What We Saw In The Sky | Marion Turner
It was the colour that first caught my eye, an unaccustomed light filling the sky as, in the distance, heaping clouds belched forth a sickly yellow. The view from my palace which I knew to give a perfect panorama of the surrounding countryside, from which I was used to dominate the neighbouring peoples, now gave a terrifying vision of a force which I could not name.
Below, like ants, the crowd swarmed, clamouring to be let in, clamouring for answers to what they were seeing in the sky. I watched my Counsellor try his best to appease the headmen but I feared that his efforts would be in vain, besides which, I had need of him. He gave orders for the town gates to be bolted though I knew that the act would be merely palliative. Whatever was causing this unnatural phenomenon came from above. It was to the heavens that they were all pointing. The gathering clouds were advancing every minute.
I swiftly made my way down by the secret staircase but stopped short of letting the crowd see me. This would be neither the moment nor a suitable place to grant audience.
‘Look up there. You can see a great face with curling locks.’ cried a child’s voice. All eyes turned toward his pointing finger.
‘That’s your imagination, my love.’ said his mother but she pulled his face into her skirts so he should stop looking.
‘You are all to return to your homes. We have the situation in hand and will issue appropriate instructions shortly. The Prince is in debate even as we speak. You will know our decision as soon as it is made. Now, go home please.’ My Counsellor was ever the diplomat but I awaited him inside the palace with an urgency I dare not show.
‘Dispatch men to the east. We must ascertain how close this aberration is and if possible define its source.’ I proclaimed.
‘Already done your highness. Our riders should be back any minute. In the meantime I have brought the Maps of the Lands Beyond the Mountains and a History of our Realm, along with your priestly writings, as you asked.’
I had written all three works myself but needed to maintain the belief that they were ancient. If a lie was big enough it would be believed. I believed all they said myself now. The act of self- creation had been a beautiful thing, equal to the construction of the palace itself. However, now was not the time for aesthetic contemplation. Outside, under lowering skies, my men were returning.
‘What news?’
‘Your highness, we were forced to turn back. The clouds are so thick even the sky is blotted out. People report cattle falling sick and animals fleeing westward. Whatever its source, its power is mighty, its path fixed towards us. Some report rumours that it is sent to punish us for our superiority in these lands.’
‘Let’s not fall prey to such nonsense.’ I retorted but I envisaged how the lesser people would embrace such tales. ‘We exist here by right. Is it not written in our history? Here is the very book which affirms our destiny, yours and mine.’
Even as I uttered these words, the sound of groans howled round the palace. A curious twilight descended, bearing traces of the malignant sulphurous hue first seen in the skies. Outside on the road to the castle, figures, just visible, curled over clutching their stomachs.
‘Oh my Lord, is history repeating itself? Our realm was built on the slaughter of the indigenous people. Is it happening again?’ trembled the voice of my chancellor.
My History had indeed posited this foundation. The present population, arriving as refugees to an empty land, had trusted the written word. And I had taken great pains to craft it with skill.
‘This is something of a different order. There is no mention of a visitation, no portents in the sky in our History,’ I replied, taking the leather-bound book in my hands and revelling again in its finely tooled covers. ‘The slaughter of people in old times was entirely due to the superiority of my forces against those who challenged us to war. It was kill or be killed, dominate or be dominated. We were not to be conquered. True, we paid a high price that left only me and my late wife as survivors but this new manifestation will turn out to have a perfectly reasonable explanation I have no doubt.’
‘What is to be our course of action?’ insisted the General, ’ Our usual strategies deployed when suppressing an enemy are of scant use in this situation although we have the palace defended and sufficient provisions to withstand attack should it come.’
‘The priests are locking congregations in the temple and holding vigils to avert the danger .We pray for you as our spiritual leader and scholars as search the scriptures for guidance,’ added the Chief Prelate.
It was true that I had allowed my authority to be invested with a certain religious sanctity. The common people had seen me as something of a saviour, providing as I had their need for security in a new land. When their deference became ‘worshipful’, my priestly writings (then recently ‘discovered’ ) confirmed a superior being not too dissimilar to myself. It all eased the task of maintaining rule. How to perpetuate that rule was now my one concern.
The headmen were admitted, wringing their caps as they stood before me, their faces drawn with worry.
