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Antar in Twilight, Chapter 2 (Excerpt)
Of the Great Races. The Mound of Nût. Atmal of To-ah. Marriage and Other Matters. Raar's nightmares were getting worse. Tonight, he woke up screaming, as he did when his dreams were particularly bad, and cried out for his mother. It had taken Ava over an hour to calm him down. Now the little boy sat on her lap, resting his head on her shoulder. She had her arms around him and was rocking him back and forth, crooning comforting words into his ear. When he finally stopped crying, Ava asked, "Do you want to go back to sleep?" Raar shook his head frantically and clutched his sister a little tighter. "That's all right, then," Ava said. "Do you want to go outside? It's cooler there and we can watch the stars." Raar nodded. Ava led him off the bed and out into the balcony. "Look, Raar!" she exclaimed, raising one hand to point at the sky. "Rym is out tonight." In a small voice, Raar inquired, "Is Mother there?" "Yes, and my mother, too," Ava said softly. "They're watching us right now." Raar, his terror fading, snorted indignantly. "They couldn't see us from all the way out there," he said. "Oh, no?" Ava said, feeling relieved. She knew Raar was recovering when he started challenging the things she said. "Don't you know that everybody who lives in Rym sees through Kell's eyes? And She sees everything, from the farthest moon to the smallest drop of water. Our mothers see us, Raar. We just don't see them." Raar gazed out wistfully at the bright star northwest of the moon Pan. In a sad, faraway voice, he said, "I wish I could see her." "You will," Ava said, stroking his hair gently. "If you remember to be faithful to the gods, and to Kell most of all, Al Senid will take you to Rym and your mother." Raar fell into a contemplative silence. After a while, he asked, "Will the Balari go to Rym when they die?" "Of course," Ava said, trying to conceal her surprise at his question. "Will the Chalu?" "They are as much Antarian as we are," Ava said. "If they are faithful, they will be rewarded in the same way we will be." "Ava?" Raar began hesitantly. "Yes?" "Ina Kesh says the Balari and the Chalu will go to Kaall when they die, because they are wicked," Raar said. "Kesh is a fool, then," Ava said, more vehemently than she'd intended. She'd never gotten along with Raar's nurse, and the Ina's close mindedness was only one reason why. "What makes her think the Balari and the Chalu are wicked?" "They're rebelling against the king," Raar answered instantly. Ava guessed that he'd picked this up from his Ina, too. The rebellion was a delicate matter to teach a child, but Kesh was not renowned for her tact. Ava had warned her many times to stay away from the topic, but she never took orders well from her young mistress. "Raar," Ava said, wondering how she would explain all this to him, "do you know why all our kings are of the Ataur and not the other peoples?" "No," Raar said. He seemed to be embarrassed for not knowing. "Do you want to know?" "Yes," Raar said quickly. Ava had to smile at this. She could always count on his curiosity to make him forget his grief. She led him to a chair by the balcony and sat him down. She then took her place on the floor, so that their faces were level with each other. She noticed that there was no trace of tears in his eyes anymore, only eager anticipation. Raar loved her stories, as much as she loved their father's. She cleared her throat and began: "Thousands of years ago, Antar was not yet a united kingdom. The people were divided into a hundred different races that lived all over the world. These races lived in separate countries, and each one governed itself." "Governed itself?" Raar echoed. The idea was alien to him. "It means that there was no one king to rule over all the people, like there is now," Ava explained. "There were many kings, then," Raar concluded. "Yes, there were kings of a sort," Ava said. "But they weren't content with what they had. They fought with each other for land and riches. The victorious races assimilated those they conquered and interbred with them. So it was that the hundred races became a few hybridized peoples. After three hundred years of war, there were only three great races left: the Ataur, from which you and I came, the Balari and the Chalu. For a time, they agreed to stop fighting and try to live in peace in their own realms, for they knew no more good could come out of war. But the Balari envied the riches of the Chalu and Ataur. They broke the peace and made war on the Chalu, overwhelming them with their vast armies. Many of the Chalu fled to the realm of the Ataur and swore allegiance to them for their protection. The two joined forces and together crushed the Balari. Those who resisted were killed and those who surrendered were made to pledge their service and loyalty to the Ataur." "So the Ataur became rulers over the Balari and the Chalu?" Raar asked, looking triumphant. "Yes," Ava said. "The Royal House of the Ataur ruled Antar in peace for many thousands of years, and in all that time both the Balari and the Chalu stayed true to their sovereigns. But now..." She trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. "But now?" Raar prompted. Ava hesitated, and then went on, saying, "The Royal House of Antar, though noble, is still made up of people, and no person is without flaws and weaknesses. You know this, don't you?" Raar nodded slowly, sensing now that something disagreeable was about to be said of his people. "Many of the rulers that preceded King Nekuul, King Vid's father, were self-centered and greedy. They forgot that they, as kings, belonged to their people. They began to look after their interests alone. They neglected their subjects in pursuit of personal gain. As a result, many people suffered, the Balari worst of all. Their hardships stirred up anger in their hearts. Now they refuse to follow the leadership of the Ataur. They believe that the people of Antar should be allowed to choose their own leader, one who will not abandon them and allow them to be poor and go hungry as King Nekuul's predecessors did. "Do you see now why the Balari fight? Why a great number of the Chalu take up their cause?" "But..." Raar bit his lip, seeming to be torn in two. "But Father says that rebelling against authority is a bad thing." "Sometimes it is," Ava said softly. "Sometimes it is also necessary to make the authorities see the wrongs they're inflicting." "Does Prince Zan see now?" Raar asked. Ava smiled tenderly at him. "He sees, as his father did, and his grandsire," she answered. "They've tried --- they're trying still to make up for the mistakes of the kings that went before them." "Is it working?" "Not everybody accepts their aid," Ava said. "Many people think that it is too late to make peace now, and the damage is everlasting. They say that the fighting can only end when one side achieves total victory over the other." Raar chewed on his bottom lip for a while, thinking the situation over. Finally, he looked at his sister and asked, "What do you think?" Ava shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I don't know what's to happen." "Whose side are you on, then?" Ava grinned at Raar's demanding tone. "I am on the side of the Royal House," she answered. "I understand what moves the rebels to fight, but I don't agree with their choice to turn away Zan's open hand in favor of an insurrection. War is rarely a good thing, for anyone involved. Think on that, Raar, son of Sabor. But think on it while you sleep." Before Raar could object, Ava held up her hand and added, "Tomorrow is Prince Zan's coronation. We must get up early to attend." With a heavy sigh, Raar took Ava's hand and allowed her to lead him back to bed. "Good night," she said. She touched her fingertips to his forehead, infusing his mind with happy memories. She hoped it would be enough to banish the nightmares for the rest of the night. |
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