Maia and the Secrets of Zagran (The Lightbound Saga Book 2)

by S. G. Basu

  Sahiiraan Tsininio, the Solianese man who had spoken the other night, took the stand next. “I know my thoughts and concerns are not welcome at the moment, but I still would like to speak a few words. I would like to make a plea again to my counterparts from the other Houses to consider the meaning of this pact. Signing this means that we will be denying the energy needed to survive to more than half of the people on Tansi. Once you agree to the UTAP, you will also leave the entire population in the land cities vulnerable. Do not punish the innocent for no fault of theirs. Please reconsider your choice. Please give us some more time so all the Houses can reach a consensus and then let us take a real step toward understanding.”

  A series of boos rose from both the Solianese and the Jjord sides even before the Sahiiraan had stopped speaking. Clearly, Sahiiraan Tsininio and his ideas did not have too many supporters. Maia’s insides squirmed at the discord. It was not unexpected; Nafi had said the Solianese were divided, but it still hurt to see how the Houses were falling out so openly instead of standing up together for their cause.

  A tall man rose from the side of the Solianese and strode vigorously to the podium. He smiled at Sahiiraan Tsininio as they passed each other; there was no friendliness in that smile, only ridicule and mockery. This man’s resemblance to Lex was uncanny except for the ponytail; the swagger, the smirk, and the sharp features reminded Maia of what Lex would look like when he grew older. A wave of claps spread across the room as the man took the podium. This man, Maia realized, was popular among the Solianese representatives and the Jjord.

  “Must be related to Lex, don’t you think?” Maia whispered to Nafi who shrugged in response.

  “They look alike and walk alike, so I guess he could be Lex’s father or uncle,” Nafi said a moment later. “These Broken Seas are a horrible bunch.”

  “Thank you for the enthusiasm, my friends. Your applause tells me that I am not alone and I know I am doing the right thing. Please believe me when I say that the consensus Sahiiraan Tsininio speaks about is impossible to achieve. How is it possible when half of our House leaders are not even present here at this critical juncture? And how can we depend on the ones who have chosen to turn their backs on their people? How can I wait for them endlessly and risk the lives of my own people? I will sign this pact for my people, and I will urge each of you to sign it for the sake of your people. Let us save the ones we can, rather than losing them all.”

  A thunderous applause greeted him as he stepped down. Shouts of “Sahiiraan Leeam” filled the room. Premier Oliena rose to speak when the room quieted a little.

  “We will now pass the signing papers, so please let your opinions be known. At the end of the signing and after the moments of silence, we will declare the pact sealed and closed.”

  A man walked in with a small scroll and handed it to Sahiiraan Leeam, who looked at the paper, smiled, and scrawled assertively through it. The paper passed on from one person to another, finally coming to a stop at the last row. The man, who had brought the paper in, collected it, and handed it to Premier Oliena.

  “We have twelve in favor and three against. We have approval,” she declared after glancing through it. Cheers broke out again. Oliena waved at the crowd to calm them down a little. “We will now have the moments of silence. If anyone wishes to voice their objections before this deal is sealed, now would be the time. We will reconvene soon after.”

  The man, who had brought the paper, now carried in a large gold sand clock and set it at the center of the podium. He turned it around, and as the flecks of sand trickled down the narrow neck to the empty bottom, the countdown began.

  51: Of Honor and Glory

  Around the room, people rose to their feet as the sand clock started counting. Those on the Council floor got up and started walking around as well.

  “There it is, Nafi.” Kusha let out a loud and deep sigh. “That is how it all goes down. Now, we’ve all witnessed the beginning of our glorious end.”

  “You know, it doesn’t have to be this way,” Nafi said as she turned around to face Kusha. “You can change it.”

  Kusha’s brows shot up and his eyes widened.

  “This is not a matter to joke about, Nafi,” he said in an admonishing tone after a moment of stunned silence. No one spoke a word. All eyes turned toward Nafi, waiting to hear her response.

  “This is no joke, Kusha. You belong to the House of the Sun; you can do anything,” Nafi replied.