‘My lord, use your strength and wisdom to free us from this menace. Our wives and children need protection. Give us the means to fight it. Tell us what to do.’
The oldest man began their plea but was quickly pushed aside by his more impatient son who angrily demanded, ‘Why can you not tell us what is causing this? What is this great cloud blotting out the sky, enveloping our world? Where does it come from?’
I had never failed in my guidance of these people. I had been, one might say, ingenious even, in finding explanations for crop failure, in finding solutions to their petty squabbles. Now my scientists were at a loss to give an explanation, or at least one that I chose to accept. Their suggestions of extra-terrestrial forces sat ill with my rational mind whilst no other ruler had the resources to create any phenomenon of a chemical nature on this scale-and to what end?
‘Let me assure you that this is mere scare tactics from a ruler who prefers to hide his identity under a noxious cloak. If he were sure of his success he would not be employing such means but come to fight us openly. All we have to do is sit tight. Assume the conditions of a siege. Wait and endure till the air has cleared, preparing all the time for the great battle when our superiority will prevail.’
Loud knocking at the door caused all to turn as a splintering sound accompanied the entry of my guards and more of the populace, mingled in an ecstasy of terror, handkerchiefs at their mouths. In too, came the first swirls of the yellow fog. My heart raced. How could I prevail? The cloud itself was now our opponent. Unlike previous enemies, this was insidious, making its way through cracks, windows, vents, cellars, privies in to the very palace itself. Formless, ubiquitous, it defied capture, refused to present itself with clarity.
The call upon my superior thinking had never been greater. Maintaining my regal posture, I faced the assembled group. Decisiveness was all.
‘Lock all doors and windows. Seal up all openings’, I commanded,’ It is imperative that we keep the palace free of this menace. Issue orders to the people to continue to remain in their houses and draw upon their siege provisions. Explain the need to sit this out behind closed doors, but make it clear that anyone disobeying these orders will be summarily executed. We must present a united force.’
As the people left, scurrying to get back home, I called upon my General to marshal the troops in the vestibule below. Once they were assembled, I addressed them thus:
‘Now has come our testing- time. These coming days will require a strength of purpose equal to any shown on the battle field. Volunteers are needed to ascertain the quality of air on a daily basis. This is no easy task, I cannot lie to you. It may be that you will not survive. If you do not, you will die in the knowledge that your people and prince were saved by your efforts. Should you succeed, glory and preferment will be yours. Your names will be written in the history of this realm. Who will be first to present himself for this task?’
Several of the youngest and bravest stepped forward. My ‘sang froid’ held.
The plan was to dispatch one volunteer at a time along the secret passage leading to the outer walls. Where it opened onto the outside, there was a second room originally designed as a hiding place should necessity arise. This, now, would form a kind of air –lock, enabling the palace to avoid contamination by the increasing cloud. A second soldier placed in this ante-room could report back if the volunteer failed to return. My plan gave me a certain satisfaction derived both from the wisdom of my original construction of the castle and from the delight that the air in the castle could be kept clear. Moreover, the possibility of success via this strategy made it plausible to any critics. There was a beauty in its ingenuity.
*
As expected, the noxious cloud began to lift. The sky appeared again and the sun, though perhaps weaker, returned to warm our land. From the castle, the scene was one of devastation and emptiness. Bodies of animals could be seen in the street, plants withered and trees defoliated but all doubtless due to the impeccable way in which my orders had been followed; all had remained indoors. I comforted myself with the knowledge that nature renewed itself after drought or flood. Used properly, this re-birth could prove a timely metaphor for our recovery. True, we had nearly exhausted our team of volunteers but soon they would no longer be needed. One last sortie and some normality could return.
*
It appears that the air, though clear, is still toxic. There is a worrying report from my cook that the water from the well which has supplied us during our chosen confinement, is giving off a strange smell yet the spring upon which I had carefully chosen to construct the well cannot possibly be contaminated. Can it? I have instructed that the utmost frugality be employed in making food. We will embrace the challenge of surviving on reduced diets in the same way in which our soldiers have done on past campaigns.
It is my conclusion that, as we in the palace are still alive, we have been found invincible. What if a few courtiers and our doctor have succumbed; what if our Counsellor and our army are no more, we shall await the arrival of this new would-be ruler as befits one of superior mettle. We survived the last great onslaught recorded at the beginning of our History, we shall do so again. Let us gather our regalia and sword of office, put on our coronet and sable robes. We shall betake us to our throne and there in all majesty await our rival’s coming.
