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Reason Reigns - Part 2, Chapters 1 - 5
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Mod
After two years, the Connors bade the Knox village goodbye. They sold their old boat to a neighbor village.
“Will I see you again?” Georgia asked Tony.
“Grandfather and I will visit again,” he replied.
The Knox people filled the Connors’ boat with provisions. Tony and his grandfather traveled back to their own village. Phil, Jim, and the three who helped create the rice fields were very happy to see them back. “We thought you were lost at sea,” Jim mumbled as he bear-hugged Tony.
“Tony, the fish ponds are depleted; the rice fields are not planted,” Phil delivered the bad news. “We warned the people not to consume the stock seeds, but Chief Hunsec overruled us.”
The next day, the Connors were summoned to the chief’s house. Chief Hunsec ordered, “Stock the fish ponds! Plant the rice fields! The village population has increased, so you must produce more.”
Grandfather Connor did not rise the next morning. Tony went to his bed. The old man held his hand. “Tony, you have always made me very happy. Thank you.”
“I love you, Grandfather.”
“Leave this place. Hunsec and his people don’t deserve you.” Grandfather Connor died an hour after.
A full month remained prior to the onset of the rainy season. As usual, the fishermen readied to go fishing. Tony offered the use of his steamboat.
“Your big boat will sink. We will stick to our boats; they have worked perfectly well for generations.”
“So you think you are better? Who do you think you are?” Imman Kann, the son of Chief Hunsec’s top advisor, scoffed at Tony.
Phil joined Tony. Jim went with the rest.
A storm came unexpectedly while they were at sea. The small boats capsized. Tony saved the fishermen; most were grateful. When the steamboat docked, many people on the beach cheered the fishermen. Their families cried in relief.
A father of three, Orion Bustoz, extolled Tony. “Let us give thanks for our savior, Tony!” The people roared in gratitude and admiration.
A day passed. Tony was seized in his house after dinner. Imman Kann and other men forcibly brought him before a crowd led by Chief Hunsec.
“Connor, nobody could have survived that storm. You are a spawn of the devil!” Chief Hunsec addressed the crowd. “The gods will punish this village unless we destroy this evil. Connor should be returned to hell where he belongs!”
The middle-aged man who helped create the rice fields faced the chief. “Tony performed a miracle. He is a savior, an angel of life.”
“Let the people decide,” cried Chief Hunsec. “Who champions Connor?”
“I do!” the middle-aged man raised both hands. He was a year younger and much taller than Chief Hunsec. He resembled the chief, though his blue eyes were kindly.
“We do,” the couple who also helped create the rice fields came forward. They were a handsome pair. Their blue eyes shone with steel confidence and determination. “Tony uses his mind to conquer nature and improve his life,” the husband blazed up at the men whom Tony saved. Some started to raise their hands. He continued, “Tony has demonstrated the power of reason - ”
“Seize them!” Chief Hunsec wildly pointed at Tony’s three champions. “All followers of the devil shall be punished!” Chief Hunsec’s men tied Tony, the middle-aged man, and the couple, to the stake.
“Who else champions the devil’s spawn?” Nobody came forward.
“Phil, you have always been his stooge. Jim, you are his friend. Why don’t you two come forward?”
Phil bowed. His brown eyes were mournful.
“He is not my friend,” cried Jim.
“The two of you have the power to save him. Should he burn in hell or be banished? Answer!” the chief barked.
Phil ran away from the crowd. Jim looked at the woman and the three men tied to the stake. “You are most wise, Chief Hunsec. Whatever you decide should be done.”
The chief laughed. “That his friends won’t even defend him proves he is the devil’s spawn. Burn them! Return them to hell!”
The firewood, still wet from the storm, did not ignite. “The gods want them to suffer first,” Chief Hunsec proclaimed. “We will try again tomorrow.”
The crowd dispersed. Jim ran to the steamboat. Phil was aboard. “I admire him, but only in my mind. I am afraid to say it. I don’t have the courage to defend him. I am too weak to be with him.” Phil’s voice broke.
“And I… I did not even have the courage of silence. I renounced him in public!” Jim beat his temples with his fists.
“We don’t have the courage to hold convictions. I saved myself, but I am overwhelmed by self-loathing.” Phil continued to lament.
“Phil, what if everyone has gone home? What if Tony and our friends have been left alone?”
“Let’s go.” They ran back to where the stake was erected. The clouds had cleared; the moon was out. They stayed in the shadows. They saw no one along the way. “Don’t make a sound,” Phil cautioned Jim as they neared the site. They gasped as they beheld the stake. Tony and his three champions were free from their bonds!
“How could Tony free himself?” Phil and Jim were astounded!
They heard a young yet resolute voice telling Tony, “Thank you for saving my father and my brother.”
“Thank you, Derek.” Tony saluted the nine-year-old boy. Their friends thought Tony Connor and Derek Bustoz were the epitome of physical perfection. Their handsome faces exuded goodness and innocence. Tony had blond hair and deep-blue eyes. Derek had curly dark hair, and a dark, healthy complexion. He backed up into the shadows, his intent eyes fixed on Tony.
Phil and Jim joined their friends. “This way; hurry.” Phil led the way back to the boat.
Tony boarded first; he disappeared inside. The couple, the middle-aged man, and Phil followed. Jim hesitated, his mind torn by indecision. “Jim, come on, hurry!” Phil urged. Jim’s slender frame looked forlorn.
“Tony could be right, but there are four of you with him and so many who aren’t. Hundreds can’t be wrong. Goodbye, my friends.” Jim felt utter sadness as the boat moved away from the narrow wooden pier. He looked at its gold, silver, and black flag fluttering proudly.
The Georgia Knox sailed through the night under clear skies.
“Are we headed for the Knox village?” the middle-aged man asked.
“No. I don’t want to endanger the village. We are going south.” Tony showed them the maps and other voyage data he copied from Chief Knox. “We’ll be far from here after a week. We may hit land within a month. We’ll also use our sails to conserve fuel.”
“We are going to a new world,” the woman enthused. “Thank you, Tony. What a relief to be rid of that abhorrent place.”
“I will start afresh. I don’t want anything to remind me of those people save Derek.” Her husband spoke softly. “I need a new identity. Tony, may we take up your illustrious name?” He was known as Bill Hunsec.
“I, too, would be greatly honored,” his uncle, the middle-aged man, seconded.
“Of course,” Tony answered. “You are my family.”
“Emma Connor… ” Bill’s wife affirmed her new name proudly.
Tony asked them to rest and go to sleep. Phil stayed with him. Tony smiled at his friend. “Thank you for coming back for us.”
“Tony, why did you keep on saving the village even when the people treated you like dirt?”
“My mind delights in challenges. I pleasure in competence, in achievement. Nothing else matters.”
“They wanted you killed!”
“I’ve never understood their evil until tonight. But they don’t matter, Phil. Derek exists. People like him are out there. Think of that.”
Mod
Tony’s map showed the Union of Ibelyn, a country located at least two thousand miles south of the Hunsec village. The northernmost region of the Union was the Yani province. To its east was a huge mountain range known as the Banuar Mountains.
The child’s first memories were his activities at the foot of the mountain. He ate wild plants and climbed trees to harvest fruits. He slept under the sky in the summer and in a hollowed rock during the rainy season. He did not have any family. The only traces of his parents were adult clothing, footwear, and a few tools in a woven basket. Around people, the adults ignored him while he played with the children.
The child studied his tools. He explored his surroundings bringing one tool at a time. He tested the use of each on every object. He made implements from vines and branches.
He noticed that stones exposed to the sun became very hot during the day. He associated this observation with the heat generated when he rubbed his hands together. He rubbed a stone against another hot big one and discovered he could produce sparks. He learned how to make a fire from the sparks. He also rubbed his cutting tool against the big stone and found that his tool became sharper. He became very interested in stones. He collected every shape and color. He kept the small, shiny rocks in his basket.
A four-hour trek northwest brought him to the sea. He loved the beach and the company. He swam, slept on the sand, and frolicked with other children. They ate sea urchins, crabs, and other shellfish. The following year, he devised a fishnet and brought many to the beach. The device became a hit, even with his playmates’ parents. He traded it. He got a small ax in exchange for several fishnets and other things he bartered. He also traded for knowledge. He caught many fish that summer. He discovered that dried fish lasted long into the rainy season.
Back on the mountains, he couldn’t get near the animals. “I need to maim or kill them from afar. I wish my arm could stretch out as far as my eyes can see, so I could pluck birds out of the sky or catch a deer.” He looked for a sturdy but light branch. “If I could make this fly… ”
He experimented. He devised a bow and arrow. He learned how to use animals for food and clothing. He grew in height, in years, and in understanding of his world as he went deeper into the mountains.
While exploring, he heard a waterfall from a distance and then came upon a cave. He made it his permanent home. Every summer, he traveled for three days to go to the beach. He loved to play with the other youngsters. It took him longer to get back; he visited the hollowed rock, his old home, and the other places where he roamed as a child.
One summer, he saw dead birds on the beach and in the water. The sea was red. He romped with his gang for a day and a night, and then went back to the mountains without harvesting from the sea.
Dried bird meat and venison filled his cave. It was more than he could eat for many months. “I will raise livestock and crops. Even if it takes months for the animals and plants to grow, or years for the trees to bear fruit, I can wait. I have enough food. I can buy time.”
His wounds and pains led him to insights into the medicinal properties of herbs and other plants. He experimented with animals which broadened his understanding of medicines.
The boy grew into a tall, strapping young man. His farm had plenty of trees, herbs, crops, and animals.
“I’ll go see what other people have. I’ll offer to exchange animal skins, dried meat, corn, coconut fruit, and medicinal plants. I wish I could carry a lot… ”
He traveled with his produce in a wooden box with wheels, pulled by an ox. He widened some tracks with his ax. As he progressed, he pondered the standards of right and wrong as well as the principles of human relationships. He deemed, “What furthers man’s life is the good. Each individual’s freedom is inviolate. To rule is evil. I will always respect the free will of every person.”
The first people he met were two boys and a girl.
