Chapter 14 from AO
“I called you to this secret meeting to discuss what we can do to thwart AO’s promise to rescue Shana from our power.”
It was hard to tell exactly how many there were in the chamber, or how large it was, or even who “you” was. There were only one or two torches on one wall, and their whitish yellowish bluish flames added to the eeriness of the chamber.
“You mean to tell me there is any question what we have to do to her?”
“Get to…are allowed to do to her.”
“Ah, the rules. Damn the rules.”
“The rules must be obeyed.”
“Pshaw. AO seldom plays totally by the rules. Why should we be bound to the rules that AO bends at will?”
“Are you as crazy as you sound?”
“We began as a rebellion, if I must remind you.”
There was a murmur of agreement.
“AO does not even play fair. We have no idea what all he has told Shana, or Alex, for that matter.”
“We have what we have over heard.”
“Yes, but there is no way we can even pretend we have heard everything that has gone on between them. AO has his ways that are far beyond us.”
“Do you HAVE to remind us of that…that…fact?”
“I am not sure I have much choice.”
“Pshaw. You are right and we all know it.”
“M’lord, a word in private?”
“Does it pertain?”
“Very much, m’lord.”
The two left the chamber momentarily. When they returned, both were livid… almost energized. Their eyes gleamed, or smoldered.
“M’lords, we have a plan!”
“A plan?”
“Is it better than the last time you had a plan?”
“The last time I had a plan?”
There were snarls and jeers from all around the chamber.
“Allow me to remind you that I called this meeting.”
“AND the last time you, or any of us had a plan of any count it played right into the schemes of the great One.”
“Why do you refer to him like that?”
“My hatred of him, my rebellion against him, my total disdain of him does not in the slightest blind me to who he is.”
There was a thunderous, loud silence.
“M’lord?”
“Continue.”
“I know him. I fear him. I hate him.”
“As do we all.”
“If possible, we must kill him.”
“We did that once…at least, we tried.”
“Yes, of course.”
“But does this present round of his friends, ahem, siblings, know this?”
“Based on the evidence, no.”
“NO?!”
The thundered question reverberated in the chamber.
“Do we know?”
“Not precisely, M’lord. You know as well as all of us that we have to use faulty intelligence at best.”
“I know.”
“And the evidence?”
“It appears that this round of friends is just about as clueless as any.”
“That being established, what do they know about AO?”
“From all appearances, not very much, M’lord.”
“Do they know anything about him?”
“What, specifically are you asking?”
“Do they know that he appears in dreams, at will?”
“That is unclear. But I would propose that we act as if they do.”
“I disagree, M’lord.”
“On what grounds?”
“There is no evidence that any of them have ever had AO appear to them in a vision or dream.”
“At least, that you know about.”
“Are you implying…?”
“That YOU do?”
“I am implying that AO refuses to play fair. WE try to make certain he is out of sight when we appear to anyone.”
The others in the chamber indicated their unwilling assent. They all knew it was true, liked or not.
“What ARE you implying, then?”
“I am implying,” he said this slowly, deliberately, “I am implying that AO has appeared to any or all of them when we have been absent.”
“But we do not absolutely know this.”
“We have to assume that this is true.”
“But we also do not know, so we have to assume, in my opinion, that he hasn’t appeared to them, that he has not told them much about himself, and that they have little, or no faith in him.”
“That is the assumption of a fool!”
“It is an assumption, and a risk that we are forced to take!”
“Shall we put this foolish proposition to a vote, m’lords?”
“Since it is, in your judgment, so foolish, I move that you give your recommendation. Do you have a better plan?”
“M’lord, I am sorry, but I do not.”
“That is exactly what I thought.”
“Yes, m’Lord.”
“Since we do not have much time, we are forced to pursue the risky course of proceeding as if AO’s friends know next to nothing about him.”
The chamber grew quiet.
“We have to break what little faith Alex and Shana have in AO. I am not sure if we can actually KILL AO.” He paused. “But I am reasonably sure that we can arrange to, ahem, have Shana, ahem, disposed of, in an, er, interesting manner.”
“Even if such is technically illegal?”
“Precisely BECAUSE it is illegal!”
“How can you…what are you trying to do?”
Their chief stood to his feet and spread his caped arms wide. “I am trying to start… a war!”
“A war?!”
“I am going to draw AO out and pick a fight and break AO’s heart and, yes, start a war.”
“Don’t you remember what happened the last time?”
“Listen, yes, I do, but you are forgetting.”
“Forgetting?”
“We know. AO knows. We can’t forget. AO probably never will forget.” He paused to catch his breath. “We can only hope, and assume, as the evidence suggests, that AO’s feeble minded, feeble hearted friends have forgotten!”
“Again, that is a fool’s hope.”
“It is our only hope.”
“It does mean, however, that we have something to do.”
“It also means that this counsel is dismissed?”
“Has anything been decided?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Are you dense or are you being truly sarcastic?”
“What has been decided?”
“We… we have to kill AO. Failing that, we need to mutilate any hope or faith that his friends have in him.”
“And, how will we do that, exactly?”
“Do you have to know how, or will you accept it when you have proof of the deed on the floor in front of you?”
“We do not have time on our side. The technicalities will have to be dispensed with in order to have the needed results.”
“So it will be done?”
“Yes, M’Lord.
“Then, in the name of the destruction of everything that AO and the Great King hold dear, be gone and see to it!”
How “it” would be done, none of those in the council chamber knew exactly. They did not even know if it could be done. They only knew it must be done.