Below, like ants, the crowd swarmed, clamouring to be let in, clamouring for answers to what they were seeing in the sky. I watched my Counsellor try his best to appease the headmen but I feared that his efforts would be in vain, besides which, I had need of him. He gave orders for the town gates to be bolted though I knew that the act would be merely palliative. Whatever was causing this unnatural phenomenon came from above. It was to the heavens that they were all pointing. The gathering clouds were advancing every minute.
I swiftly made my way down by the secret staircase but stopped short of letting the crowd see me. This would be neither the moment nor a suitable place to grant audience.
‘Look up there. You can see a great face with curling locks.’ cried a child’s voice. All eyes turned toward his pointing finger.
‘That’s your imagination, my love.’ said his mother but she pulled his face into her skirts so he should stop looking.
‘You are all to return to your homes. We have the situation in hand and will issue appropriate instructions shortly. The Prince is in debate even as we speak. You will know our decision as soon as it is made. Now, go home please.’ My Counsellor was ever the diplomat but I awaited him inside the palace with an urgency I dare not show.
‘Dispatch men to the east. We must ascertain how close this aberration is and if possible define its source.’ I proclaimed.
‘Already done your highness. Our riders should be back any minute. In the meantime I have brought the Maps of the Lands Beyond the Mountains and a History of our Realm, along with your priestly writings, as you asked.’
I had written all three works myself but needed to maintain the belief that they were ancient. If a lie was big enough it would be believed. I believed all they said myself now. The act of self- creation had been a beautiful thing, equal to the construction of the palace itself. However, now was not the time for aesthetic contemplation. Outside, under lowering skies, my men were returning.
‘What news?’
‘Your highness, we were forced to turn back. The clouds are so thick even the sky is blotted out. People report cattle falling sick and animals fleeing westward. Whatever its source, its power is mighty, its path fixed towards us. Some report rumours that it is sent to punish us for our superiority in these lands.’
‘Let’s not fall prey to such nonsense.’ I retorted but I envisaged how the lesser people would embrace such tales. ‘We exist here by right. Is it not written in our history? Here is the very book which affirms our destiny, yours and mine.’
Even as I uttered these words, the sound of groans howled round the palace. A curious twilight descended, bearing traces of the malignant sulphurous hue first seen in the skies. Outside on the road to the castle, figures, just visible, curled over clutching their stomachs.
‘Oh my Lord, is history repeating itself? Our realm was built on the slaughter of the indigenous people. Is it happening again?’ trembled the voice of my chancellor.
My History had indeed posited this foundation. The present population, arriving as refugees to an empty land, had trusted the written word. And I had taken great pains to craft it with skill.
‘This is something of a different order. There is no mention of a visitation, no portents in the sky in our History,’ I replied, taking the leather-bound book in my hands and revelling again in its finely tooled covers. ‘The slaughter of people in old times was entirely due to the superiority of my forces against those who challenged us to war. It was kill or be killed, dominate or be dominated. We were not to be conquered. True, we paid a high price that left only me and my late wife as survivors but this new manifestation will turn out to have a perfectly reasonable explanation I have no doubt.’
‘What is to be our course of action?’ insisted the General, ’ Our usual strategies deployed when suppressing an enemy are of scant use in this situation although we have the palace defended and sufficient provisions to withstand attack should it come.’
‘The priests are locking congregations in the temple and holding vigils to avert the danger .We pray for you as our spiritual leader and scholars as search the scriptures for guidance,’ added the Chief Prelate.
It was true that I had allowed my authority to be invested with a certain religious sanctity. The common people had seen me as something of a saviour, providing as I had their need for security in a new land. When their deference became ‘worshipful’, my priestly writings (then recently ‘discovered’ ) confirmed a superior being not too dissimilar to myself. It all eased the task of maintaining rule. How to perpetuate that rule was now my one concern.
The headmen were admitted, wringing their caps as they stood before me, their faces drawn with worry.
‘My lord, use your strength and wisdom to free us from this menace. Our wives and children need protection. Give us the means to fight it. Tell us what to do.’
