He croaked, gesturing to the audience.A gasp went up—more of an inhalation of air that passed from person to person, their necks swelling, and then letting out an angry ribbit.One by one, they each raised their hands, and the prosecutor asked yet more in his weird language.One by one, again, webbed claws rose up.
Doors at the far end of the audience chamber opened again, and soon a progression of crested Aquans entered, clad in robes.One sat, with a crown on his head, in a spray of pink coral.Behind him, off to the side, a slighter, more purple Aquan sat with his own group of attendants in another row.
“You see,” Flag-Staff said.“The Aquan on the throne.That is Venom-heels.Over yonder, the purple one.That’s Shatter-pins’ child, Dorsl.Only eighty years young.”
“How old do you all live to be?”I asked.
Flag-Staff shrugged.
“Most of us die due to civil war, so I have not seen the natural lifespan.I myself am three centuries young.”
“Maybe it’s all the fish oil,” I said.
The King—Venom-heels—stood to attention.He asked the crowds, who all responded with yet another show of fins.He nodded, gravely, then jabbered on again for some time.This cadence was different—a sort of cajoling, yet somehow noble series of croaks.After some time had passed, and another row of fins had raised, Venom-heels seemed satisfied, and turned to face Flag-Staff, speaking quickly.
Flag-Staff nodded.The crowd gasped.
“That went about as expected,” Flag-Staff muttered to us.“You’ve all been sentenced to execution.”
“That quickly?”I asked.
“Yes.You admitted to being land-dwellers, and you are here.That is more than enough excuse.You, however.Stacey, I believe it was?You are to enter into forced servitude.”
“Can I bring some friends with me?”
“Our culture believes a speedy death preferable to slavery, so you’ll understand if I have a hard time convincing them,” Flag-Staff said.He turned, listening to yet more croaks, and then replied in a high-pitched voice.There was a moment or two of contemplative silence; then Venom-heels nodded, waving a hand as if in dismissal.He rose, attendants at his side, and turned and walked away, his heel-spurs glistening in the moisture.
“We came to an agreement,” Flag-Staff said.“You and three others will be attendants for the former Prince.He is allowed a certain luxury, you see, by dint of nobility.As much as we respect the new King, it would not do to desert the old dynasty.You are to be the Prince’s servants.”
“How did you swing that?”I asked.
“I merely asked him whether he truly believed in the Moon-Kiss and the legacy of the prophecy.I reminded him that to believe it and kill the Moon-Kissed would ensure he gave legitimacy to the old Dynasty’s rule—and were he to ignore it, he would disempower the myth.”
“But—we’re the Prince’s servants now.”
“Yes.I reminded him that assigning you to anyone other than the Prince would show a lack of courage on his behalf.He reminded me, not so subtly, that I am under his direct rule and that if I continued to play any further mind games, I would be filleted in an open space.”
“That’s an awful lot of conversation for two croaks.”
“Inflection is everything in Aquan,” Flag-Staff said.“Come along, then.Who will be your three fellow servants?”
“Brother Al, Eddie, and Vic,” I said.
“You all look alike and you have bizarre names,” Flag-Staff said.“Please grab them with your own hands.”
I went and grabbed my boyfriends and Brother Al.Flag-Staff nodded and waved.The guards carried the other prisoners away, out of sight.
“Can we request a stay of execution for the other land-dwellers?”Brother Al asked.
“I have already arranged it,” Flag-Staff said.“You have three sunsets before our High Feast.The opening ceremony will be the public execution, after which we will sup on delicate land-flesh.”
“Some of us have gone quite rotten, I warn you,” Brother Al said.
“Yes, well, hopefully, you will have done what you have come here to do by then,” Flag-Staff said.“Inspire Prince Dorsl to duel Venom-heels to the death.You are the Moon-Kissed, after all.”
And away, we were whisked.
“No big deal,” I said.“A little light prophecy fulfillment and insurrection.Just another Tuesday.”
