The Secret Conference

1

On the train to Suribia, in Vouluinie

Bueton Chevié has just finished reading the newspaper, there is only one news on the headline, its huge title seems to cover whole the half paper space intentionally.

“Bloody Sunday?” Bueton looks at the smoking man before him, and says. “They named this thing too? That’s insane.”

“Yeah,” the person before his eyes named Chéve Voulier. He puts the cigarette on his hand down, his gold rim glasses shining gold under the gas light of the train. “It’s actually the biggest event of the recent years, that’s why people would exaggerate it.” The badge from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on his chest reminds Bueton the unhappy memories, when he was working with these men before.

So, is being arrogant also their must-have? thinks Bueton. He looks ouside the window, the dusk sun dyes the ships on the river Ecronde Crane into golden. Compared to the landscape in the near villages, the fish cross on the far churches looks conspicuous. I remembered when I was at middle school, I’ve heard that the river Ecronde Crane wasn’t just flowing through the capital Flérangie, according to the central plain, its source can be tracked to the mountains in the south, and Suribia, the kingdom of God, lands there.

Despite he is a translator, actually, Bueton mostly works in Vouluinie, in his company to translate the documents. He has seldom time to go aboard. Because the ship ticket is hard to write off, he thinks. The last time he went aboard, was also with the people from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because there weren’t too many people that can translate Gae, and unfortunately, his essay in University was based on the Gae.

Such regretful, the decision, that he always thinks. He thought that the shortage of the speaking Gae might bring him more change of work in Vouluinie, but actually, the change was almost none, even when a normal person speaks with the Gae on Bírdeng, the knowledge of Gae wasn’t in need. All the educated Gae can speak Vouluinish better than the native speakers, also the elders, most of them can communicate in Núdibreon. Therefore, when Bueton started his work in a translating agency, he paid his most time in translating between Mondir and Vouluinish.

“Expect last time, and this time.” He sighs. “Damn, they always think about us, the people who speaks Gae only when in emergency.”

Many people say that Gae is such a beautiful language, especially the Thémurian, that sounds the bird singing in the morning. However, to Bueton, Gae is his nightmare, when he was working on his essay, he must to talk to at least ten Gae subjects everyday, to collecting the datum. Nevertheless, after that, even his boss also says that his Gae is as good as a native speaker.

So good that they find me every time when they are in trouble, sigh. He thinks.

Mr. Voulier puts a slip made out of letter paper from his shirt pocket out, and asks. “So, are you sure that you didn’t translate this message wrong?”

Bueton looks at the five alphabets on the slip: ARSDN. He nods. “Arsdn, destroy or damage. Can be either verb or noun, but the meanings are the same.”

Mr. Voulier nods. “Do you know where the slip came from?”

God, to be polite is also their major subject? thinks Bueton, shaking his head and says. “No? But I can’t figure out where do people write in Gae besides Bírdeng Island.” Bueton smiles in his mind, seems to underestimate his gentleman in suit.

Only the goddamn Bírdeng residents speaking Gae in this world, can you just update? Monsieur? He laughs in his mind.

“That’s true, it’s the telegraphy from Zúlleisún in this morning.” Mr. Voulier takes the newspaper Bueton was reading before him. “We thought, this came from the pure Gaenists.”

“Wait, seriously?” Bueton takes his smiles away. He knows what did those pure Gaenists do behind everyone’s back.

Mr. Voulier nods.

The conflict between Gaes and Vouluinies was leading foreshadowing in very long ago. Before the Gae landed, there wasn’t any humankind on the Bírdeng Island, therefore, whem the Gaes arrived, they were attracted by the vast forests, clean rivers and the warm and humid weather, then they built their paradise there. However, not long afterward, the Hrygbrennrs invaded this island from the sea in order to build the nod of the sea trading. That makes the tribe Gae of the three original tribes: Gae, Thémur and Coastliner, immigrated to the northwest highland, because they had settled on the southeast coastal plain, where was first attacked from the Hrygbrennrs. Then these abundant of Gae people became the Zúrkel, the rest Gaes, who stayed, shared the southeast plain with Hrygbrennr on the other hand.

