Tandoop
A few fortnights later, King Mogg and Queen Shere fell ill. King Greda called for everyone who could take the place of the Spokesman, and serve as a physician to them, because the palace physician’s herbs were not strong enough, wearing out after only a few hours while the illness continued to churn its victims all over again. Tanook the physician brought some of his herbs extracted from the rats he hunted. None of them worked. Kanaka had arranged for herbs extracted from the mango trees but none worked. The King knew something no one else knew, and despite the agony he was going through, he was at peace.
Tandoop heard about King Mogg’s illness. In fact, he had known everything about King Mogg in just a few months of reading the leaves. He put everything together and looked at the dating and read many things that Rotyuk had discovered while he was alive. He did not know how Rotyuk had been killed, but he had an idea who might have been involved. He decided that he would not tell his father, Tanook, what he had discovered about the King. It was when Edongo, Tandoop’s cousin came to visit that Tandoop took the opportunity to show him the things he had seen and taken from the shrine. Edongo was shocked and ecstatic at the same time. Since Tandoop had put his head deep enough into the mysteries he had long known, they began to work together so as to find answers that would lead them to the truth. The real evidence, however, was somewhere in the palace, wherever King Mogg had hidden it. One day, they found Rubinto the palace guard in the market place. Rubinto, loud-mouthed and under the influence of an intoxicating drink was babbling about how he once worked in the palace; he was drunk with the sweet substance extracted from dark colored mangoes, mixed with a strong scented substance from Obano roots; Nobody took the man seriously, and he was the one that made sure of that. When Rubinto finally stood up to stagger to his home, Tandoop grabbed Edongo by the arm and followed him allowing him to lead them to his house.
When they had arrived, they went closer and knocked on his door for him. He was already leaning against the door and drifting off into sleep, murmuring questions about how they had gotten to his house so quickly.
A woman dressed in rags – animal clothing – opened the door to Tandoop’s beckon. When she spoke, he began to wonder if he had been drinking himself, because his stomach had churned at the sight of her, and his heart jumped at the sound of her voice. He stood transfixed for a moment, wondering what to say to her until Edongo stepped in front of him and tried to speak while Tandoop regained consciousness, “Good evening… He is drunk… err… and we are friends…”
They handed Rubinto to her and followed her in.
“We are waiting.”
Edongo nudged Tandoop who was now done swooning and laughed out loud.
They began to wonder why they had entered. If they had come to drop Rubinto at home, they had already done so, and if they had come to speak with him, he was too drunk to respond. They stood up to take their leave.
“Thank you”, the lady said as they walked out into the night. They would return the next day.
The next day, they returned, and when they got to Rubinto’s house and knocked on his door, he was the one that answered. After the necessary pleasantries, they sat down and,
“Err… Rubinto, who is it that opened the door last night?” Tandoop asked, and Edongo nudged him to focus.
“Last night? Oh, err… that – that is my sister. So what brings you here my friends?” Rubinto asked, putting on a serious face. Nobody had spoken yet, and Rubinto suddenly began to panick, “Did they send you to get me?! Ah! Please –“
“What are you saying? We haven’t said anything yet.” Tandoop was puzzled.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, but King Mogg almost cursed me after we brought Bantaik’s body out of the shrine. I don’t know how he –“
“He was there the night Bantaik died.” Edongo said.
“…in fact, I think he led to Bantaik’s death himself.” Tandoop continued, adding, “I was there. Hiding.”
There was no sound after Tandoop spoke, except for the heavy breathing of three huge men.
“I am… this is… I should have guessed from the way he acted… So that’s why he could not curse me after the Queen –“
“The Queen was there?” Edongo butt in.
“Yes. She came just as he was about to say the words.” Rubinto answered.
“Anyway, we need your help.”
“What for?” He rested his hands and drummed his fingers on the stone table; the gesture pushed his shoulders to a shrug position. He was willing to help.
“We need to know what the palace looks like on the inside and around it. It so happens that we have never entered, though I came close once. The only thing both of us combined know is the premises at the front yard and nothing more.” Edongo said.
“What are you fellows up to? Besides, you know I no longer serve in the palace! I don’t want to be involved!” Rubinto barked.
“Wait… we promise you, it’s something we wouldn’t want to do if –“ Tandoop stopped, as though finding that the words were not exactly enough.
Nobody spoke.
“Look, Rubinto, the King – King Greda – is in trouble, and the only way we can save him is…” Tandoop looked for other words to use but found none, “Is if we break into the palace.”
“King Greda?! Trouble?! Haa…” Rubinto thought hard, frowning.
There was another session of silence.
He continued, “What about Fonjam?”
