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part three
IP: 82.14.67.140
Posted on October 14, 2011 at 04:59:57 PM by georgia

PART THREE
Amarna, Earth


“Order,” Tsi was forced to raise his voice over the general hubbub. “The council is called to order.”

He wrapped his knuckles smartly on the stone table, creating a reverberating echo which rebounded off the yellow-gold sandstone walls. The excess use of stone in the construction of the complex buried deep into the cliffs had been necessary, since it was one of the most durable materials and could withstand the test of time much better than wood – even in this hot, dry climate. There were stone walls, stone floors and simple stone furnishings to preserve the basic necessities; unimportant decorative items, such as thick Turkish rugs and plump cushions, needed only to be changed every decade or so. The walls were beautifully painted not as one would expect in the Amarna style, but in a way which reflected the earlier New Kingdom Egypt. Untouched by damp, the wall paintings were so wonderfully well preserved that they looked as if they may have been painted the day before.

Finding a meeting point for the Council of Originals which would remain undisturbed and untouched from the prying eyes of explorers and archaeologists hadn’t been easy. It had become very quickly apparent that Pharaoh Akhenaten’s religious revolution would be short-lived, and the council did not care to have their building numbered amongst the ones which were to be obliterated after his death. Secrecy was of paramount importance. The main city of Akhetaten (Amarna) was situated in the desert some distance from the Nile, on a very large, flat stretch of land surrounded by a semi-circular cliff line. The main city was positioned closer to the Nile than the cliffs, but there were workmen’s villages further out. Tombs were located along the cliffs in three areas: the north tombs opposite the north palace; the south tombs opposite the main city and southern suburbs; and the royal tomb, situated in the cliffs along a road between the north and south tombs, as far out from the city as possible. The Council had chosen the cliff area between the north tombs and the road leading to the royal tomb to hide their complex. The entrance was both invisible and inaccessible to any who had not been there before, since it required one to teleport into a narrow passageway within the cliff which could not be seen from the outside. Only a person who had been there before and knew the precise location of the passageway could teleport safely. The passageway led to three chambers – the reception, the meeting room and the tiny little holding room at the back.

Tsi gazed with an uncharacteristic twinge of sadness at his companions as they settled down, turning towards him with enquiring looks. Of the twenty-three original fairies who had sat at the very first council meeting some three thousand years ago, only four sat before Tsi today – five, including him. Immortality was not a guarantee against death and some had been killed in various ways over the years, but exploration counted as a larger factor for their diminished number. In the last centuries, it had become fashionable for the original fairies to create their own worlds. Although still bound by the intergalactic laws laid down by the council, only the originals currently residing on Earth were obliged under current law to attend council meetings.

“Apologies first,” Tsi shuffled the papers in front of him. “All extended absences are continued. Some of you may be aware that Gwythr returned briefly to Earth after apprehending Poppy, but he has gone back to pursuing the course of enquiry for which he left: namely, checking that the originals in other worlds are still law-abiding citizens. He sends his apologies, and in his absence I am once again obliged to stand over this meeting as Acting Chairman. We also have apologies from Mallos, who has agreed to assist Gwythr in tackling the legal enquiries into the larger world of Shaman.”

“He signed the statement with a DNA imprint rather than following correct protocol and using his pendant,” Allianah sniffed to indicate her disapproval of this deviation from the rules.

Nobody else seemed particularly concerned; after all, this type of eccentricity was fairly typical of Mallos. Allianah pursued the matter passionately for a few minutes, pointing out that disregard for any rule could lead to disregard for all rules, but her arguments failed to convince the others who agreed not to reprimand him for his error. She pursed her lips but said no more, accepting the democratic decision even if she didn’t agree with it. Dark-skinned and more elegant than beautiful, she had the regal bearing of a queen and the haughty expression to match. Tsi didn’t doubt the real cause for her complaint; Allianah was a staunch feminist and had made a point of attacking the famously chauvinistic Spaniard at every turn. She probably wouldn’t have objected to such a minor detail if it were committed by a female council member.

Or perhaps not, Tsi thought as he turned his gaze upon the only other woman present: the beautiful Lorraine. Allianah seemed to have nothing but contempt for the only other female originals left – Aura for her past criminal convictions, Lorraine for her spectacularly anti-feministic behaviour. Stunningly pretty with perfect blonde curls and vacant green eyes, she was the only original who kept up to the minute with the latest fashions and took care to always look immaculate. Her habit of swooning into men’s arms, her high-pitched giggles and her inclination towards mindless gossip seemed to disgust Allianah as much as sexist males. Catching Tsi looking at her, she fluttered her long eyelashes at him and smiled with excessive sweetness. Her dove familiar sat prettily on her shoulder, preening its feathers. As far as anyone was aware the familiar had no name and never spoke; it seemed to be more of a pet than an extension of the soul.

Tsi extracted a paper from his pile, carefully avoiding the grinning eye of his closest friend, Zed. Although he was notoriously serious when it came to his job as the Acting High Judge of the Star Chamber, the special court which tried the more powerful members of society, Zed had a delightful sense of humour. He knew better than to make a joke in the middle of council proceedings, but afterward he usually joined Tsi for a cup of sweet Turkish coffee and a bit of light-hearted conversation. Zed’s smile sat handsomely on his deep brown-black face, and he had a rich, booming laugh which lit up the countenances of anyone within a mile of him.

“First item on the agenda,” Tsi continued calmly, “is the second escape of Poppy. I don’t need to point out that her escaping within days of being apprehended is incredibly embarrassing for us, especially since we have no idea where she is now. She may have taken refuge in another world by now, but there’s still a chance she’s lurking around Europe, so we all need to be extra vigilant. Because of the danger she poses to our society, Poppy has taken the place as our number one most wanted. Spread the word amongst fairykind. I have already dispatched a note to Gwythr.”

