Ruin & Reliance Read online

  Kaija knew that there was little hope for the sun worshippers: they were almost always unrepentant. She was under the cover of darkness, provided by her fellow oblate, Saku. She transmitted her knowledge to the other oblates, who were also hiding in the same darkness nearby.

  Saku drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial to be energized and maintain the cover of darkness over himself, Kaija, Reko, Juho, Annaliisa and Tija. He was nineteen (19) years old and deeply devoted to the cause, as long as he could spend time with these delightful friends. Saku found a sense of belonging, bringing the lost to salvation, or to destruction if necessary. He loved Tija, even though she was twice his age, and flirted with her when he could.

  Annaliisa drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was energized. She had twenty-one (21) years of experience as a navigator, all with the Order of the Vital Navigators of Sanctity. She entered the order when she was fourteen (14) at her mother’s behest. After learning what Kaija had telepathically sensed and then transmitted, Annaliisa listened to the stars and learned their paths. The time for both sun worship and stone worship rituals was fast approaching, and the Vital Navigators would have to act before more children were threatened by the different forms of evil.

  Kaija listened to Annaliisa’s thoughts and realized that it was time to make a move. She telepathically signaled to the others and they went to the docks where their ship was waiting. The boarded the Consecration of the Hopeful, a one hundred eight (108) foot long frigate with two (2) sets of pivoting, double-masted sails.

  Once on board the vessel, Saku eased his powers of darkness to remove its cover so that his fellow oblates could see each other.

  “We will deal with the stone and sun worshippers very soon. Annaliisa knows better than any of us, by tracking the movements of the stars, that the time of their evil rituals is fast approaching. However, we will first give a warning to our other enemies: the moneylenders. Their hardened hearts worship only power and wealth, instead of seeking the One True God. Their false faith and selfish actions endanger their souls and those of millions under their control and influence,” Kaija said.

  “Juho, please purify my waters before we make the voyage,” Annaliisa said.

  Juho was a thirty-seven (37) year old man who had joined only a year ago, when he was convinced that the Order of the Vital Navigators of Sanctity was a righteous cause. He had been a believer in the Perfect Truthful Innocent One since the age of three (3), but worked as a miner to support his family until his wife and child died in a fire. His faith did not falter due to the tragedy, but his sense of purpose was lost, so he searched for a new meaning to life. He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean waters from his vial and was energized. He then took Annaliisa’s water vial and poured its contents into a spare vial containing a limestone, which he manipulated to remove the impurities from the Atrejan waters. He then poured the purified waters back into her vial and returned it to her. “My pleasure,” he said. He adored Annaliisa and desired her, despite the memories of his wife and child. To be married again would be a pleasure; to be married to Annaliisa would be bliss.

  “Reko, be at the ready. There is no shortage of danger, and we need you to guide us. Be watchful for pirates,” Kaija said.

  Reko drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial and was energized. He looked out one hundred fifty (150) miles in each direction around the ship, peering around small islands and scanning for signs of unnatural darkness that might conceal pirate ships ready to plunder. “The sea is safe. I will continue to watch,” Reko said. He was forty (40) years old and single and planned on remaining that way. He preferred a simple life, and having a clear path to his goals – as clear as his view over long distances – was essential to his happiness. His past relationships were less than pleasant, although he had a tendency to find women who were dangerous, given the literal dark corners into which he peered to find them. After a few mistakes, he developed a bitter distaste for dating.

  “Tija, I don’t expect any encounters with ghosts while sailing the ‘song waters’; yet, the bankers do deal in spirits, so there will be a need for your readiness when we arrive,” Kaija said.

  Tija drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial and was energized. She was forty-one (41) years old and a firm believer in the cause of the Vital Navigators of Sanctity. Her past was horrible, having been a medium to evil spirits and eventually becoming possessed by them to commit acts of murder. She was ashamed of her misdeeds, although she knew that Kaija was aware of them. She only hoped that Reko didn’t know, because he was the man she wanted in her life. She joined a different assembly of the Order of the Vital Navigators of Sanctity because she was saved when they led her to the Perfect Truthful Innocent One. She met with this particular assembly and joined them at the sight of Reko, and had eyes for him which he never seemed to notice.