“You’re huge. What’s your name?”
“I’m… Huge.”
The kids laughed. “You’re funny, too. Why do you bring your house with you?” They looked at the wagon.
“This is not my real house. I have food in there that I want to exchange for what others have.”
The kids became more curious. “What food? What do you want in exchange?”
“What do you have?”
“I’ll ask my father.” The two boys ran home.
The girl proffered, “I have something for you - a name: Hugo.”
“It sounds better than Huge, thank you. Choose what you want in exchange.” As the little girl checked the produce, Hugo mused, “I’ve never thought of my name before. I’ve been called Boy and Hey. Hugo is a name fit for a moral giant, a name to live up to.”
Over the years, the number of Hugo’s trading partners increased. He built tracks and bridges for his wagon. He traded in the mountains, beaches, and Yani towns. He traded food, medicines, and sparkling stones for ideas, training, and knowledge. He learned how to read and write, became acquainted with a blacksmith and his skills, and later gained experience in making and handling dynamite.
From his looks, Hugo was around forty-five years old when he met Vangel. She had just been dismissed as a nanny because she developed skin ulcers.
Vangel was born in Senna, the province located southwest of Cissero which in turn was the province southwest of the City of Ibelyn. She was fifteen when her parents developed incurable skin ulcers and were sent to the Devil’s Eye island located a few hundred miles west of the Senna seaport. She never saw them again. She was shunned in every town that heard about her parents until she came to the City of Ibelyn where she was hired as a maid in a convent. She was thirty years old when she visited the Banuar convent, ten years before she met Hugo. She was then pondering upon becoming a novice. Soon after arriving at the convent, she was hired as a nanny by a rich, powerful household.
The news that Vangel had skin ulcers spread all over Yani. She was forbidden to enter any town.
Hugo was delivering produce to the Banuar convent when he first met Vangel. She was standing forlornly at the convent gate, summoning the courage to ring the cast-iron bell. Hugo offered to take her to the mountains. “For the sake of propriety, I will get a marriage license,” he assured Vangel.
“Thank you. You are a savior. But I don’t care about the license which I should not even touch.”
Hugo filed a marriage license in the nearest town while Vangel waited at the foot of the mountain. He signed both of their names. He brought her to his log house near his cave.
Hugo’s medicinal plants cured Vangel. They fell in love and never thought of going back to Yani.
* * * continued in the next post
Mod
A year passed. They heard chants and cheers from a distance. Soon after, they met some of their new neighbors. They came in groups at different times. The old folks pleasantly conversed with Hugo and Vangel. The younger women barely spoke and did so in soft, tentative voices. The quiet children clung to their mothers. The younger men did not say please or thank you. They barked at the younger women and children.
Throughout the following years, the old folks, women, and children traded with Hugo and Vangel, though usually in a hurry, looking furtively behind their backs especially when they bought medicines or meat.
Almost five years after Hugo’s neighbors arrived, an old man fetched the couple. Most people in his hamlet were sick and could not be cured; some had died. Hugo asked him to describe their symptoms.
Hugo and Vangel hurried to the hamlet with the appropriate medicines. Along the way, they informed the old man of the causes of and cure for dysentery, as well as the preventive measures against it. Most of the sick were saved. The hamlet’s oracle and his cohorts were openly hostile to Hugo and his wife.
Before long, other people were emboldened to patronize Hugo and Vangel more openly and frequently. One day, a mother of two visited. Her one-year-old boy was in a harness carrier strapped to her back. “This is Ivan.” She also introduced her eight-year-old daughter who did not pay attention to the adults. She seemed to be in a world of her own. “This is Lola. Could she please see your cave?”
“Sure. Come, Lola.” Vangel led Lola by the hand.
“Lola can’t talk. Would you know of a medicine that can make her well?” the mother asked Hugo when her daughter was out of earshot.
“No. Can she hear?”
“Sometimes; I believe she can, but she reacts inconsistently.”
“Does she always show a response to you, or is she inconsistent even when you are alone with her?”
“She is consistently responsive to me when we are alone. She does not respond to anyone else.”
“Let’s go join them.”
Vangel was showing her part of the cave. Lola was unresponsive. She stared at Hugo’s tools. She walked to the bow and quiver.
“I am going hunting today,” Hugo remarked. “Lola is welcome to join me.”
The child’s eyes lit up. “She understands,” thought the three adults.
“Lola can come here anytime she wants,” Vangel added.
“Thank you,” the mother’s voice was full of gratitude. “It’s your decision, Lola. Do you want to go with Mr. Hugo?” The girl nodded.
Hugo taught Lola how to shoot a bow and arrow. She learned quickly. She became a frequent visitor. She was very interested in Hugo’s tools and tasks. Vangel used the bow and arrow as a reward mechanism. She taught Lola letters and numbers. If the girl identified every symbol correctly, she was allowed to do target practice. Soon, she was identifying words – she learned how to read easily, though nonverbally. The writing and counting exercises came next.
Sometimes, Lola’s mother had bruises on the face. The day that Lola came with finger marks on her cheek and upper right arm, her mother had a black eye. When Ivan turned three, he often clung to Lola and refused to go with their mother. Hugo and Vangel assured the mother that they found the children a delight and that she could also leave Ivan with them.
Lola was twelve and Ivan was five when their father was appointed as the heir to the oracle in their old hamlet. The family moved deeper into the mountains. It took them two days to reach their old community. Hugo and Vangel pined for the kids.
After almost a year, a sixteen-year-old girl whom Hugo and Vangel had never seen before asked if she could take shelter in their cave. The teenage girl introduced herself as Kori. The couple offered her food; she ate hungrily.
“I have not eaten for… two days. I have been running as fast as I could. My husband and my father threw me out the day after my wedding night.”
“You are welcome here,” Vangel invited. “Stay in the cave. You can help on the farm and take food from there.”
“Thank you.”
In two months, Vangel noticed what the girl confirmed a few days after. Kori was pregnant. “May I ask your advice?” she asked the older woman. Vangel nodded.
“I am not ready to be a mother. I was forced into marriage. I was told that I am not a good woman on my wedding night.” She recalled her last conversations with her husband and her father.
“You were not a virgin.”
“I sure was, before tonight.”
“You tricked your father and me. You were sullied when I married you.”
“That is not true.”
“Then why did you enjoy it?”
“You think I am not supposed to… and you?”
“Yes, of course; I am a man. Good women, especially virgins, do not like it.”
“I did enjoy it. It was the first time, and I am a good woman.”
Her father sided with her husband and ordered her out of their lives. She gasped, and then hurried out of the house. She ran as fast as she could for a long time… When she stopped, she found herself alone, deep in the woods, still trembling. She stood up straight. Her eyes smiled… followed by her mouth… then her whole face glowed.
“I’m free! That I experienced pleasure set me free! This is heaven!”
She found Hugo and Vangel; they were very kind. Hugo was a giant of great physical and mental strength. He stood six feet and seven inches. He had dark hair and brown eyes. His joyous confidence was as evident as Vangel’s benevolence.
Kori enjoyed her freedom. She pondered the responsibility of having a baby.
Vangel counseled, “God is so loving that He allows man a window to change course, that one may not go through a lifetime paying for a mistake. He is so good that He always keeps the door to happiness open. Your own life is precious. Right to life dictates that you not suffer the toils of unchosen paths. Life is not just breathing… A baby is a great responsibility; you can’t renege on it. A chosen responsibility is a fount of pleasure.”
The next day, Kori helped the couple feed the animals. “Good morning,” she smiled happily. “I am going to have a baby,” she told the couple. “I love it already.”
She gave birth to a boy and named him Ethan.
* * * continued in the next post
Mod
The old man who fetched Hugo when his hamlet suffered an epidemic died. The visits from his people dwindled to a trickle. The few that traded with the couple did so surreptitiously. Months went by. When the neighbor oracle and his heir died, Lola’s father was fetched from the old hamlet to replace the oracle.
Ivan visited, but Lola and their mother did not.
“Please tell your mother and Lola we said hello.”
“Mother is dead.”
“We’re so sorry. How is Lola? Does she ever talk?”
The boy hesitated. “This is a secret. She talks only to me.”
Ivan turned nine that summer. He visited Hugo and Vangel often. One day, he told Hugo that the people in his hamlet were going to harvest from the sea; they would leave in two days. Hugo recounted his experiences on the beach including the red sea and the dead birds.
The hamlet people traveled to the sea. The oracle, father to Ivan and Lola, arrived with his people on the beach without the siblings. Ivan and his sister lagged behind because he insisted on seeing Hugo’s old home, the small hollowed rock, and the vicinity that had served as Hugo’s playground.
The oracle and his party gave thanks and praises. They ignored the dead birds on the beach and in the water. The oracle pronounced the sea turning red as a good omen.
Lola and her brother arrived. They looked at the red sea. Unaware of their father’s good-omen declaration, Ivan mentioned Hugo’s warning.
The oracle seethed inside. He worried, “What if Hugo is right? Damn him! I have lost face.” He told his people, “The wizard and the witch have poisoned the sea. They have defiled the gifts of the gods!”
His anger boiled over as they trekked home. He dreaded every glance, every whisper. “Do my people still believe in me? What are they thinking? What do they think of me? I must not let Hugo bring me down!” He hatched a plan. As soon as they reached home, he called his cohorts to a meeting.
Ivan went straight to Hugo. The boy still had the backpack that he brought to the beach. “You must hide or leave. Hurry! You are in danger.”
Hugo feared for Vangel, Kori, and little Ethan. They quickly packed.
Hugo heard Kori scream. He ran outside and saw a man armed with a machete holding Ethan. Other armed men grabbed Hugo and Kori. Vangel calmly said, “We’ll go with you. Give me the boy.” The machete man glared menacingly and held on to Ethan.
Hugo, Vangel, and Kori were brought to the oracle. Lola was there with a quiver full of arrows. She took Ethan from the man with the machete.
“Burn the witches! Burn the devil!” a throng chanted. As the sun set, the captives were tied to the stake.
