The music blared serenely from the radio. Smoke glided around and filled the white-walled open lounging room where the entrance was a frontal patio area used for receiving guests and audience for the Gama. The Gama’s quarters had no upper floors, instead spanned out as several connected rooms and hallways built above a large, elevated section as a measure against floods and heavy rain. The Gama’s quarter was painted white through and through with dark plywood sliding doors and wooden floorboards.

It was a particularly serene day in April, so the wind blew smoothly through the open verandah and it had the best view of the spring blooms of the area, if only it wasn’t ruined by the imposing presence of the Gama who lied sprawled on a reclining floor sofa as he took long drags from his smoke pipe. His eyes were fixed on the scenery in front of them, but Maya felt encased in his vision. He wasn't looking, at least not directly but he was assessing her.

Maya felt that the Gama never took her presence well, maybe it was a misunderstanding on her but it always seemed like he wanted to get rid of her. Of course, God knows why this man is the way he is. Maya couldn't half bother but she feared him quite well.

That morning, Maya awoke to Pavi’s visit to their place. He was out for a stroll; he had said and informed that the Gama asked for Maya to attend the morning tea in his presence. Pavi often did not show any emotion, except for regret, sympathy, and satisfaction, and he had shot her a nondescript look as he refused the offer of tea and proceeded on with his morning stroll. Pavi always seemed like a mellow character but Maya couldn't trust him. Her mother did, a little too much. We grew up together, She would say. So what? Growing up together didn't mean the person would not change. Even I had one of those, a friend. Maya felt her brain cloud with anger, But that fucking wimp ran away.

And now Maya is bound on her floor chair as her perfectly brewed tea goes cold, and the Gama stalls the discussion in a calculated manner to heighten the tension that hung in the expanse of the room. And it was working.

Maya also wanted to run.

Right. Now.

‘The world changes a lot.’ The Gama ruminated and Maya wanted to fling her tea at his face and dash off into the wilderness. But no, she faintly smiled and gave one nod, the Gama still stared at the blue sky with a frown on his face.

A moment of silence.

‘I worry for our country.’ He snapped out of his reverie and looked at her, she looked down in impulse,

‘But of course, I worry more for our people. Our people…history has made us such, divided into two that I refuse to believe that these…voting citizens of Liegran carry the same gene as us. I believe you are oblivious to the war that had happened between us when the country decided to adopt this democracy, imagine a mere difference in our ideals could separate us into…’ He left the silence to fill his sentence.

He took a long drag from his smoke pipe and looked outside again,

‘Your father believed that he could…as he said, “put an end to this”. He thought he could accomplish such a feat single-handedly. He made too many compromises and he met his fate because of it. Well,...he always was the softer one between us, even when we were just kids. He was quite er, quick to latch on to guilt and blame, I think he always thought it was his calling to bring justice and smooth things out in the country, you know solve the problems. It failed him and he’s now gone.’ The Gama looked at her like it was her fault that history turned out this way.

Maya dared herself to lift her tea and she sipped, the tea was cold and it was bland now but she forced another awful sip into her mouth. She needed a distraction from the dread crawling from up above her stomach and the tea would surely push it down.

The Gama’s monologue didn’t need her to make a conversation. He would carry it on, on his own.

‘In this world, either you find your prey or you choose to be the prey, Maya. And I refuse that you dare to even think to degrade yourself to your father’s fate. His was a pitiful one. Even without your mother’s requests, I intend that you enter the marriage request. You…’ He looked at her sharply as he puffed a smoke, ‘…surely understand.’

Maya looked at her uncle, she forced down her trembles and her fingers shivered.

‘But,’ She swallowed in fear, ‘am I also not a prey then?’

‘That goddamn tyrant!’

The President slammed the contract on the table and huffed out a loud frustrated breath. They were all gathered around a round table, a meeting room that was hidden in an arcane building ‘tea room’ among the bustling down market of the capital. It was sure to be discovered if they were sleeved among the clubrooms and casinos, where the men of the Resistors swarmed over and was sure to report any funny business of the Government, potentially threatening their community. One attack against the Government was enough for the history book. It did too much damage to the Government as well.

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The President knew they couldn't handle another revolt yet. Not yet. Next time, they will strike.

‘We need to find a way to instill trade centers in these three states at the very least. It’s hard enough that these preservers or whatever have their control over eight states.’

