FARHAYVEN: VENGEANCE (92 page)

     The sight of these 15 unhygienic farmers offended Deputy Governor Greel tremendously. What right did they have to even enter his office
?
What right did they have to even call themselves humans
?
They looked like they belonged to the slave markets of Serpentia
!

     Rake and Venom sat themselves down opposite the deputy governor while the rest stood behind them.

     “Who are you people and what do you want
!?
” demanded the deputy governor, obviously taken aback by the unhygienic look of his visitors.

     “Kind sir, we’re representatives of the 10 villages at the outskirts of Southverge Town. We’re here, sir, to ask for aid for our villages. We were hit by a massive storm that destroyed our homes and our crops, and killed many of our kin. We need aid to rebuild,” answered Rake Breven.

     “Aid to rebuild
!?
What do you think this is, a charity organisation
!?
” shouted Deputy Governor Greel.

     “But isn’t the government a charity organisation
!?
Isn’t that the reason why we pay tax, so that the tax money is used to tend to the people’s needs
!?
” argued Venom Collart.

     Deputy Governor Greel shook his head. He started laughing out loud.   

     “I do not know what ideas you dumb village folks have running around in your stupid, uneducated heads
!
This is not a charity. It is a business. And I am in the business of getting rich
!
Not only have you failed to pay your taxes, but you have the cheek to come and ask me for aid
!?
You people still owe the government 200 sacks of wheat flour, 200 sacks of rice and 1000 gold coins
!
” shouted the deputy governor.

     The farmers were shocked. They did not expect the deputy governor to react this way. Where was his humanity
?

     “This is tyranny
!
This is oppression
!
This is just ruthless victimisation
!
If this is the nature of the government, then what’s the difference between living in Free Falls and living in Serpentia or the Arid Plains
!?
Didn’t all our ancestors leave Serpentia and the Arid Plains so as not to become slaves to any ruler
!?
Did they not leave those ancient lands so as not to become victims anymore
!?
Did they not form this kingdom so as to live in harmony and support for one another
!?
Where is the promise of the Kingdom of Free Falls
!
” objected Bud.

     “Promise of the Kingdom of Free Falls
!?
There is no such thing
!
It is just a fairy tale for people like me to tell to people like you so that people like you work hard and give people like me money and power
!
” laughed Deputy Governor Greel so loudly that he almost fell off his seat.

     The fury in Rake Breven was building up.    

     “And why is it that we work to give you money and power instead of you working to give us money and power
!?
” he questioned.

     “Here is a simple answer that even you dumb farmers can understand
!
I am the direct descendant of a Serpentian battlelord of the olden days. I am born of a higher birth, whereas you are not
!
I am born of a privileged race, whereas you are not
!
I am raised by the best education, whereas you are not
!
I have a destiny to fulfil, whereas you do not
!
I have worked tirelessly for this post whereas you did not
!
I am to be your Prime Minister one day, and you, however, will not
!
Is that simple enough for you
!?
” said Deputy Governor Greel.

     “For your information, Deputy Governor Stomp Greel, there’s no such thing as a higher birth, or privileged race, or special ancestry
!
There’s no such thing as a ruling class or a divinely destined class or anything like that
!
All human beings are equal in the eyes of The Creator; therefore all human beings must be seen as equals in the eyes of each other
!
As for education, shouldn’t education empower you to be compassionate and caring
!?
Does education not make you a better thinker, a more responsible and reasonable human being
!?
It seems to me that
you’re not
and therefore, you’re less educated than us
!
For even if dumb farmers can understand compassion and concern for our fellow living beings, even to the extent of the welfare of our animals, what more is there to say about the bureaucrat who can’t
!?
And though you’ve worked tirelessly for this post, should you not then feel gratitude for those who’ve helped you and supported you to the point that you’ve earned this post
!?
And should you not give back to those people
!?
You
do
have a destiny to fulfil, I believe.
Hell
is waiting for you
!
” argued Rake Breven.

     “Get out of my office, all of you
!
You have two weeks to pay up, or I shall drive you out of your homes
!
” shouted the furious deputy governor.

     “We’ll not stand for tyranny, oppression, persecution and victimisation
!
Stomp Greel, you have one week to deliver us the aid we need
!
” shouted Bud as they left the office.

     The looks on their faces were identical. It was the look of disgust and anger. All 15 representatives of the 10 villages sat cramped around a large table at a food stall just a block away from Deputy Governor Greel’s office. They were so upset that no one spoke a word for a very long time.

     “What can he do to us
?
” asked Root finally.

     “What
can
he do
!?
There’s nothing for us to give, or for him to take
!
” answered Venom.

