local settlement date 35,988
When you sense the truth, you will want to hide under the blanket of the nearest lie.
King Namor Zujahrah
03 letter to barbaralba
"That's enough fish for today, Barbaralba."
Barbaralba smiled up at Russam and threw her last three fish up on their floating island.
They had spent the night on the island to avoid talking to tax collectors. Since Russam and his woman Juel had Barbaralba to take care of, Russam made it his first objective to keep their angel away from and a secret from the tax collectors.
"I'll just swim along the reef a ways, then I'll come up and help you."
"Take your time, Angel."
Barbaralba passed Russam her bow and files then slid under the surface and swam among the fish along the reef. The sun danced on the gentle waves and made a show of colours on the many sea plants and creatures.
When she came up for air she saw Russam watching for her. Smiling like he always did. Happy to see her again even when she was gone only long enough to shoot some fish. He was pointing to the sky.
Barbaralba looked up to see the great white bird. It seemed to be motionless. Floating along the surface.
Looking for fish some times.
Barbaralba swam back to Russam and would have taken her knife to start cleaning fish but Russam was waiting to say something.
"What is it, Russam."
"It's a letter."
Russam pulled a letter out of his bag and held it out to Barbaralba.
"My name is on it."
"It's a letter for you. Zauqir brought it."
Barbaralba remembered seeing Zauqir. He often came for fish and sometimes even stayed to eat with them. Russam liked to smoke with him and talk about many things. Barbaralba did not usually pay attention. Sometimes they went to the village inn to drink brew and talk with others who cared to talk about the tax collectors, gods and the world.
"You read it. I can finish the fish."
Barbaralba sat with her feet in the water and opened the letter.
Dear Barbaralba:
I've tried to write you a letter for a long time but was so uncertain what to tell you. I wanted you to enjoy your youth without thinking about tax collectors and castle city. Your father was a tax collector. I killed him. They killed my family and took my sister. After he raped me, I killed him.
I had to learn to act like I enjoyed being raped to enjoy the comforts some Draves enjoy in Castle City. Still I wish I hadn't let them bring me here. I thought I had no choice.
But it is better to stay out on the water when they come. It is best to never see a tax collector or Castle City.
The Castle is full of Kings and Queens doing royal family things. None of it seems at all royal to a Drave. Most all they do is wasteful and abusive.
They like to feed on our fear.
They don't allow us to talk to them. That's among the highest crimes.
There is something very strange about them. They have been trapped in Castle City and know nothing beyond it.
Some of your friends will believe they want to come here to have a better life. It is not better. The ocean is a good life. One day I'll see it again. Russam, Juel and you.
Don't ever let them take you Barbaralba.
I'm sorry I can't give you anything more than a letter.
Love Your Mother.
"Russam. I've got another mother."
"You look like she did when she was your age. She sat with me here sometimes and talked about many things."
"What is her name."
"Alana."
"Why have you never told me of her."
"It was her request."
Barbaralba tried to imagine weather or not she felt different knowing her mother killed her father. After her father had raped her. Barbaralba could see why her mother would keep herself a secret.
"Barbaralba. She wanted you to be old enough before she told you."
"She doesn't want me to go to Castle City."
"No mother of a Drave would want her child to go to Castle City."
"Have you been there."
"I've been there. I was taken there."
"Some of my friends want to go there."
"They haven't been there."
"My mother Alana doesn't like it there. She wants to come back to the ocean."
"She was a great fisher, like you."
"I'm a great fisher."
"I don't believe there was one ever better than you."
Barbaralba smiled and decided to clean a few fish. The fish entrails were going to be used to catch a greedy shark. The waste would bate a shark. Russam would drive a sharp spear through it. The shark would thrash around until it was dead then they would load their boat and return to shore.
"I've never had a letter before."
"Your mother is the only person you know who doesn't live close enough to come for an afternoon visit."
"I guess that's true. How does a letter get from Castle City to me."
"Zauqir brings it. I give him some fish."
"You always give him fish."
"He brings me other things."
"Like smoke."
"Like fine smoke."
"Does he go into Castle City."
"No one goes to Castle City once they have been there. Any city Drave would bring your mother's letter to an outside door."
"How many people live in Castle City."
"Two, maybe three million. It is farther around the Castle than it is from here to the Castle."
"Is that true."
"No, but it feels like it when you are next to it. The top of the mountain it's built around disappears into the sky.
"How high is the sky."
Barbaralba looked up to see if she could see where the sky ended.
"Why do the tax collectors take so much of our fish and bring nothing in return."
"They bring us fear. That's what they do. They come armed with swords. They do and take what they want and cut us down for any reason at all."
"And if we fight them."
"Then you are fighting the royal family. No one fights the royal family. It is a serious crime."
"Who made it a crime."
"Well, the royal family, obviously."
"Why did we allow it."
"That you will have to ask someone who knows deep into the past."
"Where do I find someone like that."
"I don't know. Barbaralba. Such a person would have to have the stories of the ancestors. Stories that old, they tend to fade away into fables. But maybe there are still a few old books. Maybe someone has one or two. Maybe they understand the stories. I would like to meet such a person."
"The royal family will have the story."
"They won't want anyone outside the castle to have it."
"They can't keep it from us, Russam. I want to know why they are royal over the rest of us and why they can kill my family."
Barbaralba looked at Russam.
"They have had the power over us since before any of our stories."
"Then it is time we changed the stories."
"Well, I agree. No one I know would disagree."
"Then what are we waiting for."
"Maybe for the woman called Barbaralba. Queen of the fish."
Barbaralba smiled at Russam and tossed the fish guts into the water.
"Take up your spear, Russam. Kill a shark."
chapter 04
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