The Scent of Jasmine

May 11 - Al Raqis

The local government of Araxes was comprised of two distinct chambers or political bodies, in a juxtaposition of aristocratic and democratic elements.



The upper chamber, or Laandsrat, presided over by the Magistrate – The Esteemed Lady Joan al Jofar of House al Jofar - consisted primarily of representatives of the Great Houses (such as Hengeyokai, Hoto Nagi, Morloch,and Zenobia), and the Orders (such as the Myrmidon and the Sinisterhood).  Each member had to have been able to prove an ability to govern within their own sphere of influence before being allowed on the council. In theory, these representatives were the political elite charged to shepherd Araxes with sound wisdom and wide experience. The reality, however, was somewhat more ... disappointing.

The lower chamber, or Beit Dawla, presided over by an appointed chair - Baronetess Jai Raghilda Lordhunter of House Zenobia - was an elected body and delegates were largely independents traders, soldiers and miners. Elections were scheduled for each season of the year, designed almost certainly to guarantee a rapid turnover of delegates. However in recent elections, all four candidates had run unopposed, lending for the first time some stability to the process.  Further, some past delegates had found positions in the civil service, inadvertently expanding the influence of the lower chamber throughout the government.

Jade Moonkill had been sitting on the Beit Dawla when she issued the warrant that lead to the arrest of the members of the Laandsrat last year. 



Council meetings were held on a weekly basis in the capital city of Al Raqis.  Legislation was drafted, discussed and voted on by either chamber. What passed in one house had to be agreed to by the other house for the proposal to become the law. Sessions were open to the public. Transcripts were distributed through diplomatic and government channels. Later, these were posted for public consumption.

My first stop therefore, upon returning to Araxes, was the council chambers to review a section of the Laandsrat capture and documents from two days prior.



-----

The Magistrate, Joan al Jofar, addressed the council, "Our next item for discussion: the Jadist Terrorists. I have received threats from this vile group as have members of the Dawla," she added, "Have any of you been harassed by these degenerates?"

A series of requests to be recognized flashed around the chamber.

The Chair recognizes the delegate from House Morloch, whispered the system.

"I have not," said Lady Rashad, the Khalifa of House Morloch, "What do these threats consist of? Done."

"I have placed the threat in the documents box," said the Magistrate.

A chorus of gasps and murmurs filled the hall as representatives of the Great Houses and Orders received and reviewed copies of the letter.

The Chair recognizes the delegate from House Shanjian, whispered the system.

"Thank you, Magistrate," replied Registered Companion, Calina Tereshchenko of House Shanjian, "I met with one of their followers yesterday. It seems that my relationship with Jade has granted me ... a special status."

"You met one of their followers?" asked the Magistrate, "And you didn't contact the authorities immediately and have them arrested?"

"No."

"Why?" continued the Magistrate, "Were they holding you hostage? Were you afraid for your life? I will assign extra security for you," she declared.

Calina leaned back in her chair "No. We talked over a glass of water."

The Magistrate looked shocked."And what did they tell you as you were cavorting with these beasts?"

This drew smiles from Lily and the Myrmidon representative.

"They are of no threat to me," added Calina, "I cannot say the same for anyone else. However, I believe I was able to stay any violence by the Revolution ...for the time being at least."

Lady Rashad chuckled, "How rapidly the message becomes twisted."

Lily began chattering in the desert tongue to someone near her in the gallery, "I niishin qwit ghaqis arzi qabi. ghi tiiqn ar saah qsann qwi nqsiiq. taraki ishir qwisi ragh, ghaqqwirni."

The woman replied,"Ghi ghar'q qiyy qwit, Lily."

Calina pressed on, "The Adherent believes that Jade speaks to her.. giving her special counsel and wisdom. She also firmly believes in the work that Jade began to save the people... to protect them."

"Protect them?" cried the Magistrate, "That is what we are here for?"

Lady Rashad commented on the letter, expanding on her earlier comment, "Yes, I see that where Jade would spill neither water nor blood, this writer threatens to spill both."

"Yes," agreed the Magistrate, "Deluded as are most terrorists."

