Finn
Everyone wanted to meet Athena, and hear about her role as a priestess. Some of the youngest children asked if they could touch her tattoos. It was easy to see that Athena was comfortable with children and used to being around them.
Kya was excited to have the company, and kept bringing her more food and drinks.
“Christina was here earlier, hoping to meet you,” she said. “But you were sleeping for so long. Now that she’s pregnant she gets so tired at night. She’ll be back tomorrow though.”
“Finn.” Kya pinned me with a worried glance. “How long can you stay? We only have a minimum of damage, but the roof is leaking and I was hoping that you, Archer, and Marco could repair it tomorrow morning.” She looked up at the ceiling. “I would’ve asked Alexander, but Khan called him and Magni to the Gray Mansion.”
“I know, he called for me too.”
Athena’s glass of water stalled midair when she froze, and asked me, “You’re not leaving us here, are you?”
I looked in the direction of Tristan, who was glowing with excitement and speaking with new friends.
“Not tonight,” I said. “But tomorrow, I have to go and help Khan.”
“With what?” Athena asked.
“I’m one of his advisers and there’s a war brewing.”
Her eyes grew to double size, and she swallowed hard. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hang on.” Kya placed a hand on my arm, before she clapped her hands. “Time for bed,” she called to the children. “Boys, Tristan will sleep with you tonight.”
“Where? We don’t have an extra bed in our room,” Sultan, one of the youngest children, pointed out.”
“Then be resourceful,” Marco, who was one of the two assisting teachers, said with a smile.
“I’m not sharing my bunk bed,” someone complained.
“Then I guess you’ll have to consult the Oracle,” Marco teased and turned to the other assistant teacher, Shelly, who was only fifteen but a genius. “What do you say, oh wise one? Do you have a solution for the boys?”
Shelly was obviously used to being mocked because she didn’t even hesitate. “I’m on night duty, so I’m sleeping here. You can take the mattress from my cabin.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Marco teased when Tristan, Storm, and Solo got up. “You can always count on the Oracle to come up with a genius solution.”
Shelly shot him an annoyed glance. “I wish you would stop pointing out that I’m a genius. How would you like it if I pointed out constantly that you’re not?”
While talking, Marco and Shelly were performing the nightly rituals, helping the children clean up the dining room.
“You know, Shelly,” Marco said with a grin. “I'd like to see things from your point of view but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass.”
I was just about to ask him to be nice to Shelly, but she gave her comeback before I got a chance to open my mouth. “That’s nice, Marco, keep talking, and maybe someday you'll say something intelligent!”
When the door closed behind them, only Archer, Kya, Athena, and I were left.
“Okay, now we can talk,” Kya said. “So explain yourself, Finn – what did you mean when you said a war is brewing?”
Archer and I exchanged a look. He knew what I was talking about, and the fact that the women hadn’t figured it out by themselves spoke volumes about their pacifistic mindset.
“Khan is going to be under a lot of pressure,” I started out. “Our nation has been waiting for something like this to happen and now that the border has partly collapsed, it’s our chance to knock it down and take back the power that has been denied men for centuries.”
Athena and Kya were speechless, but the shoulders and eyebrows of both sagged downward.
“The only thing stopping us from invasion at this point is Pearl.”
“Pearl?” Athena said. “Because Khan listens to her?”
Archer nodded. “Khan knows that going to war against the Motherlands will cost him his marriage, and that’s why he’s hesitating.”
Kya’s voice was shaking when she spoke. “Well, you can tell him that all we Motlander women stand behind Pearl. If you invade the Motherlands, we’ll never forgive you. And we won’t be able to stay here.”
Archer jerked back. “That’s not fair. I can’t decide what Khan does, so why would you leave me because of a decision he makes?”
“Not just me; Christina, Raven, and all the children too. We’ll all leave the Northlands!” Kya had tears in her eyes when she raised her hand and pointed at me. “Finn, I know Khan listens to you and Boulder, so you two had better convince him to stay out of the Motherlands.”
“I don’t think you understand. Khan is either going to war for or against the Motherlands.”
