Chapter 6

The reporters swarmed around President Saini as he stepped out the grand doors of the Parliament.

“President, how do you feel now that the bill you promised the people to clear during the elections has finally been cleared?”

“Any comments on the surprising declaration of support for the uniform taxation scheme, President?”

Questions rained down as the bodyguards cleared the President’s way.

“I’m glad that the esteemed members came today and finally brought out a much-needed relief to our working class by clearing away race-based archaic calculations for taxation. It was a productive day.” He smiled as he stepped in the car.

As the motorcade drove away, President Saini went through the legislation to be discussed for the next day. He had to be very careful on streamlining race-designated subsidies and designating it to those who really needed them to prevent the rampant misuse that went on now. He called up his finance minister to go over the numbers again.

As he reached his office, his secretary briefed him on his meetings and calls. “Senator Benjamin Evans is here.”

“Send him in.” he said, looking over the files as he sat down at his table.

A crisply dressed middle-aged man sat across the table in the guest chairs, looking at a picture of Saini holding a happy little baby in a floral white smock.

When Llewyn Saini put down the files and looked up, Benjamin Evans smiled “Good afternoon, President.”

The secretary alerted him that the staff would be going for lunch and closed the door behind him as he left.

“Come here…” he said, pulling the man to a sofa and soundly kissing him.

Pulling back for air, Saini brushed his lips against his lover’s neck. “That was nice.”

“’Nice’ is when your grandma gifts you a sweater. I’d say this was more than ‘nice’.” He gasped as teeth nipped at skin.

“Llewyn…” Benjamin pulled back.

“In my defense, you’re irresistible.” He winked.

The man blushed. Benjamin Evans would always be reminded of their positions whenever they came together like this. He was the vice-president of the Mezzalite National Union hopelessly in love with the charming President from the Alchemist United Front.

Llewyn ran his hands through his lover’s salt-and-pepper hair. Benjamin Evans was a rare creature in politics �" genuinely and selflessly interested in the welfare of the country and didn’t fear speaking up against errant party members who acted against the welfare of the people.  If it weren’t for the fact that he was a representative of Maybar Street and the party would face hell from the people if he were removed, he would be chewed up and spit out by the unforgiving political machinery in the blink of an eye.

“I wish you would just quit the MNU already. You know AUF doesn’t hold that age-old reservation on Maybar Street anymore.” Saini sighed.

“You know me, love. Ayman Jones got his uncle to fund my education when my own mother was pushing me to sell myself on the streets. He gave me a home and a position in politics when nobody would look twice at me because of where I’m from. For better or worse, I owe him.”

“Are you sure your father wasn’t one of those royals from the Empire? You surely have their morals.”

Benjamin smacked his arm. “How’s Mina?” he asked.

The proud father smiled. “You should look at her, Ben. She’s toddling away like nobody’s business. She loves the puppy you gifted her, spends the day chasing after it and driving the maid insane. She’s already started to count if you could believe it.”

“Aren’t you a proud papa.” He smiled.

“She’s the joy of my life.”

Nobody could dispute the fact that he cared for his daughter more than his life. It was the sole reason why he gave away all his property and inheritance in the divorce in exchange for sole custody for Mina. It only served to boost his ratings as a hardworking single father who tirelessly worked to make the country a better place for his baby girl.

“Today was a good day, wasn’t it?” Benjamin smiled.

“We surely got a lot of work done without the slugfest. I must thank you for finding that Alpha. He’s immensely discreet.”

“That’s an understatement. The man’s like a ghost.” Benjamin smiled. “Although, I feel guilty being a part of this �" rigging the sessions by keeping the troublemakers ‘absent’ to get our work done. Being in a democracy means that all voices have the right to be heard, no matter how annoying they may be.”

“Set a great right, do a little wrong.” Llewyn said. “It’s just till the end of the session. We have so little time. By the time they’re out, they can’t change people’s minds without political repercussions.”

He lifted his lover’s chin and pressed his lips against the frowning ones. “If it’s any compensation, our party members are just as guilty as yours and now both are rotting away with Alpha while we get something good done.”

“Set a great right, do a little wrong.” Benjamin repeated.

A sigh escaped the President’s lips as he pressed his forehead against his lover’s. At his questioning gaze, he said “Promise me you’ll take care of Mina if something happens.”

Benjamin looked at the picture frame �" lone evidence of the man in a sea of impersonal artifacts �" and embraced his lover. “She’ll have both of us.” He said.

***

The Helryx family watched the news with rapt attention like everyone else in Bantam did when a group of their most riotous and broadcasted leaders were absent from the newspapers and television screens for nearly a fortnight.

Two days earlier, Aleida Jones �" the first wife of the polygamous Ayman Jones �" registered a missing person’s complaint with Benjamin Evans in company as they registered the same for the missing party members of the MNU. Sebeka Mathias �" Counselor Mathias’ granddaughter �" did the same as the party leader for the AUF. A total of forty-two politicians were reported missing and the police reassured people through the media that they would be found soon.

