by J. Naomi Ay
When we came into the Great Hall, the women were already there. They had filled trenchers of meat for all of us and the young girls were holding platters of fresh bread and bottles of wine. The MaKani was sitting on a cushion next to my mother, dressed in a white skin dress that my sister had thought was being saved for herself. They had covered it in beads and shells and the MaKani sparkled in the light of the great fire whenever she moved. Her hair hung loose about her shoulders and sparkled too as if it had a fire of its own. I wanted to put my hands in this hair and feel it against my skin.
“Rekah,” my grandfather called. “Get your men in order.”
Now, I had to leave to organize our procession. It was never easy when we had to bring horses into the Great Hall.
When I returned, the MaKennah was sitting down on the floor in front of his wife as my grandfather sat by my mother. My grandmother was long dead and my mother had no husband so she fulfilled the role of my grandfather's daughter. My sister had a trencher of meat for me and I suspected one for Turak as well since she had set her sights on him. She was only 15 years though so Turak was just the first of many fools I would have to fend off.
Our performance went reasonably well. Everyone was sufficiently awed by the MaKennah that there was no cockiness and we all did exactly as we should have. Even the horses were well mannered. Perhaps they were afraid of the MaKennah too. Afterward, when the young girls started to dance, I sat next to Grandfather and ate my dinner.
The MaKani smiled at me and showed me her thumbs. I thought it meant that she liked what I had done. I wished I could speak to her.
The MaKennah was quiet and said nothing as Grandfather told him about the goings on in Karupatani. My cousin was wearing dark glasses even though the hall was lit only by the great fire and candles. He did not eat what the MaKani had brought him but smoked a Mishak cigarette, starting another as soon as one was finished. He did not seem to have any interest in the girls dancing. I liked watching them. I liked to see their soft bodies move in their dresses. I wished I could see the MaKani dance. I would have like to watch her breasts move beneath the white skin of her dress.
The chiefs of our people came forward when the dancing had finished. They made obeisance before Grandfather and the MaKennah. They introduced themselves and spoke of the goings on in their villages. Grandfather made conversation with them. The MaKennah smoked his cigarettes and looked like he was in another world. The MaKani smiled at them when they nodded their heads to her. Then, there was an interruption in the hall and all conversation stopped. Someone was speaking from the back of the hall and his voice was carrying forward as he approached.
“A wedding?” he said and even from where we sat, we could hear how the alcohol slurred his words. “And I wasn't invited?”
The MaKennah went rigid. Grandfather sighed heavily. The MaKani looked at me and raised her eyebrows.
“Well, well, well,” my uncle Sorkan called as he passed the great fire and came upon us. He had a bottle of Mishnese Vodka in his hand. “Look who we have here!” Uncle did a mocking version of a Mishnese bow. He nearly toppled over and some of the drink spilled. “Oops!” he cried and rescuing himself, he took a long pull on the bottle.
“Let me see if I can figure out what is going on.” He came before us and swayed on his feet. “Our esteemed MaKennah, future king of kings, is here so that must mean...” He looked from me to my sister to the MaKani. “That must mean he is the bridegroom and this little waif must be the bride.” He reached down and pulled the MaKani to her feet. “Ay yah, are you Mishnese little one?”
The MaKani looked back at the MaKennah who was as still as if he were cut from stone.
“Don't mind him, darling,” Uncle said, running his hands up and down the sides of the white skin dress which caused all sorts of beads and shells to tremble. “I suspect he is impaired. Did you shoot up some Horkin this afternoon, eh Senya?”
“Sorkan,” Grandfather said gruffly. Sorkan had his hands in the MaKani's hair. He was stroking her cheek.
“Oh, but I have a gift for you, Senya. A little wedding present.” Sorkan reached into his pocket and pulled out two mice by their tails. He dropped them into the MaKennah’s untouched trencher. “Yummy yummy,” Uncle said. “You enjoy that and I'll enjoy this. Come now, Doll, how about a big kiss for papa?” Uncle pulled the MaKani against him and it looked as if he was trying to stick his tongue down her throat. The MaKennah studied the mice nibbling at the meat in the trencher.
