[Danny]

only one? *sigh* oh well, getting better...

okay, here's a mudokon king. i know this is almost certainly totally inaccurate, but what the hell, i've seen worse...

CHAPTER 47

The Nest Building was huge. It was by far the biggest building in the village, and the only one Jal had seen that was at least partially constructed from stone. Coincidentally, it was also the oldest looking building, making Jal wonder if the skill of stoneworking had been lost over the years. If it had, he mused, it was merely one symptom of the decay that was occurring throughout Mudos. A decay, he reminded himself, that they were about to attempt to turn back.

He glanced to his left, at Arim, who was fuming silently at the mere suggestion of cooperation with sligs. Int, on his right, was staring fixedly at the only entrance to the Nest Building, which Bil had walked into only ten minutes previously. Jal wondered what Int was thinking. He looked worried, but whether he was worried for the sligs or worried about the upcoming battle, it was hard to tell.

Looking around, Jal saw some children playing on a rock, laughing unselfconsciously. He thought he recognised some of them as Bil and Ana’s children, but he couldn’t really remember what they looked like. He wondered what would happen to them. Whether the attack on the factory was successful or not, life wouldn’t be the same any more. If they were lucky, things would change for the better, but it would be too much to ask to have no casualties. Bil and Ana might be killed, and then where would their children be? Int would probably look after them, but what if the factory’s forces organised a counterattack on the village? If all the warriors died in the attack, who would defend the village? No, he shouldn’t think like that. They were going to succeed, they would win.

Something was happening; Jal felt Arim and Int standing next to him. He stood as well, and saw the curtains in the doorway parting. Bil strode out, and held the curtain aside while another figure ducked under the lintel, then straightened. The mudokon was tall, at least a foot taller than Bil, and wore long robes. Its skin was a very light shade of green, and Jal guessed that it didn’t get out in the sunlight much.

Bil cleared his throat. “Mat, may I introduce Jal, the newcomer. The friend of the sligs.”

A slight smile, almost unnoticeable, played on Mat’s lips. He strode forward until he stood over Jal. It was strange. Although Mat wasn’t that much taller than Jal, he had a bearing that suggested that Jal was very small and insignificant beside him. He studied Jal as if he were studying a laboratory specimen. Eventually, he placed a hand on Jal’s shoulder. “Come,” he said, tonelessly, and turned to walk back into the Nest Building. Jal stood uncertainly, but then saw Bil’s frantic gestures to follow Mat, so he hurried to catch up with the tall king. He had the presence of mind to hold the curtains open while Mat walked in.

Jal found himself in a kind of anteroom, with a few chairs and wall decorations, but little else. As soon as Jal let the curtains drop, Mat visibly sagged, suddenly seeming very small indeed. He sat unsteadily on a chair, and motioned for Jal to sit beside him.

“Sorry about that,” he sighed, “I have to keep up appearances. It’s hard to stay regal at times like these.”

“Sorry for what?”

“For looking down on you like that. It’s just that it’s what people expect.” Mat closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Got a headache now. Not used to the light.”

Jal cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Have you given any thought as to whether or not to cooperate with the sligs?”

Mat said nothing for a while, just holding his head in his hands. “You don’t understand how hard these decisions are for us. Normally they don’t bother to consult us about anything. We’re just functional. They think that, as long as we don’t ask them to have children, they don’t ask us for advice. So when they do ask us, it’s when it’s vitally important. You can’t imagine the pressure on me here. Ulis does most of the decision-making – after all, who’d argue with her? – but I’m the one who has to tell them. And what if they don’t like the decision? What happens then? Do they go along with us anyway, or do they just do what they like?” He fell silent. “There hasn’t been an issue this contentious brought before us for a long time. Usually the decisions they bring before us are decisions that they already know the solutions to, but don’t like it, so they want us to tell them to do it, to absolve them of responsibility. But this issue has divided the community, and whatever we say, we’ll alienate half of the village.”

There was a long pause. Mat seemed to be waiting for Jal to say something, so Jal cleared his throat. “If you’d met some of these sligs, you wouldn’t hesitate. I trust them with my life. During Abe’s assault on the Soulstorm Brewery, I lost my arm while Abe was trying to get me to safety. Abe and his companions left me for dead, but two sligs risked their lives to get me back to safety and to conceal me until we could escape. Both of those sligs are now being held prisoner until you decide what to do with them. I trust them implicitly, and there are many others like them.” Mat remained silent, looking at his feet, so Jal continued: “The tribe can’t win this battle on its own. We’d be outnumbered and outgunned. If we join forces with the slig workers in the factory and the logging operation, we’d double our own forces at the cost of the enemy’s.”

Mat nodded. Jal could see tears in his eyes. He looked up. “You realise that this will not be a popular decision? I hope we don’t lose anyone here, but from what I’ve heard, there might be a few deserters if I make this decision.”

Mat was looking strangely small and lost. Jal put his hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be worth it. It’s the right decision.”

Something seemed to click within Mat, and he stood, regaining his air of regality. Drawing a deep breath, he strode out through the Nest doorway to announce his decision. Jal watched him go with the utmost sympathy. At that moment Jal wouldn’t have wanted to be King for the world.