When the rains may come (Science Fiction)

49. A beautiful friendship

The government chopper landed in a clearing near the Torqua settlement. Riyan Vezi boarded off. The dust kicked up by the rotors of the helicopter had left imprints on his impeccable business suit. It was still early in the morning.

Elder Junka Braal was on the terrace of his house. He sat back in his rope bed and watched the trail of handfuls of cooked rice he'd served on the parapet. A lone chatterpie landed by a serving of grain and began to pick at it.

Junka's nephew, Irwa, poked his head through the terrace door. "Elder," he said in a low, solemn voice, "Riyan Vezi has come to visit."

Junk raised his head, squinting at the boy. "Who?"

"Riyan Vezi, Chief of the Department of Protection of Vardin tribes."

"Ah." The Elder nodded and turned back to the bird picking at the grain. "Send him up."

"As you say, Elder." Irwa bowed at the old man and went back inside. Junka could hear the rustle of the boy's robes growing distant before he disappeared.

The terrace door creaked open again. The man with the dusty suit stepped out and bowed at Junka. The Elder raised his hand in a blessing and waved Riyan to the spot next to him on the bed.

"Elder," Riyan said, settling down, "In the light of the current events, it's just tragic what has happened to the tribe."

Junka nodded, his gaze never left the lone chatterpie.

"And I would also express my condolences on the behalf of the High Premier for all that your people have been through."

Junka nodded again. "Has the premier read the letters from our tribe?"

"He has–"

"Then why hasn't he responded yet?"

"Elder, I understand your complain but the premier has been–"

"Busy, isn't he?" Junka said. "I remember five years ago when the earthquake happened. The fragment was discovered, premier Ozaan had visited the valley himself. He'd had a request to retrieve a piece of the fragment. So the government could carry out their examinations on it. Now that the people of this same valley have been terrorized, the premier is busy." Riyan expected the elder to scoff but the old man just nodded.

"Your bitterness is completely valid, Elder," Vezi said. "But we can't ignore what's been going on in this world. The war has turned a lot more bleak than it ever was. It isn't the same as it was ten years a–"

The elder raised his hand again, shutting up Vezi right there. The lone chatterpie took to the air, leaving the half eaten rice on the parapet. "I find your explanations tedious. Less than a week ago, the people of my valley were attacked. Houses were burnt, so were the fields. They took away our women and children. Just tell me what you are doing to bring them back. What you have decided to make this forest and the valley the way it was. Just tell me that."

Vezi sighed. "I'd suggest, you let the government have the fragment."

Junka shook his head. "No."

Vezi leaned ahead and steepled his fingers. "Elder, you just spoke about the hardships of your people."

"Don't use my words against me. The scripture of Ashaal stated clearly that the fragment can cause immense death and destruction," the elder said. "As his children, it is the responsibility of the Torqua to not let the fragment be misused."

"At the cost of the lives of your women and children? Is that what Ashaal would've approved of?"

"Wasn't it your department that appealed for the law that states everything that is discovered in the valley belongs to the tribe?" Junka said.