Selene turned to her father. “Will you be working on it too, Dad?”

Hiram Helryx looked up from the newspaper. “It depends. Unlike the police department which goes through the machinery, the Alchemist Army directly takes orders from the President. So we’re just helping on the sidelines for the police department until the President gives us direct orders.”

“I can’t believe he wouldn’t ask the Army to look into one of the biggest cases in history! You could track them faster than these people.” She said.

“If they did that and we found them, the opposition would have to admit that Alchemy exists for good and that’s something they’re not ready to do anytime soon.”

“President Saini would do it.” She countered.

“He’s just a man, Selene. An extraordinary man �" but just another man nonetheless. He can’t give us the orders and risk losing people’s support in the elections.”

“It’s not like anybody misses those scumbags.” Celia Helryx said, sipping her tea.

“Granted, they’ve said and done some rather…. unbecoming things.” Her husband said. “It doesn’t change the fact that they too are entitled to the help of the government as much as everyone else.”

Celia rolled her eyes. “I’m glad we won’t see any violence and hatred spewed throughout the day for some time.”

“Didn’t you mention you had some grocery shopping to do?” Hiram changed the subject.

“Yes, I did. I’m caught up between the hospital and home that I barely have time for grocery shopping. I hope you’re not bailing out on me now.” She groaned. “There’s just so much to buy and I don’t trust the delivery service at the local mart. You’re taking me to Sahai’s and that’s final.”

“How about Selene goes with you?” he suggested. “I’m sure the two of you haven’t had a day out in a long time.”

Selene stilled as her mother contemplated the same. “Alright, but you’re paying the cab fare.”

Much later �" after Selene was deemed appropriately dressed �" they set out for the nearest Saini’s supermarket which was a half-hour away. It was crowded due to a weekend sale on staples and groceries. Selene struggled to keep up with her mother as she picked out freshly stocked items just in time for them to be sold out with nifty expertise. After the rigorous expedition that was grocery shopping, Selene flagged down a cab and loaded their bags while her mother gave the address.

“There’s a traffic jam on the main road. It’s going to take a while.” The driver fidgeted, trying to fix a higher price for the inconvenience.

“Oh, we have all the time in the world.” Celia said, shooting down any possible argument. “What happened?” she asked as the cab started.

“A bunch of those missing politicians were found on the square. From what I heard, they’re all beaten up and catatonic. They were thought of as homeless people until one of them pointed out Counselor Mathias.”

“Oh!” she said. “What else did they find out?”

“They found Counselor Mathias and a couple of his lackeys, one of the Joneses �" the insignificant ones, mind you �" and their lapdogs. I guess they found about four to five people.”

“The news channels would have a field day.” She said.

“Hence the traffic jam, ma’am.” He clicked his tongue. “To think we had a couple days of peace �" should’ve known they wouldn’t last forever.” She solemnly nodded in agreement.

Fortunately the main street had been cleared and the stream of vehicles was expertly diverted by the traffic police. They caught sight of the media vans with the reporters taking to the police and passers-by.

When they came back, Hiram came down to help them with the bags.

“It seems eerily quiet.” Celia remarked.

“Everyone’s glued to the TV screens.” He replied. “Did you get everything? I thought you would’ve eaten out, given it took so long.”

“It seemed pointless, given we were shopping for groceries after all.” She replied.

He hid his disappointment. “We’ll eat out sometime.” He said, patting Selene’s head. She smiled but said nothing. She knew her father was worried about the rift between mother and daughter and was now trying to get them to reconcile.

They returned home to Michael dozing on the sofa. Her father took him to bed while her mother put away the groceries leaving Selene to watch the news as they showed the crazed and disoriented faces of the missing politicians found at the square. She remembered how their haughty demeanor had crumbled over the days as they begged and pleaded to be let out of the endless loops of battle between the two groups. When two of them united and tried to fight Alpha, he started dividing people in random groups of two and kept the battle going on, leaving them in a constant state of paranoia and exhaustion from fighting against their own and the opposing party and driving them to the depths of hopelessness. She vividly remembered one particular member had gone down on his knees and clutched at Alpha’s ankles, promising to reward him with any and every favor Alpha could imagine and then proceeded to fondle him suggestively. Alpha grinned and then gave him a swift kick in the chest and launched him towards his opponent.

The endless roulette had broken down every possible divide and left them with a state of terror on being called up. They vacillated between delirium, clutching their heads and hobbling off to corners and crying for mercy and robotic street fighting, trying every trick in the book to win. Alpha sent a message to the President that they would be released alive when he saw fit much to the President’s displeasure. She wondered what he would be doing with them. The last time she had seen him was four days ago when he told her that her part was done and releasing people was definitely not something he had mentioned to anyone.

She turned the TV off as angry inexperienced party representatives ranted about pressing charges against the other and wondered if they made any significant difference.