That wasn’t totally bad about the invading of Hrygbrennr. Before they came, the original Gae culture was a tribe society, till them came, the larger cities, governments and organisations was built, they first time having the concept of a country. But after the war on the Western Continent starts, plentiful Hrygbrennrs sailed back to their home on the continent, only one tribe named Núdibreon was left. Although in that time, most the nobles were still the Núdibreons, the gave Gaes the field to farm, and when they can pay the tax, they could work in the government. Thus the atmosphere of the country in that time, the Gaes earned more equalities.

“Till you, the Vouluinie came.” Suddenly, Bueton considered his conversation with a pangaenist once ago. “You exiled most the Núdibreon nobles, grasped their castles and property. You raised the taxes to Gaes and cancelled the state of Dergón, just because most of them were women.”

Bueton still remembered he wrote a sentence about this history in his essay:

There is a word for Vouluinie people in Gae: Natenregoth, which means the red people. That’s because in that time in Vouluinie, people liked to pain their boat with red as decoration. When the Gaes saw them sailing with the red boats and ships, the red is like the approaching fear crossing their body.

After the reign of Vouluinie, the Gaes was separating into two parties: pangaenist and pure Gaenist. Pangaenists are moderate ones, they think that this island is multi-ethnical, therefore we should respect all the ethnics on the island and to form the parliament with all the ethnics to reign the land.

But not the pure Gaenists, they believe only the aboriginal Gaens can rule this island. Bueton thinks, the picture he was questioned by a pure Gaenist when he was last time on that island, popped out from his brain. His hands are shaking, thankfully, Mr. Voulier disturbs his imagination.

“And this letter arrived in this morning too.” He takes an envelope with a fish cross out, inside that is a letter folded carefully. “I’ve heard, that you can also read Mondirian, too?”

Bueton nods, he wants to laugh at him, because all the people who have university degree should learn Mondirian in this country. But he doesn’t, he was afraid that it would be like before, the person who should be laughed at, would be himself.

Mr. Voulier opened the letter before Bueton’s eyes, after reading the first line, Bueton can totally understand why they are riding to Suribia.

“Er Suribiu fossaria, Ullinua Battoninua.” Bueton can’t believe that his mouth is shriving when reading the Mondirian on that. “Please come to Suribia as fast as possible, Pope Battonino.”

2

One the train to Caesarún, on Bírdeng island

Akenon Fétín Kummórrei didn’t sleep all night, he hugs his sister Tamirlei tightly feeling that he lost all his feelings. His little brain can’t recover from the scence he saw yesterday by the platform.

“Her! Her husband is a pangaenist!” their neighbor, Mrs. Sauchromm pointed Akenon’s mother by the platform and said. After her were two Vouluinie Soldiers, one of them was pulling his hair.

Mother squatted down and said to Akenon calmily: “Run, hide, and take care of your sister.”

Once Akenon can’t understand the meaning of her mother, but suddenly, he took his sister’s hand and ran toward the end of the platform immediately. He couldn’t turn around and looked at his mother, in a minute, the people in the old Station bursted out the cries, one of the Vouluinie soldier ran to their mother, he put his gun from the waist.

“Senerie! (Stop!)” shouted that soldier. Akenon thought he was found, so he turned his head back, he only saw his mother standing in the middle of the people, the people surrounding didn’t want to get too close to her. She raised her hands, walking towards the soldier. “Senerie! (Stop!)”

Mother kept walking.

“Sou nare ‘senerie’! Sour soué Gené!” (I said “stop”! you evil Gae!)

After gunshots, mother fell.

And her child was witnessing.

The people at the station cried.

