"Yeah, the mayor Hjeelir was going to have your head for telling his wife to plant all their money so that a figure tree would grow in their garden." Reelapi said, with a big grin.

   "Figure tree?" Rikke said, looking very confused.   "I mean, I've heard the old joke about money trees, but what's a figure tree?   Is it something like a wisdom tree so that a person can fugure things out better?"

   Revajori shot a poisonous look at Reelapi and then, turning to look at Rikke, explained with complete, serene mystical innocence, "No!   It was nothing that esoteric.   You see, the poor thing was rather plump and it just seemed like the right thing to do -- promise her that the fruit of this tree would give her a stunning figure!   Of course after I dug up the money in the dark of the moon --"

   Rikke held up a forestalling hand.   "I think I've heard enough." he chuckled.   Turning to look at Tulvak, he said, "What attracted you to Charianna?"

   "That's a no brainer," Tulvak chuckled, "When Charianna took a small portion of my stock and somehow, magically increased it so that it was enough to feed literally hundreds of starving poor then I knew she had something on the ball.   Of course it didn't hurt anything that she paid for all of it, even the stuff she created with magic!   And the best thing is that the money was real!" Tulvak said, beginning to laugh uproariously.   He laughed so hard that his ample stomach began jiggling like jelly.   This fact made him laugh even harder and his already ruddy complexion get even more red.

   His laughter was infectious.   Before long everyone was laughing just as uproariously as him.

   When the laughter had died down, Rikke looked at Yuka, giving him a prompting look.

   Yuka rubbed his chin while he regarded Rikke with half lidded eyes for a moment.   Finally, when Rikke was about to believe that Yuka wasn't going to answer at all, Yuka spoke up. "I'm a simple man.   I've lived from sun up to sun down and from season to season.   Some years I've had enough to eat and some years I've gone hungry.   But when I met Charianna she done something to the soil on my farm and for the last two years I've had more than enough to eat.   I've even been able to share a little.   And besides that none of my animals have gotten sick or died.   My neighbors all love me now."   Then he gave Charianna an amazed look that looked out of place on his face.   Rikke didn't doubt that Yuka was NOT used to the feeling of amazement.

   "OK.   I think I've got a pretty good idea of who you all are or were -- at least for now.   And I think you all know me a little better, for now.   So I think it's time to go into the reports.   We don't want to be here all night.   We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow and we need to be rested.   So who's first this time?"

   Revajori said that she would go first.   Rikke nodded.

   "I've got all the people from the community scheduled to put on a mass show in the Emperor's Square starting at 11:30 o'clock tomorrow morning." Revajori said with a mysterious air, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world -- to her, at least -- and therefore required no further explanation.   She just sat there then and gave Rikke a self satisfied look.

   "Wait a minute!   What community?" Rikke asked, looking at Revajori with a prompting look.   I mean the mystic, enigmatic act might work real well with the shills, but we're going to get nowhere with this if you keep it up!"

   Revajori gave Rikke an abashed look.   "Oh.   I'm sorry.   I thought you knew.   The community is the artistic community.   They're all the players like me.   I mean, actors, jugglers, singers, seers, mimes, acrobats -- like that.   And I guess you're right.   I do need to be more forthcoming here.   Again, sorry!"

   "I think I know what the mass show is going to accomplish, but suppose you tell me, in your new spirit of forthcoming, I mean," Rikke said, giving Revajori a sardonic grin.

   Revajori matched him grin for grin as she said, "OK.   It's going to serve two purposes.   It's going to be a diversion.   Everyone from the district will be so caught up in the show that they won't notice, right at first, at least, that they are being joined by hundreds of others that don't belong there.   That will lead to the second purpose.   With that many bodies in the square we will be effectively holding the upper class citizens hostage.

   Rikke looked at Tulvak, Yuka and Reelapi, "I suppose that's where you three come in.   You're going to provide the mass of bodies, right?"

   Reelapi answered for all three of them.   "Well, Tulvak is in charge of all the merchants and Yuka is in charge of all the common people, but I'm in charge of providing the troops that have turned coat.   Granted, there's not a lot of them, but it IS enough to sorta deplete the strength of the Emperor's troops and -- "

   Rikke groaned, "Why should I have known that you'd be involved in something violent?   And here I thought this was to be a peaceful demonstration!   What gives?"

   Charianna answered before Reelapi could, giving Rikke a chiding look and wagging a remonstratory finger at him, "Rikke!   You should know better than that!   Of course it's going to be a peaceful demonstration!   The troops that Reelapi is talking about are going to simply throw down their weapons and refuse any order to help disperse the crowd.   Or I should say, more properly, any orders to participate in a massacre should the officer in charge decide to go that route.   Of course I don't see how he can with all the citizens being held hostage, but he might crack and order it anyway.   In fact he probably will just shoot a few near the edge of the crowd as a sort of bluff.   This way, with fewer soldiers engaged, though, we'll have that much more insurance.   I don't know how much that will help.   We'll probably lose a few lives, but it's better than nothing."

