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XII

The Verdict of the Aka' (Day 108 on Tashoo) (Afternoon)

An hour later, after the nakyvo, Rora and I were ushered back into the Ishoo'se Choko Aka'ny and the questioning resumed. Finally, after three more hours of questioning, the Ka'yno asked every one of the Aka' if they had any further questions and all said they did not, all except Mu-Naka. The Ka'yno said, "Since there are no more questions, we can now vote on the life of the slave."

Mu-Naka said, "Great One, far be it from me to interrupt you or dispute anything you may say. But, I said at the beginning of the questioning that I wished to reserve my questions until everyone else had finished their questioning. I, therefore, shall ask my questions now. Since I have not asked any questions before, and since everyone else has asked all the questions they have, I now have the right to ask as many questions unimpeded as I wish."

The Ka'yno, not knowing how to reply, simply said, "As Keeper of the Law, Mu-Naka, you would know whether or not you are allowed to do this. Since you say that you are allowed, I accept your statement as truth. Therefore, ask your questions."

Mu-Naka began his questioning, "Mvilu, earlier a question was asked of you pertaining to the possibility of what you would do if the village was attacked while your master was not on guard duty. You replied you would defend the village. Now I wish to ask you to be more specific. Therefore, I will give you a scenario. The scenario is a distinct possibility if you are allowed to live. So, you should consider your answer thoroughly before responding, knowing that your life may hang in the balance depending on your answer.

"If your master was not on guard duty and the two of you were walking through the village, as you have stated that the two of you do on those days, and the two of you heard the sounds of battle, and, as is required by law, your master goes to assist in the battle. Unless the two of you are close to your home, your master will not have time to return you to his home and will have to take you with him. What would you do to assist the village in the battle?"

I followed Mu-Naka's suggestion and thought my answer out for a few seconds, even though I already knew what I would do. My reply was, "I would assist him in whatever way I could while not impeding his attempts to defend the village."

"Please be more specific. What would you do?"

"I would ask him to allow me to have his short sword and I would fight at his side."

"You do know that it is illegal anywhere on Tashoo for a slave to have in his possession, a sword, or weapon, for any reason."

"No, I did not, my Lord, Mu-Naka, although I would be surprised if it was legal. However, there are times when a law must be broken; even though, under normal circumstances the law would make good sense."

"You would knowingly break a law."

"As I said earlier, my Lord, Talo-Vy is my home and my master and his norotha are the closest thing I have to family here. Therefore, if I have to break laws to protect them and Talo-Vy, then break laws I will."

Mu-Naka nodded his head slightly at my answer. In fact, several, perhaps four, of the Aka' did the same thing. Mu-Naka continued. "Now let us suppose that during the battle, your master is injured, or even killed, what would you do?"

"I would continue to fight to defend Talo-Vy. I would fight until the battle was over, or I was killed, whichever happened."

"Assuming you are not killed, what would you do then?"

"I would seek out my master and, if he was alive, I would return his sword to him."

"If he was not alive, what would you do?"

"I would turn to the closest warrior from Talo-Vy and hand him the sword, hilt first, of course."

"Are you saying you would not attempt to escape?"

"Yes, my Lord. That is exactly what I am saying."

"Why would you not attempt to fight your way to freedom?"

"As I said earlier, my Lord, where would I go? I could not go to a Mory village because they would kill me on sight and I am led to believe that I would not fare much better if I stumbled onto a Uany village. Besides, I would want to continue to protect my mistress in any way I could from any dangers that may occur." I was looking at the Ka'yno as I mentioned the dangers.

"You would not attempt to kill any Mory warriors near you to attempt to escape?"

"As I stated already, my Lord, I would not. I have come to respect and honor most of the Mory warriors I have met since I arrived in Talo-Vy. For me to kill them would be practically the same as killing my own chorothy, if I had one."

"Mvilu, I have one last question. When you arrived here, it is said that you could not remember our language, where you came from, or anything else of importance about yourself. Have you been able to remember any of these things?"

"My Lord, I cannot even remember where the village that I am from is located. I would guess it would have to be pretty close, but I cannot swear to it. I know that my age is twenty-five years. I know that I have a family, other than the one I am enslaved to, somewhere, I just do not know where. I have nightmares that seem to indicate that I know people that I cannot remember ever seeing. I remember being a warrior of some kind, because I remember fighting, bare-handed, with swords and weapons unknown in Talo-Vy.

