Edongo looked at Rubinto who was avoiding everyone’s eyes, especially King Mogg’s, then he answered, finding the confidence in himself alone, “Yes, your highness.”
King Mogg was cornered. He would say that he had seen Bantaik die, but he would have to reveal that he was in the shrine, in the forbidden forest.
So he cast a cold stare at Rubinto the servant. Rubinto found his eyes and dodged them again.
They had gone to the forest.
The King looked down at the body, mentally replaying the incident from nights ago.
“You”, pointing at Rubinto, “Go to the palace and get me Kanaka.”
“Your, highness”, Rubinto bowed his head and took to his heels.
When Kanaka came, he saw the body of Bantaik and almost tripped and fell to the ground. This was not a hoax, like Bantaik had made when he had gone to the shrine with Sapas. It was real and Bantaik was dead. The spirit man had prophesied his death. And he died.
King Mogg asked him, with the men who had brought him to the body, to dig a hole in the ground, large enough for his body and bury him there. The village Announcer would spread the news and they would call for the ordination of another Spokesman to take over from Bantaik.
“In the cove of a rock near the market place.” Edongo pointed, “There, your highness.” They had taken the body to the burial grounds adjacent the market place.
“Are you sure? And you are the first to have seen it?”
Edongo looked at Rubinto who was avoiding everyone’s eyes, especially King Mogg’s, then he answered, finding the confidence in himself alone, “Yes, your highness.”
King Mogg was cornered. He would say that he had seen Bantaik die, but he would have to reveal that he was in the shrine, in the forbidden forest.
So he cast a cold stare at Rubinto the servant. Rubinto found his eyes and dodged them again.
They had gone to the forest.
The King looked down at the body, mentally replaying the incident from nights ago.
“You”, pointing at Rubinto, “Go to the palace and get me Kanaka.”
“Your, highness”, Rubinto bowed his head and took to his heels.
When Kanaka came, he saw the body of Bantaik and almost tripped and fell to the ground. This was not a hoax, like Bantaik had made when he had gone to the shrine with Sapas. It was real and Bantaik was dead. The spirit man had prophesied his death. And he died.
King Mogg asked him, with the men who had brought him to the body, to dig a hole in the ground, large enough for his body and bury him there. The village Announcer would spread the news and they would call for the ordination of another Spokesman to take over from Bantaik.
Rubinto
“By the authority that is the King’s, I order you to speak the truth.”
Rubinto swallowed.
“Where did you find the body you showed me?”
They were speaking in low tones at the backyard. The servants were retreating to the quarters for the day but one or two of them were here and there, so King Mogg would not let them the chance to hear this conversation.
Rubinto had not said anything, but he would, and King Mogg’s eyes were gradually making sure of that.
“Your highness -”
“Or to ask the question more correctly,” King Mogg paused, looked around and let the servants around leave the area, then he whispered loud enough for Rubinto to hear, leaning forward from his royal seat and bringing his body close to his, “Did you find the body in his shrine?”
The servant was shaking vigorously now.
King Mogg calmly put a hand on his shoulder and beckoned further, “Answer me!”
“Your highness, we did not mean to -”
“Yes or no?!” King Mogg cut in.
“Yes, your highness.”
Rubinto expected to be hit, so he bowed his head in fear and closed his eyes, and he did not see King Mogg smile instead.
“It is the will of the gods that nobody should go into that forest, so by the infinite power of the gods and their holy messenger -”
“Your highness, please -”
“…and by the forces of nature, and by the blood of the creature -”
“…I beg you, my King -”
“I cast you away from service to the King’s household and I c -”
“Mogg!” It was the voice of a woman this time, like an angel to the rescue of a child in distress, and she was not begging. Queen Shere.
King Mogg turned and saw his wife, clad for bed, standing at the door leading to the backyard. He adjusted his clothing as though it had been blown out of fit by the wind. Rubinto was still bowed, now with his head to the sand.
“What could be so critical, that it demands something as dangerous as a curse, my King?”
Then she turned to Rubinto, “My son, raise your head let me see you.” He did.
“Can I not punish a wrongdoer as I so please?!” He had raised his voice.
As though she could stop him from cursing the stupid boy.
“I am not saying you can’t, but whatever he has done should deserve a fair open judgment with the council, in the same measure of his offense.”
“Aha, so you are the law now?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, we are the law. What has he -” turning to Rubinto, “What’s your name?”
“Rubinto, your highness.” He puffed.
She continued, “What has Rubinto done that you are about to curse him in such a fit of anger?”
Silence. Yet again, there was no way to give an answer to that question.
“He has gone places forbidden to go.” So there was an answer… The old man felt like a child answering to his mother.
“Then I suggest -”
“What?! What would you suggest that will take the King’s wrath away? Would you let him go and bring audacious offenders in the same direction?!” King Mogg spat.
“As it pleases you, my husband, but it is not a decision you should take on your own, let alone out of anger. Goodnight.” She went back inside.
And King Mogg could not say any more. Not with the weight of the words he was now feeling on his head.
I must finish my sentence.
“Leave.” He said to Rubinto, and the servant did as he was told, and he had it in mind never to come back.
Rubinto swallowed.
“Where did you find the body you showed me?”
They were speaking in low tones at the backyard. The servants were retreating to the quarters for the day but one or two of them were here and there, so King Mogg would not let them the chance to hear this conversation.