The oracle spoke on the podium. “These demons caused the epidemic eight years ago. Then, they killed our beloved oracle, his heir, and my first wife. Now, they want to kill me and enslave our hamlet. They defile the gods! Burn them!”
The chant grew louder. “Burn the witches! Burn the devil!”
Lola stepped up to the podium and asked, “Father, may I be heard?”
Everyone was astounded! “For sixteen years, she never uttered a word!” Surprised, the oracle stared at Lola, and then nodded.
“Thank you, Father,” the girl intoned. “Thank you, honored neighbors,” she bowed to the people. “Fire is the habitat of the devil. Witches blend into the night. Burning these three demons and killing them at night will make them more powerful. They should be hanged at daybreak, instead.”
Lola’s father and the throng concurred. The three prisoners were placed in a big cage. Hugo was bound hand and foot. Ethan ran to Kori who scooped him up. The crowd dispersed. The machete man sat on a bench near the fire, three meters from the cage door.
Lola hurried to the nearby woods. She made a trail and retrieved a hidden backpack.
Kori sat on the ground and breastfed Ethan, facing the guard. Her torn skirt hiked up her thighs; her legs were slightly apart. The machete man got up, put the sheathed machete on the bench, and took his clothes off. He opened the cage door, entered, and locked the door after him. The key hung from his neck. Vangel took Ethan and went back to the corner by Hugo. She took out a small knife hidden in her clothing and quickly cut his bonds.
The machete man began to ravish Kori. His ardor was quickly interrupted by a sharp pain in his back. Hugo had stabbed him! The machete man tried to break off from Kori; he tore his necklace off and threw it out of the cage. The necklace fell near his clothes. Hugo and Kori overpowered him until he fell unconscious. But the prisoners couldn’t reach the key.
Lola stepped out of the shadows. She picked up the key and doused the fire to a glimmer. Kori strapped Ethan to her back as Ivan came running. He took the key from his sister and quickly opened the cage door. “Follow me,” he whispered.
Lola shot four arrows in quick succession!
Four approaching guards fell.
Hugo locked the door behind him and picked up the machete.
Lola shot seven more arrows. She hit five armed cohorts of the oracle. Two arrows landed on a tree opposite the route that Ivan took. She shot another arrow and then ran to catch up with the group.
“Thank you, Ivan and Lola,” Hugo commended solemnly. He gazed at the girl. “What you did on the podium was great thinking.” Throughout their ordeal, Hugo, Vangel, and Kori had been confident that the kids would help them. They guessed that Lola made a trail in the direction where she shot a tree.
“I got busy after they took you away,” Ivan bubbled proudly. Far from the hamlet, they came upon Hugo’s wagon and ox. It was filled with the things they packed and with tools, food, and flasks of water.
Two hours later, they crossed a wooden bridge that Hugo built. They gathered dried leaves and branches, and then set them on fire at the center of the bridge. The bridge caught fire; it was cut in two and fell in the deep ravine. Hugo made sure that nothing caught fire at its foot. They traveled through the night and the next morning. Lola helped carry Ethan. They rested at noon and ate by a shade.
“Go to sleep,” Hugo soothed. “We’ll resume walking after sunset when it’s cooler.”
Lola offered, “I’ll take the first lookout shift, Father.”
Ivan woke up in two hours and took the next shift.
Mod
Hugo, Vangel, and the youngsters who chose them as parents were escaping to the Yani province which forbade Vangel entry years ago.
The nine Ibelyn provinces and the Union capital, the City of Ibelyn, had great autonomy. Each had its own laws and ordinances. The heads of the town councils made up the provincial board which passed the laws executed by the governor’s office. The governor and the vice governor were directly elected by the people. They represented the province in the Union Congress.
Rod Gullio Sr. was the Yani governor. His best friend, Rudi Yani, was the owner of the biggest hacienda in the province. Their children, Rod Junior, Josephine Gullio, and Kiran Yani went to the best schools and had the best tutors. Josephine was fondly called Jo.
Thirteen years ago, Vangel was dismissed from the Gullio household while Jo and Rod Junior were with the Yanis for the summer. A new convent was then being erected at the foot of the Banuar Mountains. Vangel was standing by its gate summoning the courage to ring the bell when she met Hugo.
one late afternoon that summer, Kiran, then eight years old, saw a young man turned away at the Yani gate while she played with Josephine and Rod Junior after their tutor dismissed them for the day. Kiran saw the youngster walk back a few paces, stop, and gaze at the big house. He had intelligent eyes and a determined expression.
Kiran summoned the maid. “What does he want?”
“He wants to speak with the professor, my Lady. He was also here yesterday. I turned him away both times.”
“Please ask the professor if he wants to receive him.”
“Yes, my Lady.”
Kiran walked to the gate.
The fifteen-year-old at the gate inherited land from his father who was one of the few who did not sell their land to hacienda owners. The youngster had since thought of ways to increase his crop yields. He heard of the tutor at the Yani house. “He must be a very wise man. I wish I could pick his brains.”
He walked many miles to the Yani hacienda and slept under the elements. He was turned away from the huge house, but he did not lose heart. He tried again the next day and was denied a second time. He was thinking of waiting until the professor came out when a girl with remarkable poise approached the gate. She wore her expensive clothes with ease.
“Hello. I’m Kiran.”
“Good afternoon. I’m Leo Thomas.”
“The professor will send word shortly if he’s going to see you.”
“Thank you.”
The professor himself came to the gate. He was tall and kindly. His eyes conveyed a powerful thinking mind.
Leo asked, “Sir, may I please talk to you about books and science?”
“Sure,” the professor smiled warmly. When they were seated at his cottage, he asked the young man, “Which topic do you want to discuss first?”
“I want to know about farming: planting techniques, tools, equipment, and anything about science and inventions.”
The older man beamed. He talked and explained into the night. They both forgot about dinner. “You can sleep here tonight, young man. We can talk every evening this summer. What’s your name?”
“Leo Thomas, sir.”
“I’m Professor Milton.”
Leo found work on the nearby farms. He treasured every evening. He learned a lot and gained a mentor and friend. The professor reveled in his apt student who was two years younger than his own son, Burt. Professor Milton came back for two more summers; Leo gained valuable knowledge from him.
Leo devised farming tools and implements. He experimented with fertilizers and pesticides using local materials. Soon, he gathered bountiful harvests, saved plenty of stock seeds, and bought more hectares of land. His tools made it much easier for him to till more land.
A precocious young orphan, Pit Schwartz, requested to work for him. Leo hired him as a farmhand.
Leo loaned tools and stock seeds at a profit. He sold farming implements and fertilizers, bought several wagons and horses, and experimented with an automatic plow. His businesses attracted the customers of the hacienda owners due to better prices. He bought rice soon after the harvest season when supply was high, and then sold his stock in the big towns at competitive prices when supply was low. Small landowners as well as tenants from several provinces patronized his products: loans, farming tools and supplies, as well as his buy-and-sell business. He became very wealthy in a few years.
Leo was twenty-five years old when the big landowners headed by Rudi Yani petitioned the provincial government. Governor Rod Gullio Sr. acceded to their requests. He interpreted the Business Practices Act in ways that penalized Leo.
When Leo was told, he retired to his toolshed and worked on his automatic plow for three straight days. On the fourth day, he went to the town hall and complied with what the governor had ordered.
The entire Union was jolted two months later. The first issue of the newsmagazine, The Thinker, featured the Yani event as its lead story: ‘Goodbye to Intellectual Property Rights’ bylined Kala Yaan. The article reported, in part:
“Yani Governor Rod Gullio Sr. ends intellectual property rights at the behest of Mr. Rudi Yani and other powerful hacienda owners. Mr. Leo Thomas, the innovative farmer and entrepreneur, has been ordered to make his trade secrets public and to pay a heavy fine for what the governor has interpreted as violations of the Business Practices Act.”
The Thinker featured an equally hard-hitting cartoon by Indi V. Ricial. It showed the mighty governor’s building crushing Leo as people rejoiced and saluted its flag bearing the words, Intellectual Dishonesty. The revelers wore shirts labeled Looter.
Rod Gullio Sr. and Rudi Yani were livid. They cursed Kala Yaan and Indi V. Ricial, and ordered their minions to find out who they were. They dispatched another to compile a dossier on the publisher, Ron Balian.
Pit praised the paper. He hastened to show it to Leo. “Do you know who Ron Balian is?” Pit asked.
“He is a good builder,” Leo answered. In his mind, he thanked the publisher, the reporter, and the cartoonist.
* * * continued in the next post
Mod
Fifteen years prior to the publication of The Thinker, the builder and publisher was a seven-year-old thinking of a miracle.
“Ron wants to learn how to read and write, Reverend.” Rolan Balian, his wife, Pat, and their son were in the rector’s office. Rolan was a janitor at the All Saints Academy in the City of Ibelyn. Pat was the rectory’s cook and housekeeper. Both were illiterate.
“So the son wants to better his parents.” Reverend Augusto leaned back in his chair and furrowed his eyebrows.
“We wish better opportunities for our son,” Pat beseeched.
“What say you, Ron?”
“My purpose for wanting to learn is to improve myself, Reverend. I would never think what you alleged.”
“Your son is tempted by the tree of knowledge.”
“This Academy is a fount of knowledge, your grace,” Rolan replied.
“The students here are the children of the cream of society. They can afford the tuition and expenses. They have innate intelligence which your family lacks. But do not despair. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. This world is of no consequence. What is important is the afterlife. Bear your yoke. Accept your destiny with utmost humility and you shall be blessed.”
Ron ran from the room. When his parents joined him, he told them, “Don’t worry. I will find a way.”
Ron helped his parents with their tasks. He quietly dusted furniture at the back of classrooms and listened to lectures. He loved to clean the library. He memorized a book with pictures and numbers. “The words must identify the pictures next to them; the numbers must correspond to how many objects are shown,” he surmised. He drew the pictures, letters, and numbers in the privacy of his room.