  Kusha raised his hand. “Nafi . . . you don’t make any sense.”

  “Okay, I’ll try speaking stupid.” Nafi rolled her eyes as Kusha glared back. “You, or should I say, the leader of your House, has the authority to overturn all those signatures they collected. That’s how power was divided among the Solianese, and it still is.”

  “All right, I understand that,” Kusha said. “What I don’t understand is how I can do anything at all. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m no leader of any House. And I think I’ve told you already that my father stepped down from his role many years ago. I’m not in any way as powerful as you like to believe.”

  “Wrong,” Nafi smirked. “It’s you who has no idea. And I’ll tell you why.”

  She yanked her satchel and pulled out a thick book titled, A Brief History of Post-Modern Times. Nafi expertly leafed through its pages and came to stop at one of the later chapters.

  “Listen to this. The leadership of a House is bestowed on a person at birth; no power can take it away other than the will and the choice of the person himself. A child who is born into a House lineage will inherit it until he or she chooses to abdicate out of his or her own volition.”

  Nafi stopped and looked Kusha squarely in the eye. Kusha did not bat an eyelid; he sat like a statue staring wordlessly at Nafi.

  “You get it now?” Nafi’s eyes sparkled. “When you were born into the House of the Sun, your father had not yet renounced his lineage, so you inherited the right of leadership. After that, even when he chose to give up his rights, his act did not take away yours. So you are technically the leader of the House of the Sun.”

  “This is way cool.” Ren was on his feet; he could hardly keep his excitement from showing.

  “But then . . .” Kusha looked confused as he continued, “I severed ties with my House when I was a child—”

  Nafi cut him off. “Volition means the choice of an adult, one who has come of age at eighteen. Like you just said, you were a child when you severed the ties. That did not mean a thing. You, Kusha, have more power than you can think of.”

  “And . . . I can simply walk over and change everything they’ve decided to do?” Kusha asked, his voice trembling.

  Nafi nodded and smiled.

  “No, that’ll be crazy.” Kusha shook his head vehemently. “Can you imagine what will happen if I do that? That Chairman Phocluus will lose all hopes of getting his hands on the Resistance, so he will come to kill us. Premier Oliena will probably not be very happy either, and that fat Jjord guy will most definitely not be pleased. We won’t make friends with Lex, his father, and all their cronies.”

  “But you will have saved a lot of innocent lives.” Dani spoke unexpectedly. Her words were gentle, yet they had a reassuring firmness.

  Kusha looked at Dani, holding her gaze for a few moments. Then he sighed and continued. “Then there’s Aerika. She’ll surely have us thrown out of the contest, or have you forgotten that she specifically instructed us to not even discuss politics?”

  “I don’t care if I’m thrown out.” Maia felt no hesitation when she said it. “What’s the point of trying to win this contest when everything I know and love will cease to exist?”

  “And who cares about this stupid contest when there are better things to fight for?” Ren kneeled next to Nafi and Kusha. “I mean, think about it, Kusha . . . who would you rather be? The boy who got top honors at the Alliance Initiative? Or the legendary hero who saved his people from certain doom? I would pick the second without a doubt.”

  �
��Time is running out.” Nafi cast a quick, anxious glance at the sand clock on the floor and then looked at Kusha. “You know what we all want, so make a choice. Now!”

  The moments of silence that followed drowned the din that surrounded them. Kusha sat with his head bowed for a while, then looked around the room, and finally scanned the hopeful faces that stared keenly at him. He got to his feet with a suddenness that surprised Maia.

  “What do I do now, Miss Know-It-All?” He stood with his hands on his hips, looking inquiringly at Nafi. “You want me to just walk in there?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what you need to do, but I’ll walk with you.” Nafi put her book inside the satchel and flung it over her shoulder.

  “Can we come too?” Maia asked as the duo started walking away.

  “Will you?” Kusha asked. “I’m a little nervous. To be honest, I’m so scared that I can barely breathe.”

