Chapter 5 - The Burning Sun

Kneering had managed to get home, and in bed before the sun was up. He knew his wife would be relieved to see him in their bed when she awoke. He also knew that she would not wake him, she might even be able to keep the children out of the room long enough for him to get a few hours sleep. Kneerings sleep was restless, he was walking in the desert again, feet sinking with each step, but he could hear the cries of his enemies behind him, growing louder and louder, now screaming.
Kneering woke up, realising that the screaming was coming from his own house. He sprang to his feet and grabbed the sword he had placed on the bench next to his bed. He raced out of his room and realise immediately that the scream was not the only noise coming from down the stairs, he could also hear his son crying and his wife doing her best to calm his wailing daughter. Kneering returned to his bedroom to replace the hastily drawn weapon, then got dressed and splashed some water over his face, his wife had the fore thought to place a jug next to the bed, knowing his morning routine, and perhaps sensing that he may be interrupted as he slept. Kneering went downstairs to check what was happening with his children and wife.
"Papa, I didn't mean to. We were just playing and..." his son started his defense as soon as Kneering appeared in the doorway.
"Shhh Alter, your father has not even had lunch today and already you start with him. Go to your room, I will come and get you when we have decided its time to talk." Kneerings wife, Aleze was cradling his daughter with one arm and pointing to his sons room with the other.
"Papa..", Alter began.
"No, Your mother has spoken, we will talk later", Kneering said firmly, knowing that he could not take sides against his wife. As Alter walked slowly back to his room Kneering walked over and kissed first his wife and then his daughter, who by now was just sobbing heavily, having run out of energy for any more screaming.
"You were gone along time, I hope everything went well while you were away?" Aleze asked, knowing that at best she would get a vague answer.
"Things went very poorly indeed. I must meet with the royal family tonight to discuss in detail my visit. I fear that this will be part of a much larger operation than we first thought. I will be gone for a long time, I do not know when, but I can feel it coming. I promise though, once this is finished, I will spend my days staying home, helping you and looking after the children. I have been fighting these wars for far too long." Kneering picked up his daughter and sank down into a chair.
"Far to long...But If I can make things safer for my family, I must." he added, staring first at his daughter as she sat playing with his shirt, and then at his wife, hiding the disappointment over her husband leaving again so soon.

Talia awoke slowly, letting her eyes take in her room, seeing it for the first time in the light. As soon as Talia remembered fully where she was, and what had happened last night, she jumped out of bed. She noticed immediately that someone had been into her room while she slept. There was a shallow dish of water and a wash cloth on the bedside table, a jug of drinking water and a glass were also layed on a table, next to the contents of her knapsack, just some of the papers she had taken, as well as her mothers bracelet, and some of her finer scarves. Talia felt overwhelmed, she tried to comprehend everything that had happened last night. Sneaking out, meeting Jioseph, the fire across the way, the agent of Jioseph, it was all to much. Talia went over and had a glass of water. She wondered who it was that had been through her things and prepared her room. Did they move softly or had she just slept heavily? Talia was frightened, and then thought of Jaddah, who by now would realise that her grand daughter had run away. What would she be doing now? Crying in hysterics, talking to the guards, or tracking Talia herself with the help of any of the young suitors that would have come round to call on her this morning. All these thoughts seemed to be too much for her to deal with, Talia decided that she could not undo what she had done, the best thing now was to push forward as much as possible. With that in her mind she washed up and headed out the door.
She had only started pushing it open when Jioseph pulled it open for her.
"Good Morning Ms Al Gazul, I hope the events of last night did not prevent you from enjoying a whole nights sleep." Jioseph stepped back and waved her down the corridor to the stairs.
"I must say Talia, now I see you in the light it is clear, You are your mothers daughter. It is more than just the way you look, as I am sure your grandmother has told you that many times. I can see your mind working behind your eyes. I can see the apprehension inside, even though you are doing well to hide it from your body." Jioseph continued as he lead her downstairs, to a dining room, with a table covered with fruits, nuts, warm bread and everything Talia could possibly think of having at breakfast.
"There is so much here Jiospeh, are we to be joined by someone?" Talia asked, not sure how someone who lived in such a, modest, area of the city could afford so much for breakfast.
"No, no. We will eat our fill, and then my men will finish it off as they clean it up."
"So you share this house with some servants? or are they family of yours?" Talia said, hoping to gather what exactly the setup Jioseph had for himself.
"Ah Talia, If you wanted to know who the man was that reported to me last night was, you had but to ask. Please sit, I will tell you everything over breakfast.". Talia sat, knowing that at the very least she must listen to his story, then she would know if she had made a mistake running away, and if there was any way to undo it.
