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A political situation at a point in time.

     CHAPTER 1 Mackel vs Neil

The grass had grown yellow and tall, shining bright in the dim evening sun. Swayed by the foot falls of men and by the strong wind in the air. The wise men would pause and look to the sky and relax a bit, as they see the darkened sky being covered by huge white clouds. ''Nothing for the spooks,'' they'd say. You could reply, ‘’yeah, and what is for the rest of the cratchs?’’

Yes, they were what was troubling the people now, the spooks. Weakened by water, they never showed up whenever it rained. It had rained on August 21st and a spook was seen lying on the ground wet and stabbed to death. Were they troubling enough for it to be justified to kill them?

A man called Rogets Mange didn’t think so. He never hated the spooks. He could say, proudly, that they weren’t that troubling. what he hated most was how they treated the johns. The john’s were of cratch animal descent. Related to the spooks, that is to say. John’s were animals that were partly human and partly cratch. They were of cratch descent and yet were loved by the people. Adombe was a great nation but their religious ties caused them to believe that every john was worthy of praise. It was, that all believed, that those with amazing supernatural abilities were the children of the god they worshiped. Rogets hated that fact. Rogets hated the fact that one group of supernatural creatures was treated so differently than the other. Rogets walked into a building. He waited for his slower walking companion to come inside before he closed the door. He wanted to sit down on the easy chair to his right but chose not to. ‘Easy chairs are for the weak.’ he thought. He decided to stand up throughout his stay in the building, so he stood up and short, he was only five foot four. He grabbed a book titled ‘Rogets Mange.’ for his personal amusement. To him it was: who wouldn't want to know what others wrote about them?

The book read: ’’...which had forced them to conclude that Meth was as incompetent as his brother Gaher. The mental idiocy that runs in the Mange bloodline was later explained by Gaher during his final years. Gaher had claimed that there were--’’

Rogets stood up from the easy chair. He was tired of reading.

‘’Works by Rocket Gray eh’’ he smiled, but he was angry

‘’Yes sir’’ said an extremely tall, and an extremely lanky Julius Atoner ‘’and i think you’d love the works of saruw--’’

‘’You’re the librarian?’’

‘’Yes sir’’

‘’Do you know where i can find this Rocket Gray?’’

‘’No sir. Sir may i ask? Why are you here?’’

‘’Something to go tell all your friends about? why do you care?’’ he paused, as julius was trying to explain himself. Rogets looked around. ‘’Where’s my wife?

Mackel Hollan sat next to his brother Herod. They were sitting on some hay in Kolvon’s family farm. Kolvon let them because they were friends, and he didn’t want to get on the bad side of these --important-- set of people. Herod never treated Kolvon like he treated other peasants. He treated him with a little more respect and allowed him to act and speak with an amount of informality that would shock any member of the foundation. Herod had allowed Kolvon some free will, but Mackel, Mackel was more frivolous. He had let the man act as his equal. Herod warned that it would reduce respect, but Mackel said he had more than enough to spare. Mackeljohn was a man more utopian than real. He believed in an equal and peaceful society, whereas Herod believed in a society built on strict rules and hierarchy. To him, conflict was inevitable. To herod, freedom was bound by laws. Laws that Mackel and Herod were conversing about. They stopped as a shaggy fellow walked in. He was trifle a law breaker. And that was what Herod liked most about him. He was an obedient peasant.

  ‘’You guys talking about yeal Neil again?’’ Kolvon asked, as he walked in. His eyes staring intently at Herod. Mackel greeted him with a quick smile. Herod grunted something then ignored him. He was focusing on something more important. It was on what Mackel had just said.

Kolvon spoke again, ‘’I hear Rogets has arrived, and so has Neil.’’

  ‘’That damn Neil’’ Mackel replied.

Herod said, --after a long pause--(and for the final time), ‘’the Yeal’s a good lad, let him be.’’

Kolvon settled himself right next to Mackel. He moved a bit closer to Mackel and kept his hand on one of Mackel’s shoulders. Herod discomforted with slight irritation. To him it was: how can he allow the man to treat him so freely.

  ‘’You guys talking about Yeal Neil?’’

