Then it faded away, and everyone was silent. King Hum and Orram wore stunned looks on their faces, and it took their eyes a moment to adjust to the fact that the illusion had ended.
“That was one of the lobotomies the Council performs on its meat puppets,” Tera explained. “You just witnessed a young woman having her brain destroyed. For all we know, her body is now walking around Shell City, shopping for fine gowns and jewelry to wear, occupied by the I.I. of some wealthy snob. This is the fate of thousands if the Council isn’t stopped.”
King Hum gestured to Orram, who came to his side and leaned over so the monarch could whisper in his ear. The old adviser nodded, then whispered something back. After a couple of exchanges like this, Orram stepped back to his usual place at the side of Hum’s desk.
“These accusations you’ve made against the Council stand to change my opinion on the matter,” the young king said as if he had rehearsed the line before. “What is your Union’s plan to stop them?”
Tera and Ethan looked at each other. They had struggled to get as far in their pitch, but the hardest work was still ahead of them.
“A full assault on the Pavilion,” Tera said once she realized Ethan wasn’t going to. “Total destruction of the Council.”
“Just like that?” the king asked.
“With your help, of course,” Tera replied. “Our combined strength will attack the Pavilion, the place where the Council resides, while a small team sneaks inside to destroy the hard storage facilities.”
“So your plan to fight criminal violence is with more violence?” King Hum asked. “Are we not to break the cycle?”
“Ideally, yes,” Ethan stepped into the conversation. “But this will have to be the catalyst to do so. We want the forest of prosperity to grow, so to speak — but before that can happen, the old dead wood that’s killing the soil needs to be burned first. The fire may seem violent and tragic, but it precedes vibrant growth and peace.”
King Hum nodded as he considered what the young outsider said.
“You make some very interesting points,” he said. “I thank you for meeting with me and sharing these concerns.”
There was a bit of tense quiet as Ethan and Tera waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, Tera asked, “Does that mean you’ll help us?”
“It means I will think about it,” King Hum said. “As a ruler, my first responsibility to my people is to make reasoned decisions. Your story is tragic and inspires my ire against the Council, but I will not send my people to war on the basis of emotion. Please, give me time to consider your request. Only then can I make a decision.”
With that, the young king nodded to Orram, who moved to the two outsiders. He stretched his arms out as if to corral them towards the door, but he gave them a moment to say farewell.
“Thank you for your time,” Tera said, offering another little bow. Ethan emulated her.
“And you for yours,” King Hum said. “Orram here will escort you back out of the palace. You are welcome to stay in Opes while I consider my next action. In fact, we will be holding a feast tonight in the honor of our guests. It would mean a lot to my people if you could attend.”
Then, like a switch was flicked, the king turned to the stack of papers that sat before him as if he were alone. Orram led Ethan and Tera out of the throne room.
The two outsiders couldn’t help but feel defeated. They both expected the king to leap up in outrage when he saw the lobotomy, to pledge his troops immediately. Instead, they got little more than an automated reply to work with.
“What do you think the chances are of King Hum helping us?” Ethan asked once the great door closed behind them.
Orram led their march over the violet carpet, through the great hall. “I couldn’t say,” Orram replied. “I don’t pretend to know what goes on in our young king’s mind. But I do know one thing — King Hum will decide whatever his heart tells him is right. God will speak to him, and no matter the decision, it will be the right one.”
“You really believe that?” Tera asked.
“With all my being,” Orram said.
A Shell Without a Snail
The town square, which was populated by a variety of market stands mere hours ago, was now packed with people. It reminded Ethan and Tera of the traffic they’d seen prior to the Naming the day before. No one moved into the temple, however, instead gathering around a wooden stage that had been erected at breakneck speed. There were a number of long tables with benches to sit at, like something Ethan pictured in an old-world park. The people started seating themselves wherever they could.
Neither Ethan nor Tera wanted to attend, but they didn’t want to cause offense. They were disheartened by their meeting with the king, but rather than sulk in their empty room, they decided to catch the feast.
Looking around at all the Opesian faces, the two foreigners couldn’t help but feel out of place. They didn’t recognize anyone, naturally, and didn’t want to impose themselves on strangers. Based on the glances Tera was getting, they weren’t too keen about sitting next to a bodyshell either.
They didn’t have long to worry about sitting before a gong sounded at the center of the crowd, where the stage was. It was difficult to see over all the heads, but both Tera and Ethan managed to get a view of King Hum stepping out onto the wooden platform. The people around them started applauding, like the young king was a rock star rather than a monarch. He smiled at his subjects before waving for them to be quiet.
“Thank you all for joining us tonight,” King Hum shouted, his arms spread wide as if he was going to hug