He learned the concept of each letter. He deduced that by combining the sounds of letters, he was able to read words. He practiced the sound of each letter and the pronunciation variations for some: “Is it kan-dee or kan-dahy? It’s candy. Is it e-mu or ee-myoo? It’s the latter.” He learned the concept of numbers and counting.
He shared his knowledge with his parents. They grasped his explanations quickly; just a few letters and their sounds and you could read anything! They looked at their boy in awe.
“Son, this is a miracle!”
“Yes. I achieved a miracle.”
Reading opened new worlds for Ron. He often dusted the dictionary in the library. He memorized words and their meanings, then recorded them in his notebook at night. He dusted many books. The librarian even saw him dusting the pages while staring at them intently.
Ron was twelve when his parents were assigned to a convent at the foot of the Banuar Mountains. A new building was then being erected. His mother cooked for the construction workers while his father cleaned up and ran errands. Ron helped his parents; he did his chores thoroughly and quickly. He watched the builders. After a few days, he offered to help with the construction work. The supervisor, Collin Stotle, observed that he learned fast and that the quality of his work was very good. Soon, the boy was putting in a day’s work besides helping his parents into the night.
When it was time to collect wages, Ron did not stand in line with the other workers. He had always helped his parents without getting paid himself.
“Ron, come here,” Collin called. “Here are your wages.”
“Thank you, sir.” Ron was pleasantly surprised. He thought, “Wow! I got paid for doing something so great.”
The Reverend’s assistant took the supervisor to task. “You didn’t have to pay him. His parents already got paid.”
“He earned it,” Collin replied. He refused to discuss the matter any further.
Rolan and Pat went back to the rectory after the new convent was built. Their son joined Collin in another construction project.
Ron pored over his mentor’s books and notes on building and construction materials. He learned how to design and build houses, roads, and bridges. Full of conviction that thinking, together with hard work, was the key to a good life, he strived to become adept at his profession.
Ron’s job with Collin took him all over the Union of Ibelyn. He keenly observed the communities. He bought books. He was immensely interested in the printing press. He learned how to build one cheaply. He studied how to manufacture the materials needed for printing. He built a small factory that produced paper and ink. The factory was located in Delpha, the home province of Collin, located north of the City of Ibelyn. Ron gave it as a present to his parents. Rolan and Pat resigned from the rectory. They loved the challenge of working in their new factory.
Born of illiterate parents and ancestors, the boy who learned to read and write by himself grew up appreciating literature. He wrote down his observations. He was twenty-two when he published his first monthly newsmagazine, The Thinker.
Contributors from each province submitted news reports on community events, on the products, ideas, and skills of the residents, and on their laws and leaders. Articles on science, technology, and inventions were featured. Businessmen, craftsmen, and professors were interviewed. Some reporters used their real identities; others used pennames.
The reelection of Yani Governor Rod Gullio Sr. was featured in the paper’s first year anniversary edition. He was also the subject of an editorial by the publisher, a cartoon by Indi V. Ricial, and a news report by Kala Yaan.
The cartoon showed Governor Gullio in his office shaking hands with Pull Peddlers headed by Rudi Yani. The handle of a massive hammer emanated from the governor’s office, emitting laws labeled as irrational, whimsical, and malevolent. The hammer pounded Leo Thomas who radiated intelligence, innovation, productivity, and wealth.
The news item by Kala Yaan was headlined ‘Legalized Force’. It read:
“Mr. Leo Thomas has exponentially increased the food supply. He enables other farmers to do the same, thereby improving the lives of many. A year ago, he was ordered to make his trade secrets public and to pay a heavy fine by virtue of the Business Practices Act.
Since then, Mr. Thomas has devised better and cheaper ways to manufacture farm implements and fertilizers. He offers them at prices lower than those produced by his competitors who gained the unearned when he was legally forced to share his intellectual properties. Once again, the Yani government has deemed Mr. Thomas guilty of unfair business practices, and has ordered him to pay another heavy fine and to raise his prices.
Mr. Thomas charges a much lower loan rate compared to the other lenders. He has been ordered to match the highest loan rate and to pay a fine.
He buys rice and corn at prices higher than those offered by rich landowners, thereby benefiting poor farmers. He has been ordered to match the lowest buying price and to pay a fine.
He has been levied a much higher tax rate.
The latest interpretation of the Business Practices Act signed by Governor Gullio Sr. is reproduced in this paper. It orders Mr. Thomas to stop manufacturing farm implements and fertilizers. The decree does not include a justification.”
Ron wrote an editorial about undefined, flexible, and unpredictable regulations: “People must know clearly in advance that which is legally forbidden and why, and the penalty they will incur if they commit it.” He presented a case for objective laws, and clamored for reason: “Definitions are the guardians of rationality.” He called for an end to the persecution of Leo Thomas whom he described as a moral man of great ability.
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The Thinker’s second year anniversary edition featured twenty-nine-year-old Governor Burt Milton of Cissero. The governor proposed three bills being debated in the Union Congress. He argued that they would strengthen the Union and its Constitution. The first bill recommended the creation of Armed Forces to protect the Union, the second put forth free trade within and among provinces, and the third urged the institutionalization of individual rights over majority rule.
Burt graduated as civil engineer. He passed the bar examination before he was elected as governor a year ago.
Governor Gullio, Rudi Yani, and their wives were in the City of Ibelyn to attend the Congress hearings and debates. Their children were already in the city. Rod Junior was a law student at the All Saints Academy. He was twenty-one years old. A year younger, Kiran Yani was studying to become a doctor. Josephine Gullio, a year older than her brother, taught architecture.
Rod Sr. forbade her daughter to teach, or to take up any employment. Josephine rebelled; Mrs. Gullio backed her up.
“I don’t want to be purposeless, Father. I am not an ornament.”
“No woman in high society works. You can’t embarrass me!”
“I enjoy what I do. It makes me happy to be productive.”
Josephine and Mrs. Gullio prevailed upon the governor. He told his friends and his constituents that his daughter’s decision was a testament to their family’s dedication to and love for society.
The succeeding issues of The Thinker covered the arguments for and against the Milton bills.
Those opposed to the establishment of an armed force argued that the Union of Ibelyn was a peaceful nation and that the formation of an army was a hostile act. The same people contended that a governor’s most solemn duty was to protect his province’s economy and the livelihood of its people, and thus, must vote against free trade. They supported majority rule over individual rights, proclaiming that the public good was paramount. They refused any amendments to the Union Constitution. They affirmed that every province must have the autonomy to pass laws in order to keep up with the times and prevailing culture.
The governors of Diwaly and Almania, the two provinces south of Yani, as well as the governor of the City of Ibelyn, opposed Governor Milton’s bills. The governors of Senna and Delpha were vocal supporters. The nonbinding vote was 3-3 early on. Four governors including Rod Sr. conducted hearings and wanted more time for debates.
Rudi Yani lobbied against the bills. He knew Rod Sr. shared his sentiments, but the Yani governor did not show his hand.
Ron Balian requested and was granted an interview with Rod Sr.
“Governor, what do you think of each bill proposed by Governor Milton?”
“The arguments of Governor Milton are powerful, but so are the words of wisdom of those opposed to the bills. Both sides have compelling arguments.”
“What is your position? Do you support or oppose the Milton bills?”
“For one bill, I am inclined one way. However, for the other two, I am disposed the other way. I keep an open mind. I seriously weigh the arguments presented in the debates as well as the information from the hearings.”
“What are your principles that influence your decisions?”
“They are not contrary to Governor Milton’s, nor do they differ from the convictions of those who oppose him. These are very serious bills. We must be practical. We must listen to the voice of the people.”
“Thank you for your time, Governor Gullio.”
Rudi Yani, the governor’s next guest, asked, “Which way will you vote?”
“I will vote for what’s best, of course.”
Both men were fifty years old, of medium height, and very well-groomed. They wore expensive clothes. When everyone had left, Rod Sr. stretched his limbs and smirked. He had decided on his voting strategy from day one. “I am going to wait out the Congress proceedings, and then vote for the winning side.”
The Gullio interview appeared verbatim in the next The Thinker edition. The paper also contained the publisher’s ringing endorsement of the Milton bills and the corresponding rationale:
“A country must protect its citizens from foreign invaders. It has a right to self-defense. Leaders must plan to thwart those who might initiate physical force. Renouncing defense encourages or rewards brutes and looters. Every citizen must demand that he should not be left helplessly at the mercy of evil men. An armed force is a necessity.
The only rational and ethical principle for human relationships is free trade: a voluntary, unforced, and uncoerced exchange or agreement between parties that mutually benefit.
We must have a government of laws and not of men. Individual rights must be respected and protected. A private individual should be able to do anything except that which is legally forbidden while a public official may do nothing except that which is legally permitted.”
Eight months into the debates, The Thinker reported that the three southern provinces, Ryford, Rio Talsan, and Patriz, had passed resolutions supporting Governor Milton’s proposals. The nonbinding vote became six in favor, three opposed, and one abstention. The city governor stalled for time.
One night as Ron came out of the Balian printing press, an arrow hit the wall near its door. The shot was wide, meant to scare. His parents reported the incident. Delpha Governor Kevin Stotle ordered policemen to provide protection to the printing press and to its employees.
The following month, The Thinker carried another news item and cartoon by the Yani contributors.
Kala Yaan reported the latest transgressions of Leo Thomas as decreed by the Yani officials: that he must have swindled people as evidenced by his income which was incredibly out of the norm, that his profit from financing struggling factories was unconscionably enormous, that he must have failed to disclose new farming methodologies as evidenced by his huge bumper crop amidst the meager harvest of the haciendas. Kala Yaan further wrote:
“Mr. Leo Thomas has been convicted of swindling the public. Besides paying an astronomical fine, he has been sentenced to ten years in prison.
No voice is raised in his defense except that of a teenager, Mr. Pit Schwartz, who has since been the subject of an investigation. The farmers and the businessmen whom Mr. Thomas has worked with are afraid to speak up. Most people suppose, ‘I don’t understand how he got rich very quickly, so he must have done something wrong.’ Others deem, ‘This is all beyond me, but if the authorities say that he is a swindler and a threat to the community, he must be.’”