Grandfather closed his eyes and sighed again. That was until there was a scream. The MaKani had broken away from Uncle and had spun around and kicked him right in the throat with her foot. Uncle coughed and fell back, his eyes wide with surprise. Then the MaKani jumped again and clipped him first on the side of his head and then right in the gut. Uncle fell on his ass. The MaKani stood over him with her hands fisted, her breath coming hard, her face pink. She shouted at him in her language and then wiped her hands on her dress. The MaKennah lumbered to his feet. He was smiling slightly. The mice were gone.
“Sorkan, get out of here,” Grandfather said and looked to the MaKennah. “And you Sehron, take your woman and get out of here too. I have had enough of this. Let you go entertain Yokaa Kalila now.”
The MaKennah took the MaKani's hand and pulled her from the banquet hall. She stumbled after him, taking two steps for every one of his. She looked back for one brief moment and I caught her eye. I smiled. She winked.
Chapter 14
Berkan
I sat in the Royal limo on the tarmac of the Karupta King's village waiting for Senya. My father had rung me earlier to tell me that Senya's suite was being prepared and I should expect to attend him today. I already knew this as Thad had told me yesterday that Senya was coming and probably bringing Katie. That is, if he could convince her to come. I had already gone home and gone to sleep when my cell rang. It was Kinar, Senya's secretary at the Palace.
"He's in Karupatani but wants to leave directly after dinner," Kinar said. "He wants you to wait for him."
"Why?" I asked, pulling myself out of bed, away from my wife's warm body. "Is he pissed at me again about something?"
"Maybe," Kinar replied. "I'm sending the limo to get you first. I have sent their spaceplane back to Rozari and I have arranged for one of ours to take him to wherever he wants to go next."
"Good man, Kinar," I mumbled, pulling on my trousers. "You are sure you don't know what he's pissed at me about?"
"Maybe he's not pissed at all," Kinar laughed. "Maybe he just misses you." He rang off.
Now I sat waiting and watching the smoke plumes waft away from the banquet hall in the center of the village. The night was clear and warm here in Karupatani with both moons full and a billion or so stars in the sky. There was about a billion or so people crammed into that banquet hall, I noticed, and quite a bit of noise coming from it too.
"They must be 'aving a good time in there," my driver remarked. He was standing outside, leaning on the car and smoking a Mishnese cigarette. He was wearing a Royal Mishnese Guardsman uniform, not one of my usual SdK drivers.
"Yep," I agreed and took a cig off him even though I hadn’t smoked since I was a teenager. I hoped Luci wouldn’t smell it on me when and if I ever got home. I could always blame it on being in close proximity to Senya. I leaned back against the car. A second limo was parked a short distance from us. It had the seal of the Duke of Segefor, Senya’s father, on the door. Three guardsmen were standing next to it, chatting and smoking as we were.
"Think they'll be done soon, Reggie?" A guardsman broke away from the other group and joined us.
“And ‘ow should I know, Looie?” Reggie responded while winking at me. “I never in me life ‘ave spent a minute in Karupatani. What do ye think, Mr. Berkan?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think Senya likes to stay in any place for very long. I suspect he’ll be ready to leave soon.”
“Aye, that’s the truth of it,” Reggie replied. “Even when we we
re lads back in Old Mishnah, ‘e was always runnin off ‘ere and there. Course if we stood still for longer than a minute, we might ‘ave been taken in by a copper. ‘ad to keep movin we did.”
“Did you know Senya when he was a kid?” I asked, taking a sudden interest in Reggie.
“Aye Mr. Berkan, I did at that. Course I’m a few years older, ye know but came from the same Old Mishnah Orphan ‘ome as ‘e did. Now when I was about fifteen and Senya was just a wee lad of about seven or eight, I…”
“Yeah yeah yeah, Reggie, we’ve heard it all before,” Looie sighed and was about to say more when Senya and Katie coming running up the steppes. Actually, Senya was pulling Katie by the arm and she was none too happy about it. They were dressed in Karupta clothing, both in leather and suede and Katie’s dress was decorated with shells or bits of something.
