A King's Concern

TWO

In the heat of summer, the king called another meeting of the council. The council consisted of the King himself, the court poet and the heads of four spheres – the Minister for Policing and Order, the Master of Finance, the Chief Judge and the General of Army.

"You have been called in lieu of the biggest threat our nation faces" said the court poet speaking on behalf of the king."The king wishes to be told the state of each sphere and the progress made. Important changes may be made after the meeting. Speak in turns."

"My king" started the Master of Finance, "the way the social fabric has been played with has had a devastating effect on economy. More and more money is going to the temples; always an advantageous situation but for the present; the priests are no longer ours, not accepting favours, they are taking their sermons too seriously. People donate to the poor; a landlord known to me emptied half his house for a handful of laborers, saying he doesn't need so big a house; another has decided to donate all his wealth to 200 beggars in as many parts and dreadful to say, his heirs refuse to kill their father. I wish the Minister of Policing speaks on the sad state of affairs".

'Most worthy king," said the Chief Judge, second in turn, "It gives me immense pain to say that the judiciary is dying a slow death. Gone are the days when men were punished for their crimes, a public hanging of a political offender would send the message of impartiality of courts, instil fear among people and strengthen the cause of national unity. Not now, not anymore. People feel it's their duty to abstain from sin. What more, they hold God as the only keeper of justice. We sit idle in our court complexes, our income is nil and we are beginning to crumble under financial burden. Alas! The minister responsible for this should own up his mistakes before it is too late".

"The hell" roared the General of Army, "the army has shrunk to a fifth of its size making an external attack inevitable. Why! Our soldiers say that bloodshed is a sin; that neither our enemies live outside our country, nor inside too, but they live inside our damned heads. I strongly urge that the Minister of Policing tenders his resignation, else the king removes him from the office."

There was utter silence.

"The Minister of Policing" called the court poet "Speak"

"The mighty king" the minister said, his head hung in guilt "I wholeheartedly take the blame for the plight of our country. I admit that I have not worked in national interest; that I have forced work ethics on all but myself; that I have misinformed my counterparts and have been working without the consent of the king under the influence of whims and fancies personal only to myself. I am ready to face any punishment the king decides"

"Minister". For the first time in the meeting the king spoke "Though your deeds demand nothing less than a death sentence, considering that you confessed in national interest, I sentence you to live your remaining in total seclusion inside one of our dungeons. From now onward, I shall look after the ministry myself. Gentlemen, the poet will read some guidelines that should be implemented with immediate effect"

The poet announced:

"Our wise king has emphasised 4 major changes that I read hereafter. Firstly, the king has decided to instate a royal priest in every temple of the kingdom. The royal priest will see to it that the treasury of the temple is accessible to the crown. These priests will be handpicked amongst our loyal soldiers and employees having good administrative skills and a flair with words. They will work to weaken the rebellious priests. The judiciary will work in tandem"

"Secondly, the Master of Finance should ensure that the rich remain rich and loyal to us. Make the poor starve till stealing is the only option. The Chief Judge shall coordinate with him"

"Thirdly, a rumour will be floated that a foreign king is planning a massive attack on us in a short while. This short while should remain a week all the time, sync that. It is the duty of the General of Army to use it to re assemble the army. He can circulate more speculations if needed but with the consent of the king"

"Fourth. The king has decided that the smallest community of our country be branded supporters of the foreign attacker and traitors to the people. In the time to come, it will be made clear that the rebellious priests were actually foreign spies in the guise of priesthood, sent to weaken our country. The Chief Judge will coordinate and bring the traitors to justice"

"Implement the changes and track the result. Thank you all"

The guidelines were followed and they proved effective. The nation was saved. The king praised the officers for their efficiency and the officers praised the king for his wisdom.

Two months after the calm, news reached the king that an ex-minister escaped from the dungeons. He had bribed a guard and killed another. Next day the king received more news that the minister and the guard were caught outside the city gates.

The king ordered a fair trial and the trial sentenced death. The public came in large numbers to witness the hanging. The event proved crucial in strengthening cohesion within society, showing the impartiality of law and saving many a men from the boredom of a usual Sunday.