“I doubt he has any idea what’s been going on. Somehow, seeing things from the outside was better for us.” Edongo said, scratching his beard.
“We are the only ones who know what is happening to King Greda. And we cannot just go into the palace and look for Fonjam without calling him away from his duties.” Tandoop said, getting impatient.
“And it would –“ Edongo started.
“…Drag attention. I know. If what you need is in the palace, then you will still need Fonjam’s help. I will tell him.” Rubinto completed.
They took it that following Rubinto to his house was not such a bad step to take.
“But what’s wrong with him… err, King Greda?” Rubinto asked, now giving the discussion some more interest.
“He is not himself. You see, a curse was placed on his crown by Bantaik, before he died and he seems to be under the control of something, or someone else… See, look at what is written here…” Edongo opened a leaf to reveal writing scribbled with charcoal on it. Tandoop had written what he saw in pictures the night Bantaik died.
“Actually, I was there the night Bantaik died, and I heard him talking to King Mogg and… King Mogg is the one to whose advantage the charm was made; He is controlling his son.” Tandoop revealed.
“What?! So you both knew?” Rubinto was standing. He wanted to be angry, but the feeling was not complete. He shook his head. “King Mogg is controlling his son.”
“He is. He placed a curse on Greda’s crown on the coronation, so that he would still control his son, thereby concealing the wrongs he has done. Anything he says, King Greda will do.” Tandoop helped Rubinto understand.
“That is until he dies, but even still, as long as he is wearing the crown, and King Mogg dies, he will never be himself again.” Edongo continued, explaining.
“But the solution is there in the palace. King Mogg took it – some green dust that Bantaik had made, giving King Mogg the liberty of breaking the curse whenever he pleased, and he does not intend to.” Tandoop jumped in, elaborating the gravity of the situation further.
They spoke on, Edongo and Tandoop doing most of the speaking, telling Rubinto everything they had seen, including about the leaves they found in Bantaik’s shrine.
Rubinto let them know how and when the guards took turns to guard the gate and the other major entrances and exits of the palace. They timed their entrance and exit from the palace. Tandoop had a small map drawn. When they had finished, Tandoop asked for Rubinto’s sister’s name.
“Menabi.” He answered
Tandoop heard about King Mogg’s illness. In fact, he had known everything about King Mogg in just a few months of reading the leaves. He put everything together and looked at the dating and read many things that Rotyuk had discovered while he was alive. He did not know how Rotyuk had been killed, but he had an idea who might have been involved. He decided that he would not tell his father, Tanook, what he had discovered about the King. It was when Edongo, Tandoop’s cousin came to visit that Tandoop took the opportunity to show him the things he had seen and taken from the shrine. Edongo was shocked and ecstatic at the same time. Since Tandoop had put his head deep enough into the mysteries he had long known, they began to work together so as to find answers that would lead them to the truth. The real evidence, however, was somewhere in the palace, wherever King Mogg had hidden it. One day, they found Rubinto the palace guard in the market place. Rubinto, loud-mouthed and under the influence of an intoxicating drink was babbling about how he once worked in the palace; he was drunk with the sweet substance extracted from dark colored mangoes, mixed with a strong scented substance from Obano roots; Nobody took the man seriously, and he was the one that made sure of that. When Rubinto finally stood up to stagger to his home, Tandoop grabbed Edongo by the arm and followed him allowing him to lead them to his house.
When they had arrived, they went closer and knocked on his door for him. He was already leaning against the door and drifting off into sleep, murmuring questions about how they had gotten to his house so quickly.
A woman dressed in rags – animal clothing – opened the door to Tandoop’s beckon. When she spoke, he began to wonder if he had been drinking himself, because his stomach had churned at the sight of her, and his heart jumped at the sound of her voice. He stood transfixed for a moment, wondering what to say to her until Edongo stepped in front of him and tried to speak while Tandoop regained consciousness, “Good evening… He is drunk… err… and we are friends…”
They handed Rubinto to her and followed her in.
“We are waiting.”
Edongo nudged Tandoop who was now done swooning and laughed out loud.
They began to wonder why they had entered. If they had come to drop Rubinto at home, they had already done so, and if they had come to speak with him, he was too drunk to respond. They stood up to take their leave.
“Thank you”, the lady said as they walked out into the night. They would return the next day.
The next day, they returned, and when they got to Rubinto’s house and knocked on his door, he was the one that answered. After the necessary pleasantries, they sat down and,
“Err… Rubinto, who is it that opened the door last night?” Tandoop asked, and Edongo nudged him to focus.
