The inner circle

Janzo, the third member of the supreme, was in charge of agriculture and feeding. He was known to be a very timid and funny-looking man who sees with the aid of a pair of big round glasses due to his bad eyesight. He was on his way to the temple for his midday prayers and confession. He was a little bit worried because he heard the news that De voe had arrested most members of the supreme. He wore a hoodie cloak to prevent being caught by the guards. When he got to the temple, there was a little crowd of people gathered in front of the temple, focusing their gazes on something. Coming close enough, he found out that they were all looking at the list of new laws set up by De voe. He was about to join the crowd, but when he saw many of De voe's men lurking around, he advanced quickly into the sanctum. On getting there, he proceeded to an enclosed area for his confession. He was to confess the iniquities he committed during the week to the hearing of the priest, who would be hearing from the other side through a small aperture. The priest would further intercede on his behalf, for the forgiveness of sins.

"Speak son," came a raspy voice through the opening. This sounded unlike the priest, but Janzo, after a short moment of hesitation, started his confession.

"I haven't been so honest and right in my doings and dealings this past few days," he said.

"I was so rude to those cows, and I really really have to make it up for them," he added.

"Also, I want to confess my partial attitude towards the crops. I mean, I doubled up the quantity of water for watering the maize, thereby overlooking the rest of the others because I prefer it to the rest".

"What kind of a confession is this?!" yelled the voice from the other side.

"Pardon?" muttered Janzo. He knew that this wasn't the priest speaking.

"This is my confession, not yours. Perhaps, you don't even sound anyhow like priest Benedict," he added.

"Except you're afraid to show yourself, who are you?" he asked.

There was no reply. As Janzo waited for a reply from this mysterious person, he didn't notice that the person had left the pod and had come round to where he was. Seeing that there was no reply, he decided to exit the pod. Coming out, he was surprised to see four of De voe's men, waiting outside. They seemed to have been waiting for him all the time. He began to recall at once, what other members of the supreme have been suffering in the hands of De voe.

"Is this a sort of joke?" asked one of them.

"A grown-up like you just messing around, making silly confessions about the life stock and crops?" he added.

"Hay, don't you say that, those are my confessions okay," exclaimed Janzo.

"And what is it that you all even want from me?" he asked.

"You're coming with us scum-bag, the General wants you," said another of them. Janzo knew that this was coming.

"Not until I'm done with my prayers," he demanded.

"Prayers?" mumbled one of the soldiers.

"What are you gonna pray about, the pigs or something?" mocked the soldier.

This was followed by a roar of laughter from the rest of them.

"Get him," ordered one of them to the others, who grabbed him at once by the arm, whisking him away from the temple.

De voe and some of his men were all in a large laboratory, which had assorted kinds of types of equipment, arrayed and arranged in a precise manner. He was holding in his hands, the golden healer's flower, sniffing it momentarily. At his left-hand side stood one of his men, carrying a platter which had a golden vessel of wine, and a gold cup on it. De voe took a sip from the cup of wine, kept back the cup on the platter, and cleared his throat. Extending the flower in his hand to the nose reach of Abigail, one of the members of the supreme, who was restrained strongly by two huge guards, he said;

"Smell it, isn't it good?".

Miranda was also there with Abigail, restrained too.

"I got it as a trophy from the gone priestesses little girl," he continued.

"Who knows where she might have found it, for fools truly rush in where angels fear to thread," he added.

Stroking the hairs of Abigail, he said in a low tone;

"For the last time, join me".

With a vicious stare in his eyes, she answered and said;

"Over my rotten corpse".

"Wow, what courage you've got there woman," he said with a devious laugh. His men also joined in the laughter.

"Quit it De voe, no one else is ever gonna join this crazy allegiance of yours," exclaimed Miranda.

"Well I'm the government, how about I bring someone in myself," he said.

"It's a little boy you've got at home, isn't it?" he added.

Miranda got even more infuriated than ever.

"He's just a child you monster, don't you dare touch him," she exclaimed.

"It's left for you to decide woman," answered De voe.

"Or didn't it ever occur to you that soon enough, I'll introduce a clever idea?" he asked.

Right now she knew that there was nothing else she could do. She didn't want anything bad to happen to her son. De voe was too smart. Reluctantly Miranda said.

"Alright, I'll do it, just leave him out of this".

"Clever choice," he said with a smirk.

"What about you?" he asked Abigail now. She kept quiet.

"Or don't you have loved ones?" he asked with a wicked smile.

"I'm with Miranda," she finally said. She had no other option.

"Take it, easy man, you're twisting my elbow god damn it," yelled an approaching voice. Sounds of footsteps were heard from the stairs now.

"Janzo?" muttered Abigail.

The door was forced open, as Janzo, together with the men who restrained him, stumbled into the lab. When he saw De voe, he trembled in fear. These days, De voe had been his worst nightmare, his greatest fear, and terror.

"Hand over the keys to the stores and barns Janzo," demanded De voe.

"I...I don't have them, I swear it," stammered Janzo.

"You lie joke!" yelled one of them at Janzo.

"Search him," ordered De voe to his men.

They emptied his pockets at once, fumbling out different worthless objects. One of them took off his hat from his head. Dipping his hands into the funny-looking pointy hat, he brought out a bunch of keys.

" You're so nutty," he said to Janzo. He gave the keys to De voe.

"Take this feeble-looking fellow out of my sight. Lock him up, for I've got punishment for him," said De voe.

"No... no...!" cried Janzo, as was dragged away.

Turning to Miranda and Abigail, he gave them the flower and said;

"Get to work now, make me something meaningful out of this".