The sun was setting as the group, with Neti and Miko in the lead, rounded the last corner into the plaza. Eight city guards and one high priest, spread out in front of the inn, awaited the students and their teacher.
The captain of the guard stepped up to Ilika while the rest of the guards encircled the group. “I hereby execute this warrant for your arrest, as well as those with you.”
Ilika could almost feel time slow to a crawl as the crisis penetrated deeply into his mind and heart. Countless lessons he had been taught over the years paraded before his mind’s eye, lessons about keeping himself and his charges safe and free at all times. As he breathed slowly and struggled to clear his mind of the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him, his right hand moved toward the bracelet on his left arm.
Then he remembered the many other tactics he was supposed to try before doing anything drastic. Courage began to replace fear as he breathed deeper, stood taller, and held his head higher. He began to recall facts about this kingdom he had studied before arriving.
One more deep breath helped to spread the courage throughout his body as he faced the captain of the guard with his hands on his hips. “On what charge?” he demanded loudly, slowly, and firmly.
The captain was silent for a moment, not expecting this question, although he knew it was allowed. “On the charge of subverting the established order by freeing and educating slaves who have not earned their freedom.”
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The high priest’s face held a huge, self-satisfied smirk.
The captain continued. “These charges were made to the Magistrate of the Plaza yesterday, who issued this warrant.” He reached out to take Ilika’s arm, and the other guards moved to do the same with his students.
“WAIT A MINUTE!” Ilika demanded.
The captain hesitated.
“The common law in this kingdom is that a man may treat his slaves any way he wants. The Slave Protection Decree was signed by the king’s grandfather fifty-three years ago. It limited that right only in that a master may not kill or maim a slave. It set no limits on how nice a master could be to his slaves. The king affirmed all previous decrees at his coronation eight years ago.”
The smirk disappeared from the high priest’s face.
“Therefore,” Ilika went on in the sternest voice he could muster, “I hereby CHARGE this priest with subverting the laws of the kingdom, and attempting to replace them with the doctrines of his religious order. Further, because there is a high probability he will take refuge behind his walls, which are not subject to warrant, I petition for the immediate ARREST of this priest so that he may be required to answer this charge.”
The high priest’s blank expression quickly changed to a frown.
The captain of the guard folded his arms on his chest and pondered the situation. “As a city guard of command rank, I have the authority to hear and consider your petition for arrest. Do you understand that by making this counter-charge, the Magistrate will most likely show you no mercy if he rules against you?”
Ilika took another deep breath to counteract the sensation of teetering on the edge of a cliff. “I understand. I know the laws and I believe the charge against me to be improper, and the charge I have made to be sound. My petition stands.”
The captain rubbed his chin. “I find the charge that has been made by this man to be worthy of a hearing by the Magistrate. I further find his grounds for immediate arrest to be sufficient. They shall all be arrested until the case can be heard by the Magistrate.”
“WAIT!” the high priest barked.
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The captain folded his arms again. “What now? Having made my decision, I cannot unmake it.”
“Perhaps not,” the high priest said. “But you can receive the dropping of charges if a party discovers that . . . new information has come to light and that he has been . . . hasty in his accusations.”
“I
can.”
Ilika looked at the high priest. “Perhaps we have both been . . . hasty.”
“Do I understand correctly,” the captain said with narrowed eyes, “that both of you are willing to drop your charge if the other is also willing?”
“Yes,” the high priest spat out.
“Yes,” Ilika said calmly.
“So be it. You are all free to go. Men, you are off-duty.”
The guards surrounding the students departed and allowed Ilika to see them for the first time since the incident began. They clutched each other for dear life in twos and threes, faces pale, eyes showing fear.
“Kibi, take them up to the room. I’ll be right there.”
Ilika turned to the captain. “Thank you,” he said while digging into his money pouch with shaking fingers.
“Just doing my job.” He received the small gold piece from Ilika with hardly a glance, and slipped it into his own pouch. “Knowing the decrees saved you. The high priest couldn’t get away fast enough. His mistake was going to a Magistrate, so the charge would have to be decided based on law.”
“What do you think he’ll do now?” Ilika asked.
“Well . . . he might go home and consider himself lucky. Or he might go to the king and ask for a warrant by special favor. In that case, there would be no defense, I couldn’t do anything to stop it, and no one else could either.”
Ilika thought for a moment. “If he went directly to the king, how long would it take him to get back here with the warrant and a guard?”
“Hmm. His Majesty usually eats dinner late on nice days, so he might see someone of that status right away. The high priest could have his warrant in as little as . . . an hour. You know, he’s been making noise around the Court for more than a week, but it was only a couple of days ago we started hearing of some bratty little slave who was bad-mouthing you and telling everyone where you were staying.”
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Ilika cringed, but quickly recovered. “So . . . right now my students and I could walk out the gate and no one would stop us?”
“True. And my lieutenant went that way, so the gate guards will know that the charge against you has been dropped. But . . . if you leave by the gate, we’ll know, and if another warrant comes out, we’ll have to search the countryside.”
Ilika took another deep breath. “Thank you for your good decisions and your insights. I should go and comfort my students.”
“I need to log this incident and find something to eat.”
When Ilika entered the room, he ignored everyone and immediately went to the loose piece of wallboard where he kept his supply of gold coins. He had never before opened it with anyone else in the room. This time he emptied it.