“Last night? Oh, err… that – that is my sister. So what brings you here my friends?” Rubinto asked, putting on a serious face. Nobody had spoken yet, and Rubinto suddenly began to panick, “Did they send you to get me?! Ah! Please –“
“What are you saying? We haven’t said anything yet.” Tandoop was puzzled.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, but King Mogg almost cursed me after we brought Bantaik’s body out of the shrine. I don’t know how he –“
“He was there the night Bantaik died.” Edongo said.
“…in fact, I think he led to Bantaik’s death himself.” Tandoop continued, adding, “I was there. Hiding.”
There was no sound after Tandoop spoke, except for the heavy breathing of three huge men.
“I am… this is… I should have guessed from the way he acted… So that’s why he could not curse me after the Queen –“
“The Queen was there?” Edongo butt in.
“Yes. She came just as he was about to say the words.” Rubinto answered.
“Anyway, we need your help.”
“What for?” He rested his hands and drummed his fingers on the stone table; the gesture pushed his shoulders to a shrug position. He was willing to help.
“We need to know what the palace looks like on the inside and around it. It so happens that we have never entered, though I came close once. The only thing both of us combined know is the premises at the front yard and nothing more.” Edongo said.
“What are you fellows up to? Besides, you know I no longer serve in the palace! I don’t want to be involved!” Rubinto barked.
“Wait… we promise you, it’s something we wouldn’t want to do if –“ Tandoop stopped, as though finding that the words were not exactly enough.
Nobody spoke.
“Look, Rubinto, the King – King Greda – is in trouble, and the only way we can save him is…” Tandoop looked for other words to use but found none, “Is if we break into the palace.”
“King Greda?! Trouble?! Haa…” Rubinto thought hard, frowning.
There was another session of silence.
He continued, “What about Fonjam?”
“I doubt he has any idea what’s been going on. Somehow, seeing things from the outside was better for us.” Edongo said, scratching his beard.
“We are the only ones who know what is happening to King Greda. And we cannot just go into the palace and look for Fonjam without calling him away from his duties.” Tandoop said, getting impatient.
“And it would –“ Edongo started.
“…Drag attention. I know. If what you need is in the palace, then you will still need Fonjam’s help. I will tell him.” Rubinto completed.
They took it that following Rubinto to his house was not such a bad step to take.
“But what’s wrong with him… err, King Greda?” Rubinto asked, now giving the discussion some more interest.
“He is not himself. You see, a curse was placed on his crown by Bantaik, before he died and he seems to be under the control of something, or someone else… See, look at what is written here…” Edongo opened a leaf to reveal writing scribbled with charcoal on it. Tandoop had written what he saw in pictures the night Bantaik died.
“Actually, I was there the night Bantaik died, and I heard him talking to King Mogg and… King Mogg is the one to whose advantage the charm was made; He is controlling his son.” Tandoop revealed.
“What?! So you both knew?” Rubinto was standing. He wanted to be angry, but the feeling was not complete. He shook his head. “King Mogg is controlling his son.”
“He is. He placed a curse on Greda’s crown on the coronation, so that he would still control his son, thereby concealing the wrongs he has done. Anything he says, King Greda will do.” Tandoop helped Rubinto understand.
“That is until he dies, but even still, as long as he is wearing the crown, and King Mogg dies, he will never be himself again.” Edongo continued, explaining.
“But the solution is there in the palace. King Mogg took it – some green dust that Bantaik had made, giving King Mogg the liberty of breaking the curse whenever he pleased, and he does not intend to.” Tandoop jumped in, elaborating the gravity of the situation further.
They spoke on, Edongo and Tandoop doing most of the speaking, telling Rubinto everything they had seen, including about the leaves they found in Bantaik’s shrine.
Rubinto let them know how and when the guards took turns to guard the gate and the other major entrances and exits of the palace. They timed their entrance and exit from the palace. Tandoop had a small map drawn. When they had finished, Tandoop asked for Rubinto’s sister’s name.
“Menabi.” He answered
Greda
King Greda felt a bittersweet oblivion. He felt weightless and insignificant. He was in a space that had only one source of light, and even though no breeze was blowing, he felt frozen from cold. He knew he was a man, but human experience seemed far from his grasp or memory. He could not feel his senses. He, however, could hear breathing, slow breathing. He could not feel his ears listening to the breathing, but his subconscious was alive and telling him that he was the one breathing, and that his breathing signified chaos. He also knew that he was trapped in an in-between and that the light was moving away from him. The realm was lifeless until suddenly the light expanded and showed the face of his father. It dimmed again, becoming smaller and kept moving farther from him. If he had tried to reach out, then the outline of this dark realm of one light did not let it show, but at least he knew that if this was the realm he once lived, his true feelings could easily be translated into action. Things began to clear up, and as fast as they cleared up, they were swallowed up back into the vacuum of the miserable dark space realm of one light, where no one but he now lived. Suddenly, the light expanded. Then he saw a life-size block of ice in front of him. It began to crack.