"As for remembering your language, I know that I did not forget your language. The language we speak here today is a language I did not know at all the day that I arrived in Talo-Vy. I know that when my master and the Ka'yno spoke around me, when I was brought here the day I arrived, the language did not register as a language I should even remotely know.

"But, other than these things I just mentioned and the things I mentioned earlier during my trial, I remember next to nothing about my life before I wound up here in Talo-Vy as the slave of My-Rora."

Mu-Naka turned to the Ka'yno after my last statement and said, "Great One, I cannot think of any other questions to ask the slave. Therefore, I call for the vote."

The Ka'yno looked at me and said, "Slave, the Ishoo'se Aka'ny will now vote on whether you will continue to live as a slave, or die the death I believe you so richly deserve."

Turning his back on me, the Ka'yno started calling each of the Aka' in order and asking for their vote. "Ja-Mooka, what is your decision?"

Ja-Mooka stood and said, "As I sat here today and questioned this slave, I could not help but be impressed by his forthrightness and obvious bravery. I, and I am sure everyone else here on the Ishoo'se, could not help but notice how he fearlessly looked each and every one of us in the eye as he answered our questions. His bravery, fearlessness and intelligence is obvious and it would be a waste of life for him to be condemned to death in my opinion. Therefore, I vote for life." After making his statement, Ja-Mooka sat down. All of the other Aka' sat down after making their statements as well.

The Ka'yno was not happy with Ja-Mooka's answer. I could tell by the way his shoulders slumped a bit when he heard the vote. But, he knew, as I did, that it was only one vote for life. I needed at least three more for a tie vote and four more of the Aka' to vote life to guarantee my life would be safe or I would be dead before morning. The Ka'yno said, "Hoo-Kavy, what is your decision?"

Hoo-Kavy stood and said, "Like Ja-Mooka, I was very impressed by the way the slave carried himself during the questioning. He never flinched at any question that was posed by the Ishoo'se. Even though he requested that Mu-Naka serve as his counsel, he never once called on him for more than a minor amount of assistance. Because of these things, I feel I must vote for life."

Once again, the Ka'yno was not happy. It may be a good thing for me that I couldn't see his face. I am sure that he was quietly snarling. However, he still had a chance to succeed. He quietly said, "Sy-Ludy, what is your vote?"

Sy-Ludy stood and said, "While I must concur with the previous Aka' and their assessment of the slave's bravery and carriage, I must say that I fear that slaves such as him are a danger to the village. The fact that he would not hesitate to violate the 'Armed Slave Law' worries me to the extreme. He can say anything he wants us to believe while his life is on the line. What proof do we have that, if the scenario postulated by Ka' Mu-Naka were to come true, the slave would do as he said he would? None. Therefore, I vote death."

I thought, "You will never know, if you do not give someone the chance to prove it." But, I said nothing.

The Ka'yno seemed a bit relieved. The vote was now two to one for life. Naturally, it was still in my favor, but, even though I wasn't concerned, anything could happen with the next five Aka'. The Ka'yno said, "Re-Sheshoo, what is your vote?"

Re-Sheshoo stood and said, "I must concur with Sy-Ludy. The Uany are our sworn enemies. The unfortunate fact of the 'Right of Capture Law' that My-Rora used to protect this Uany from death on the day of his capture worries me. While I must, and will, obey any and all of the Mory Laws, this particular law has always bothered me. I also appreciate the fact that the Ka'yno made the stipulation that the Uany must face the 'Trial of Life or Death' as he is allowed to require. With all this said, I am sure that it should be guessed what my vote is. But, since I am required to make the statement, I vote death."

The Ka'yno was visibly relieved by this vote. Even from the back, I could see the relief. With the vote two to two, it was as if no one had voted as yet. I felt relatively safe with Mu-Naka being the next to vote. But, in any vote of this type, there are no guarantees. Even the Ka'yno felt certain how Mu-Naka would vote. However, as is required by law, the Ka'yno said, "Mu-Naka, what is your vote?"