Rubinto had not said anything, but he would, and King Mogg’s eyes were gradually making sure of that.
“Your highness -”
“Or to ask the question more correctly,” King Mogg paused, looked around and let the servants around leave the area, then he whispered loud enough for Rubinto to hear, leaning forward from his royal seat and bringing his body close to his, “Did you find the body in his shrine?”
The servant was shaking vigorously now.
King Mogg calmly put a hand on his shoulder and beckoned further, “Answer me!”
“Your highness, we did not mean to -”
“Yes or no?!” King Mogg cut in.
“Yes, your highness.”
Rubinto expected to be hit, so he bowed his head in fear and closed his eyes, and he did not see King Mogg smile instead.
“It is the will of the gods that nobody should go into that forest, so by the infinite power of the gods and their holy messenger -”
“Your highness, please -”
“…and by the forces of nature, and by the blood of the creature -”
“…I beg you, my King -”
“I cast you away from service to the King’s household and I c -”
“Mogg!” It was the voice of a woman this time, like an angel to the rescue of a child in distress, and she was not begging. Queen Shere.
King Mogg turned and saw his wife, clad for bed, standing at the door leading to the backyard. He adjusted his clothing as though it had been blown out of fit by the wind. Rubinto was still bowed, now with his head to the sand.
“What could be so critical, that it demands something as dangerous as a curse, my King?”
Then she turned to Rubinto, “My son, raise your head let me see you.” He did.
“Can I not punish a wrongdoer as I so please?!” He had raised his voice.
As though she could stop him from cursing the stupid boy.
“I am not saying you can’t, but whatever he has done should deserve a fair open judgment with the council, in the same measure of his offense.”
“Aha, so you are the law now?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, we are the law. What has he -” turning to Rubinto, “What’s your name?”
“Rubinto, your highness.” He puffed.
She continued, “What has Rubinto done that you are about to curse him in such a fit of anger?”
Silence. Yet again, there was no way to give an answer to that question.
“He has gone places forbidden to go.” So there was an answer… The old man felt like a child answering to his mother.
“Then I suggest -”
“What?! What would you suggest that will take the King’s wrath away? Would you let him go and bring audacious offenders in the same direction?!” King Mogg spat.
“As it pleases you, my husband, but it is not a decision you should take on your own, let alone out of anger. Goodnight.” She went back inside.
And King Mogg could not say any more. Not with the weight of the words he was now feeling on his head.
I must finish my sentence.
“Leave.” He said to Rubinto, and the servant did as he was told, and he had it in mind never to come back.
Mama Yuttputt
“…My daughters, good morning to you too. How was the night?” Mama Yuttput asked the younger female servants as they walked past her on their way from the quarters early one morning.
“It was fine, thank you! How was yours?” they chorused and giggled at the spontaneity.
“Ah! As I grow older, I just never know when I am sleeping, or when I am dead. Either way, it feels good!” She laughed a motherly laugh.
One of the girls wanted to ask a question but was shut up when another two stepped on her foot. And they all chorused, with only a few out of sync, “Have a wonderful day!”
“Thank you my daughters! You too!” She did not know what that young girl wanted to ask, but what she knew was that most people around her always wondered why she was so withdrawn.
Mama Yuttput was a very good old woman. She had impeccable character and many women wanted to be like her; nothing less and even nothing more. She did not seem to have any special skill or duty, but she was all around the palace watching and giving advice about everything. Almost everything she said happened, but she did not as much as lift a finger to make sure of that. She believed in the reign of King Mogg, and she had been loyal since she became a servant in the household of the King, carrying her little girl, Sapas with her. She did not know many secrets, however, as she had made it a habit to keep hers hidden, and as she approached the palace and began to move into King Mogg’s room to clean up the place, she did not know that King Mogg was a very bad man. She hadn’t yet known until a bag of green dust came out from beneath the wooden box beside the King’s bed as she used her sweeping broom to remove dirt from underneath King Mogg’s bed, then she began to suspect that things were not how she had expected, because it sent a cold shock through her arm when she picked it up to shove it back where she saw it.
“It was fine, thank you! How was yours?” they chorused and giggled at the spontaneity.
“Ah! As I grow older, I just never know when I am sleeping, or when I am dead. Either way, it feels good!” She laughed a motherly laugh.
One of the girls wanted to ask a question but was shut up when another two stepped on her foot. And they all chorused, with only a few out of sync, “Have a wonderful day!”
“Thank you my daughters! You too!” She did not know what that young girl wanted to ask, but what she knew was that most people around her always wondered why she was so withdrawn.
Mama Yuttput was a very good old woman. She had impeccable character and many women wanted to be like her; nothing less and even nothing more. She did not seem to have any special skill or duty, but she was all around the palace watching and giving advice about everything. Almost everything she said happened, but she did not as much as lift a finger to make sure of that. She believed in the reign of King Mogg, and she had been loyal since she became a servant in the household of the King, carrying her little girl, Sapas with her. She did not know many secrets, however, as she had made it a habit to keep hers hidden, and as she approached the palace and began to move into King Mogg’s room to clean up the place, she did not know that King Mogg was a very bad man. She hadn’t yet known until a bag of green dust came out from beneath the wooden box beside the King’s bed as she used her sweeping broom to remove dirt from underneath King Mogg’s bed, then she began to suspect that things were not how she had expected, because it sent a cold shock through her arm when she picked it up to shove it back where she saw it.
To be continued...
- Telsum Bini
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