     “That’s not entirely true
!
He could have us arrested, or evicted from our own lands,” corrected Rake.

     “Is he that cruel
!?
” asked a woman in her mid-forties.

     “Yes
!
” came the almost unanimous answer.

     “I suppose he is, then,” resigned the woman.

     “I didn’t mean to kill your spirits, Eclipse, but we have to face facts
!
” said Rake in a semi-apologetic way.

     The woman named Eclipse smiled. This was something that none of the other 14 people could do.

     “It’s all right
!
I understand
.
Please forgive my naivety; this village headperson thing is still new to me. Forkwater Village elected me against my will, basically. There were better candidates, but none as gullible as me, I suppose. Anyway, what do we do now
?
” said Eclipse.

     “We’ll try to meet Governor Sheppal. He’s a much more reasonable man then Greel
!
” said Rake.

     “And what if he’s not
!
Or what if Greel stops us from meeting the governor
?
” asked Bud Swerrell.

     “We’ll fight
!
We’ll organise protests
!
Civil unrests
!
Let the other citizens know how ill we’ve been treated
!
Make the government look stupid
!
” said Rake.

     “And if that doesn’t work, what then
!?
” questioned Bud.

     All of them were silent. Every one of them was lost in deep thought. Venom, however, shook his head. Finally, he broke the silence.

     “We rebel
!
” exclaimed Venom.

     “What
!?
” said a few of them, unsure whether they had heard him correctly.

     “I said that if the government, and in particular that idiot Greel, doesn’t help us but take some sort of action against us instead; we rebel
!
” said Venom slowly and clearly.

     “Careful Venom, that’s treason
!
” warned Rake.

     “Protests are one thing, but rebellion
?
No, I won’t agree to that
!
” expressed Eclipse.

     “Me neither
!
” said a few of the others.

     “Fine
!
I won’t force it on any of you. This will be strictly voluntary
!
But as far as I’m concerned, I’d rather die fighting than live an oppressed life
!
” said Venom.

     There was silence once again.

     Finally, Root Swerrell cleared his throat to break the awkward silence.

     “How are we going to know how to rebel
?
” he asked.

     “Oak, you were a great warrior once. I know you’ve tried to hide it, but I’ve heard the rumours
!
You were a Serpentian warrior and you’ve killed hundreds of people when you were much younger. Lead us
!
Or at least teach us
!
We’re farmers, not warriors; but you, you’re different
!
You know how to fight
!
How to kill
!
Teach us so that we can get some justice
!
Please help us, Oak, because you’re one of us; and we need your expertise,” pleaded Venom, turning to look at Oak.

     Oak’s face went pale and sweaty. He was frozen as stiff as a log. His jaw dropped and his mouth was opened wide.

     “How did… how… how did you know
?
” asked Oak.

     “Like I said, I’ve heard the rumours,” answered Venom.

     Oak just sat silent. He was lost in his own thought. Everyone was staring at him, anticipating his answer.

     “Really boys, I think we’re all overreacting
!
” reasoned Eclipse, breaking the tension of the moment, and allowing Oak some time to recompose himself.

     “I hope so, although I know it not to be so
!
” said Venom soberly.

     The 15 representatives sat silently once again, engrossed in deep thought. Each of them knew that they were facing a forked road, with options that were radical and that led to extreme consequences. On one hand, they could just sit quietly and accept whatever that was going to happen to them. In this case they would be cheated of justice, and of their rights and benefits. It would also mean certain bankruptcy or even incarceration. On the other hand, they could make a stand. But how firm should their stand be
?
How far could they go
?
How far
should
they go
?
How far is too far
!?
Whatever their final choice would be, each of them knew that their lives would never be the same again. The hope and dream that was the Kingdom of Free Falls was
dead
, or at least dead to them
!

     Three weeks later, Root and Bud Swerrell sat down with a faint smile on their faces. It was their first smile since the tragedy. The midday sun shone brightly, as if rejoicing in their little victory. The pile of burning rubbish signified the end of three weeks of hard work. The debris that had ‘decorated’ their home had been cleared off. The walls and roof had been repaired, or to be more precise, ‘rebuilt’. Just then, they heard sounds of galloping horses. A stream of Provincial Guards rode up to the Swerrell brothers’ front porch.

     “By order of Deputy Governor Greel, your land and home are confiscated due to failure to pay the correct amount of tax
!
Pack up your things and leave at once, or you will be arrested
!
You have exactly one hour to comply
!
” said the stream commander, a suvian by rank, before he turned around and galloped off, with the rest of the stream following behind.