The leaving train came till the next day, when the sunrise was just here. There were still soldiers walking around to find the hidden pangaenists, expect mother, there were still two claimed people were shot, their corpses were placed outside the station.

Because of the conflict, the people gathering had left, Akenon didn’t see Mrs. Sauchromm too. He and his sister hid under an abandoned platform till the midnight. The station was really different from the morning, there were only a few people and soldiers looked around.

He walked to the kiosk in the station, maybe the clerk left too hasty, he left some pieces of bread. He took one, separated it to two, and gave one to his sister. He didn’t forget to leave a cent he found in his pocket.

They sat on the farthest bench from the gate. He ate the bread he just found with his sister, and let his sister sleep on his legs after the meal. He was rather sleepless. Suddenly, a sound called him: “hey, children, what are you doing there?”

He immediately tried to wake his sister up, but she was in a deep sleep, didn’t want to be awake. “Hey, I won’t hurt you, also, I’m not a Vouluinie.” said that voice.

The man with that voice is a young man with a grey suit and a newsboy cap, one his hand is a leather suitcase. “I’m Klóffein, why are you being here?”

“We… we are going to Caesarún to our aunt.” said Akenon.

“Cesarún? Just you two?” said Klóffein.

“Also my mom, she… she will just come.” said Akenon, he felt there were tears in his eyes. He tried not to be seen by this stranger.

“Your mom?”

Akenon nodded.

Klóffein looked at Akenon’s obstinate eyes, smiled gentelly, and put 50 dollar from his pocket out. “Give this money to your mom, and ask her why she made her two children be hungry?”

Akenon took the paper money, and cried.

“Hey, not just cry with out any clue.”

“Mom… mom, she…” cried Akenon loudly. Klóffein took a handkerchief to him.

“Don’t cry, you should take care of your sister.” said Klóffein. “You didn’t tell me your name yet.”

“I’m Akenon, this is my sister, Tamirlei.”

“Akee, let me go find your aunt in Caesarún with you.”

Akenon nodded, moved a seat. Klóffein then sat next to them and said: “They said that the train would come in the morning. Though it seems that there won’t be too many passengers now. Just take a sleep.”

“I’m not tired.” Akenon said. “I can’t sleep”

“Yes, yes, got it.” Klóffein patted his head. “Where is your dad?”

“He said he would meet us in Caesarún.”

Klóffein looked at his persistent face, he didn’t know if he should be happy with his strongness. “Well, let’s find him. Do you know the address of your aunt’s house?”

“I have been there, I know how to get there.”

“Sure.”

“Klóffein, may I ask you a question?” Akenon faced to Klóffein, and said. “Why did you help us?”

Klóffein smilled. “Maybe just because I’m liking helping people?”

“Really? I like to help people too.” This was the first time Akenon expressed smile on his face after this long day. Looking at his face, Klóffein can’t control his lips. Why did he find them? Why he helped them? The reason wasn’t that complicated.

Just because I saw. Klóffein Línglodún was finding where did the sound come from. He saw two Vouluinie soldiers and a woman, on the opposite side, was a mother squatting down and talking to her son and daughter.

The son pulled the daughter and ran to the crowd. Wait, the child. Klóffein thought. But he lost them quickly in the panic crowd, therefore he was finding them surrounding to the station. Until the midnight, he finally saw them taking the bread in the kiosk.

The train came faster then they thought, the thought the conflict by the old station will delay the train. Klóffein leaded the two children to get on the train, a train conductor was standing by the train asking Klóffein to help him putting his suitcase to luggage in Vouluinish. Hearing Vouluinish, Akenon was in fear and hid himself after Klóffein.

“Is he alright?” The train conductor asked in Vouluinish.

“Doesn’t matter, he is just shy.” Klóffein spoke in Vouluinish he learnt in university.

The train conductor smiled when he heard him speaking Vouluinish. “Umé nesó. (Bon voyage.)”