  The team made a beeline for the Council floor, jostling the crowds. Hostile and irritated glares came their way, as well as comments about how children should be banned from such serious proceedings. But finally, they reached the table where Premier Oliena sat alone. She looked surprised and then amused when they lined up in front of her. Dani was in front, and she did a strange handclasp and bowed; the others followed suit. After Dani introduced herself and everyone else to the premier, Kusha and Nafi stepped forward to explain the situation. By the time Nafi had finished speaking, the premier was far from smiling. Her face had turned somber as she looked intently at Kusha, studying him closely, looking into his eyes.

  “Tell me your word of honor,” she asked him, and Kusha whispered a reply.

  Maia could not hear the words he had said, but whatever they were, the premier seemed to be satisfied as she nodded slowly.

  “You should know that this will be far more complicated than simply talking to me,” she said. “Are you sure you want to choose this path?”

  Kusha nodded once and took a deep breath.

  “I do.” There was no hesitation in that statement.

  “Okay then.” Oliena rose and beckoned the man who had carried the sand clock inside. She whispered something to him and when he bowed and left, she turned to Kusha again. “Please follow me, all of you.”

  They followed her outside the Council Room, a few paces down the corridor, and into a small but impeccably furnished office. Oliena seated them on one of the long couches that lined the right wall. They had just about settled down when the door was flung open. The portly Jjordic man, Aloysus, walked in, his eyes cross and his face red. He was followed by an anxious Tsininio. Behind them came Sahiiraan Leeam and Chairman Phocluus, both looking calm and indifferent, but Leeam’s clenched fists were a sign of something else. Everyone’s eyes fell on the bunch of youngsters huddled on one side. A kind smile played on Phocluus’s lips when he saw Maia, and he raised his left hand and waved. Maia waved back gleefully, a joy filling her heart at the thought that he still remembered her and did not think of her as an enemy. Not for long though, she figured, this meeting would surely change everything.

  “What is this about, Premier Oliena?” the chubby-cheeked Aloysus demanded loudly. “Why were we summoned here?”

  “You are here because the pact we just signed has been disputed and stands to be nullified,” Oliena replied. As cries of surprise and fury rose around her, she explained the situation until every little detail had been covered.

  “Do you have any idea what you are up against, dear boy?” Leeam turned to face Kusha, smiling to cover the snarl that threatened to tear apart his handsome façade. “This is no child’s play.”

  “I think he’s faking it.” Aloysus pointed an accusing finger at Kusha.

  “I am not faking it. I’m the rightful heir of the House. And rest assured, Sahiiraan Leeam, I’m fully aware of my choice.” Kusha stood, locking stares with the two men. “And it’s final, this deal is off. We shall have a deal, but before that we shall have consensus among the Solianese, and you shall wait until that day.”

  Both Leeam and Aloysus seemed taken aback by what Kusha had said and how boldly he had said it. Even Maia and her friends were stunned by the confidence and strength that exuded from their friend.

  “He is but a minor,” Chairman Phocluus spoke, breaking the silence. “Can he invoke these rights you speak of?”

  Oliena nodded. “In matters concerning public well-being, which this clearly is, he has unrestricted rights and the authority to wield them,” she said.

  “Well, I still think he’s a fake,” Aloysus said again. “Has he proved his lineage?”

  “I do not have any doubts whatsoever regarding that,” Oliena replied. “But then I thought you might have concerns. That is precisely why I brought him to this room, so he can prove his true heritage to you. I have already invoked the GRAVE procedure; it should be ready for the test momentarily. I hope all of us here trust the sanctity of that system.”

  While Tsininio nodded eagerly at Oliena’s words, the other men exchanged quick, fretful glances. One by one, they agreed, albeit grudgingly. Away from where the adults were talking, the group of equally worried and anxious children looked at each other in confusion. Maia did not have an inkling of what this GRAVE procedure could be; she doubted that any of her teammates did either. Oliena walked over to where they waited, and as if understanding their unspoken questions, she started explaining.

