Suikoden VI

Chapter Six: Part Four

Part Four

"Sheikh Ramiro Lažov, this arrived from Baltas just now."

From her position at the door, Thea watched as the Sheikh took the letter from the messenger and read it. His dark eyes quickly scanned the two pages before crumbing them in his fist. "Tell the mayor of Baltas that I don't care. Put that in writing."

The messenger nodded and left without saying a word, but Thea didn't miss the anger in his face as he quickly left the Sheikh's office.

"What was in the letter?" Lažov's second-in-command stepped forward, and Thea felt tenser being alone with these two men. For whatever reason, Lažov had requested his own brother-in-law to be his second-in-command, and though the man had almost no military experience or rank his request was granted.

"Oh the mayor of Baltas is complaining again Tazwir," Lažov huffed, throwing his hands up. "He says that the higher taxes imposed upon his town are "unfair". Can you before the gall of that worm telling ME that I'm unfair?! That idiot being the same person who lost one of the Falenan royals?! And that whole messy affair with that foreign woman!" Lažov scoffed. "He weaseled his way out of that mess, but he broke Article Four and you know how I feel about Article Four!"

"Quite well," Tazwir responded emotionlessly.

Thea swallowed a snarl. She had never had a good opinion of Ramiro Lažov or the family from his second marriage. His first wife was convicted as an adulteress and she was executed, along with her whole family save her younger brother Varnaz (who joined the Liberation Army). Thea understood that the law was law and there had to have been some evidence that existed for his first wife to be convicted. But she also thought it highly suspicious that Lažov married his second wife three months after his first wife's execution...and a baby was born from his second wife five months after their wedding.

Keiran Umed joined the Liberation Army, and took a considerable number of good soldiers with him. He was by far the greatest Sheikh that was currently governing. Now our country is stuck with the worst Sheikhs; a violent sociopath, a fumbling child, and two self-serving egomaniacs. Our province is stuck with the most hypocritical boot-licker I've ever met, who cares more about himself than the people he's supposed to serve.

"Let's do roll-call," Lažov said abruptly, standing up. Thea stood to attention and follow the Sheikh and his second-in-command out of his office. A few minutes later the soldiers of the Garrison were lined up outside, including Thea. "I'm getting annoyed with the complaints coming in from Baltas," he announced sharply. "From now on, no messengers or visitors from Baltas are permitted on Garrison grounds. Anyone who violates this order will serve a punishment of running twenty kilometers around the perimeter of the Garrison three times a day for one week. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers shouted in reply.

"Good," Lažov responded. He then turned his attention to Thea. "Private Thea, fall in!"

"Yes, sir." Thea kept her face blank and her motions professional as she marched up to the Sheikh. "Private Thea, reporting."

"You were once a Corporal," Lažov said, his tone mocking. "But you lost that rank, Private. Why?"

Thea felt a surge of anger that she successfully kept at bay. Here we go again, she thought with dread. "Because I was an accessory to violating Article Four, sir."

"Yes, you were," Lažov spat. "You were the bodyguard of the harlot the mayor of Baltas kept. Both your compatriot and you were very lucky to have only been demoted instead of being sentenced under Article Four."