Ghost Monkey, стр. 41

Some he said he could not heal, it was an affliction they were meant to work through. It made Sugriva's insides turn. Why were some to be healed, while others were to suffer? He grit his teeth and scrunched his nose, almost snarling during denials.

"Calm down, Sugriva. This is the Will of the One. I'm to heal those who are sick, so the miracle can be witnessed by others. I'm to let some suffer through their trials because it is a test and burden set before them." Dameneh held Sugriva's hand. "Like you. You've learned much through your pain." The thought of that pain crept into his heart, though the corruption wasn’t there to magnify it.

Dameneh said, "This world is temporary. There is another beyond it. That is our home."

They continued for hours, meeting with the people and healing or not healing the sick. At times, Dameneh would stand in the center of a crowd and preach. Qas was alert, ever suspicious of the crowds.

As Dameneh spoke, Saha approached Sugriva.

She said, "You know he's a great man, right?"

Sugriva nodded.

"He brought together our people and kept us from dying in the desert. Have you been there or heard of it?"

Sugriva nodded, recalling the water witch of the savannah.

"When we needed food, the ground sprouted bread and quail appeared. When we needed water, he struck a rock and a well would form until we drank our fill and loaded our skins." She touched Sugriva's forearm. "I was a rebel. I killed a lot of people. But with Dameneh my skills have purpose, and what I learned has a place, so I can talk to the children about a righteous heart. You have those same insights and more, as you weren't raised under the watchful eye of the One."

Everything started to feel off, like some sort of cult. He was sure something like this was how the Fangs convinced people to join. "I'm sorry." He took a step back. "I'm grateful, but I need time to myself."

Dameneh, from his makeshift pulpit, said, "Sugriva, wait. There are messengers coming for us. We need to go with them."

"What?" It was frustrating, all the little prophecies, the understanding of tongues which were not his own, this ability to take away the corruption within Sugriva. He howled, "How do you know these things?"

Everyone went silent and stared at the monkey who was huffing, skin red, teeth bore. He shifted into his janaav form out of habit, and it caused an audible gasp. Dameneh pointed down the street. "I see them, and they look like they're from Prince Anka. I can't imagine who else they would be here for." The boy chuckled. "Sometimes my visions are a little more mundane."

Sugriva felt stupid, and shifted back to a man. The messengers, along with three guards, said, "Prince Anka invites you to his court in Bahimatt. He would appreciate your presence and participation in finding a peace for your people and his, along with how to proceed in cultivating Bahimatt into the powerful city it once was. Will you come with us to have this meeting?"

"Sugriva will come with." He stepped down from his pulpit and went to the messengers.

"We were told specifically he is not allowed, and if you demand it, we are to assume you come with hostile intentions."

"Assume what you will." Qas and Saha walked up to Damaneh to join him, but he said, "Watch over Sapheen. You won't be able to from where they're leading us. Saha relax."

They walked away with the messengers, and Dameneh looked back at his wife, blowing her a kiss. Sugriva asked, "Did the One say we were returning?"

"No," he said, turning from his wife, brow furrowed. "I have to be honest, Sugriva, that's more a hope. It's rare I know how the event will turn out, I just know it's going to happen. Then I pray and put my faith in the One, that He has more need of me afterward."

THE COURT BRISTLED, staring at Dameneh and Sugriva. They gossiped about the religious doctrine of Dameneh, then extolled the benefits of dharma. General Humbari glared at Sugriva until it felt like the sun bore down on the monkey. Meanwhile, Prince Anka looked concerned. He was not used to being the small fish in the pond. Prince Anka was used to informing kingdoms of what would happen, meeting a few minor requests, but otherwise getting everything he wanted due to Jaya's size. Now he had to negotiate.

Prince Anka put his hands up, and the people went silent. His voice boomed across the strange metal hall. "We are here to speak peace with Dameneh, keeper of his people. Dameneh, we are Jayans, a proud kingdom from the jungle of Sankive. What should we call your people?"

"Some will say G'deshian. Others will say nomads. I am delven. But first and foremost, we are the faithful of the One." Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "We want peace and collaboration."

"I like that word," Prince Anka said. "Collaboration." He let it roll around in his mouth a while, as if tasting some new flavor. "The city of Bahimatt is large. You have more manpower than we do, but we have more of a military than you do. You speak several languages we have never heard, as well as our own, which you profess to having never heard. You lent us scholars, and they read tomes our own scholars could not after years pouring over the texts. We could use your guidance, and you could use our military."

"There are many secrets, though we are only guided to reveal what is needed. We likely read the texts worse than you do, but the One gives us comprehension. Yoshiket is His gift to this world, a bastion in the coming storm."

Rumbling ripped across the people again. General Humbari roared, "Yoshiket, my prince. They use a blasphemous name for our most sacred city. Then he insults us by bringing Sugriva here. We should arrest them both, execute Sugriva,