  Annaliisa walked across the deck and entered the wheelhouse. She drank anew of the purified waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was further energized. She listened to the stars once again to learn their paths and positions. With that information, she charted a course toward the Port of Nasharev on the Farmer’s Road land bridge. She took the wheel of the Consecration of the Hopeful and sailed the ship westward across the Pirovalen Ocean.

  ~~~

  On the center of the eastern coast of the Farmer’s Road land bridge was the Port of Nasharev. The bustling port city was owned and operated by the central bank. A large, ornate stone building known as the Farmer’s Gateway – which was six hundred thirty (630) feet long on each of its five (5) sides and sixty-five (65) feet in height – dominated the city’s center.

  The Farmer’s Gateway had a large, open floor with hundreds of tables where farmers, bankers and merchants negotiated trade deals. Along the walls were twenty-five (25) offices where banking officials conducted private business. One (1) of these offices belonged to Governor Decima and she sat at her desk while reviewing her books. She was a fifty-one (51) year old drinker of the waters of the Medathero Ocean and was highly trained in calculus, probability and statistics. Decima received her waterbinding at the age of nine (9) and studied mathematics intently ever since, working as an apprentice clerk for the central bank since age sixteen (16) and rising in rank quickly due to her high innate potential and deep focus. She now designed experiments to collect data and measure the yields of different crops under different solar conditions, along different coasts in various permutations. Decima had data indicating crop failure rates and yield rates, along with the distribution of the number of farmers who drank the Gradaken waters and their assistants who were often otherwise waterbound. This was all stratified into different geographic zones throughout the land bridge, and she built a statistical model representing the expected yields throughout the year.

  The door to Decima’s office opened and Governor Aranka entered, followed by a male assistant. He drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial and was energized.

  “Governor Aranka, how can I be of assistance?” Governor Decima asked, looking up from her books only for a moment.

  “I know you’re busy, but I’ve been making my own calculations, and they may be of interest, two (2) levels indirectly,” Governor Aranka said. She was also a drinker of the Medathero Ocean waters, and was forty-eight (48) years old. Aranka was much less experienced in banking, having only worked for the central bank since the age of forty-one (41). Prior to that, she proved her skills and talents by pricing insurance policies since the age of nineteen (19). She had taken her waterbinding at the age of twelve (12) when her parents both died of cancer and she thought it to be suspicious and wanted to calculate the cause. The true cause – or causes – of their deaths were still a matter in doubt, and she occasionally researched the data and analyzed the possible reasons, but the trail had long gone cold.

  “Are you certain that a matter separated by two (2) levels of indirect relation is worth my tim
e, Governor Aranka?” Governor Decima asked.

  “The constructor has begun disrupting the large scale architecture and building industries. Now that design and construction is more cost effective on larger scales in the hundreds of square miles, in terms of both labor and materials, there is increased bidding on land, driving up prices for multiuse land that could be used for agriculture or residential projects,” Governor Aranka said.

  “The constructor is not so appealing as you might think. I’ve received word that the stability of its products is in doubt, and Fantine is not necessarily trustworthy. You realize that even Governor Lux does not trust her, personally,” Governor Decima said.

  “I’ve dealt with untrustworthy. Fantine is arrogant, and will do nothing to allow her reputation for architecture be marred by errors,” Governor Aranka said.

  “She is human, and thus capable of errors both technical and ethical. Faced with a loss of reputation, she may lie or misrepresent the truth to conceal the true cause of error. Furthermore, she is not an empathic individual, and if she were to be deceived by duplicitous clients or if she were to be telepathically manipulated, her skills and knowledge could be used to make the constructor into a weapon. This is no small concern – even with a low probability, the severity would be great,” Governor Decima said.

  Governor Aranka’s assistant spoke up and said: “I have an urgent message from the Premier Governors.”

  “What is it, Sechnall?” Governor Aranka asked.

  “You are to travel to Haza’Kedro’Maral Island and assume control at once. There has been an incident that requires our immediate attention,” the assistant – Sechnall – said. He was a fifty-three (53) year old spirit sensitive and was always at the ready to relay messages through the spirit world between Governor Aranka and the Premier Governors via the intermediate spirits. All the messages were always in complete confidence, and betrayal of that confidence would be punished in unimaginable ways. It was a dangerous job, yet less dangerous than the alternatives. Sechnall’s own past was compromised by violent crimes which the central bank had conditionally pardoned him for in exchange for a lifetime of service since he was thirty-seven (37). Sechnall was caught in the act of killing central bank employees to use their bodies as hosts to receive the spirits transferred from sick bodies of wealthy clients. This was not an approved line of business, even by the central bank’s avaricious standards, and he was forbidden from doing this – unless a Premier Governor specifically authorized it.

  “I shall be leaving immediately, it seems,” Governor Aranka said.

  “Indeed. Good day, Governor Aranka,” Governor Decima said.

  ~~~

  Governor Aranka and Sechnall exited the Farmer’s Gateway building and headed toward the docks. She boarded the Commerce Regulator Three – a three hundred twelve (312) foot long frigate with five (5) sets of pivoting double-masted sails, owned and operated by the central bank. The captain stood on deck and awaited her orders.

  “Captain Joeri, set your course for Haza’Kedro’Maral Island immediately. Bring the fleet, to enforce our authority when we assume control once again,” Governor Aranka said.

  Joeri was a forty-six (46) year old drinker of the Lujladia Ocean waters. He drank anew of those waters from his vial and was energized. He then signaled to the captains of forty-nine (49) other frigates of various sizes – all owned and operated by the central bank – to follow him. Joeri plotted a course using maps based on line of sight, which were ideal for Lujladia water drinking navigators. He then sailed the Commerce Navigator Three eastward across the Pirovalen Ocean, and the forty-nine (49) other frigates followed.

  ~~~

  The Consecration of the Hopeful docked in the Port of Nasharev in the Farmer’s Road land bridge and the members of the Order of the Vital Navigators of Sanctity disembarked from the vessel. Kaija directed the crew members as they entered the port city and headed directly for the Farmer’s Gateway, the ornate pentagonal stone building which served as the office of the central bank.

  Kaija drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial and was energized. She telepathically signaled to the other oblates to drink their respective waters and to be ready, but to do nothing yet. They complied, because she was the central focus of communication of their assembly, and had proven to be a competent leader. Kaija led the way as they entered the building and proceeded toward the center of the trading floor.

  The other oblates followed Kaija and waited for a cue to act or speak.

  Kaija addressed the crowd and shouted: “Where is she? Where is your governor?”