Mama Yuttputt
Mama Yuttput could not stop thinking about the small bag that oozed slightly with green powder she had touched in King Mogg’s room. The good instinct in her had never steered her wrong, and this time, it was telling her that taking the bag was the right thing to do. She did not know what to do with the tiny bag if she eventually took it. She wrestled with her thoughts and finally resolved that she would take it from the King’s room, lest it brought harm to anyone. Whatever the thing was, she would eventually find out and put it in the right hands.
Maybe it was even someone else that put it in King Mogg’s room, to curse him and his wife and make them fall ill. But beside his bed? She knew of no one else who had access to King Mogg’s room except King Greda and herself, unless the Queen wasn’t who she really was. Mama Yuttput knew she was dipping her hands into more than she could handle, but she sensed that it would somehow lead to something good and relieving. Somehow, she felt peace at the thought of solving the mystery of the tiny bag. She looked forward to another morning to go clean King Mogg’s room while he was out for breakfast since they had grown strong enough to come out of their rooms. It was the best decision for everyone involved with the tiny bag.
The next morning, Mama Yuttput was uneasy. She almost did not hear the girls greet her as they walked to the palace from the quarters. Kanaka seemed to look like he was staring in her direction as she walked into the throne room to perform her duties. The fanners at the throne and the ones at the dining table, though going about their respective duties, seemed to Mama like they were suspicious of the way she had walked into the palace. She gripped her broom so tightly that she felt sweat wetting her palm. She walked through the short hallway then into King Mogg’s room, glancing back and forth at the windows at one end of the hallway and the door before her. She could hear the chatter of the girls at the kitchen, a few goats bleating and a male servant humming a song outside the palace. She was tensed as she opened the door.
She went about sweeping high, sweeping low and when she got to the cupboard where she had first seen the tiny bag, she looked left and right, and she gently dropped the broom and reached beneath the cupboard to pick the tiny bag up. It was still there. She pulled it out and held it up for a second, then she attached it to her purse and covered it with her clothes, and made like she was still sweeping the room until she was sure she had done a neat job at being unnoticed. She picked herself up and took the thickly and thoroughly woven Tuki waste basket to empty it. It was flabby in her hands so she used both hands to hold it, one on its bottom for support. When she had returned it to King Mogg’s room, she dashed out of the palace and back to the quarters. No one could ask the elderly woman why she was excusing herself from her duties early in the morning, when they should just be beginning. She was Mama Yuttput after all.
Maybe it was even someone else that put it in King Mogg’s room, to curse him and his wife and make them fall ill. But beside his bed? She knew of no one else who had access to King Mogg’s room except King Greda and herself, unless the Queen wasn’t who she really was. Mama Yuttput knew she was dipping her hands into more than she could handle, but she sensed that it would somehow lead to something good and relieving. Somehow, she felt peace at the thought of solving the mystery of the tiny bag. She looked forward to another morning to go clean King Mogg’s room while he was out for breakfast since they had grown strong enough to come out of their rooms. It was the best decision for everyone involved with the tiny bag.
The next morning, Mama Yuttput was uneasy. She almost did not hear the girls greet her as they walked to the palace from the quarters. Kanaka seemed to look like he was staring in her direction as she walked into the throne room to perform her duties. The fanners at the throne and the ones at the dining table, though going about their respective duties, seemed to Mama like they were suspicious of the way she had walked into the palace. She gripped her broom so tightly that she felt sweat wetting her palm. She walked through the short hallway then into King Mogg’s room, glancing back and forth at the windows at one end of the hallway and the door before her. She could hear the chatter of the girls at the kitchen, a few goats bleating and a male servant humming a song outside the palace. She was tensed as she opened the door.
She went about sweeping high, sweeping low and when she got to the cupboard where she had first seen the tiny bag, she looked left and right, and she gently dropped the broom and reached beneath the cupboard to pick the tiny bag up. It was still there. She pulled it out and held it up for a second, then she attached it to her purse and covered it with her clothes, and made like she was still sweeping the room until she was sure she had done a neat job at being unnoticed. She picked herself up and took the thickly and thoroughly woven Tuki waste basket to empty it. It was flabby in her hands so she used both hands to hold it, one on its bottom for support. When she had returned it to King Mogg’s room, she dashed out of the palace and back to the quarters. No one could ask the elderly woman why she was excusing herself from her duties early in the morning, when they should just be beginning. She was Mama Yuttput after all.
To be continued...
- Telsum Bini
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