Chp 47

Sir Ayize looks at me like he knows something I don't.
Or maybe he just knows I was in his shop last night. I mean everyone probably does because it my idea for tech to put up surveillance everywhere.
My throat is a dry pond. No matter how much goat milk I drink, it doesn't help. Every breath I take, the air is scorched dry, burning me up from the inside. I shift in my chair. Maybe if I just change my position. Look at the door; at the wall; at the food.
"We should get going," King Father says to me. "ya requested a meeting?"
"Ja." I push back my chair, drown the last of my milk and follow him through the palace parapets.
I've never been so grateful of him as I am now.
We make our way to the office. There, all the Elders and Queen Mother await us. They stand on my arrival and wait until I've taken a sit and gestured with my hand for them to sit.
"Good morning," I say. "I know we have training and so I'll be quick."
Queen Mother snorts and I try to ignore her but I can't. I keep thinking about what she did. I wonder why she told Stone to build that training facility. It can't all be because she wanted to help me out, or even that she was doing it for Noddon as a whole.
But people suck up to those in power. What could she be trying to buy with her unusual kindness and thoughtfulness? Certainly not my love.
I think about recent events.
Aha. It makes sense now. She knows I'm the only person who can stop Zendaya and Smanga from challenging her and her brother for the Queen and King positions.
Could she be scared of Zendaya?
I'm scared of Zendaya.
Who wouldn't be? Especially after she brought me to my knees at the stadium. I saw how scared my father was of her. I'm shivering as I think of her.
Zendaya has such great power and Queen Mother's power is...interesting to say the least.
"Um..." I begin. "I've noticed that most of Noddon's children whose parents have silent gifts that can't make them money can't read nor write or even do basic mathematics. Which is a shame because we have all these wonderful resources that we don't know the use for."
Elder Mdu pulls out a dirty handkerchief and blows his nose with it. "Resources?" he asks, examining the contents of his nose.
I gulp my disgust. "Ja, our gifts."
"Gifts? With education?" King Father says, with an air of surprise. "We're Noddons, what would we do with education?"
Elder Mdu can't seem to find a spot to blow his next load on his handkerchief and so I pass him mine. He empties his nose, then wipes off the sweat on his face. He thanks me as he hands it back. I tell him to keep it.
"First off, not every Noddon's gift allows them to make a fine living." I sit down at the edge of the table. "We are not all special. For example, Elder Buli has all the knowledge in the world and we call that a silent gift? Really? When our kids have not the knowledge as the Sabonis."
King Father sinks down next to his sister. "Ya can't compare us to Sabonis. We're superior."
"Noddon's have no historical knowledge of Noddon or the rest of the world," I say, frowning at them. "Education will empower our people and not just that, it'll create a lot of job opportunities."
"What job opportunities?" Elder Buli blurts.
I can't speak yet. My eyes trail the cold room, hoping for Leza to show me a sign, that I'm doing the right thing. Her picture is near the door. It seems gloomy today.
I shudder--what's wrong?
"Ja," I begin, eyeing them with a mixture of uncertainty and nervousness. "For Example, Mama is a healer, she could teach other Noddons the various herbs and potions that will save lives."
King Father and Queen Mother exchange looks of suspicion and shock. She looks at me like I'm the stupidest person she's ever met.
"Why would we need more people who know medicine when we have yer mother?" And her voice is just as patronising.
"Unless ya've been hiding under a rock, ya should know that Mama tried to kill herself not once but three times already. Fourth time a charm?"
"Ja, and?" she asks shortly. She takes a swing of her beer. "Death is natural. Leza, may her soul rest in eternal peace, didn't promise immortality.”
We all stare at her.
"Ya fool," I say. "If Mama dies and so will hundreds of ya. She will die with her gift."
"Oh. Oh!" Elder Mdu says, stretching and yawning. "I see, yet, how do we now decide which skills our Noddon needs?"
I look at the clock next to Leza. We can't afford to waste anymore time, the Essence Thief might even now be plotting for his next kill. Me. The Essence Thief could be anyone.
I manage a smile. "It's clear Leza, may her soul rest in eternal peace, didn't give us these gifts just for show. She gave them to us so we'd empower ourselves. Remember before colonisation? Remember our people had no weapons to defend themselves?"
"Hmmm..."