“What?” Kya shook her head. “But he’s the ruler; whatever the Northlands does is up to him.”
“Tens if not hundreds of thousands of Nmen are going to see that differently. If he sits back, and lets the Motherlands rebuild the wall, he’ll be lynched in a week.”
“But, but…” Kya was unable to form a coherent sentence.
“The only option is negotiations,” Athena said. “A compromise must be made.”
“Exactly! That is why Khan wants his advisers around him. A few hours ago, he and Pearl sent out a message to everyone in the country, pleading for them to stay calm.”
“Can we see it?” Kya asked.
I played the video for them, my wristband projecting the clip with Khan and Pearl standing side-by-side with stern expressions.
“Today a devastating earthquake occurred,” Khan said. “We are lucky that no one was killed on our side of the border. The Motherlands however are suffering. Thousands are now homeless and precious lives have been lost.” Khan lowered his brows. “I’m aware that parts of the border between our nations have collapsed, and for those of you planning to cross the border, I want to say this. The Motherlands are not defenseless and the men who crossed the border today have all been captured.”
Khan squared his shoulders. “As you all know, a slow progress of integration between the Motherlands and the Northlands has already begun. Many have suggested to me that this earthquake is the perfect opportunity for the Northlands to occupy the Motherlands, but do we really want to take something by force that we might be able to get willingly, if we show patience?”
Pearl’s clear blue eyes looked straight at the camera when she spoke. “This is not a time to stab a wounded neighbor, but a time to show humanity, civility, and grace.” She paused and added. “I have battled in the Motherlands Council, and challenged all the rumors that flourish in the Motherlands about Nmen being brutal monsters. I have argued that you are good and proud men with a high level of integrity and honor. What you do in this time of crisis for the Motherlands will determine whether I was right.”
Khan took his turn. “We are now in a position to make demands that will speed up the integration process, and I’m urging you to stay calm and do nothing while I do what is best for our nation.”
The video ended, and silence filled the dining room.
“Do you think your people will listen?” Athena asked me.
“I’m hoping so, but many are desperate and they want a piece of the pie right now.” I sighed. “Magni and his troops are going to be busy patrolling the borders and guarding the Gray Mansion. All we can hope for is that the negotiations with the Council of the Motherlands go well and that Khan will have enough promises to calm down the rebels.”
“He’s going to need a lot more than promises,” Archer said. “He has to show them women, and lots of them.”
“What about all the women who want to marry an Nman?” Athena asked. “We saw them on the news.”
I squirmed in my seat. “Yeah, well, unfortunately the Council is refusing to let them come here. They insist on screening the women, and I think that means talking them out of it.”
“I’m not sure that’s a bad thing,” Athena said and lowered her brow. “Some of those women seemed a little unstable.”
Archer snorted. “The Council is afraid that we’ll grow in numbers if we get too many women who can give us children.”
“True,” Athena nodded. “As long as you represent a danger to the Motherlands they would be careless to let you grow in numbers.”
I leaned back and crossed my arms. “The wall’s collapsing changes everything, though. I spoke to Magni, and with all the Nmen who crossed the border today, we now know exactly what kind of defense system the Motherlands have. It’s effective, but Magni says it’s got some weaknesses that we could explore, and that the Council must be aware of it by now. That should have them nervous, don’t you think?”
Athena and Kya exchanged a worrisome glance.
“Let me put it this way,” I said. “Nobody wants a war, but that wall is coming down sooner or later, and since it’s already collapsed in places sooner seems to be the case.”
“But Finn, the Motherlands aren’t ready for that. You don’t understand the mass hysteria it would cause among our people,” Kya said with her eyes wide open. “I’m all for the integration of our nations, but if it happens too fast it’ll fail and cause nothing but pain and misery.”
“I don’t know about that. I’ve just spent ten days in the Motherlands and your people loved me,” I argued.
“Some loved you,” Athena corrected. “Many are quietly observing with suspicion and fear. There’s a big difference between welcoming five Nmen and thousands.”
Archer rubbed his face. “I’m happy I’m not Khan at the moment. He’s got a lot of pressure on his shoulders, that’s for sure.”