The oldest man began their plea but was quickly pushed aside by his more impatient son who angrily demanded, ‘Why can you not tell us what is causing this? What is this great cloud blotting out the sky, enveloping our world? Where does it come from?’
I had never failed in my guidance of these people. I had been, one might say, ingenious even, in finding explanations for crop failure, in finding solutions to their petty squabbles. Now my scientists were at a loss to give an explanation, or at least one that I chose to accept. Their suggestions of extra-terrestrial forces sat ill with my rational mind whilst no other ruler had the resources to create any phenomenon of a chemical nature on this scale-and to what end?
‘Let me assure you that this is mere scare tactics from a ruler who prefers to hide his identity under a noxious cloak. If he were sure of his success he would not be employing such means but come to fight us openly. All we have to do is sit tight. Assume the conditions of a siege. Wait and endure till the air has cleared, preparing all the time for the great battle when our superiority will prevail.’
Loud knocking at the door caused all to turn as a splintering sound accompanied the entry of my guards and more of the populace, mingled in an ecstasy of terror, handkerchiefs at their mouths. In too, came the first swirls of the yellow fog. My heart raced. How could I prevail? The cloud itself was now our opponent. Unlike previous enemies, this was insidious, making its way through cracks, windows, vents, cellars, privies in to the very palace itself. Formless, ubiquitous, it defied capture, refused to present itself with clarity.
The call upon my superior thinking had never been greater. Maintaining my regal posture, I faced the assembled group. Decisiveness was all.
‘Lock all doors and windows. Seal up all openings’, I commanded,’ It is imperative that we keep the palace free of this menace. Issue orders to the people to continue to remain in their houses and draw upon their siege provisions. Explain the need to sit this out behind closed doors, but make it clear that anyone disobeying these orders will be summarily executed. We must present a united force.’
As the people left, scurrying to get back home, I called upon my General to marshal the troops in the vestibule below. Once they were assembled, I addressed them thus:
‘Now has come our testing- time. These coming days will require a strength of purpose equal to any shown on the battle field. Volunteers are needed to ascertain the quality of air on a daily basis. This is no easy task, I cannot lie to you. It may be that you will not survive. If you do not, you will die in the knowledge that your people and prince were saved by your efforts. Should you succeed, glory and preferment will be yours. Your names will be written in the history of this realm. Who will be first to present himself for this task?’
Several of the youngest and bravest stepped forward. My ‘sang froid’ held.
The plan was to dispatch one volunteer at a time along the secret passage leading to the outer walls. Where it opened onto the outside, there was a second room originally designed as a hiding place should necessity arise. This, now, would form a kind of air –lock, enabling the palace to avoid contamination by the increasing cloud. A second soldier placed in this ante-room could report back if the volunteer failed to return. My plan gave me a certain satisfaction derived both from the wisdom of my original construction of the castle and from the delight that the air in the castle could be kept clear. Moreover, the possibility of success via this strategy made it plausible to any critics. There was a beauty in its ingenuity.
*
As expected, the noxious cloud began to lift. The sky appeared again and the sun, though perhaps weaker, returned to warm our land. From the castle, the scene was one of devastation and emptiness. Bodies of animals could be seen in the street, plants withered and trees defoliated but all doubtless due to the impeccable way in which my orders had been followed; all had remained indoors. I comforted myself with the knowledge that nature renewed itself after drought or flood. Used properly, this re-birth could prove a timely metaphor for our recovery. True, we had nearly exhausted our team of volunteers but soon they would no longer be needed. One last sortie and some normality could return.
*
It appears that the air, though clear, is still toxic. There is a worrying report from my cook that the water from the well which has supplied us during our chosen confinement, is giving off a strange smell yet the spring upon which I had carefully chosen to construct the well cannot possibly be contaminated. Can it? I have instructed that the utmost frugality be employed in making food. We will embrace the challenge of surviving on reduced diets in the same way in which our soldiers have done on past campaigns.
It is my conclusion that, as we in the palace are still alive, we have been found invincible. What if a few courtiers and our doctor have succumbed; what if our Counsellor and our army are no more, we shall await the arrival of this new would-be ruler as befits one of superior mettle. We survived the last great onslaught recorded at the beginning of our History, we shall do so again. Let us gather our regalia and sword of office, put on our coronet and sable robes. We shall betake us to our throne and there in all majesty await our rival’s coming.