The Council of the Government was silent. They were thinking. Thinking of how to reach an ultimatum that would finally transfer the country’s power into their hands. The Council was mostly members of Parliament and the President; former, present, and future, and the fifteen of them controlled the machinations of the political power of the country. Of course, for the country’s benefit and their own.

‘They are a hostile lot, quite cleverly savage, especially since the Attack of the Parliament twelve years ago…’ A guy spoke up from one side of the room. The President looked at him. The man was young-looking with clear attractive features, he had very clear black eyes with a straight nose, a straight mouth with his black hair tousled up in a formal style but it didn’t look greasy, rather remarkably natural. He had a magnetic pull of charm with the way he held himself and the piercing gaze he gave seemed to say that he knew of something, something exciting. Alluring would describe him at best.

‘Hideo, isn’t it?’ The President smiled with just his eyes at the younger man, ‘What do you suggest?’

‘The Gama, as they call him, has accepted our treaty proposition. We know these people are very aggressive and protective of our old culture. If we want to get the most out of them, we’ll have to coax them into doing certain things. They control this country with its weaknesses, so we just have to win their favor to get our way.’

‘Hm. Interesting.’ One of the former Presidents remarked and the others nodded along in agreement.

The old men in the Council looked like a dumb lot to Hideo but he knew even dumb people become crafty with greed and age.

‘Their control over trade routes gives them immense power and we have to note that the Black market of the country is under them. God knows how many illegal tradings takes place right under us, blatantly unrecorded and uncaught.’ The President frowned, he looked particularly thoughtful as he rested his elbows on the table.

The conversion rates were plummeting at alarming rates and the economic state of the country was glowing red with danger, import dependency was far greater than the gross production of the country. At this rate, the country was bound to degrade and fall apart. Which meant the people would revolt and the Government’s power would fall, disappear even. And their stronghold over the country as the Politicals was as good as gone. But Hideo knew a harsher side of this impending tragedy.

'If I may interject,' One of the men tapped his hand on the table, 'sixteen independent businesses closed due to bankruptcy last year alone. We are looking at a potential economic collapse of the country.'

'I agree.' The President looked around, at each of their faces. He sighed and leaned back on his chair.

'At least that crafty fox agreed to stand by the treaty. We won't get too cocky, he's made from a different mold, unlike his predecessor. Let's look out for any underhanded attacks and prepare our own attacks.'

'Be that they live the way they do, without modernization, they know how to build a stronghold wall against the Government. We have to make sure we do not breach any conditions of the previous treaty. Any sort of decision that would give them a reason to attack the Parliament.'

'I agreed.' The President nodded, 'At most, let's make sure the trade routes remain open and the import system continues without a hitch. We cannot afford to raise commodity prices as I have discussed with the Finance minister. And Hideo...'

The President and Hideo locked eyes, Hideo nodded slightly.

'...you have a plan, I believe.'

The gentlemen looked on and waited for his Hideo's speech. The room was eerily silent.

'The Resistors have always been aggressive and they have already attacked the Parliament once. They're not ones to play by the courtesy and they would surely attack immediately. For now, let us ask them for help with the country so as to convince them that they have full control now. We should always be ready to strike when the tiger warms up to us. While they help the Government to save the country's economy, we shall ready our ammunition against them.'

The silence continued,

‘Hm, they do hold a strong foundation within their community, so we should plan to attack from inside and infiltrate inside, find out their weaknesses, anything that would end their power and control.’ The former President spoke up. He was a thin, scrawny man that looks like he would fall faint any minute but to everyone’s surprise, he held on, even at ninety-two. He continued, surprisingly deft in speaking, ‘As per an inside source, the most information we've managed to get a hold of is, the Leader seems to be planning to offer his own niece as the collateral of this new treaty. It seems she has been kept shunned and ostracized in her own home. A suitable point to start at, I believe, Hideo. To win the lady's heart.’

The man beside the Former President broke out in a fit of laughter and slapped the table. The Speaker of the House, if Hideo remembered correctly. Hideo laughed along with him, almost too naturally.

The Speaker pointed a finger at Hideo,

‘This one’s on you, Son. We old coots can do hardly anything so the future lies on your young shoulders now eh. Hahaha, you go drag that poor lonely dame over to our side, eh? Mr. Future President?’ He laughed more and more.

More than Hideo liked.