Calina had more to add, "Clearly Jade did not think we protected them or she would not have had us arrested. They also believe that both the Laandsrat and Dawla failed Jade - that they did not protect her, violating their oath to do so. That the investigation into her death has been swept under the rug and deliberately ignored. That even the UAP would have a hand in such a cover-up." She glanced at the representative of House Zenobia.

Khan Jubilynn Lane of House Hengeyokai spoke, "Since when is the implication that blood will be spilled an affront to this council?"

Lady Rashad grinned, "We are not affronted. We are amused."

Calina addressed the woman from Botany Bay, "Khan, Jade's campaign slogan was that she would not spill water and she would not spill blood. It garnered her much support among the common folk."

"Please excuse me for not acting on her death," said the Magistrate, "I was confined at the time and was unable to do much. Too bad. After an investigation, her death was declared an accident."

"Magistrate," corrected Calina, "we were released at the time of her death. You were locked up by choice in a spa."

"Oh yes," recalled the Magistrate, "My confinement took a heavy toll on me. It took me weeks of massage therapy to recover."

Lady Rashad smiled.

"Given the fact that she was a high profile member of this government," said Calina, "and that the present administration has released no statements, no investigative reports, held no inquests or hearings, it gives the appearance of a cover-up."

Suddenly, from the back of the hall, a solitary voice cried out, "Jade died for our sins!" The figure, dressed in tan coloured robes then fled the chamber. Only Lily and the Zenobian representative seemed to have heard. Only they reacted. Lily with a blink and the Zenobian by reaching instinctively for a missing sidearm.

Calina must not have heard, for she continued talking, "What I was not able to tease out of the follower was what exactly they believe our... well ... your... sins to be."



"Yes," remarked the Magistrate, "That is why I find these claims that the spice miners are working to capacity so ridiculous. If they have time to weave conspiracy theories they have time to mine more spice. And this threatening letter is proof of that," she exclaimed.

"Or time to slip poison into your lunch," the Khan mused aloud.

"Poison is a fact of life in the Concordat," said Lady Rashad.

"They obviously do not know," said Calina, "of your layers of poison sniffers after that most... tragic... incident with Lord Faith."

Lady Rashad smiled, "That was an amusing incident. Few here remember it. A family squabble, I believe."

The Khan of House Hengeyokai continued, "My point, Magistrate, is with the recent measure passed in this very house, would handicap any ... heavy handed measures you may wish to pass."

The Magistrate addressed the chamber, "Back to my original query. None of you received a threatening letter?"

"No, Magistrate," said Lady Rashad.

"No, Magistrate," said Lady Baxton of House Zenobia

"Apparently just you, Magistrate," remarked the Khan.

"I believe the Beit Dawla asked for the honor of investigating the death," added Lady Rashad, "and the honor was granted."

From the gallery, Lily chattered away, "Khaf ukhar raau Taniinqsaqi in qwit naizi. I nii qwit ir qwi nqsiiq."

"I received a letter with this..." Calina set a jade rabbit on the desk in front of her. "That is how I communicated with them. They attempted to threaten me," she added, "I told them they knew where to find me, if they wanted to kill me but it was against Jade's beliefs. After that, one of the followers came to visit and was in awe."

"Lady Calina," the Magistrate said, "I am assuming your visitor was male then. I would think you would know the difference between awe and lust?"

The Khan of House Hengeyokia addressed the Magistrate, "You have the opportunity to parley with your foe, though Lady Tereschchenko and her companion house.... One would be remiss to not use that opportunity to mitigate this issue with out further waste of resources by either side."

"Mitigate? How so?" asked the Magistrate absently.

The Chair recognizes the delegate from House Myrimidon, whispered the system.

Calina leaned over to the Magistrate and smiled, "It was a female. Yes, I do know the difference."

Chuckles erupted from the gallery.

"The delegate from the Myrimidons has the floor," declared the Magistrate.

Lord Taharqa Pryxis of the Myrmidon Order spoke, "I address the House Companion... My Lady, who or whom, came to your premises and made such hostile gestures?"

"Who are you addressing Lord Pryxis?" asked the Magistrate, "Me or the Lady Calina?"

"Lady Calina," replied the Myrmidon.