  “The GRAVE procedure stands for Geneographical Rights and Ancestry Verification and Evaluation. It is a supremely complex automaton that can crosscheck any person’s ancestry and verify lineages. Only two things are necessary for it to work correctly: the availability of genealogical information of the lineage in question and the voluntary submission from the person to undergo a complete neurogenetic scan to crosscheck his heritage. The first part is easy in this particular case because we have ample genetic information on every Solianese House in our automaton, and the House of the Sun is obviously no exception.”

  Oliena looked earnestly at Kusha and continued. “Kusha, while I understand that asking you to submit to this is rather discourteous, I only hope that for the sake of peace and understanding, you will agree to the procedure.”

  Kusha nodded vigorously. “Of course I will. What exactly do I have to do?”

  “Oh, not much at all, you will step under that frame once it has been prepared and place your palms on the scanners.” Oliena pointed at a white doorframe that was set against the wall at one corner of the room, wide enough for a person to stand underneath. Its center tapered outward a bit and housed two flat plates that Maia assumed to be the palm scanners, and a set of lights and buttons glittered and shone on the side. While the gang ogled at the machine, a light on the roof of the frame turned a bright green and a faint beep sounded.

  “There, it is ready for you.” Oliena led Kusha to the automaton. When he stepped inside, Oliena turned toward the men again. “To make this absolutely fair, I would like to invite Sahiiraan Leeam and Sahiiraan Tsininio to kindly do the honors of selecting the lineage and initiating the procedure.”

  The two men looked at each other and then walked up to the GRAVE automaton. They took turns to punch the buttons on the side until the green light on the top started to blink in a rainbow of colors. Maia assumed this was an indication that the machine had started analyzing the genetics. Everyone in the room fell silent. A long while later, the dance of colors stopped, and the light turned a steady green once more. Tsininio laughed and clapped his hands while Aloysus brought his fist down on the table in a resounding crash. It all meant one thing: Kusha had won. Nafi exhaled loudly and fell back on the couch, and the rest of the team had a difficult time suppressing their wide grins.

  “Please step out, Kusha,” Oliena said, and then flashed an apologetic smile. “I am sorry; I should address you as Sahiiraan Kusha.”

  “N-no, please don’t. I’m just Kusha,” Kusha replied, blushing profusely.

  As Kusha walked away from the machine, Oliena picked up the p
iece of ornate paper that lay on the large desk behind her. It was the same paper that the Sahiiraans had signed, the papers that sealed the pact. She looked at it briefly, then ripped it right down the center. Aloysus stifled a gasp with utmost difficulty, while Leeam and Chairman Phocluus stared. Tsininio, on the other hand, chuckled heartily and walked over to Kusha.

  “You, my dear boy, have performed a miracle tonight.” He clasped Kusha’s right hand.

  Kusha reddened slightly. “It was my friend, Nafi, who figured it out really,” he said, pointing at a beaming Nafi.

  “Yes, yes, of course,” Tsininio gushed, flashing a quick, obligatory smile at the youngsters huddled on the couch, before swiftly turning his attention back to Kusha.

  “Sahiiraan Kusha, of the House of the Sun. My respects.”

  He bowed and touched Kusha’s hand to his forehead. Maia noted how Kusha flushed while struggling to keep his poise.

  “That is all fine, Sahiiraan Tsininio,” Oliena interjected solemnly. “The most important thing now is getting some security for Kusha.”

  “Security?” Kusha’s mouth fell open. “Why would I need security? My friends are with me all the time anyway.”

  “I have to say that your bravado tonight won’t make you popular with everyone around the world,” Oliena explained. “And since your role is quite critical in these negotiations, it is important that you be safe. I do not underestimate the capabilities of your friends, but I still think you need some backup.”

  “I will arrange for something as soon as I can,” Tsininio assured.

  “It is a pity that I cannot provide you any assistance in that matter,” Oliena sighed. “I always thought it a pointless bunch of bylaws that call cross-national protection and security systems illegal. And at this sensitive juncture, I do not want to get caught up in some ridiculous legal technicalities.”

  A small knock sounded on the door, and a man walked in and whispered something in Oliena’s ear.