The cartoon by Indi V. Ricial was entitled ‘Free No More’. It showed Leo, labeled The GOOD, shackled behind bars, and a flag, labeled FREEDOM, torn and burning in a garbage pit.
Leo had been cut down. Ron was next in the sights of the destroyers.
The dossier on Ron noted that whenever he was in the city, he frequented an eatery near the Congress building and a bookstore outside the vast grounds of the All Saints Academy. The hit man who once shot at the Balian printing press building to scare Ron had been given new orders to incapacitate him. He planned to do so at the bookstore grounds. one late afternoon, the hit man saw Ron arrive at the bookstore on horseback. Ron went inside the store. The hit man entered a covered wagon and readied his bow and arrow. He waited for Ron to return to his horse.
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Ron came out with two books. The hit man had him in his sights. As Ron walked to his horse, another horse rider arrived from the direction of the Academy grounds. She dismounted beside Ron’s horse.
The hit man cursed under his breath.
The horsewoman held on to the reins and greeted Ron. They talked for a few minutes. As the hit man deliberated whether or not to shoot, he recognized the new arrival. He put his bow and arrow down. “I’m dead if I mistakenly hit her.” He saw her look around, took out an envelope or two, and handed them over to Ron. Both mounted their horses and left.
A day passed. A Yani valet waited for Kiran at the Academy’s dormitory hall. She had been summoned by her parents. She went to their house in the city.
“Are you dating Ron Balian?” her father asked.
“May I not answer, Father?”
“What do you think of him?” her mother’s tone was gentle.
“I admire him, Mother.”
“Your engagement to Rod Junior will be announced in two weeks. You will be married in six months. The Gullios will arrive shortly. Everything has been arranged,” Rudi Yani declared authoritatively.
“I will decide whom and when to marry.”
“Your position in society as the Yani heiress dictates that you must do your duty.”
“You think that it is a categorical imperative that I should obey regardless of my personal desire, that I have to undertake an unchosen burden, a causeless, not goal-directed, not reality-oriented obligation, regardless of the consequences. I cannot. I abhor the moral principle that behavior should be determined by duty.”
“Please do it for your father and me.”
“Why do you wish me a living death? No, I won’t marry Rod Junior.”
Her father demanded in a low but forceful tone, “If you won’t do it for the sake of filial duty, then do it for the good of Balian.”
Kiran regarded her parents calmly, her body erect and still. “If Ron is ever hurt, I will leave Rod Junior.”
The Gullios arrived. The engagement was finalized. After the celebratory toast and speeches, Josephine announced that she would enter the convent. Mrs. Gullio was overwhelmed by joy, but Governor Gullio took the news somberly. He evaded Josephine’s eyes.
The next issue of The Thinker included these two news items:
“Governor Kevin Stotle is hospitalized and has been deemed incapable of performing his duties as governor of the Delpha province. His doctor has not issued any statement. Vice Governor Luke Augusto will take his oath as Delpha governor two days from the publication of this news report.
Governor Stotle is a staunch supporter of the Milton bills. The vice governor has not publicly stated his position on the proposals before the Union Congress.”
* * * * *
“Mr. and Mrs. Rudi Yani, the owners of the biggest hacienda in the Yani province, announce the engagement of their daughter, Kiran Yani, to Rod Gullio Junior, the only son of Governor and Mrs. Rod Gullio Senior. The lavish engagement party is attended by eight governors, ten vice governors, businessmen, hacienda owners, the All Saints Academy faculty, and other prominent people from all over the Union of Ibelyn. Cissero Governor Burt Milton is invited, but has declined to attend. The Delpha governor’s brother, Collin Stotle, attends in his stead.”
A week after the new Delpha governor took office, people demonstrated in front of the Balian printing press. The following day, they were on the steps of the Delpha Provincial Hall. One placard declared, “Down with The Thinker Troublemaker!” Another had, “Abusive Press: Lie Peddlers.”
The Delpha Provincial Board hastily met without the two members who opposed enacting a replica of Yani’s Business Practices Act. The Provincial Board passed the bill. The new governor was present at the meeting and signed the bill into law.
The Balian printing press and the paper-and-ink factory were ordered closed.
The next edition of The Thinker was ready to go to press. It would report on the Delpha demonstrations, the actions of the Delpha Provincial Board and the new governor, and the move of the Balian printing press and the factory to Cissero. The Thinker was delayed for two days to await the final vote on the Milton proposals.
Meanwhile, the Yani and Gullio households got ready to leave the city for the rest of the summer, after the vote.
Rudi and Mrs. Yani dropped their daughter off at the Gullio residence before proceeding to the Congress building. It was very early in the morning, but Rod Sr., Rod Junior, and Mrs. Gullio were already there for the final vote. That the new Delpha governor clamped down on the press did not bode well for the supporters of the Milton bills.
Josephine and Kiran left on horseback as soon as the latter’s parents were out of sight. They proceeded to the Cissero border. Ron was waiting for them.
Kiran spoke first. “You maybe harmed if I don’t marry Rod Junior. We must go into hiding because I won’t marry him. I am in love with another man.”
“Break off your engagement,” Ron implored. “Do not worry about me. I will be very careful.”
Josephine was somber. “The Milton bills will not pass. Mr. Kevin Stotle’s condition may have been caused by foul play. Ron, there are powerful people who want you and The Thinker silenced. Mr. Leo Thomas may die in prison. Run for it and take him with you. Go. Stay alive. The three of you deserve life and heaven. As long as you live, there is hope.”
Ron looked at her sadly. “When are you going to enter the convent?”
“In two weeks.”
Each lady gave Ron two envelopes before they left. One from each was addressed: “To The Thinker - third anniversary edition”. He opened them. One contained a news report by Kala Yaan and the other had a cartoon by Indi V. Ricial. He stared at the bylines - both contributors included their real names!
Ron looked at the other two envelopes. He kissed the one addressed: “To the man I love: Ron Balian”, then opened it. He proceeded to the Congress building in a state of euphoria. He sought out Governor Burt Milton and was shown to his office.
“Hello, Ron. The vote was 5-5,” Burt said dejectedly.
Ron greeted the news in silence. He gave Burt an envelope. The governor read silently, “To the man I love: Burt Milton”.
Ron and Burt left the Congress building within the hour. Burt bought a present and went to the Yani house. He asked Mr. & Mrs. Yani, “May I see your daughter? I have a present for her.”
Kiran received Burt in the music room. She thanked him for his gift, proffered with an envelope addressed to her.
Burt was tall and proud. He had strong, elegant features, and eyes that conveyed a powerful thinking mind. Kiran’s confident bearing was regal. Her beautiful face radiated intelligence.
Before Burt left, he handed Kiran another envelope. “Please give this to Josephine.”
Josephine was in Kiran’s bedroom. The ecstatic ladies read their love letters. Their happiness provided them with fuel for the challenges ahead.
It was late when Josephine left the Yani residence. Both families would be leaving the city early in the morning.
At the Balian home, Ron talked to his parents. “I love The Thinker. It is very difficult to let go. But I have decided.”
“The Thinker will live on. Your mother and I will see to it.”
“Son, go with the woman you love,” his mother gave her blessings. “Build a new world. It is a great challenge, but you can.”
Mod
Josephine, Kiran, and Rod Junior shared a coach on their way to their home province. In each stop, their parents observed that the engaged couple held hands. The parents were very happy that Kiran had come around.
Two days after their arrival, Rod Junior visited Kiran at the vast Yani estate. Alone in the library, he kissed her hand. Kiran smiled at him sweetly and kissed his hand in return.
“Rod, four months is so far away. Is it okay with you if… would you still think well of me if… I often think of you, and when I do…,” she kissed him lightly, then moved away. “I want to offer you something very precious, and still remain on a pedestal. So, I’ve thought of three difficult challenges before you and I could be… intimate.”
“Your wish is my command. I will do anything.” Rod Junior, a six-footer, felt blood rush to his head.
“I carved two hearts with your name and mine on my favorite tree.” Kiran told him where it was. She looked into his brown eyes. “First, I wish three gifts of the same kind tied to our love tree. Three stands for ‘I love you.’ If I find the offer worthy, I will make my second wish.”
“Please tell me what you desire.” He pressed his athletic frame to her body.
“I love to ride.”
Rod Junior went weak at the knees. “I’ll give you three beautiful horses.”
“Thank you. What a lovely present! My second wish is extremely challenging; my third wish is to have you as soon as possible.”
“You can have me now. You can have me anytime.” He kissed her face and caressed her long hair.
“But it can’t be as easy as this. I don’t want you to think of me as cheap.”
“Then tell me your second wish. I will give anything you desire.”
“Your cabin in Diwaly has enchanting grounds, a perfect place for romance.” The Gullio vacation house was located at the province southwest of Yani. It would take around twelve hours to reach it. “My maid and my valet will bring me there. Please ask your staff to give me privacy. I will send for you. Offer me gifts that are impossible to obtain. Anything short of the unattainable is not worthy of ecstasy. I want you so much… ”
“The impossible… What could that be? I will attend to your first wish. I am going to tie three magnificent horses to our tree, and then send instructions to Diwaly. I want you. I want you now. The unattainable… Please give me a clue.”
“I don’t know. I can’t think of any, but there must be! There should be a way that you and I… that I could ease this impossible longing… ”
“I’ll think of it. I’ll be right back.” Rod Junior kissed Kiran’s lips, then rushed out. He dispatched a horseman to the Diwaly cabin. Then, he accompanied a groom to tie three horses to their love tree. With his fingertips, Rod Junior touched the two hearts carved with their names. He closed his eyes, imagining Kiran’s body.
He racked his brains. “What could I offer that is impossible to obtain?” On his way from their love tree, he saw a jailhouse in the distance. “Thomas and his apprentice are there. I can offer them to Kiran! Nobody can, except me! Balian and The Thinker are futile.” He hurried back to Kiran and offered to bring Leo and Pit to Diwaly.