   Rikke gave her a grim look.   "OH!   Right!   I should have known that! It's DEFINITELY going to be a PEACEFUL demonstration!   So, hurrying on since it's getting late, let me see if I have the schedule correct."

   Everyone chuckled morbidly at Rikke's on purpose clumsy attempt to finesse things.   He let them.   After a few moments he said, "OK.   Seriously, what is the projected schedule?"

   "Revajori looked around and saw no objections so she took the floor.   Well, as you know the lunch hour is the most congested time of the day anyway, so we thought if we started the show about 11:30 that it might encourage a few to leave for lunch early, providing us with some cover.   That gives us a half hour to slowly flood the square with bodies, mixing and mingling.   Of course, everyone will already be waiting in the wings, so to speak, in side streets and alleys, so it shouldn't take too long for everyone to be in place.   Right at first the citizens will assume that the others are there to simply check out the show.   But when it becomes obvious that they are trapped then the troops will surely be called out to restore order.   That's when Reelapi's troops will do their thing!   At least we hope it will go that way.   Of course we can't read the mind of the officer who'll be in charge so, if we lose a few of the demonstrators then it must be!   See, we MUST not back down!   So what do you think?"

   Rikke took a moment to ruminate on the projected plan.   At last he said, "Well, if that is the risk we have to take to prove we are going to remain nonviolent then we have to --"

   Charianna broke in, "However!   I won't let it go on any longer than necessary.   Because that is where my part comes in.   I am going to issue a challenge to the Emperor!"

   Rikke looked at her with a sly grin.   "What sort of challenge?"

   "I am going to challenge him to prove that he is more powerful than me." Charianna said with complete equanimity.

   "OH!   OK.   I get it.   The protest and hostage taking is to get his attention and then you're going to show him that just how real your power is?   And this will accomplish?" Rikke asked, with a smile on his face that said he wouldn't miss it for the world.

   "This is for the purpose of getting him to join our religion and proclaim it the world wide religion!" Charianna replied, a beatific expression on her face!

   This obviously wasn't the answer Rikke had been expecting.   He gaped at her for a few moments.   Finally he slowly said, "You REALLY do believe in this religion, don't you?" and his face expressed both awe and bewilderment. "And here all this time I thought that it was just a ploy to wrest power from the Emperor!"

   "Of course!   I've said all along the last two years that there was more to this PQ than Perki let on.   It is the way to paradise!" Charianna replied, her voice echoing the fact that she was somewhere far away in a better place.

   "IN that case I can't really see anything more that I can add.   Shall we call it a night?" Rikke looked around the room and saw that Revajori was holding her hand up.   He nodded at her.

   Her face very solemn, Revajori said, "The empire must end!   We all here are just as good as him!   Better, even!   I mean, who does he think HE is?   We must be free to live as we please and free to be as good as Charianna sees that we can be.   And we CAN be!   No emperor has the right to stop us!"   She blushed a bit as every one turned to look at her.   But they all nodded in solemn agreement.   Revajori beamed in pride!

   That pretty much summed it up! Rikke thought, nodding with the others.

****************************************************************************

   The next day, as it was approaching 11:30, Rikke was standing with Charianna and Tarlmissa in an alley just off the square.   While they waited for the "festivities" to begin Rikke looked around the square.   He only been to this square once and that was several years ago.   He wanted to see if anything had changed.   As far as he could see, nothing had.   Facing them, on the left hand side of the square (figuring left from the front of the emperor's palace) was the building housing the minister's offices.   To the left of the minister's offices (going around the square in a clockwise manner) was the HC's main barracks.   That led to the businesses that were on either side of where Rikke and the women stood.   And dominating the square, of course, was the Emeperor's palace.   It was the same old ostenatious minister's building with it's white washed brick walls and red slate roof.   It was the same old tawny brown HC building with it's sprawling architecture that made it look like some crouching beast about to spring.   The shops were their same gaudy selves, still competing with each other, it seemed, to see who could be the most garish.   And the Emperor's palace was still the same gold and silver and diamond affair.   The last time Rikke had been here it had been night.   The light from the five moons, which had all been full that night, had made the emperor's palace shine like it was on fire with a ghostly radiance.   Rikke was glad for the clouds that were in the sky right now.   Otherwise the palace would be painful to look at.

   Rikke checked the big clock on the front of the Ministers building, saw it was just a few seconds until 11:30 and was just about to ask Charianna what the holdup was when he heard a fanfare of music.   He looked towards it's source and saw people, led by Revajori, entering the square from the alley at the side of the Minister's building.     Apparently the show was about to begin.   Propping himself, momentarily, on one shoulder against the building beside him, Rikke prepared to watch the show.

   As promised there were jugglers, acrobats, singers, mimes, soothsayers and clowns.   It was, despite the disparity of performers, a well excuted show.   It was sort of like watching a five ring circus.   There was something for every taste, so much was going on that no one watching could possibly get bored and none of the performers were overshadowing the others.   After a few moments of activity, spectators began trickling out of the Minister's building and the shops.   As the clock on the face of the minister's building struck twelve times, that trickle became a flood. &nsbp This was the signal for the others in the protest to enter the square.   They did so, jamming the square so tight with people that there werer only a small open spaces left around the various groups of performers.   In fact the square became so full of people that Rikke, Tarlmissa and Charianna could no longer tell from where they were standing what was going on.   Rather than try to enter the square, which would gain them nothing, they climbed up on the wooden packing crates which they had brought for this very reason.

