Chapter 22

It was still early morning when the next meeting took place. During last evening I had used all my skills to limit my drinking while trying to look like I drank a lot. Even though I had, there was a headache lurking behind the corner, just waiting to step forward. I drank an extra cup of tea as I tried to wash away the taste of the willow bark I had been chewing. I wasn’t at all surprised to see the same old woman at the other side of the table, waiting for us to arrive. If I had been close to a hangover, Kara was dead tired and she was the reason for us being late. Hantaliel had been ready before me, always efficient and equally silent - but observant.

“It’s not polite to keep older people waiting, young man. Not polite at all.”

I looked at the older woman who kept on staring at me - and smiled, trying to look as young and innocent as I could. Most likely I failed, but it didn’t stop me from trying.

“Good morning, and I’m really sorry, Ma’am. The problem is that the breakfast you offered us was just too good. Tasting almost everything took a bit longer than I had thought. Is it okay if we sit here?”

There was no answer, just a sharp nod. As soon as we were seated, she continued.

“If someone comes asking for support and help he should at least be polite and not humiliate his hosts.”

I kept on smiling at the woman even though I started to wonder if I should have had even more willow bark. I got a feeling that the woman on the other side of the table could cause me some real headache.

“I fully agree Ma’am, I fully agree. However, if somebody comes with secured funding and wants to offer a business plan lucrative to both parties, you might also expect that your hosts treat her or him with respect.”

While speaking, I tried to keep an eye on all the people in the room. There was now an almost equal number of men and women in the same large room. It had been reorganized either during the night or early in the morning. My grandmother was there, too, but she wasn’t smiling. In fact, none of the people on the other side of the desk was smiling.

“I see. Now, why don’t you enlighten us then, and explain what would be the benefit of doing business with you - or anyone from the main island.”

The amount of disrespect and even disdain the older woman was able to put in her voice put my effort from the previous day to shame. Internally I sighed and pushed the lurking headache into the background and prepared to give my best ‘sales pitch’ ever since so much depended on this meeting.

I wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed when I finished - and I felt good about what I had said and how I had said it. I could offer the financing to start the remote trade business, all the local contacts that would be needed in the Kingdom - or ‘The Main Island’ as the people here called it. Basically, we had everything except the knowledge of how to access the islands and that was what I was asking of them. Enough people who knew how to sail - or more precisely; enough men with both magic and sailing skills. Preferably unmarried - for reasons I didn’t say.

However, the only thing that was important at this moment was that I knew that my speech had been a good one and these people should have no reason to think negatively about this plan since they should only benefit from the trade. I’d had some discussions with Elise and with the representatives of the other family - the ones owning the coastal ships and the family restaurant. We could make a profit later, if needed. Now we needed to have those men - and ships, if possible.

“I’m sure that you’ll have an answer ready for any question I might have, young man - so I won’t ask any. The only important thing is that we don’t know you and we don’t need you. We have been living here in these islands for generations and I see no reason to change anything. Nobody has threatened us, we are a threat to no one and I see no reason to change that. I insist you all to leave as soon as the weather allows.”

It took a moment before her words really made their way inside my head. I knew that my proposal was good for them, really good especially in the beginning, and there should have been no reason to arbitrarily refuse it. However, I didn’t let any of that show in my face when I tried to figure out a suitable answer. Before I was able to open my mouth, a voice of a man could be heard from the back of the room, in accented Anglon. “Shouldn’t we discuss and vote about this?”

“I don’t think that you’re one of the official representatives of the North Islands, Tofi.”

“Shouldn’t the spokeswoman know that there should be enough time to get the official representatives here to vote before any big decisions are made? I think that’s the correct way to act unless an emergency is declared - and if an emergency is declared, then the people from the Islands can select the representatives among themselves. As it seems the arrival of these three people was enough reason to declare an emergency, me and my brother selected ourselves as representatives of our Islands and therefore...” The man at the back of the room made a short pause in his speech in order to give more effect to the following words. “ ... I demand that this offer is opened for discussion and voted on afterwards.”

“Seconded!”

An even more accented shout was heard next to the man who had been speaking.

“Tofi and Toki, you both know that this is useless waste of time as the majority will vote according to my suggestion!” Now there was clear anger in the woman’s voice.

“But right honorable spokeswoman, for sure you aren’t denying us our democratic rights as our ancestors have written them? You do remember the consequences for that, don’t you?”

“But this is total waste of time!”

“And I do have my right to waste your time with this, as it has been stated in our body of law.”