The Council of the Ruins
The Council of the Ruins
Listening to a Devil's whispers could lead to losing the paradise
Elisium Year 5L 15/1
Andrews and the touring party emerged into the other world and swam to the riverbank. Once they had collected their supplies Andrews took them to the village of Droster, the same village from where he had started his journey in Elisium seven years ago. He and Matthews had visited this village a few days prior to their leap into the Abyss, and kept some essentials things near the same farmer who had rescued Andrews during his first visit. Those essentials consisted of a few horses, clothes, foodstuff and other stuffs required for their journey towards the ruins.
The farmer greeted Andrews with an astonished look "I think you love these days of adversity. When during these days people are afraid of even coming out of their houses, you just love to take a trip downstream. And now you have brought so many people with you."
"Well I just love roaming this world during torrential rains and thunderstorms," Andrews replied with a smile.
"I wasn't expecting guests, let me prepare some food for you guys."
"No we are in a hurry," replied Andrews, "I will surely pay you a visit once the days of adversity are over. But for now I will collect my things and be on my way."
Andrews and his travelling companions collected all the stuff and began their journey towards the ruins. Andrews had left more than twenty horses near the farmer and so everyone from the touring party had their own horse. As was the norm during the days of adversity, the rains and thunderstorms were lashing out at Elisium and that was going to severely impact the pace of their journey.
On their way to the Ruins, they stopped over in a few settlements for food and rest. By now everyone in the delegation had seen from their own eyes that this world, as Andrews had earlier explained to them, was exactly like their own in terms of landscapes, climate, people and almost everything. Things looked gloomier but still the same. The only glaring difference in this world was that there was no electricity or vehicles or any modern equipment. Elisium was way behind Aden in terms of technology. It looked as if they were living in Aden of the last loop.
Williams, the army chief, took note of the technological underdevelopment of this place. He knew that this backwardness will become a strong point during negotiations with the people of this world. In return for the Star-Rocks they can offer so much to the people of Elisium.
In the early morning of the fifth day the Crossing, they finally arrived into the Ruins. Andrews arranged for the delegation to be accommodated in one of the inns in the city. Andrews asked the members of his touring party to remain a little cautious, as every one of them might have a duplicate of himself roaming around in the streets there. Andrews during his stay in the Ruins had somehow convinced people that it was a mere coincidence that he and Matthews looked alike. But seeing duplicates of twenty men might trigger some unnecessary panic among the people. First they must meet the Council of Ruins, explain them the situation, tell them the purpose of their visit and then only the common people of the city must know the truth. They must first win the confidence of the Council. Andrews during his stay in the Ruins, had earned the reputation of a learned man with a genius mind. With the use of his knowledge and some basic techs, he helped a lot of people in many ways. He also developed some basic instruments for the commoners, solved some of their major problems with his intellect and gradually built quite a reputation in Elisium. So when he asked the council for an urgent meeting they weren't able to deny his request.
On the sixth morning of the Crossing, Andrews and Matthews were seated in the chambers inside the office of the Council. Five other members of the delegation were waiting outside the room. The Council of Ruins comprised of twelve members from different families who looked over different aspects of the city. These people were the descendants of those families that had survived the Catastrophe at the turn of the loop and then helped rebuild the Ruins. The seat in the Council carried down the generations in these families. No member from outside these families was ever elected to the council. Over the past several cycles this Council had done a decent enough job of holding the Ruins together. Generations after generations of the members of this Council had played their parts in restoring the Ruins to its glorious past and had succeeded to an extent. Although it was still nowhere close to where it was during its prime, but the Ruins was once again the beating heart of Elisium. Everyone in the Ruins was happy with the existing system and no one had felt any need for a change.
"So my dear Andrews, what called for you to ask for such an urgent meeting of the Council," asked Orlando, the head of the Council, "couldn't it have waited for a couple of days, till the days of adversity are over."
