Free Nirvana Effect by Craig Gehring Page B

Tien was low class.  Dook would have never let Tien into his own hut.
    The door closed behind Tien.  The long lance of light from the hut’s candles folded back into the dwelling.  Dook ran to a perch beneath the window opening of the hut where he could hear their conversation.  Tien spoke in hushed tones, but Nockwe answered him loudly.
    “Nockwe, I am he r e to warn you.  Dook…”
    “You put your life in danger by your presence here, Tien,” said Nockwe.  He coughed.  Though obviously sick, he still sounded commanding. 
    Maybe I was right to wait.
    “Still, I am loyal, ” insisted Tien.  “Dook wishes to kill you.  You and the white man.  By challenge if you grow sicker.  By other means if he must.  But he wants your flag.”
    Nockwe wheezed and coughed louder.  He said nothing.
    “I will challenge him to protect you,” said Tien.
    “He will kill you,” replied Nockwe without hesitation.  “Thank you for your loyalty, but do not waste your life.”
    “I can match him,” sai d Tien.  “He must be matched.  I see now that he doesn’t care about anything but himself …” 
    Justifying your incompetence…  
    “At first we were friends…” 
    Until you showed you were just like the rest of them.
    “He will not let anyone match him,” interrupted Nockwe.   “That’s the problem.  You will never have an even fight.”
    The chieftain is wise in this - and this only.  A snake can tell a snake, I guess…
      “Thank you for your loyalty,” said Nockwe.  “It will be remembered, Tien.”  Footsteps.  Nockwe was trying to usher him out, but Tien would not go. 
    Fool.
    “Chieftain, our tribe has not gone through the hunger in many seasons,” said Tien.  “Water has been plentiful, and disease has not taken any of my family.  Your reign has changed the lot of our people.  Only a demon would chall enge you, no man, because even if he’s stronger than you physically, you are the better ruler. ”
    Dook heard another wheezing cough.
    “Promise me, Tien,” said Nockwe, “that you’ll not challenge Dook.”
    “Nock-”
    “Promise me!” Nockwe’ shouted.
    “I promise.”  Tien sounded subdued, but truthful.  They exchanged farewells briefly and soon Tien left the hut to slink off to his own home.
    That traitorous Tien!  I’ll kill him in his sleep, the fool.  What rule of Nockwe?  Nockwe’s a self-serving, pompous weakling, a white-lover who kills the tribe with every day of his rule.
    Dook hated Tien.  He crouched pondering of ways to kill him slowly and agonizingly. 
    Before Dook left, he listened to the chieftain cough.  He heard mucous come up, more coughing, and finally wheezing before the settling of hay.   More coughing.  It seemed that Nockwe had been fronting with his voice; that the simple physical exertion of his encounter with Tien had actually taken quite a toll.
    Dook took note of this.  He adjusted his plans accordingly.

12
     
    Mahanta found Edward pacing near his throne .  The guards told him that Edward was still up and hadn’t yet left the temple.
    The priest was following the walls, absent-mindedly trailing his fingers along the bamboo reeds and straw.
    Mahanta watched him for a while before finally joining him.
    “I take it you haven’t decided,” said Mahanta.
    Edward looked up at him, then returned his attention to the walls.  He did not stop his pacing.  “I have.”
    Mahanta did not prompt but rather just kept walking alongside him.  “Your mind is heavy.”
    Edward did not acknowledge him. 
    Mahanta tried again.  “It would be a difficult thing for a priest to do, what I ask.  But you are not a priest, I think.”
    “You read my journals, didn’t you?” asked Edward.  It wasn’t really a question.
    Mahanta was caught off-guard.  In some ways Edward had a mind much more agile than his own.  He would have to be careful with him.  “Yes,” Mahanta fumbled, flat-footed.  “A reasonable precaution, you