There was a very pregnant pause as he glanced down at a piece of paper which looked as if it has been well-read and handled. The tension in the room tightened a little. “Item number two. I have received communication from Gwythr. He’s found evidence that one of the originals has broken an ancient law on another world, and sent it on to us.” There was a murmur amongst the council members as he held up a clear plastic sleeve containing several fine strands of sandy brown hair. He couldn’t blame them for their interest, since cases of law-breaking amongst the original fairies are exceedingly rare; the last incident had been Aura’s trial over a thousand years ago. The Star Chamber had been called to use so few times that some have even questioned the point of its existence. “There is another half-and-half, a minor deity, a demi-god, whichever term you prefer to use. DNA never lies. Gwythr has seen the half-and-half in question and has sent this hair as proof to us of the child’s existence.”

“If we have DNA samples,” Zed interrupted, quite forgetting himself in the excitement of the moment, “then surely we know which original committed the crime?”

“We do.” Tsi looked directly into his friend’s eyes. “It’s Aura.”

Silence reigned for a few, long minutes. Tsi saw the shock he’d felt when he’d received the news in the faces of those around him. Lorraine looked even blanker than usual and Allianah was blinking as though she’d just been slapped. Khasekhemwy, the fifth occupant of the room, actually had his mouth dangling open. Unlike the other originals who had become westernised over time, Khasekhemwy had never abandoned his eastern roots; today he was wearing a pale blue jellabiya (Egyptian robe) and a bright saffron turban which concealed his curly black hair well. His colouring was typically Egyptian and he had very large brown eyes with long black lashes that lent him a look which was both endearing and somewhat effeminate. He rarely ventured to offer his opinions, and even when all the others broke out into a loud, jumbled discussion he kept quiet. With everybody speaking over everybody else, it took Tsi a few minutes of shouting to establish some order.

“Aura has the right to defend herself before the Star Chamber,” he began, fixing Allianah with a stern look. Her incoherent dialogue had contained the words ‘villain’ and ‘criminal’ more than once. “Gwythr intends to approach her and invite her back to Earth for the trial, but if she refuses she will have to be apprehended. Gwythr said in his correspondence that he expects a refusal; he believes she has become insane. He says she’s been suffering from paranoia and delusions of persecution – both symptoms of schizophrenia. He suggests that if this is the case, Aura cannot be held accountable for her actions, and should be sectioned rather than imprisoned. He’s prepared to become her guardian.” He lowered the paper and passed it and the plastic sleeve to Zed. “Of course, you are all welcome to read Gwythr’s statement and test the sample yourselves.”

“We cannot just assume that Aura is insane,” Allianah rolled her eyes expressively. “Regardless of her state of mental health – which has yet to be proven either way – she has committed a crime. A repeat offence.”

The whole room turned to Zed, who as Acting High Judge was the ultimate authority on criminal matters. He sat back in his chair, carefully considering the matter, so that by the time he answered the whole room is hanging off of his every word. “Innocent until proven guilty is the policy which has governed the Star Chamber since its creation,” he rumbled in his deep tones. “However, in this case the guilt is proven, and all that remains is to determine the how, the why and the wherefore. Since we have concrete evidence of a criminal act being committed, we can regard the accused as a criminal.”

Tsi took a breath. “All in favour of making Aura our number two most wanted?” A show of hands indicated the council’s support. “Passed. I will send word to Gwythr that Aura is to be immediately apprehended and brought back to Earth for trial. If Aura refuses to return to Earth and Gwythr is unable to apprehend her alone, the council agree to intervene on his behalf?” He counted the hands. “Passed. I will communicate with Gwythr to assure him of the council’s continued support for him. Now, onto item three…”

---


“What ails you, man? Come, come, there’s no time for shilly-shallying; your message will reach Gwythr within the hour.”

At the sound of another’s voice Tsi had jumped, but by the end of the little speech he was smiling. Zed could read his moods as easily as a book. He didn’t need to turn around; the heavy footfalls indicated his friend’s movements, and soon enough Zed joined him on the hotel’s balcony where he’d been looking out at the lights of Cairo. If he couldn’t live in his home country of China, Cairo wasn’t such a bad place to be once one got used to the strange sounds and smells. The last muezzin’s call had faded into darkness, but while this part of the city was settling into quiet, not so far away Cairo’s red light district was just waking up. Despite this hotel’s proximity to the brothels, Tsi always chose to stay here because of all the European and American tourists who passed through, filled to the brim with gossip and news of the world.

He realised he hadn’t answered his friend and turned to smile at the larger man, who returned it in kind. Zed was a patient man and would peacefully wait centuries for someone to open up to him. Unfortunately that was time that they did not have tonight, so with a soft sigh Tsi explained his worries.

“Hmmm,” the large man’s brow crinkled. Zed was well over six foot tall and extremely broad, in stark contrast to Tsi’s 5’5 height and slender limbs. “And you have no solid evidence? Just a feeling?”

“I suppose it just bothers me that I thought I knew Aura, but I obviously don’t.” He sighed again. “I never would have thought her capable of this.”

“Would you have thought Gwythr?”

Tsi looked shocked. “How can you say such a thing? There is no case against Gwythr, no notion – ”

“If you were asked fifteen hundred years ago who you believed would most likely turn against the council and become a criminal,” Zed overrode him with his deep, rumbling tones. “Would you pick Gwythr or Aura?”

Tsi was quiet for a few moments, but when he spoke it was with clear decisiveness. “Gwythr.”

“I can hold the fort here for a few hours. You know what you need to do?”

He nodded. Silently the Acting Chairman melted into the darkness, leaving his friend standing alone on the balcony.


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