"Well my honorable sir, we have to return back to our place before the days of adversity end, so we couldn't exactly wait till then." replied Andrews.
"What is such an urgent matter?" asked Richards, the head of the guards who maintained law and order within the Ruins.
Andrews smiled, "Before I say something I want to show you something," Andrews asked the five men of the delegation who were waiting outside the chamber to be called in. When they entered they were wearing a travelling veil around their faces. It was a common practice in Elisium to wear a veil around the face to protect it from severe weather. On Andrews signal they simultaneously removed the veil from their faces. Almost every member of the council gasped aloud when they saw these people.
Andrews had especially selected these men to accompany him in this trip. They were the duplicates of five of the most influential men in the Council. Olivier, the HighMinister of Aden, and the second most powerful person after King Samuel, was the duplicate of Orlando, the head of Council of Ruins. Williams, the army chief of Aden was the copy of Richards, the head of Guards of the Ruins. Three other ministers of Aden who had come with Andrews were copies of three other members of the Council. In fact all twelve members in the council of Ruins had their duplicates among the ministers of King Samuel in Aden. Andrews had suggested the names of all those twelve ministers to the King, but the other seven had declined to come on this mission. It was a great risk to bring such high profile people on this dangerous mission. Three among these five had only agreed when the King ordered them to go and they didn't have any choice left. Only Williams, who always had a penchant for bravado and glory, and Olivier, who was becoming a little unpopular amongst the commoners of Aden and wanted to show them that he can do anything for the betterment of this world, had readily volunteered for this mission.
"What is all this," asked Orlando, who was clearly stunned on seeing his duplicate, and the other four copies as well "who are these people?"
"To cut a long story short, they are your duplicates from the other world Aden, the world we know as Inferna." replied Andrews.
A buzz went around in the room. Everyone in the room was clearly shocked to see these people. They were still not able to believe their eyes.
"Just like I am Matthews' duplicate in that world, every one of you has a copy in that world as well. These five men are the living examples of that," Andrews continued
"So, earlier you lied to us," said Richards, "You told us you were from some far off village, when actually you had come from Inferna."
"yes, I had to lie because at that time no one would have believed me," Andrews replied.
"And now you have brought more men from your damned world," said Richards in an unfriendly tone, "what do you want in Elisium? What are your real intentions?"
"My intentions are very noble. I want both our worlds to benefit from each other," Andrews replied.
Richards stood up and looked at the other members of the Council, "We all know what happened when a group of men last arrived from that world into ours. These Ruins are the memento of the last such visit of some cursed demons from that cursed world. We must stop this chain right now, or we will be regretting this for the rest of our lives."
"No, just listen to me," pleaded Andrews, "I know what happened last time, but we don't have any such intentions. Just listen to what I have to say, just listen to my proposal. If you all learned men don't approve of it, me and my companions will jump back into the abyss and go back to our world, never to bother you again."
"We must not listen to anything they have to say," warned Richards, "we must drive them away right now, or else these monsters will devour our world."
"As per the morals of our society we must give everyone a chance to speak," said Orlando, "Even the biggest of the criminals here are allowed to speak their hearts out. Let Andrews say what he has to and then we will decide what we must do. Of course the Council has the final say in all such matters and I think there is no harm in at least listening to their side of story"
"listening to a Devil's whispers could lead to losing the paradise" warned Richards.
"Andrews is no devil and we all can vouch for that. Now please let him say what he has to."
Richards shook his head in disapproval, but giving in to the wish of the council, he sunk back in his chair.
Andrews was relieved to get an opportunity to put forward his plan. He had meticulously prepared for this moment since a long time ago. He expertly started to explain them about how the two worlds were identical, the potentials of the Star-Rocks and how the technology of Aden can help the people of this world.
As Andrews was busy in trying to convince the members of the Council about the benefits of mutual cooperation, someone in the room was silently contemplating his next move.
How this meeting ends was crucial to his future plans.
And he must ensure that this meeting doesn't end on a happy note.