“You have such a great mind, my love. Your offer is worthy of paradise. I will leave for Diwaly tomorrow morning. My maid and my valet will be back here in two days to fetch you. A small wagon will be attached to the coach for your gifts. Please tie them up with a tape bearing your name, and then put each gift in a sack bearing mine. My maid will let you know of surprises on your way to heaven.” Kiran embraced Rod Junior. He caressed her hair and back. His kisses traveled from her neck to her lips.
“In three days - ,” Kiran purred seductively, “ - I will have you at last. We will be in paradise for a long time.” She kissed him back and then broke off their embrace.
That afternoon, Kiran gave strict instructions to her maid who, in turn, talked to Kiran’s valet and her groom. Before daybreak the following day at the Yani mansion, the groom parked his Lady’s coach near a side entrance, and then left. After ten minutes, the maid took the reins. The valet joined her and they drove off. At the few stops along the way, the maid asked the valet to accompany her where they couldn’t see their Lady alight from the coach. Upon reaching the cabin’s gate, the valet walked to the cabin and made sure it was empty. He signaled the maid, then walked to the servants’ cottage. Kiran’s maid parked at the cabin. She followed the valet to the servants’ cottage and gave her Lady’s greetings to the Gullio maid.
Kiran’s maid went back to the coach, took her Lady’s luggage to the guest room, and unpacked. Before returning to the servants’ cottage, she left a letter on Rod Junior’s headboard. The valet and the Yani maid showered, ate, and retired for the night. They drove back to Yani at five in the morning. They alternately slept along the way. Upon reaching Yani early in the evening, they spoke to Kiran’s groom and then slept.
Kiran’s groom delivered a letter to Rod Junior, then left on an exceptional horse.
Kiran’s valet fetched Rod Junior at midnight. They drove to the jailhouse. The valet summoned the prison guard, then waited at a desk while the guard talked to the governor’s son.
“Yes, sir. I’ll do it right away, sir.”
Holding the bag given by Rod Junior, the guard went to the Solitary Row consisting of several solitary detention cells. After awhile, he placed two sacks, one after the other, at the entrance of the jailhouse. The valet carried each sack and the bag containing the remaining tape to the wagon, and then drove to where the maid was waiting.
The maid asked Rod Junior, “Please come with me, Sire.” After a three-minute walk, the maid said, “Sire, a surprise awaits you at the tree of love.” She handed him the lantern. Rod Junior hurried to the tree. The maid summoned the valet and asked him to accompany her to where she and Rod Junior parted.
A letter taped to the love tree spoke of Kiran’s desire for her fiancé. It was so suggestive that Rod Junior could hardly contain his urges.
When the servants saw him returning, the valet hurried back to the coach. As Rod Junior got in, he ordered, “Hurry! Drive as fast as you can.”
When Rod Junior awoke the next morning, they were in front of an eatery. His companions had already eaten and freshened up. Kiran’s groom and a handsome horse were beside the coach. They waited as Rod Junior ate and prepared for the next leg of the trip. When he rejoined them, the maid gave him another letter from Kiran.
“My love, I accept your brilliantly thought-out gifts that no other could have obtained. But they will be a nuisance in heaven, so have them returned and come alone. Hurry! Ride hard, my lover. Come! Love me!”
Rod Junior hastily mounted the horse offered by the groom and hurried to Kiran. The Yani maid, valet, and groom returned to Yani.
Upon his arrival at the Diwaly cabin, Rod Junior called out to Kiran but she wasn’t there. He saw another letter on his headboard. It gave clues to where, when, and how she wanted to be found. He went to the bathroom and thought of the letter he just read. It was so erotic that he moaned while taking a bath. He ate and then reread Kiran’s letters, making him yearn for her more. He studied the clues to where she could be found.
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Close to midnight under clear skies, Rod Junior searched where he thought Kiran might be. Over an hour passed. Kiran had not chosen to be found. The letter did say that if he couldn’t find her, he should try again the following night.
Rod Junior lay down on the loft bed by the rose garden. He called out, “Come to me, my love. I want you so much. Please. Let’s make love.” He waited until he fell asleep.
He first felt her touch. Her hands were all over his body. She smelled so sweet. She began kissing him. He took control… They made love all night.
Rod Junior was alone when he woke up. “Kiran did come,” he smiled. “She wants our trysts to be mysterious, exciting me all the more. I can’t wait to have her again.” He slept all day to be ready for the night.
That magical moment came. It was just as good as the first time. Rod Junior felt a profound sense of well-being. The following day, he visited a nearby town that offered sports entertainment. The days stretched into a week. The erotic nights were everything he had dreamed of.
Rudi and Mrs. Yani were outraged upon learning that Kiran was at the Gullio cabin without a chaperon. Reminded of her resistance to the engagement, they calmed down. “They will be married in a few months anyway,” they consoled themselves. Governor and Mrs. Gullio were ecstatic for the engaged couple.
Not long after, the Gullios and Yanis got the shock of their lives.
The third anniversary edition of The Thinker astounded everyone. The bombshell reverberated throughout the Union. The newsmagazine carried the following:
A follow-up report on the Milton proposals:
“The five provinces that voted for the Milton bills enter into an agreement known as the Milton Alliance Pact. It adopts the Milton bills that did not pass in the Union Congress. The governors of the southern provinces have signed the treaty which enjoys overwhelming support from their constituents.”
An editorial by the publisher, which served as an answer and a salute to his parents: “I borrow a poem from Mr. Walter D. Wintle to say farewell to our esteemed readers.”
Thinking
If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win, but think you can’t
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But soon or late the person who wins
Is the one who thinks “I can.”
An article bylined Kiran Yani aka Kala Yaan:
“Mr. Leo Thomas designed an automatic plow in jail. He has been experimenting with the device for many years. Using his instructions, his teenage apprentice, Mr. Pit Schwartz, successfully built the farm machinery. The Yani officials have confiscated and destroyed the automatic plow.
By virtue of Governor Gullio’s new decree that violations of the Business Practices Act include the unlicensed manufacture of a device that could wipe out the competition or could harm the environment, Yani officials have convicted Mr. Schwartz, and have meted out five additional years to Mr. Thomas’ sentence.
Mr. Schwartz declares: ‘Leo Thomas has created a miracle that will increase food production beyond our wildest dreams without backbreaking labor, enabling every man free to pursue other endeavors. Since agriculture ushers in the birth of civilization, the refusal to acknowledge the wonder that Mr. Thomas has achieved in creating the automatic plow is a step back to the Dark Ages.’”
A political cartoon by Josephine Gullio aka Indi V. Ricial:
A map of the Yani province contained sketches of Governor Gullio, Mr. Rudi Yani, and other powers that be. The map wore a crown inscribed with ‘IRRATIONALITY’; its left hand held a scepter engraved with ‘EVIL’; its right hand impaled Leo Thomas’ forehead embossed with ‘REASON’.
Rod Junior did not read the paper; he remained unaware that Kiran was Kala Yaan. Nobody spoke to him about it; his parents and his future in-laws thought that he should deal with his fiancée.
Several days later, a sports enthusiast reading The Thinker looked up at him smugly. Rod Junior bought the paper on his way home.
Although angry and disappointed, Rod Junior admired Kiran’s audacity and felt pride in his sister’s courage. Their passion for publishing Leo Thomas’ story caused him apprehension. He evaded associating the events with Kiran’s wishes for unattainable gifts. His hunger for her did not wane. He postponed confronting her until after they made love.
Rod Junior lit a lantern and faced his lover. He was shocked!
“What are you doing here?”
“You called me, Sire.”
“I did not! Where is Kiran?”
“I have not seen Lady Kiran, Sire. You told me, ‘Come to me; I want you so much’, Sire.”
“Since when have you been coming here?”
“Since you arrived from Yani, Sire, we have been making love.”
Rod Junior realized Kiran tricked him. She was never in Diwaly.
He commanded the Gullio maid, “Never mention this to anyone. On everything you hold dear, never speak of this. Burn all of Kiran’s belongings. Hide the Yani horse and make sure it will never be found. Never tell anyone you have not seen Kiran. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Sire. Of course, I will do everything you say, Sire. Should I go, Sire?” She was pretty and had a sensuous body….
The following morning, Rod Junior set out for Yani. He went to the love tree with much apprehension. The horses were gone. As he proceeded home, he averted his eyes from the jailhouse, evading the thought of what transpired there. He did not inquire about the unattainable gifts.
He told his parents that he just found out about Kala Yaan, that he and Kiran had a fight and mutually agreed to break off their engagement. His parents thought, “Our son already had her. He comes out on top of the situation.”
Governor and Mrs. Gullio remained in denial that Josephine was Indi V. Ricial.
Mrs. Yani sent Kiran’s personal staff to fetch her. The maid and the valet reported back that Kiran had left Diwaly; her belongings were gone. Mrs. Yani went to their house in the city and visited the school dormitory. But Kiran was never in those places since she left for the province in the summer.
Rudi told his wife not to worry. “Kiran is in hiding to avoid a confrontation at this time. She will come home eventually.” He had mixed emotions about his daughter. He had exploded with rage upon learning that Kiran was Kala Yaan. When he calmed down, he felt pride in her independence, passion, and integrity. He told his wife, “Our daughter is a much better person than I am.”
Rod Junior suspected that Kiran was with Ron Balian. He ordered a trusted minion to put Ron under surveillance. The minion reported back that Ron had vanished. The latest editorial of The Thinker had been written by Ron’s father, Rolan Balian.
* * * continued in the next post
Mod
When Ron talked to Burt after the 5-5 vote on the latter’s bills, they then planned their next moves. Each wrote a letter to his beloved.
In the music room, Burt informed Kiran of what Ron and he had discussed. Kiran, in turn, filled him in of what Josephine and she had thought up. They finalized their plan and timeline. Later, Kiran apprised Josephine; Burt did the same with Ron.
A day after their arrival in Yani from the city, Josephine asked her valet to put two treasure chests in her coach. Under the guise of collecting souvenirs that she would take to the convent, she explored the province and then went to Leo’s home.
Ron was already at the Thomas estate. In his possession were three keys that Pit had delivered to him after Leo was indicted. The latter was so appreciative of The Thinker’s exposés that he had entrusted his keys and secrets to Ron.