"Many years ago, back before you were born, when your mother and father had only just met, they were standing in the same park in which I first messaged you. They were there under the pre-text of listening to the newly arrived soothsayer from the city of the Sun God. He was rattling on, about how his city was a marvel beyond our imagination, and for a small fee he would escort a chosen few to live amongst the gods. He turned out to be a rather inventive slave trader, but that is for another day. As usual there was more than one speaker in the park at that time. I myself had a small corner, and a loyal following of three or four who would turn up and discuss with me, the future and how our city must work with others to advance the world as a whole, not remain isolated letting our own affairs over shadow the larger problems in the world. Your parents wandered over and joined the small group around me and listened for a while, and like any intelligent listener, they soon began questioning what I was saying. Not disagreeing with it, just seeking clarification on some points, or offering alternatives to others. I could tell instantly that they were much smarter than the average scholar who would come down and argue with me, merely throwing at me quotes from a mind much greater than their own. Your parents knew a lot, educated as they were, but more than the knowledge they had the over looked quality of being able to see through lies and deception, they were able to remove themselves from their thoughts, they were able to analyse much more methodically and accurately then even I was. My cabal welcomed them in, and invited them out to dinner. This, my dear, was the beginning of a wonderful time in my life."
Jioseph closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, Talia could see in his face that he truly treasured these memories, the color seemed to rush to his face, and the lines of age seemed to fade away. Then just as quickly she found herself looking at the same middle aged man she first met, looking into his eyes and seeing the pain within them, mixed with something else she could not identify.
"For a year and a half, your parents were the greatest friends I ever had. They would stay here, sometimes for weeks on end. We would talk and plan, and act. Unlike the others I had known, your parents were the first to truly spur me on to action. We soon had the ear of a court vizier, and soon, we had his mind. Your parents spoke with such passion and conviction that no one could hear them talk and deny the merit of thier ideas. As our influence spread however, there started to develop a rift between your parents and I. It started with your grandmother. She was concerned that we were too concerned with the world as it should be, that we could not see it for what it is. She admired our devotion, but insisted that it blinded us to the problems that were here and now. Your mother took the advice to heart. She left us for many days, she said she needed to see what was happening to the heart of this city. She returned to us later, resolute that we must use our influence to fix the inequities in this city before looking to fix the rest of the world."
"I was outraged. This was the exact thinking we had been rallying against for the past year. I told your mother how she herself had moved past such petty issues, but she said that she had merely been caught up in the romance of the idea. She said she still wanted great change, but that it must not come at such a large price. Upon hearing this your father immediately sided with his wife. To this day I believe that he did not agree with her, but he loved her too much to take a final decisive stand against her. He said that if that was what she believed needed to be done, he would help her do it."
"Here young Talia, is the part I most dread telling you. For it shows me as the foolish, stuborn man I am. I could not take this apparent act of betrayel and so cast them out. My anger was great at the time. I raged at both of them as they stood here in this very room, I tried to reason with them, that they had done so much, that we were days away from influencing one of the royals, that within a month our plan could be realised. Your mother would hear none of it. She received my anger, my rage, my harsh words without feeling the need to defend herself. She merely waited till I had finished and then said that she wished me the best, and she hoped that one day I would find happiness of my own making."
"I have already told you Talia of the best time of my life, the year with your parents. The months that followed after were without compare the worst of my life. I was furious for a month straight. I could not focus, and so without your parents involved, or me with all my faculties, our movement slowed, our followers became lost. Many were not happy with what had happened, they, rightly so, attributed the majority of our success to your parents. Soon my leadership was called into question, then openly challenged, but by this point I did not care. I did not want to change the world any more. I just wanted to change your parents mind. I gave up my position, keeping only a few followers loyal to me, the men and women you will see in this house."
"I tried to use my influence within the royal family to show them that the city's problems could only be fixed with larger reforms. I wanted to scare them, I wanted to force them to realize that the danger to the city comes from without. They would not listen to the courtisan, they said he was just a puppet. I should have left it at that. I never wanted..."
Talia was watching Jioseph, watching his head sink lower and lower, watching the tears fall freely down his face, his whole body heaving his heavy sobs.
"They were going to address the citys council, in the hope of beginning some small changes. I had hired some men to, ... to come in and act as Imperial Guards, hoping that your parents would realise that their changes would never happen while the corruption was running unchecked. The men were... not who I thought they were. Your parents defied them, they stood thier ground, refusing to ... They were killed, in front of the whole city council, by mercenaries dressed as Imperial Guard, that I had sent there."