Chapter 9: Chapter 9
CHAPTER EIGHT
Brigadier General Dathan was on a visit to the palace when he heard about King Liam’s sickness. He was surprised when he saw that the king was a ghost of his former self. King Liam who had grown so lean could neither talk nor recognize anybody again.
“This kind of sickness is strange.” Brigadier General Dathan wondered worriedly, “What could have warranted this?” He turned to Queen Celandine, “I will summon a very reputable medical doctor from Kubuma to come and see him and if he recommends, we will take him to Kubuma.”
“We took him to the health centre here, but the doctors couldn’t diagnose what was wrong with him, that was why we brought him back after spending three weeks in the centre.” She answered anxiously,
“That means there must be more to it than meet the ordinary eye...”
“His bastard son is responsible; he even attempted to kill Prince Amadeus and take over the throne.” Queen Celandine reported maliciously, interrupting him. “The evil boy instigated some youths and staged a protest against the throne.”
“Is that so?” Brigadier General Dathan asked with surprise, “That aside, why have you people stopped my monthly allocation?”
“My Prince, I am so grateful that you are here in person, we have spent so much on the king’s health and still no result. This is affecting the royal purse, that was why we increased the taxes, but that bastard instigated the community to flaunt the royal orders.” Queen Celandine explained tentatively,
“This is a result of disobedience; I warned Liam against associating with the boy’s mother many years ago when he came to me to help intervene in her family problem and he promised he won’t engage in any amorous relationship with her, that he just wanted her to be happy.”
“He impregnated her; the result of the pregnancy is what is giving us headache now.” She lamented bitterly, “I’m confused, I would have thrown the boy and his rebellious friends to the evil forest to be eaten by wild animals, but I don’t want to be seen as a wicked queen and more so because my husband is not feeling fine.”
“What they did is a treasonable felony, and it must be treated as such!” Brigadier General Dathan insisted, “You shouldn’t condone that, and I will not joke with my monthly allocation that was why I don’t engage in a power tussle with Liam...”
She shrugged her shoulders, “Prince Dathan, you know I always deliver your allocations to you regularly but the king’s sickness kind of constitutes constrain on our resources and also help put the bastard away forever so that things can go smoothly.”
“I think I have a solution, since they are good at being rebellious, I have a foreign friend whose government is being threatened by rebel soldiers. He needs assistance to help restore peace in his country and dislodge the rebel forces.”
Queen Celandine could not believe her ears as she moved closer to the general to hear well, “Please, can you explain in detail?”
“I attended a training course at the Kubuma Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (KIPSS) some years back with some foreign nationals, this course included military personnel and some highly placed civilians in government and private establishments. It was during the course that I made friends with Dr. Marston Dave, from the republic of Nunetiman, by then he was the country’s minister of finance. After the course, we maintained steady contact to the extent that he informed me when he wanted to give the presidency a shot and I encouraged him. As God would have it, he won and I even attended his inauguration but two years into his administration some young soldiers supported by Dr. Marston’s minister of Defence, General Gazagaza staged a phantom coup and ousted the government. He killed the Chief of Army staff who opposed the coup. What was their excuse? They said they were not comfortable with the level of corruption among the political elites and some of his economic policies which were improvising the common citizens and enriching the cronies of the ousted president. He ran to Kubuma to meet the president who invited the minister of defence and me to a secret meeting. The president placed a call to the head of the junta, General Gazagaza who warned our president not to interfere in the domestic affairs of another country. They asked President Marston to return to the country with immediate effect and answer for his crimes of corruption and because of that many of his ministers were arrested and thrown into jail. His wife and daughter were placed under house arrest. The irony of it all was that since Gazagaza took over, the people have been protesting and rioting, asking that President Marston should be restored to power, but the military was not taking it as they rolled out their tanks to the major streets, arresting raping, looting, and beating up the people so, in a nutshell, there is chaos in the republic of Nunetiman right now.”
“It is quite pathetic...” she sighed, “So, what was the outcome of the secret meeting?”
“After extensive discussions and deliberations, the president agreed that military takeover of the democratically elected government was not an option. He said we should set up a special force to go and restore peace in the republic of Nunetiman. The military boys must be dislodged, and President Marston must return to power. I was given the task of assembling able-bodied young men for the task.”
“Abeonego comes highly recommended because he had led Kuburin to war before; he is very brave and a good wrestler.” Queen Celandine said with her face beaming. She remembered the discussion she had with the priest who had been working for her in the capital city of Kambam. It was the same priest who laced the palm wine Prince Amadeus gave to Prince Abeonego when his wife gave birth with the evil concoction. She had gone to see the priest after Prince Abeonego refused to die according to what she was told. “You told me he would misbehave which he is currently exhibiting then seven weeks after, he would commit suicide due to frustration, but this is twelve weeks after, he is still waxing stronger.”
The priest stared at Queen Celandine with astonishment and made some consultations, “The Prince’s spirit is very strong,” he declared flatly,
“Priest, I know there is no impossibility with you; I want Prince Abeonego out of the way, he is a nuisance and parasite in my family. If you can do this, I promise to reward you handsomely,”
The priest grinned broadly and nodded with understanding, “Can you send him on a journey?”