  ‘’Didn’t you hear us?’’ Herod argued. Kolvon smiled.

  ‘’Mackel it’s better you forget about him.’’ Kolvon said, still smiling.

Yeal Neil was a 19 year old ruler who served under the May Francis at the age of 14 when his father Ballock Neil died. Ballock died for the foundation and Ballock often told Yeal that the foundation meant everything to him, that the foundation is the best governing system that the human civilization had ever achieved ‘’Yeal, live for the foundation, die for it.’’ And Ballock died for it alright. He died for May, but May died too. May was dead, the continents presently lay under the power of Apaltos Francess, Francis May’s eldest wife. A woman Neil didn’t…

  ‘’Let him do what he wants Kolvon, I’ve told him to forget about the Yeal kid more times than anyone. I’d back him up if he needs me to, but i wouldn’t go too close to the fire.’’

Mackeljohn took up his formal attire. He casted it away for a more informal Neil continental clothing. A beauty of finer making. His clothing makers were the best of the five known continents, and he had determined that in the competitions he’d arranged. Most saw the clothing competitions as pointless, for they had in time come to the conclusion that the only difference in the betterness of those talented clothemen was not skill, but was of who was lucky enough to have created the more beautiful attire. But the cloth competition were great shows, the other competitions he’d done were better. The plan was to gain support through goodly deeds, so the citizens would see him in favorable light.

There was a knock on the door. He had only succeeded in putting on his Neil long sleeve. Diamonds and silver beautifully decorated the front side of the shirt. He dropped his leg wear on the bed and rushed to the door.

The visitor gulped. ‘’My lord.’’

  ‘’It is only as raw nature intended. Refined nature is quite confining. Speak.’’

  ‘’I.. it's about the Francess.’’

  ‘’And?’’

  ‘’My lord, you’re half naked’’

  ‘’Ignore it. What about the Francess?’’

  ‘’She wants you to know that she’s got another theory’’

Mackel looked up and frowned. His face turned dark. ‘’Tell her that i would be there tomorrow morning, and that if it is another foolish one, i will never answer her call again.’’

That evening the same man returned and told him that he shouldn’t come. But as morning came, and he thought to spend the day with his loving wife, the messenger reappeared, knocking on the front door.

Mackel’s arrival to the hallbarn was slow and uncharacteristic. Major political figures were seated and waiting. It was his embarrassment to have come in so late. He was inappropriately dressed. He had worn the informal from yesterday, and succeeded in cleaning only his teeth. Yeal Neil saw him slick off to his seat anxiously. It was clear to all(except Argrett Landroo), that he had expected to meet the Francess under entirely different conditions. This confirmed Rogets’ suspicion.

Lucious Nerr stared at Mackeljohn, Mackel stared back. ‘So this is him?’ he thought, ‘The man everyone been yapping about for. A wife stealer now.’ Lucious stood up and spat on the floor. Mackel had a quizzical look on his face. The Francess had a serious one on hers as she finally stood up to talk to them. But first to Mackel.

  ‘’Mackeljohn, we were waiting for you.’’

Mackel sighed. He had to act like she was serious, like she wasn’t pretending, like they weren't having an affair. Mackel loved his wife, but he was a practical man. To finally defeat Yeal, he would have to do things that weren’t to his tastes. That was the true defining difference between Mackel and Herod. Herod never favored his manipulative side.

Mackel stood up, ‘’I apologize,’’ he said. He sat back down. Immediately he did, she began. And it was a good speech. Some even thought it a great one. ‘’...I do not intend to copy the old rulers, nor the cult of the wise. I simply intend to do what is best for our people. Five continents, are we satisfied? Are we going to wait till whatever that lays beyond comes to find us. Remember when the cratch’s first arrived...May shouldn’t have died.’’

she spoke greatly, and strongly. A speech greater than who she was. She spoke a speech similar to that which many Francis and Francess had spoken many years before. A similar speech which had driven many foundation members to summon a great deal of their people in the lands they controlled to prepare to go to the edges of the world. She hoped it would convince this set of foundation members to do the same and accomplish what the former rulers had failed. The edge of the world. It was a good speech, but t did not convince them. A great speech it may have been, but it requires a good enough speaker. For her, they thought little for her. They didn’t have as much regard for her as they did May Francis. May was much admired, and maybe if it was him, things would have been different. she saw the doubts in their faces but continued. Everything was neutral until she got to her theory. Then all was lost.