At the table, with the help of his own money pouch, he made nine stacks, each containing one great gold piece and a few smaller coins. “Everyone, put one of these stacks in your pouch, and keep it there unless need forces you to bring it out.”
Most of their hands shook as they picked up the coins.
“Sata and I are going downstairs for a few minutes to talk to her family.
The rest of you . . . pack.”
Sata was immediately on her feet heading for the door, with Ilika close behind.
When he passed Kibi, he paused, pressed something into her hand, and said in a soft voice, “Pack this.”
Kibi looked at the small tube in her hand, of some soft material that allowed her to glimpse what was within. Judging by the light orange color that showed through, the heavy weight, and the length of the tube, she guessed she was holding about fifteen great gold pieces. Her entire body suddenly became hot and sweaty as she realized the great value of what she held, and the immense trust Ilika was placing in her. She quickly plunged the tube to the bottom of her saddlebags.
With dinnertime approaching, Sata’s family was at work in the kitchen when Ilika and Sata entered.
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“It wasn’t any of us!” the innkeeper declared, fear showing in his eyes.
“Relax, Doko, I know who it was. It was Kodi.”
Mosa and her son turned their attention to Ilika, though they continued to slice cheese and stir the stew pot. “Sata already told us what happened outside,” Mosa said.
“Good. So you know I’m not a criminal. We’re leaving tonight, going to stay with an artist friend in Cobble Town.”
“Oh, goodie!” Sata said with a smile.
“I think I’m caught up on my regular bills,” Ilika said, “but I want to give you those bonuses you earned for your confidence.” He laid four small gold pieces on the work table.
“We shall make you a very special feast as soon as we serve the other guests!” Doko declared.
“Sorry. We must go now,” Ilika asserted. “Say your good-byes, Sata, you won’t have another chance.”
Sata hugged her mother, who was silently crying, then her father. When she came to her brother, she took his hands in hers. “I’m not taking my gold piece. I want you to keep it, and when you get married, it’s for your wife.”
The lad was speechless.
“Okay . . . we must go,” Ilika said firmly. “We’ll visit when we can.”
Sata hugged her mother one last time, then followed Ilika back to their room.
Sata hurried to pack, and Ilika did likewise as he spoke. The others gathered near his bed.
“I am very sorry that I didn’t see this danger coming. I plan to be much more careful in the future, and do everything necessary to keep us all safe and free.”
“It’s okay,” Neti said with a soothing tone. “You were wonderful out there, knowing all the laws and stuff.”
“I had to read them before I came here. But we don’t have much time, so I need to get right to the point. Do you all trust me enough to do exactly as I say?”
They all affirmed with words and nods.
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“There must be no talking until we’re safely at our destination, unless necessary to deal with something. We shall go a very round-about way. You all need to be like shadows, invisible, seen by no one. That means do nothing to attract attention — no running, no laughing, no talking.”
He looked at them. They all seemed to sense the danger. “Sata and Mati will go first, out the back door, through the plaza, and will wait in the alleyway behind the bakery.”
Mati
nodded.
“Rini and Boro will go next, out the front door, and will wait silently in front of the woodworking shop.”
“I know where that is,” Boro said.
“Toli and Buna, back door, then wait at the corner by the hatter’s shop on Market Way.”
They
nodded.
“Neti and Miko, do you remember that seamstress a block from the bakery?”
“Um . . . yes,” Neti said, nodding.
“When you see me or Kibi walk by, say nothing. Just quietly follow a little way behind. Boro, take Mati’s bags, and Miko, take her bedroll. Any questions?”
“What is our meeting place in case we can’t find each other?” Toli asked with a shaking voice.
“I . . . haven’t decided,” Ilika replied after a moment of thought. “We will find each other, I promise.”
He waited another moment. “Okay, Sata and Mati, head out.”
Everyone else strayed to their beds, except Kibi who sat down close beside Ilika.
He took a piece of paper and started drawing a plan of the plaza and the nearby streets. Kibi paid close attention. He marked all the places where the pairs were going to wait. Then he put a star at one more street corner, deeper into Rumble Town, and pointed to it. Kibi nodded her understanding.
Ilika went to the candle, lit the paper, and tossed it into the fireplace.
“Rini and Boro, time to go.”
As soon as the two boys were out the door, the rest started getting on
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cloaks and saddlebags.
“Toli and Buna, your turn.”
Ilika looked around the room one last time. The only thing remaining was excess paper that Doko could use.
“Neti and Miko, go.”
Only Kibi remained, still close beside him. Ilika put his arms around her, and they held each other tightly for a minute. “Go out the front, get Mati and Sata behind the bakery, Toli and Buna at the hatter, then meet me at the place I marked, which is near a dentist.”
She nodded, rose, and slipped out as silently as a ghost.
He waited another minute, blew out the candle for the last time, and left by the back door.
Deep Learning Notes
Most people find it extremely difficult to think when confronted by an authority figure. Even if they knew their rights before the confrontation, few people can exercise them on the spot. To compound the problem, most authority figures are used to a passive response, and dislike anything else.
What sort of training do you think Ilika received that allowed him to keep his cool, and required him to try other things before doing anything “drastic”?
Other than the bribe, did the captain of the guard have any motivation to deal with Ilika fairly and give him all possible information?
What might Kodi have hoped to accomplish by ratting on Ilika?
Why do you think Ilika told Toli he hadn’t yet decided on a meeting place?
What sort of working relationship is forming between Ilika and Kibi?