It was the turn of the queen to stare at the priest, “I don’t understand?”
“As I said earlier, the prince’s spirit is very strong, he cannot be killed in the land of Kuburin except by natural course; the forces guarding him are powerful. I can attack him outside the land, and I assure you he won’t come back alive.”
She pondered over it for some seconds, “I will think of something…”
“You cannot compare inter-ethnic clashes with international warfare; this requires sophisticated military weapons and a high display of professionalism.” Brigadier General Dathan broke into her reverie,
She nodded her head in agreement as a wicked smile lurk at the corner of her mouth, “They are going to be considered for the operation; they might make it and they might not make it?” with the assurance from the priest, she knew they will not make it.
“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying, Kubuma government needs soldiers to go for the secret missions. They would be trained for seven months and send out so it is a better way of doing away with them instead of executing them and if they make it, I think it is a better way for them to redeem themselves because they would become heroes and given national awards by Kubuma government and I’m sure if President Marston can get his mandate back, he would surely honour them too.”
Queen Celandine could not help beaming the more, “My prayers have been answered at last; Abeonego cannot survive this.” She thought happily. “You have my express permission to take all of them, I’m sure my husband would be happy with you.”
“It is okay, I will inform my superiors and they will take necessary actions.”
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Nathan invited a doctor from Kubuma as he promised. The doctor came and examined King Liam and said nothing was wrong with King Liam medically. He was advised to seek orthodox methods.
●●●
Two nights later, the council of elders met at the chief priest’s house on his summoned, “My fellow elders, I summon this meeting for us to discuss on the way forward in our kingdom. I am sure we all know things are going the wrong way day by day especially from the head which is a vital part of the body. The head, I am referring to here is the king. If the head is faulty, can the whole-body function normally? There is a fire in the palace, first is the king who is seriously sick, the throne has been hijacked by the queen and her son who have turned Prince Abeonego into an enemy. We as elders cannot fold our hands and allow things to degenerate to a level which cannot be managed again.”
Elder Obsem cleared his throat to speak, “I understand you perfectly, Abeonego whom people looked up to as a role model has failed woefully; he beats his wife at will, he is a drunkard, and he even instigates the people against the throne.”
“The instigation was for a noble course. Was it not?” Elder Iglesias interrupted briskly,
“I will not mince words to say what is on my mind; I don’t like the way the kingdom is being governed, how can the queen and her son wake up one morning and impose new tax measures without consulting the council of elders?” Elder Didier asked angrily, “I must say it here and now that decision will not stand unless the right channel is duly followed!”
“Didier, take it easy, this is not the time to verge annoyance or apportion blames but to seek for solution. So many things have gone wrong, but we believe the gods are not asleep.” Another elder said calmly,
“What is wrong with our king?” Elder Obsem asked rhetorically, “I cannot remember when a king has been sick like this in this kingdom, and we couldn’t find a solution. I am aware that several medical doctors have been invited and they could not diagnose what was wrong with him talk more of treating him. Herbal methods also have failed woefully.” He stared at the chief priest, “You are the chief priest of the land; you commune with the gods, so please, help us unravel this conundrum, or is that not why you summon this meeting?”
There was a moment of silence as the six elders all nodded in total agreement to what Elder Obsem said, each pondered meditatively and waited for the chief priest who had his head facing the floor as if studying the ants which passed by without the fear of the danger lurking around. It must have been like an eternity before he cleared his throat to speak. “My fellow elders, it is true, I commune with the gods but what they told me was that our king’s sickness was not ordinary, but they didn’t reveal who was behind it. They said in due time everything would be made open. Abeonego has been chosen as the next heir to the throne.”
The announcement of Abeonego elicited reactions among the elders and they started talking among themselves with some saying how can an irresponsible man presides over the affairs of a great kingdom.
“You have all forgotten that without the bravery of this ‘irresponsible man’ this kingdom would have been a thing of the past? We would all have been taken as slaves by the Kambam people. Abeonego would lead this kingdom to more greatness, according to what the gods told me.”
“How can this be, considering the circumstance that surrounded his birth?” Elder Iglesias asked with disdain,
“Don’t even go there, Iglesias, was it his fault?” Elder Obsem asked defensively “Cynthia was coerced into a relationship she didn’t want. The prince as he was known then was warned severally of the daring consequence of his action, but he chose to follow his lust. Abeonego is indeed a special child. I have nothing against the poor boy. My prayer is, let the will of the gods be done.”
“Chief Priest, how would this be possible considering that he would soon leave this country to go to war in another country?” Elder Didier asked worriedly.
“That is a matter for the gods; all that is happening to him now are mere conspiracy to prepare him for greatness. He is the chosen one...” the chief priest declared, “I will advise us to watch events as they unfold, if the queen and her son invite you for deliberation, attend and speak the truth, no matter whose ox is gored. If they did not invite you, stay in your house and leave the matter to the gods. They own the kingdom, and they will not allow it to crumble. I have spoken!”
“It is okay, we pray they won’t kill us all before the gods would act.” Elder Iglesias quipped as the chief priest call his two teenage daughters to serve the elders the food they prepared for the occasion. They ate merrily before they bid one another good night.