Born a Monster

Chapter 33

Machismo and Regrets

“The governor says this is not a fair bet, and balances it with thirty golden wa.”

The Daurians used smaller coins. I had my doubts that the weight matched the raw numbers.

“We have no problem with the governor holding onto those coins while we wait for word on how the battle turned out. When does he expect that word?”

“He says the poison was dumped at dawn this morning, and all of your pawns are now dead.”

.....

“Did you mean prawns?”

“No, he means pawns. It is a game piece.”

“For chess, ambassador.” Gamilla said. “They represent the light infantry used in other countries.”

“Please inform the governor that I am sorry for the loss of his friends.”

“The governor invites you to stay and learn chess with his son, and to enjoy dinner, at which time his priests will bear him word of a Neonen victory.”

“He’s really not listening.” Kismet said, an equal mixture of sorrow and awe.

“I’ve known officers like him. Boss, we should go, he’s gonna be mad when he loses.”

“Please tell the governor that we accept his hospitality.” To Narces, I said, “His troops will find us whether we’re here or out in town.”

And, if Narces was right, I had my shield in my inventory.

Chess, as it turns out, is one of those simple games made complex by how the simple things interact. Although there are books on the strategy of the game, Madonna, Kismet, and I picked up the basics and were losing to Stephano by mid-day. We were still losing at dinner, but he would only play one of us at a time by then, and there were times when he had to stare at the board and think.

But I get ahead of myself; just know that Stephano was good at chess.

“I think I understand how you think.” He said. “You try to defend land, but more than that you hate to lose pieces.”

“I admit I’ve seen enough of death to not want to spread it callously.”

“Father says you are children, but you do not speak as a child does.”

“My development is ... faster than normal.”

“I see. So, you do not think my father’s mercantile friends are competent?”

“I’ve no way of gauging their competence.”

“You do not seem to like risk. Are you confident in the size and strength of the Makura, then?”

“Your father and his friends seem to regard the Makura as beasts who have a sentient few among their number. This is not so. They are a folk, not human in shape, but as able as humans in mind.”

“You must have a poor view of humans, to put our minds on the same plane as a people who fight to the death over a single fish.”

“Do not mistake savagery for stupidity. I tell you, they can think and reason. Say that some fish-folk or mermaids had developed a poisonous gas, and unleashed it upon your people.”

“We’d wipe them out to the last!”

“Then you understand what has happened, is happening, or will happen to your father’s friends.”

#

“You regard them as people.” He said simply.

I sighed. “Look at me. Seriously, look at me. I am clearly not human; nor am I an animal. Yet here the two of us are, playing a game I didn’t even know existed this morning. Discussing in a language I didn’t even speak a year ago.”

He completely missed the point. “So being part human and part beast, you feel you have equal insight into beasts.”

“Makura are no more beasts than you are.”

His hand stumbled, knocked over one of his knights. “By proper rules, I should now move this knight, having touched it.”

“I don’t mind; you were distracted.”

He put his pieces in order. “No. Clearly you are confusing the issue. People are people; beasts are beasts. Even if a beast becomes aware that it is a beast, it still cannot stand upright like people.”

How I wished at that moment that I’d prioritized human evolutions, to be able to change into a human form the way I could a goblin!

Actually... could I still do that? The power Goblin Transformation was still there... No, focus. Becoming a goblin wouldn’t help my argument. I needed...

“Then consider Kismet. Is she people, or beast?”

“Mwarri are people. One might as well argue that elves are beasts.”

“Consider our guardsmen, then. Narces and Gamilla are goblinoids, considered monsters by some.”

“Clear examples of what I spoke of earlier. You can train a beast, like a bear. You can put it into human clothes. But it is still a beast. You sir, are not paying attention to the game. Check.”

Well, okay, I hadn’t been paying attention to the game. I’d made several good captures, but my pieces were now not in position to defend my king. “That is well done, Stephano.”

“Thank you. Check. And Mate.”

“Your game next, Kismet.”

“Actually, I need to go to the lady’s room. You take next game, Madonna.”

“With pleasure.”

They spoke of horses, though I’ve no clue where Madonna got such knowledge as she displayed. They talked of breeds, and stamina, and agility, and speed.

And then, a stern-faced guard appeared, pointed at me, and said something.

“My father wants you, sir. Try not to remind HIM of your bestial aspects.”

His father, and the same maid, were waiting on a terrace overlooking the sunset.

“He demands to know what contact you have with the Makura.”

“None.”

I took note of the words she used, recorded them onto a System list for later perusal.

“He asks how you knew.”

“Let me ask him something I asked his son. If the Makura arrived, and released a cloud of poison gas on his people from beneath the waves, what would he do?”

He turned to me, clenched teeth, red face.

But then, where IS the line between people and beasts?

#

“What did you DO?” Gamilla asked me, as we were being escorted out the front door of the governor’s mansion.

“I represented a point of our government with unwavering...”

“What did you SAY?”

I repeated my proposition.

“Boss, how did you say it?”

“Exactly like that.”

Madonna chuckled, skipped for a step. “My guess is that the maid sabotaged us.”

“I’m not sure.” Kismet said.

Someone’s stomach grumbled. It may have been mine. “A good point. We should eat.”

We were waiting for our food when the governor’s guard showed up.

“Boss.”

“I see them.” I drew my sword, set it on the table near my hand. My companions followed suit, except for Madonna, who held an orb of flame before her.

“No, no no.” the guard closest to us held up his hand, made a “come” gesture.

I made a show of sheathing my sword.

“Gamilla, leave the coins for our meal on the table.”

Gamilla growled.

Narces took point on that issue. “Gamilla. Which you going to do, prove them wrong or prove them right?”

“Fine. But for the moment, count me on Madonna’s side.”

.....

“I have a side?” Madonna asked. She frantically checked both sides of her dress. “What, is there a gravy stain?”

In something between a frog-march and an escort, we returned to the governor’s mansion.

“Boss, tell me we’re at least keeping our weapons this time.”

I kneaded the bottom of my chin with my knuckles. “That could be taken as a show of hostility.”

“They stole dinner.” Kismet grumbled. “I’m feeling hostile.”

“They let me keep my skinning knife last time.” I offered.

“Keep it. I might use it.”

“Oh, Kismet, is one missed meal all it takes?”

“You were there. You know what this is about.”

“What? Devil here, you think calling someone a beast is an insult? Husband, you ARE a beast.”

“Rhishi, you should smack her again.”

I was grinding my teeth. “If we could please be at least civil for a few hours? We have a dinner to attend, unless I miss my guess.”

I missed my guess. Everyone else got to eat a dinner. I got called into a smoking parlor.

“He says do you smoke?”

“Every time I’m lit on fire.”

He got a chuckle out of that.

“He says you must forgive him.”

“It is never pleasant to lose friends. He is forgiven.”

“He says you will go rescue his son.”

I rubbed my eyelids. “His son? At Makura Bay?”

“He and a nun have made it to the island. They are living at a hut just inside the jungle line.”

“If he has any way of contacting them, tell his son not to venture inland. The jaguars are territorial.”

“He will do this thing. When can you leave?”

“When can a ship be made ready?”

“One is ready now.”

“We will need it loaded with livestock, and food to keep that livestock healthy for the journey.”

“He says you will leave before dawn.”

#