Mu-Naka stood, turned to his fellow Aka' and said, "I am certain that my fellow Aka' believe that the questions I asked the slave were worded to make him look good in their eyes. But, they must understand that I asked the questions out of sincere curiosity and to show them what kind of Uany Mvilu is on the inside. I did not know how he would respond, even though I had been ordered by the Ka'yno to test him two months ago. I was especially curious about what he would do in case of a battle occurring. I know that his response showed a willingness to violate the 'Armed Slave Law', but, while I would be as worried as any of you for a slave to be armed, I am also pleasantly surprised that he said he would not hesitate to pick up arms to defend Talo-Vy, even to his own death, despite the fact that he is a slave. The thought that a slave who has been a slave for only three months would state that he would defend Talo-Vy from attack is heartwarming to me. I am also extremely pleasantly surprised to hear him say that he would gladly and willingly return the sword to the nearest warrior from Talo-Vy after the battle. This shows me that, while he would violate the law, he also understands the necessity of the law. I am also certain that everyone on the Ishoo'se believes they know how I will vote on this matter and you are right. I vote for life."

The Ka'yno's demeanor didn't change. Mu-Naka had done like I, and everyone else in the room, expected so there was no surprise in the Ishoo'se Choko Aka'ny when Ka' Mu-Naka made his vote known. Whether he voted this way because of our initial meeting or not, I don't know. But, he made it a lot closer to my surviving the day.

The Ka'yno, despite the three to two vote, seemed to believe that he had more than a little chance of succeeding in sending me to an early grave. As with house cats on Terra, the face of the Mory is difficult to read; so, while I felt confident, I was not certain what the rest of the Aka' were thinking. The Ka'yno, obviously still feeling confident in his chances, said, "Too-Thaty, what is your vote?"

Too-Thaty stood and said, "Unlike Ka' Mu-Naka, the fact that the slave would not hesitate to break any law, especially the 'Armed Slave Law', worries me. It matters little to me that he would be breaking the law to protect Talo-Vy. He would be breaking the law. It also matters little to me that he considers My-Ara and My-Rora as family members and he would be protecting them as much as the village. His bravery here also means little to me. He is a Uany and the Uany are our sworn enemies. This said I must vote for death." Now, the Ka'yno felt more confident than I had seen him since the questioning began.

The Ka'yno said, "Ry-Chakoo, what is your vote?"

Ry-Chakoo stood and said, "I did not ask a lot of questions, but I did listen and observe during the questioning. The slave stood still and never wavered no matter how hard the question he was asked. He showed that, even though he claims to be unable to remember anything prior to arriving here in Talo-Vy, he must have been a warrior before that day. I, like Too-Thaty, am worried that he would not hesitate to violate the 'Armed Slave Law'. But, I believe him when he says that he would only remain armed so long as the battle raged or he was killed. If any other slave were to pick up a sword and defend Talo-Vy to his death, we would honor him and bury him in the Tree of the dead Warriors if he died in defense of Talo-Vy. If we would honor any other slave in such a manner, even though he violated the law, why should we even consider this one any different? It makes me wonder why the Ka'yno is determined to have him put to death. He seems to be a very intelligent Uany and I believe that his death would be a waste. Therefore, I vote for life."

The Ka'yno said to all of us, "I call for a short recess before the final vote is given. It has been a long day and I am certain that some of us need to relieve ourselves."

For some reason, this statement surprised me. I guess I had gotten so caught up in the voting that I had forgotten the requirements of the vote. I thought, "What did he mean 'final vote?'." After the Aka' and Ka'yno left the room, I turned to Rora and said, "What does he mean, Rora? What final vote? I have four votes for life. The best he can hope for is four votes for death. Does that not mean I automatically receive life?"

Rora looked at me with surprise and said, "Mvilu, do you not remember? The Ka'yno cannot vote except in case of a tie vote. If Ka' Ky-Kikoo votes for death, then the Ka'yno will break the tie. You and I both know how he feels about you. While I am not certain, I believe that the Ka'yno called for the recess to attempt to convince Ka' Ky-Kikoo to vote his way. Because I know how convincing the Ka'yno can be, and how weak that Ka' Ky-Kikoo is, I must say to you now that I have enjoyed knowing you. You are a wonderful Uany and a good friend. Despite the fact that you can be very aggravating at times, I shall miss you."

I looked Rora squarely in the eye as I had done during the questioning, and said, "Rora, I am going to tell you something you should always remember. I am not dead yet. As long as I am alive, I still have a chance. Do not give up on me, or the Ka' Ky-Kikoo."

"But, Mvilu, I told you, Ky-Kikoo is the weakest of the Aka'. He is easily swayed by the Ka'yno."

"I shall not give up until I hear the final vote."

Just as I finished speaking, the Ishoo'se Aka'ny returned. From his demeanor, I could tell that the Ka'yno had talked with Ky-Kikoo, most likely in private so that the other Aka' couldn't preventing him from trying to sway Ky-Kikoo into voting the way he wanted him to vote, which would be a technical violation of the law and, consequently, negate a death vote. Most likely, the Ka'yno had made Ky-Kikoo a promise of some kind to convince him to vote for death.