Josephine gazed at Ron. He stood six feet and three inches. He had a strong, muscular body, tanned fair complexion, short, dark, wavy hair, and brown eyes. He was powerful in body as well as in mind. Josephine had delicate features exquisitely coupled with a will of steel. Her beauty matched her genius.
Josephine gave Ron two dummies. They discussed their action plans.
Ron took Leo’s valuables from a concealed safe. They consisted of legal documents, money, gold bars, and precious stones. He took tools and stock seeds from a hidden storage. Leo’s belongings, clothing for him and Pit, and Ron’s tools replaced the dummies in one of Josephine’s treasure chests.
That early morning when Kiran was supposed to leave for Diwaly, Josephine picked her up two hours before the groom parked her Lady’s coach near the Yani mansion’s side entrance. Kiran hid in the other treasure chest. Dressed as a maid, she was spirited to Josephine’s room where she hid until Josephine left for the convent.
When Kiran’s servants parted with Rod Junior by the eatery, they proceeded back to Yani. The valet dropped the maid and the groom off at the Yani residence gate, and then set out towards the jailhouse. It was dark when he approached. There was no one about but the prison guard. The valet helped carry the sacks to the Solitary Row, and then hurriedly left.
The guard opened the sacks. They contained dummies! The prisoners were gone! The guard trembled with fear. “Nobody will take my word against Sir Rod Junior’s. I am dead if I implicate the governor’s son.” He locked the cell, then burned the sacks and their contents. “If anyone asks, I will say the prisoners might have been moved without my knowledge. I will keep my mouth shut.”
Nobody inquired about Leo Thomas and Pit Schwartz.
Ron was waiting in the dark the night Rod Junior ordered that Leo and Pit be placed in sacks. Ron observed the maid and Rod Junior walk towards the love tree. Before long, the maid summoned the valet. Ron quickly carried the sacks to his hiding place, opened them, replaced their contents, and put the sacks back in the wagon. He looked for the bag, reached inside, and taped the sacks. He freed Leo and Pit from their bonds and asked them to be quiet. Each man removed the tape over his own mouth. Ron led them away from the coach. They took the horses tied to the love tree as soon as the coach left. They retrieved Ron’s horse and set out for the convent.
The following morning before daybreak, Josephine left the Gullio residence. She insisted on driving to the convent by herself. Kiran was back inside a treasure chest. She came out when they were far from the Gullio property. By noon the next day, they saw the convent from afar. The narrow road leading to the convent was deserted.
Ron, Leo, and Pit saw the approaching coach driven by the ladies. The three men came out of hiding.
Leo thanked the ladies solemnly.
Josephine’s tone matched Leo’s earnestness. “Kiran and I did not do it for you, Mr. Thomas.”
“We did it for ourselves,” Kiran declared proudly.
Josephine affirmed, “It was the right thing to do. We couldn’t have done otherwise.”
“I thank you both for what you are.”
Mod
Leo thanked the ladies solemnly.
Josephine’s tone matched Leo’s earnestness. “Kiran and I did not do it for you, Mr. Thomas.”
“We did it for ourselves,” Kiran declared proudly.
Josephine affirmed, “It was the right thing to do. We couldn’t have done otherwise.”
“I thank you both for what you are.”
Mod
Kiran and Josephine drove to the convent.
The Mother Superior exulted when Governor and Mrs. Gullio sent word that Josephine had decided to enter the convent. The nun had longed for the day when she would see Josephine again after twenty-three years. She saw the coach from afar. She hastened down to open the gate, then waited eagerly. A regal lady who was the picture of pride alighted from the coach.
The Mother Superior embraced and kissed the lady. “My child, my precious child, welcome home.” She was so focused on the lady in her arms that she did not notice the other looking at her intently.
Ron’s beloved drove back to where Ron, Leo, and Pit waited. They set out for the Banuar mountains.
A few miles into the mountain, they rested and ate under starry skies. Leo and Pit congratulated their saviors on their engagement. As they readied to resume their journey, they heard footsteps and low voices coming towards them. They quickly hid the coach behind thick bushes and covered it with branches and big leaves. They hid with the horses.
A party of six rested and ate in the spot that Ron and company just vacated: a middle-aged couple, two teenage women, a young boy, and a toddler.
“I know the older woman,” Ron’s fiancée whispered. She thought, “I’ve missed her as much as I’ve missed my first nanny.” She came out of hiding. “Hello, Nanny. It is so good to see you.”
“My Lady,” the two women embraced. “My sweet Lady, how lovely you have grown! Why are you here?”
“I’m here with Ron, Leo, and Pit,” she introduced the men coming out of the shadows. “We are on the run. We hope to escape to the mountains because we are easily recognizable in the entire Union of Ibelyn.”
“It is unsafe in the mountains,” Vangel replied. She introduced her family. She informed the lady and her friends, “We, too, are running for our lives. We planned on finding safety in the convent and then in the towns. But I know an island far from here. We will all be safe there.”
“We’ll build a boat,” Leo enthused.
Hugo agreed. “Yes, a big one. We’ll live here in the meantime. I roamed these woods when I was a kid.”
Hugo and Ron picked the location of their temporary abode. Ron and his lady built well concealed shelters, alarm systems, and booby traps. Hugo, Leo, and Pit concentrated on designing and procuring materials for the boat. Everyone enthusiastically helped out in building it. They devised bird sounds as signals.
Vangel and Kori prepared food and gathered medicinal plants. Lola and Ivan took care of the ox and horses. The siblings hunted, roasted and dried meat, and ensured they had plenty of provisions. They also made bows and arrows in their spare time.
The escapees shared stories, except Lola. She listened, but remained quiet. Her brother related his adventures animatedly.
A week into the rainy season, the siblings told the group that they were going to the beach. “We want to know the impact of the weather on the red sea,” Lola explained. Ivan added looking at Hugo, “If the sea is no longer red, we’ll bring back fish and shellfish. Don’t worry; you said the beach will be deserted at this time of the year.” Lola and Ivan left before daybreak.
The adults continued to work on the boat. Early in the afternoon, an alarm system was triggered by five men. After eating in the shade, they headed for the mountains as Ron and company watched undetected.
Vangel asked over dinner, “Did you recognize any of the men, Ron?”
“I’ve seen one of them with Rod Junior before.” The others digested this silently. The boat was not ready. The sea could become rough anytime soon. They couldn’t leave within the next six months.
Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a bird chirping. The signal came from Ivan.
Two tall men were with Lola and Ivan. “Meet Mr. Tony Connor and Mr. Phil,” Ivan introduced them excitedly. “They have a very big boat! It has an automatic propulsion system! They agreed to take us with them in exchange for firewood, drinking water, food, and other supplies.”
The group welcomed the new arrivals with delight. Vangel served them dinner, and ordered the siblings to eat. Everyone quickly packed. They traveled that night with two wagons full of tools, personal belongings, stock seeds, and other supplies. Four horses pulled makeshift sleds filled with bundles of firewood.
When they reached the beach, Tony lit a lantern, turned it off, and then relit it after two minutes. Bill, Emma, and Uncle Connor were watching for the signal. They were impressed by Lola. She was right on target with the time she reckoned they would be back. Bill and Uncle Connor steered the Georgia Knox into the harbor, then rowed the big loading boat to shore. By daybreak, all were aboard including the wagons, ox, and horses. Ivan and Lola couldn’t wait to see how the steamboat worked.
The escapees sailed for the Devil’s Eye. Tony recorded the date, weather conditions, the boat’s speed and direction, and other observations. Pit, Ivan, and Lola were with him on the navigation bridge. Everyone looked forward to the journey, except little Ethan who was fast asleep. The adults made coffee and citrus drinks. They stacked the firewood.
Tony and company shared knowledge and ideas as they traveled for days. The Ibelyn citizens were awed by the huge boat and its automatic propulsion system. Leo talked about his automatic plow. “I could use the same principles to build an auto-wagon,” he declared. Everyone’s imagination was fired up by the myriad of new information learned. They lay awake into the night although they hardly traveled in the dark. Their minds were busy with concept formations and integrations.
Ron showed a gift from his beloved: a six-by-twelve-by-eighteen-inch safe containing writing materials. It had a letter-combination lock. He asked the permission of everyone to record information. He read the first entry in the journal: “Ron Balian marries - ,” A loud cheer erupted from the group. Ron and his wife were congratulated by their friends. Later, they talked about building, the printing press, and The Thinker.
The Georgia Knox’s manifest was the journal’s second entry. Ron wrote the following:
Tony Connor...owner and skipper.......21 years old
Phil Connor.........................................24
Bill Connor..........................................30
Emma Connor.....................................28
Uncle Connor......................................52
Hugo...................................................58
Vangel Hugo........................................53
Kori Hugo............................................19
Lola Hugo............................................16
Ivan Hugo.............................................9
Ethan Hugo...........................................2
Leo Thomas........................................28
Pit Schwartz........................................15
Ron Balian..........................................25
Josephine Balian.................................23
*** continued in the next post
Mod
Portraits, drawings, and stories were included in Ron’s journal. Josephine drew the Georgia Knox and the boiler room. Leo sketched his auto-plow. Ivan drew Hugo’s home as well as his cave on the mountain. Lola sketched a bow and arrow.
They looked forward to the after-dinner soirees. Everyone listened intently as their newfound friends recalled the past:
Children frolicked in the sand while women repaired fishnets by the big campfire on a hot summer night. There was no food for dinner. Everyone was asleep by midnight, except Tony, nine years of age, and his two twelve-year-old friends, Phil and Jim.
…
“My mind delights in challenges. I pleasure in competence, in achievement. Nothing else matters.”
“They wanted you killed!”
“I’ve never understood their evil until tonight. But they don’t matter, Phil. Derek exists. People like him are out there. Think of that.”