“Let go of me!” she snapped in Rozarian and he did as they approached the limo. Looie immediately jumped to open the door for him.
“’ey Reg, me mate,” Senya said in Street Mishnese, slapping Reggie’s hand and then climbing in back. “Thanks Looie. Come on Berk, I need to speak with you.” I waited for Katie who glared at me and then at the guardsmen.
“Where the hell did our spaceplane go?” she demanded.
“Uh..” I started to say but Senya interrupted.
“Come on, Kate, it’s late. Get in.” He fetched a bottle of beer from the limo’s bar and lit a cig.
“Where the hell is the spaceplane?” she repeated and looked around the landing strip. “This is a speeder, not a plane.” She studied the Eagle Crest on the door.
“We’re not going back to space just yet.” Senya took a long drag on his cig. “Get in the fucking car.”
“And if I say no?”
Senya laughed. “Then you are welcome to stay here in Karupatani and fight off Sorkan and Rekah. Get in the car, Berk. Katie’s going to stay.”
“Yes, Sir.” I climbed in and sat across from him. Katie climbed in after me and sat on the other side, curling against the window as far away from us as she possibly could be.
“Where in the hell are we going?” she said, as soon as the limo lifted off.
“Want a beer or cig or both, Berk?” Senya ignored her question. His accent was thick tonight, as if he had been speaking nothing but Street Mishnese. Though he was wearing his dark glasses, I could see that behind them his eyes were glittering strangely. I wondered if he had been smoking that Karut drug.
“Ay yah,” he laughed again, reading my thoughts. “Totally wasted, I am.”
“Things not go well in Karupatani?” I took a beer for myself and resolved to make it the only one. I would need to be stone cold sober to deal with him tonight, otherwise he might launch a tornado or blow up something just for fun.
He thought this was terribly funny.
“What the hell are you laughing about?” Katie snapped. “I don’t see anything funny in this. You and your family,” she spat the word, "are sick. How could you just sit there and do nothing?”
“You had the situation perfectly under control.” Senya shrugged and tossed his empty beer bottle aside. A new one flew out of the bar and into his outstretched hand. “You didn’t need my help.”
“It would have been nice though!” Katie shrieked and taking off her leather slippers, rubbed first one then the other foot. “I was ready to kill him,” she added. "Now I'm ready to kill you."
Senya shrugged again and downed his second beer. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he turned toward me, his eyes flashing. “Speaking of killing, Berk.”
“Yes, Sir?” I gulped, nearly choking on my beer.
“Thanks very much for telling me you are already acquainted.”
“Oh! Well, you know, Senya, Thad and I thought...”
“Obviously you don’t want me included in this conversation,” Katie interrupted. “If you did, you’d be speaking in a language I could understand!”
We both looked at her and then Senya smiled broadly.
“I was just expressing my surprise to Berkan that you and he are such good friends,” he said in Rozarian. “Imagine that. You have already visited Rehnor and I didn’t even know about it.”
“Yep.” Katie turned back to the window. “And we’re not exactly good friends. And for your information, this time is just about as much fun as last time. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to the Alliance now please.”
“Not quite yet,” Senya replied. “I’ve got a bit of business to take care of first.”
“You can just stay here without me then. Or, let Berkan take care of your business. Isn’t that what you pay him to do?”
“I am better at killing than he is.” Senya put a fresh cig between his lips. Katie’s eyes flew open and she looked from him to me.
“Uh, Senya, you don’t mean to actually, uh...kill…uh…them, do you?” I stuttered, switching back to Mishnese. “Tonight?”
“And why not? I might just go over there and slit their bloody throats.”
“Oh that would not be good,” I insisted.
“Alright,” he agreed. “I don’t have to go there. I can just sit here and imagine their fucking hearts stop beating and they will but that won't be any fun.” He waved his hand at the ceiling, closing and opening his fist. I wondered if Akan was having a heart attack right now as we spoke.