  ~~~

  From within her office, Governor Decima heard the chatter and the shouting. She recognized the voice as that of a religious fanatic she had met before. She opened her office door, walked toward the woman who was shouting and asked: “What is it you wish to learn, Kaija? What new lesson do you not understand because of your religion which weakens minds and clouds thinking?”

  “When will you end your devotion to your false deity of money, Governor Decima? When will you halt your thieving ways and deceptions?” Kaija asked.

  “Money is not my god, but it would be a far better choice than yours. Money enables fair trading: the transportation of debt and credit over long distances creates opportunities in distant lands – opportunities that otherwise would not exist. Money enables people in any location to participate in the total market: buying lumber, cultivating wool, weaving sails and building ships across varied geographic regions. Money pays for these things, and pays quite fairly. Whereas food spoils over a long distance, platinum coins and bank notes endure. If it weren’t for our system of money, a great many more people would die, and much sooner, in their faltering, landlocked, primitive local economies. Financial collapse might please your barbaric god who demands a life of sacrifice and suffering in exchange for a slight chance to obtain a vaguely defined salvation, but it most certainly isn’t a good way to live,” Governor Decima said.

  “What you say has only the illusion of truth, Governor. My God – the One True God – demands fair dealings, not suffering or sacrifice. You are thieves, as many have proven. You falsify records and use dishonest weights and measures. You charge excessive interest rates and levy burdensome taxes. There is a just system of money, and there is your unjust system of money. Your ways need to change, Governor. You and your central bank have deceived the world, and brought death and poverty by your false financial practices. Don’t accuse my God of being the barbaric one when you pretend to be a god by your dishonest management of wealth,” Kaija said.

  “If we were as evil as you say, the world would be at war. How could we hide? The Elanatin Ocean waters enable telepaths to probe our thoughts. They would have detected our fraud eons ago if it were real. Bankers who violate our ethical codes are dismissed quickly. You know nothing, child. My job is to govern this bank soundly and prevent exactly those problems you accuse me of causing. By delaying me with your religious fanaticism and false accusations, you are proving yourself to be guilty of the very crime you accuse me of committing. My time is valuable, child. Good day,” Governor Decima said. She then returned to her office and closed the door.

  “She will never listen, and thus she will never learn,” Kaija said. She led the way out of the building and the other oblates followed her back to the docks where they boarded the Consecration of the Hopeful.

  ~~~

  The Commerce Regulator Three and the forty-nine (49) other frigates docked on the western side of Haza’Kedro’Maral Island. The boarding ramp was lowered and Governor Aranka and Sechnall disembarked from their vessel. They were surrounded by an entourage of fifteen thousand (15000) guards and scouts who were operating under the cover of darkness – which was provided by one quarter (1/4) of their number who cloaked themselves and nearby cohorts. These guards were ready with weapons and the scouts maintained situational awareness by their various ocean-enabled sensitivities to light, darkness, spirit or thought.

&n
bsp; Governor Aranka and Sechnall remained in the center of their entourage as they left the docks and headed across the island toward the Trading Center One building. Some of the scouts – being drinkers of the Elanatin Ocean waters – telepathically scanned the environment to detect thoughts of hiding enemies. Other guards – being drinkers of the Lujladia Ocean waters – probed for enemies or traps hidden in the darkness. A few of the guards – being drinkers of the Zovvin Ocean waters – searched for hostile spirits. The scouts who provided the cover of darkness – being drinkers of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean – used that darkness to dispel any false light under which an enemy might be hiding.

  “Governor, there is a Chronicler of the Oath here, and no one else,” one of the scouts said.

  “Then we are ready. It is time for us to assume control. Position yourselves in standard formation. Your guard captains will direct you to your posts throughout the island and the other buildings. Never mind the Chronicler. I don’t even care to know his name. I will ignore him, and so will each of you,” Governor Aranka said.

  Governor Aranka then headed directly to the vaults and began to investigate their holdings. She drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from her vial and was energized with the power of calm, logical thought. Her mind was ready to perform careful and complex calculations. She began reviewing the contents of the vaults and the record books, suspecting immediately that the sun worshippers had been committing fraud all along. Her careful review took considerable time – she could perform mathematics rapidly, but she still read at a quite ordinary rate, and she had to read the balance sheets a single line at a time. She suspected that this audit would take many days before comprehensively identifying all fraud committed by the sun worshippers during their occupation. After just three (3) hours, however, Governor Aranka noticed a few items of interest. Each line had a checksum – a special calculated number that had to match the actual balance sheets – and a few of these checksums did not match. This meant that those records had either been forged or were erroneous. Either way, a problem existed, but she was too cynical to accept that these were honest errors.