…
The child’s first memories were his activities at the foot of the mountain. He ate wild plants and climbed trees to harvest fruits. He slept under the sky in the summer and in a hollowed rock in the rainy season. He did not have any family…
…
Hugo, Vangel, and the youngsters who chose them as parents were escaping to the Yani province which forbade Vangel entry years ago…
…
He heard of the tutor at the Yani house. “He must be a very wise man. I wish I could pick his brains.”
He walked miles to the Yani hacienda…
“Hello. I’m Kiran.”
“Good afternoon. I’m Leo Thomas.”
…
“Ron wants to learn how to read and write, Reverend.” Rolan Balian, his wife, Pat, and their son were in the rector’s office…
…
“It is unsafe in the mountains… But I know an island far from here. We will all be safe there.”
As they traveled, Lola and Ivan did their chores quickly and thoroughly. Ivan followed the adults around. He was often heard asking ‘Why?’ or ‘How?’ Another favorite question of his was ‘What for?’ Soon, redheaded Ethan was imitating him – ‘Why?’
Lola asked Ron if she could read the journal. He responded that anyone may read or contribute to it anytime, adding that he and his wife had a separate private journal. Ivan asked his sister to retell the stories when they were together. One night, he asked the group if he could read a new entry from Ron that his sister related to him that day:
“God is all-good and all-loving. He is not a sadist. Neither is He malevolent nor whimsical. He is just, firm, and steadfast. His creations share the same attributes: nature is governed by laws that are unchanging.
Every creation of God has an identity that was, is, will always be, and had to be. Whether a man’s understanding of nature is real or not, true or false, right or wrong, depends on its correspondence to a thing’s identity.
God is so benevolent that the laws of nature are absolute. They are not subject to change by time, whims, or even by prayers. They are not open to anyone’s choice. They remain constant to the good as well as to evil.
God is so just that the laws of nature are knowable by every man. They are not revelations arbitrarily disclosed to a favored few. God is so loving that He has gifted man with the faculties to understand nature.
Every man who chooses to use God’s endowments reaps benefits. Those who do not constantly fear the unknown; they follow, copy, or repeat mindlessly. In the face of alternatives, they are never certain whom to imitate or what to borrow. They might choose to rule those who do use their minds, by force, or by the thinkers’ overly generous goodwill or unearned guilt.
It is necessary to build defensive structures against those who might use force.”
Ron’s recent entry elicited many questions, especially from Ivan, Pit, and Kori.
Hugo concurred after careful thought. “Ron is right. It is logical that we prioritize security. We should never again be at the mercy of thugs.”
“Offense is the best defense.” The voice was Lola’s. The group beheld the girl who seldom talked. Her face was always serene though she never smiled. Her eyes radiated intelligence.
The next day, Ron read an entry from Lola:
“The people on this boat, the Georgia Knox, are heroes. A hero knows the power of the mind. He respects and seeks ideas. He appreciates knowledge. He lives by reason and logic.
A hero trades – he is neither a master nor a slave. He is an independent thinker – he is neither a power seeker nor a mindless follower.
A hero admires other people’s abilities. He is happy.
His morality is self-interest based on reality and reason. In such a morality, would the interests of individuals ever clash? No, because no self-respecting person would ever desire the unearned or the forced. A moral man does not loot or defraud. He is loyal to ideas and to values, not to specific men or to a group. He respects every man’s freedom. He does not rule. He cannot be ruled.
Ron speaks of a God who is all-good and all-loving. May God bless these heroes.”
Tony completed a portrait he named Beau Ideals. Its subjects were a sixteen-year-old girl, a nine-year-old boy, and a fifteen-year-old young man. The girl and the child had black hair, midnight-blue eyes, and smooth, unblemished, ruddy complexion. The young man had black hair, brown eyes, and brown, healthy complexion. The three beau ideals were tall and lithe. Their intelligent eyes were singularly remarkable; the girl’s were serene, the child’s had an audacious twinkle, and the young man’s were intense. Tony kept the Beau Ideals with his other drawings which included The Savior, a portrait of Derek.
On the ninth dawn, Tony, Pit, and Ivan sighted the island. Its entire northern frontier was a high steep face of a rock. Tony steered southeast past the cliff. They saw a white sand beach.
The Devil’s Eye was said to be a godforsaken island. Fishermen avoided it like the plague. The mere sight or mention of it frightened them. People who had once inhabited the island were long dead. Animals and birds inhabited its untamed forests. The steep rocks looked foreboding.
Ivan announced the news. Lola and her heroes awoke to the sight of the Devil’s Eye. They gazed at the island in greeting. Their solemn bearing was a salute to a challenge.
Almost Two Centuries Ago
Chapter 1 - The Connors
Children frolicked in the sand while women repaired fishnets by the big campfire on a hot summer night. There was no food for dinner. Everyone was asleep on the beach by midnight, except Tony, nine years of age, and his two twelve-year-old friends, Phil and Jim.
“How deep should the hole be, Tony?” Phil asked.
“Two meters; we’ll build a fence around it, so no one will accidentally fall into it.”
Tony continued to dig long after Phil and Jim fell asleep.
Loud cheers awakened the boys at daybreak. They arose and saw dozens of boats on the horizon. They raced to the water. Other boys were already swimming out to sea to meet the fishermen. Tony swam out to meet his grandfather.
The catch was plentiful. Breakfast was festive. It had been a long while since the village people had enough to eat. The day was busy for the women and children as the tired men slept. Boatloads of fish were cleaned and then smoked or dried. Fishnets and boats were washed and dried.
That evening, the fishermen and their families sang and danced by the fire. The head of the village, Chief Hunsec, spoke. “Let’s give praise for the sea is bountiful.” The chief was of medium height and build. He had straight gray hair that reached below his shoulders.
The children kept still and quiet as their elders gave thanks. After the prayers, Tony’s grandfather asked to be heard.
“We can harvest the sea’s bounty only for half the year. Tony has thought of a way we can have food even when the sea is angry.”
The village people were all ears. Chief Hunsec’s cold blue eyes glowered.
“We will grow fish in ponds.” As the old man explained Tony’s ideas, Chief Hunsec observed the intent faces and focused eyes directed at the speaker. He felt fear… his dread turned into anger.
Chief Hunsec laughed. “Grow fish,” he jeered. “Old Connor – you’ve turned senile!” He doubled over with laughter.
A number of people followed suit. They thought that if the chief regarded Tony’s ideas as ridiculous, then they must be. Before long, many howled and mocked the Connors. The singing and dancing around the campfire resumed.
Tony continued digging that summer. His grandfather built a fence around the excavation when he was not out to sea. Phil joined Tony; Jim helped them at night.
“Don’t tell the others I am helping you,” Jim asked his two friends. “Everyone is saying you are both crazy. Why don’t you stop this lunacy?”
Grandfather Connor saved live fish, shrimp, and mussels for the boys’ small ponds. Before the rainy season came, they completed and stocked three bigger ponds.
A few months into the rainy season, the people began skipping dinner and scrimping on lunch and breakfast. Every time the boys harvested, Tony asked Phil and Jim to give fish to the other kids’ families. Jim became popular, which made him very happy.
Some people thanked Grandfather Connor and the boys.
Chief Hunsec proclaimed in a village meeting, “It is the duty of old Connor and his grandson to serve their village. Without us, they couldn’t have had the fish ponds. They should produce more fish not only to feed the village, but so we can trade the extra fish for other goods.”
Tony was twelve when he proposed planting rice so the village would not have to trade for it.
“You are crazy,” Chief Hunsec scoffed. “Nobody has ever tried. Your futile mind forgets that there is no water to irrigate rice fields. Next time, do not speak unless you are told to.”
“Chief, we should listen to him. He was right about the fish ponds,” a middle-aged man counseled.
“Yes, he should be heard,” a few people seconded.
The chief smirked. “Of course, we should listen to the lower class.” He looked at Tony. “Tell them I instructed you to build the ponds and grow fish. But before you do that, I have an announcement.” He glared at the men who wanted to hear Tony’s ideas. “For the good of the village, anyone who believes that rice can grow without water should answer to the people if he fails. Nobody gets away with defrauding or misleading the public.”
Chief Hunsec ignored Tony for the duration of the meeting.
Phil, a husband and wife, and the middle-aged man helped the Connors create the rice fields. Jim joined them when no one was around. Tony explained his plans for the sources of irrigation water. They built a dam to capture rainfall and devised a desalination apparatus.
The first rice harvest was presided over by Chief Hunsec though nobody invited him. “On behalf of the people, I accept this pathetic offering of rice.”
Grandfather Connor sewed pieces of cloth that belonged to Tony’s father, mother, and grandmother in order to make a flag. The gold, silver, and black colors fluttered proudly over the rice fields.
At age fifteen, Tony began experimenting with boats. “Let’s find a better way to propel a boat so we can build a bigger one,” he told his grandfather and his friends. “It will be safer, faster, and can carry more fish. It should not require manual labor; we should think of a mechanical means of propulsion.”
Three years after, Tony took his grandfather on a long voyage on his steamboat. They traveled far and visited other villages and islands. A village chief enamored with the steamboat commissioned Tony to build an even bigger one. Tony got the deal he wanted. Two boats would be built; one for Chief Knox and the other would be payment for Tony.
The chief’s daughter, Georgia Knox, frequented the dock. Her many suitors, dazzled by her beauty and grace, noticed that she was attracted to Tony. They also observed, as Georgia did, how deeply engrossed Tony was in building the boats.
“Each boat should have a name,” she told him on one of her visits to the dock. “The same first name for both boats, like Tony-1 and Tony-2.”
“I can only name the one that belongs to me,” replied Tony. He smiled at the lady with blue eyes and long blond hair. “She will be named Georgia Knox.”
Besides building a steamboat for the Knox village, Tony also shared his knowledge about fish ponds, the sources of irrigation water, and many more. Chief Knox, in turn, gave him valuable information.
“We’ve had a number of visitors over the decades and have learned much from them. A big sailboat docked here over a year ago. I got these in exchange for provisions and repair materials.” Chief Knox handed Tony a metal container whose contents were wrapped in cloth. “You may copy them.” The chief also handed writing materials and an empty metal box.
Tony copied maps and voyage information.
* * * continued in the next post