With a look of smug satisfaction, the Ka'yno said, "Slave, please accept my apologies for delaying the vote. But, I felt an uncontrollable urge to relieve myself." Looking at Ky-Kikoo, he added, "Ky-Kikoo was also in dire need to relieve himself as well."

With a small smile on my face, I looked the Ka'yno in the eye and said, "I understand, Great One, and I am certain that the Ka' Ky-Kikoo was in dire need to relieve himself. I could see it in his eyes. But, I am waiting to find out my fate."

"Very well, slave, we will now find out your fate. Ky-Kikoo, what is your vote?"

Ky-Kikoo stood, somewhat timidly. He looked up and down the line of Aka' before finally looking at me. His face was the hardest to read of all of the Aka' today. I wasn't certain what would be my fate but, I waited patiently for his vote.

Ky-Kikoo looked at me and said, "I had not made up my mind as to the fate of the slave until we took the recess just now. In fact, if the Ka'yno had not requested it, I probably would have requested it myself." The Ka'yno actually smiled at me after Ky-Kikoo said this. Ky-Kikoo continued, "But, during the recess I thought about everything that this Uany slave had said during the questioning. I also thought about how he acted and reacted during the questioning. But, the most important thing I thought about was the fact that he said he could protect our anohachy and village from attack, bring water and fish to the village and water the garden. To me these are the most important things he said all day, even more important than the fact that he would not hesitate to violate the Armed Slave Law to defend Talo-Vy. I am somewhat amazed that none of my fellow Aka' mentioned this in their decision. The only thing they were concerned about was whether or not this slave would violate an, admittedly, important law not the fact that he says he can and would protect our anohachy and village. After considering all of this, I have decided to vote for life."

There it was, five for life and three for death. So, I would continue to live as a slave in Talo-Vy. But, that was something I could deal with and happily. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Ka'yno glaring at Ky-Kikoo. I was afraid his vote would not bode well for him. The Ka'yno turned an angry face toward me and, in a blatantly hostile voice, made the official announcement. "Uany slave, by a vote of five to three, the Ishoo'se Aka'ny has decided, against my best wishes, that you are worthy of continuing to live as the slave of My-Rora. As I stated at the beginning of this trial, I cannot change that decision. Therefore, you will continue to be a slave. Have a happy life as a slave. Now, be gone from my sight."

Just before I turned to leave, the Ka' Ky-Kikoo stopped me and said, "A minute, Uany, I would ask you to fulfill the promise you made during the trial concerning your useful skills. Tell us how you can do all those things, please."

The Ka'yno said, "The time of day is late. The next day that My-Rora is off duty as garden guard, as I understand it, will be in five days, we will reconvene the Ishoo'se Aka'ny and the slave will tell his secret. This will give him plenty of time to come up with an idea. Is that acceptable to you Ky-Kikoo?"

Ky-Kikoo replied, "Yes, it is, Great One."

"Then the Uany slave and his master are dismissed from our presence. We will see the two of you again in five days. Be sure that you can follow through with your promise, Uany."

Rora and I backed toward the door as is required by tradition. After we returned to the anteroom, we walked to the front door, unescorted by TeVamoo, and let ourselves out. We walked semi-quietly back home. I couldn't tell if Rora was happy or just surprised at the results of the trial.

After a short fifteen minute walk, we arrived back at home. When we entered, I was surprised to find Zo-Joola and her family inside with Ara. Naturally, Tyarza was with them. Everybody had their back to me, except Tyarza and Ara. When Tyarza saw me, she gave a small gasp. This caused everybody else to turn. When they saw me, they also gasped, including Kyna. Kyna's reaction was surprising because Mory warriors notoriously do not show emotions. After a few seconds, everybody, except Rora and Kyna, jumped up and gathered around me, hugging me and laughing. Rora and Kyna, of course, showed little emotion other than smiles.

While we were celebrating my being successful in the trial, I heard a scratching at the front door. I called Ara's attention to it and she answered the door. After she opened the door, she let out a little gasp and stepped back a step. When she managed to gather her wits, she gave a small genuflect and motioned to the person outside to enter, while saying, "Chitekuro. Welcome to our humble home. Please enter and grace us with your presence."

A familiar voice from outside said, "I wish my home was as luxurious yours."