Neil stood up, looked at her; his face stern and awfully too serious for the kind of person he was. He tried to not think her crazy and wanted to try and explain away her lunacy. He first thought was of May. May was dead, the continents presently lay under the power of Francess Apaltos, May’s eldest wife. A woman Neil didn’t want to serve at all, but he always remembered what his father had told him, ‘’live for the foundation Neil, die for it.’’ and with that he didn’t conspire against her like he knew Lucious was doing with Argrett Landroo. Maybe Mackel was in on it too but he hadn’t figured it out yet. Neil Yeal was the...

He thought of may and said, ‘’I was there.’’ loudly, ‘’i saw him die.’’ louder, ‘’Your theory of cratch animals having forced intercourse(communications or dealings) with him, and then kidnapping him, despite the fact that you saw his body irritates me. They didn’t kidnap May they killed him. What did you think you saw, a ghost?. And now you suddenly want us to follow you to the other continents. Don’t lie, it’s all for revenge!''

She shook, and asked solemnly, ‘’so you’re not going to follow me then.’’

He scowled, ‘’persistent litt--’’ Yamki held him back, ‘’Stop.’’ he whispered, ‘’there’s an opportunity in this. You don’t want to get on her bad side, do you want Mackel to win?’’

Neil bent down to talk to Yamki who was sitting, and they whispered to each other. Neil stood back upright, he relaxed his shoulders, looked at her --she was the same height as he was--, and smiled.

  ‘’I was walking in the streets today and i saw Damin Mange in the library. When i walked into the library we spoke. We left the library and continued our conversation. Her husband Rogets, a very good friend of mine was reading a book. We st--’’

  ‘’Get to the point.’’ Lucious croaked.

Neil was shaken a bit. He prepared an insult for Lucious, but remembered what Yamki had just said: ‘’don’t get on their bad side, and don’t let Mackel dwell on their good.’’

  ‘’f@#king imbecile’’ Lucious said again. ‘’Shorten your f@#king story is all we ask, we don’t want a whole speech. Use your goddamn brain--’’ the Fancess silenced him.

  ‘’Continue, Neil.’’

  ‘’Don’t worry, i’ll shorten it.’’ He said, with his fists just recently clenched.

  ‘’I want to hear the whole thing.’’ she said smiling motherly. And at that moment she reminded him of his mother. He found himself drifting, and then he remembered why he-- drat. He had to focus. ‘’well,’’ he said, still a bit stunned. ‘’ok.’’

  ‘’Her husband Rogets was reading a book so we decided not to disturb him, You see, it’s rare that my rat brained friend over there reads.’’ he pointed, and continued, ‘’ we stopped where a bunch of kids were playing and talked for a while, then Damin spoke to me. She told me that the kids were tired of some other kid playing the leader, that he didn’t fit the role--’’

  ‘’What are you trying to say?’’ Mackel said, fast and surprised.

  ‘’I believe that i speak for the most of us if i am to say this. We will have half our people follow on this hopeless journey on one condition.’’

  ‘’What?’’ everyone said in their minds but only Apoltis out loud.

  ‘’A new election.’’

  ‘'Ok.’’

Author's Note

Help me out, i want to improve. i feel like i am not the perfect of writers. can you show me where it is, where what i feel that i did wrong?

Reviews

[APOORVA]

IMPRESSIVE
THIS CREATION HAD SOME KIND OF GLUE WITH IT, I COULDN'T MOVE WHILE READING.
VERY MUCH IN FLOW EXCEPT A FEW PLACES, BUT MAJORLY YOU WERE ABLE SUCCESSFULLY TO MAINTAIN THE FLOW WHICH MAKES IT EASIER FOR A READER TO CONNECT AND THE SAME HAPPENED WITH ME.
LOVED IT

[WillimboStories]

Thank you. I almost threw away with the entire thing. I was in the process of rewriting it till you came along. Now I'll focus on editing it, and continuing the story.