   At first the crowd of spectators from the minister's offices and the shops didn't seem to notice or mind, caught up as they were in watcjing the performance, but slowly they became restive, then almost panicked by the fact that they were surrounded by hordes of people that they didn't recognize, people who were obviously their inferiors.   Rikke wondered how long it would be before someone sounded an alarm and the troops made an appearance.   He didn't have to wait long.

   One of the ministers, probably in an attempt to leave the crowded square, tried pushing his way through the crowd.   When that didn't work since those surrounding him refused to budge, he cried out in a loud voice for help.   The cry was carried through the crowd by other "rightful" denizens of the area until finally someone near the outer edge of the crowd managed to break free and went running into the HC barracks.   In a moment a junior officer came out of the building with the man who'd gone inside, looked around for a minute, listened to something the citizen said and went abruptly back into the barracks.   After a few more moments the junior officer came back out, this time joined by a more senior officer.   The two of them looked around a bit then the senior officer said something to the junior officer.   The junior officer once again went into the barracks while the senior officer stayed outside to, presumably, keep an eye on things.   He remained there, anyway, with his arms crossed over his chest and glowered at the crowd, as if he was daring anyone to do anything.   The whole thing on his part was superfluous since no one was doing anything except ignoring him and standing still.   Even the performers had stopped performing and were just standing waiting.

   This time when the junior officer came back out, he was at the head of a what turned out to be troop of soldiers.   When all the troops had filed out of the barracks and had fanned out to form a line, they were arrayed all along the front of the barracks.   They had also blocked off both streets on either side of the barracks, effectively closing off that side of the square and forming a skirmish line.   Rikke estimated that there were at least three hundred of them.   They were all geared up in battle armor and were all well armed. Obviously they meant business.   With bated breathe, Rikke waited to see what would happen next.   Again, he didn't have to wait long.   He hadn't thought he would.

   If a coin had been dropped somewhere in the square it would have sounded like a load of bricks dropping, so quiet had the square become.   Rikke figured that if anyone was breathing it was the senior officer.   Into that deathly silence the Senior Officer spoke in a loud stentorian voice that carried very well indeed, "I am Major Koallash and I demand that you people, whoever you are, leave this square and cease this disruption."

   His demand was met first by a wall of indifference by the members of the protest, then by howls for help by those trapped.   The Major stopped to consider a moment.   It was obvious to him that he couldn't just order his men to begin firing indiscriminately and that the citizens WERE being effectively held hostages. Then the obvious seemed to occur to him.   He ordered some of the troops to fire on selected demonstrators!   Was their worst fear about to materialize?   Or would they get lucky?   Were the troops the Major pointed to Reelapis allies or not?

   As unfortunate luck would have it the troops the Major pointed to WERE NOT allies of Reelapi!   Shots rang out and nine demonstrators fell fatally wounded.   Rikke froze in an agony of indecision.   On one hand he wanted to rush out and singlehandedly put a stop to the senseless killing -- even though he knew he couldn't.   But on the other hand he wanted to wait and see what the reaction would be from the other demonstrators.   Would they flee, ruining Charianna's moment?   Or would they stand firm behind her -- ready to give their lives too -- despite or because of what had just been done?   Rikke was relieved when he saw the demonstrators hold firm.   Of course that relief was leavened with a great deal of sorrow that some had lost their lives needlessly.

   Of course the Major wasn't relieved.   He was surprised that the executions hadn't had the desired effect.   Rotating his troops so that, obviously, everyone would have a chance to participate in the action, the Major ordered another group of troops forward.   Would these be allies of Reelapi?   Would the bloodshed continue?   Or would Charianna finally step in?   Tensing for action and refusing to look at Charianna, Rikke was prepared to do something this time if it wasn't the right troopers and Charianna didn't step in.

   The troopers raised their weapons, they aimed them and Rikke stepped down from the packing crate and took a step away from the mouth of the alley.   Then Rikke stopped moving as he realized he'd never get there in time to stop the next round of executions.   He was too far away and could never move that fast!   Horribly frustrated, he looked at Charianna afterall, mutely pleading with her.   She simply pointed out into the square.   Totally mystified, Rikke, Rikke remounted the packing crate and looked where she was pointing.   Something was happening that no one had prepared for or foreseen.   The troopers whirled as one man and fired on Major Koallash, killing him instantly.   Time stood still then, everyone frozen in place.

   Rikke could see a wholesale massacre taking place any second, with the troops firing on each other and firing indiscriminately into the crowd.   Obviously, Charianna saw that she would have to improvise a bit.   Stepping down from her packing crate and motioning to Tarlmissa to stay put, Charianna stepped from the concealment of the alley.

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