“They didn't hurt her, Senya. Maybe they grossed her out and embarrassed her but she wasn't hurt. She’s fine. Look at her.” I turned to Katie who glared back at the both of us not understanding a word we were saying and furious about it.
“She was wandering around Old Mishnah for four days in a bloody snow storm!”
“Yes, but your old friend Meri found her and we got her back and she's okay,” I pleaded. “Isn’t she? Or did she have a sweeter disposition before this happened?”
Senya burst out laughing.
“Didn’t you tell me once that a girl would kill Akan, not you?” I looked at Katie again and it occurred to me that the girl might actually be Katie. She looked ready, willing and able to kill the both of us right now. Senya turned to Katie and smiled drunkenly.
“Ay yah, I did, didn’t I? And here she is, right here in front of us. I am very good at prophesizing, am I not?"
“What are you guys staring at me for?” Katie growled.
“I can still kill Phylyp,” Senya decided, turning back to me. “Mayhaps I will.”
“Not tonight, please Senya! You have an audience with the King tomorrow. Wait until after that at least.”
Senya rubbed his eyes and appeared to consider this. “Ach, why am I listening to you?”
“Because you're shit face drunk and totally wasted.”
“I am at that,” he agreed, nodding lopsidedly. “Listen Berkie, I haven’t told her yet.” He inclined his head in Katie’s direction. She was busy looking at the window again, pointedly ignoring us.
“You haven't told her what?”
“About this,” he waved his arm around the limo. “About me.”
“Well, where exactly does she think we are going?” I coughed. “In a Royal limo with your crest on the door?”
“She hasn’t a clue. She’s very confused. I am confused too. You’re right. I am totally wasted.”
“Well you had better sober up and clue her in before the both of you meet the King!”
”I suppose,” he sighed. The thought crossed my mind that he would never sober up in time for his audience in the morning. “I don't know, Berkie,” Senya sighed again, dramatically. “I don't know how to explain this to her.”
“Am I hearing this correctly? The great MaKennah doesn't know something?”
“Fuck Berkie, I don't know everything.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Alright, I do. I’m going to tell her and she’s going to run away screaming.”
“Sounds like she’s about to do that regardless of whether or not you tell her,” I remarked.
“Yeah. I’ve completely me
ssed this up already.” He leaned his head against the window.
“It’s alright, Senya. That’s how it is with women. No matter what you do you, you mess it up with them. None of us guys can ever do anything right.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“You know what, Berk?” He pointed at my chest. “You’re a pretty smart guy. I think I’ll make you a fucking Earl of something. How would you like that?”
“Sure Senya, but not today okay? Let’s just get through your audience without breaking anything or killing anyone.”
“Can’t promise that.” He yawned and put a foot up on the seat next to Katie.
"Get your ugly foot off the furniture!" She swatted at it.
"I can't win," he moaned, putting it back down on the floor.
"Why don't you try and sleep off some of those drugs and alcohol you have obviously indulged in," I suggested. "While you've got a few hours." Katie was leaning against the opposite window and was already asleep or at least pretending to be.
"Ay yah," Senya mumbled. "Good idea."
I woke up to morning light streaming into the limo. Senya was already awake and busy typing something on his cell, a fresh cig hanging from his lip. Katie was stretched out across the seat, her head pillowed by her arms, her bare feet in Senya's lap. I guess it was okay for her feet to be on the furniture.
I stretched as best as I could without bumping Senya's legs and looked out the window, trying to determine where we were. The clock tower with Senya's portrait on the side of it, rising above the SdK complex, was just coming into view.
"New Mishnah," I remarked.
"Mhm," Senya mumbled, still flipping through his emails. Katie stirred. She lifted herself up and looked out the window too.
"Where are we going? Hey, this is where I was last time!"
The limo circled high above the Palace swinging out across the beach and around the southern perimeter before beginning a final descent into the courtyard.