"She called herself Jasmine," answered Calina, "My guess that is not her given name. I also believe she had her skin treated to look more like Jade's and she wore a mask."

Lord Taharqa Pryxis tapped his data link, "Jasmine," he said.

The Magistrate again addressed the chamber, "Besides hunting these Jadists down and bringing them to justice, does anyone else have any suggestions?"

"They are focused at present on writing... scriptures," added Calina.

"Writing is fine," condescended the Magistrate, "I was quite fond of comics when I was a young girl."

"As I said Magistrate," repeated the Khan, "you have the opportunity now, to enter into discussion with them though Lady Calina."

"Yes," agreed the Magistrate, "You did suggest that. If Lady Calina is willing to deal with these terrorists, I would be happy to assist."

The Chair recognizes the delegate from House Myrimidon, whispered the system.

Lord Pryxis spoke, "Not knowing your tedious agenda.. allow me some time to convey a few communiques... that we feel will be of interest to this body..."

"Are they on the matter of the Jadists?" asked the Magistrate.

"They are not..." replied the Myrmidon, "however, I am patience. As I said, not fully aware of the agenda before me...."

"The agenda is written above my head," answered the Magistrate indicating the text projected over the head of the table.

"Ah...." replied the Myrmidon, "then I shall wait for the following." He sat back with a contented smile.

"So Lady Calina," said the Magistrate, "You will negotiate with the Jadist Terrorists on the Laandsrat's behalf. Is there anything else on this topic?"

There were no further remarks, save those of Lily chattering away in the gallery. "Nishisizi wiazi," she said ominously.

"Our next item on the agenda," said the Magistrate, "is the Ta"seti. The Dawla discussed them at length...."

At that point, Calina shrugged her shoulders, picked up the small green rabbit and put it back into her bag.

-----



Jasmine.

We now had a name.

I turned my attention to the letter the Magistrate that had placed in the documents box.

-----

To the Unholy Magistrate, who sits in her castle upon the rocks of damnation.

Do you feel safe within the walls of your keep Magistrate?
How must it feel to be surrounded by stones masoned by the peasants upon which you govern?
How much water and blood was spilt to build your castle upon the rocks of fiery damnation?
What will history say of the great Joan al Jofar? Your rise to power is important enough to be listed in the Libraries of the Concordat. Pray tell, what will they write of your downfall?

The Blood Cure was an evil abomination inspired by the sinful souls of the greedy. Was it not righteous for the prosecutors of this licentious act to be promulgated across Araxes and the known universe?! Did you silence the Messiah, Magistrate? Did you act to save yourself, your power, your position, your wealth?

Alas, it has been said that if you put away those who report accurately, you'll keep only those who know what you want to hear.

But Magistrate, supplication only goes so far...
How well do you know your own courtiers and servants?
How easy would it be for a servant girl or a member of the Imperial Guard to smuggle a hunter-killer within your bed chamber?
How easy would it be for your cook to drop poison within your food and drink?
How easy would it be for a poison dart to be administered in a crowded room, Magistrate?

You sit upon the throne of the Land of Rats and blaspheme. You call us terrorists. You try to hide your own sinful deeds behind a web of lies and treachery.

We pray to our Messiah that she will deliver us a flood of water upon this desert land that we may drown the rats.

For the sequence of events that will lead to your downfall have already been set in motion.
The Great Messiah in her eternal wisdom knew that she would be struck down by sinful belligerent forces.
She foretold this.

She died for our sins so that she could be reborn in spirit and be impervious to those that would wish her harm. She speaks to us. She guides us.

"Water is precious"
"Blood is precious"

We will spill neither unless the need is just. Do not force our hand for the blood that will be spilt will be your doing. We came in peace to seek retribution for the Messiah and in turn you belittle us and call us criminals. Do not persist in this escalation Magistrate.

Know then, Magistrate, that a great movement has begun. We are everywhere. We are in the highest chambers in the land. We are within the Great Houses. We are within the markets and on the landing pads.  We are in the peasant chambers. We are in city. We are in the desert.  We are Araxians. We are star-born.

The Land of Rats fell once. It will fall again.

Praise Jade.

---The Jade Revolution