To everybody's surprise, in walked Ka' Mu-Naka. He looked at all the happy faces and smiled; then, he walked over to me, looked at me somewhat sadly and said, "Mvilu, after you and My-Rora left the Suala Ka'ynony, the Ishoo'se Aka'ny continued to meet concerning you. As you no doubt guessed, the Ka'yno is not happy that you won your case. He is even less happy with how you won it; but, the Ishoo'se Aka'ny does not seem to be overly concerned with his happiness right now. They have overruled his decision to have them wait five days before you and My-Rora return. They want the two of you to return early in the morning and they want you to explain how you can bring water and fish to the village and how you can protect the village from marauding dangerous animals and attacks from other villages. Since I am Ka' of the Ka'na in which you live, they asked me to inform you of their decision. Mvilu, I stood up for you today. Please tell me, can this be done?"

I replied, "My Lord, as best as I can remember, even before I arrived in Talo-Vy, I was considered one of the most honest Uany anybody could know. I despise liars, that is why I feel so at home among the Mory. Honesty seems to be a desired trait with them, although everybody knows that not all of the Mory are completely honest. So, I will tell you honestly. Yes, it can be done and I can show the Aka' how to do it; however, it will not be easy. It will take time and a lot of work. I will explain tomorrow at the Suala Ka'ynony."

"Mvilu, after the Ishoo'se Aka'ny meeting adjourned, I spoke with some of the other Aka'. They told me that, if you can prove to them that what you said about the fish and defense of Talo-Vy is true, they will move for a vote to allow you unrestricted movement throughout the village without being escorted. Is this something that would interest you?"

I paused and gaped at Mu-Naka. A quick glance around showed me that I was not the only one that was surprised by this turn of events. I said, "Is this something that would interest me? My Lord, it would most assuredly interest me. It would free my mistress and my master from being forced to accompany me to places that one of us needs to go. I would be able to do errands for them meaning they would not have to stop what they are doing to perform an errand and drag me along. If the Ishoo'se Aka'ny is willing to confer this honor on me, then I am more than a little willing to accept it and more importantly do whatever it takes to prove to them that their confidence in me is well-founded."

Mu-Naka looked at me for a second, nodded a quick nod and said, "I will look forward to this meeting and vote, Mvilu. I believe that you can accomplish the task of which you spoke." Looking at Ara, he said, "Please forgive me for barging in on your celebration. I will take my leave of you."

Ara said, "Please, stay if you wish, my Ka'. We would all be honored." Turning to the crowd, she said, "Would we not?"

As one, we answered, "Yes, we would be honored."

"Then, I will stay for a short while." He took me aside and said to me. "Mvilu, have you heard of the prophecy of 'The One Who Will Unify'?"

I said, "Yes, my Ka'. I have heard bits and pieces of the prophecy. I understand that My-Rora said he thought I was him when he brought me before the Ka'yno my first day in Talo-Vy. I do not think I am him, though."

"After your showing today in the Ishoo'se Aka'ny, I am not certain you are not. It seems that every time you turn around, you fulfill another aspect of the prophecy. Only time will tell if you are or not." While he was speaking, I noticed that he had turned and was looking at Zo-Joola and, after a short while, he was standing beside her and talking to her. I didn't have much time to watch, because I found Tyarza by my side smiling up at me. I started to put my arm around her shoulders, but thought better of it. After all, I didn't know the customs here and I could be making a major faux pas until I learned what to do.

Shortly after Mu-Naka left, Zo-Joola's family left. At the door, Tyarza looked at me wistfully for a moment, then her face hardened slightly and she left with the rest of the family. She didn't stomp out, but she most definitely walked with purpose in her steps.

I was at a loss as to her actions and said as much to Ara. Ara asked me what I had said or done before Tyarza left and I told her. She said, "I am not sure why she acted that way before she left, Mvilu. I am a Mory and she is a Uany. Perhaps she expected you to say or do something that you did not say or do. I guess the only way to be certain is to ask her."

"The next time Rora and I visit Zo-Kyta I will ask if I had accidentally offended her and make appropriate apologies if I did. Now, if you will excuse me, Ara, I am tired from my day and would like to go to bed, unless, of course, there is something I can do to be of assistance."

"No, Mvilu. There is nothing that needs to be done that cannot wait until the morning. Have a good sleep."

I headed to my room, got undressed and crawled into bed. The furs on the bed kept me at the temperature that I found most soothing for sleep and, before long, the room started to darken until it was completely dark and I was fast asleep thinking about tomorrow.