They chose two seats face to face by the window, though there was just a few people at the old station, but many passengers got on from other stations. There was only a few seats on the train.

Klóffein tracked the end of the railway, the morning sun was just rising.

3

On the car to Suribia

The train was delayed to the border station Begnogo of the province Battonia. Begnogo, from biniougo in Mondir, the house of the border, thought Bueton. Battonian, same as Vouluinish, came from Mondir, even though they are uninterchangeable.

“We will change the transportation for the next part of this journey.” says Mr. Voulier.

Bueton follows Mr. Voulier to go outside the train station, it is a small station in a mountain village, having a unspoken charming. However, what goes into Bueton’s eyes is two black cars parking in front of the station. Even cars were invented for a while, it wasn’t still common for the people, most of them still riding with the carriages, only the riches can afford the cars, especially the governors, who must to have a car to show their powerful influence.

“Get in, there is a person you must to meet.” says Mr. Voulier, approaching to one of the cars, that’s a black car with four seats. Expect the seat of the driver, there is still a man in middle age sitting on the back seat.

“Who is he?” Bueton asks.

“Mr. Rogeond.” says Mr. Voulier. “Monsieur Molven Rogeond.”

“Damn! Really?” Bueton puts his hand on the black door of that vehicle, saying to Mr. Voulier, who goes to the front seat. “Monsieur prime minister?”

“That’s the Mr. Rogeond you are talking about.”

Bueton opens the door, sitting on the leather seat, the man sitting next to him is the prime minister of Vouluinie. Though he is at the middle age with his fat belly under the shirt, his figure is still looked well-proportioned. His gold hair is combed up and tidy, and his dark blue suit has an elegant scent.

“You must be Mr. Chevié, right?” says the minister. Bueton nods. “Mr. Voulier must tell you about the mission why we are here. Honestly, I always don’t understand those ézegnosites why they always do such things.”

Ézegnosite, this Vouluinish word came from the words in Odykos: αἶζις (aȋzdis) and ἠγνόσικω (egnósikō), which mean woman and reign. Literally, the woman-reigned people. Thats a discriminative calling for Vouluinie people to Gae people. But for Bueton, the politics system of Gaes is always fascinating him. Once he read an essay, acroading that, the traditional Gae society is a forestial culture, therefore, when the men went out for hunting, the women must to plant the crops or sell the merchants, this kind of social division make the Gae women have higher participation on the politics. The most typical example is the clergy of Gae, known as dergón. Most of them were women and help to maintain the stablization of the society. That’s the society the Vouluinies, as the plain agricultural citizen, can’t imagine, thus when the Vouluinies first time arrived on Bírdeng island, seeing the Gae women leading the men, they called them with this word.

“Besides Gae language, you must to speak Mondirian too, right?” the minister asks Bueton.

“Yes, I’ve learnt it in University. Also, when the time we don’t have any documents in Gae at the agency, I’d spend most time in translating Mondirian.”

“Good, remember, after we enter the walls, the only language we allow to speak is Mondirian, even when you talk with us. Enjoy your last time speaking Vouluinish.”

Suribia, which means the land of God in Mondirian, locates on the southeastern mountains next to Vouluinie. Surrounding Suribia, there are six high walls, all the buildings in western L’ourlde can’t be higher than the walls.

But in fact, when you count the mountains she located, there won’t be any building that higher than them, thought Bueton.

The official language in Suribia is Mondirian, which was the language that used in the epoch of Mondir Empire. This language then was separated into many other languages in west L’ourlde: Vouluinish, Battonian, Belinan, Senian and Cesanian. Followed by the development of these languages, Mondirian gradually became an academic and ecclesiastical language. In the whole world, there is only Suribia, where preserves the tradition of speaking Mondirian as the main language, because from the past Mondirian is served as the language of God.

“But ironically.” Bueton reminds, once he was hearing a professor in the university saal explaining the history of Mondirian. “Mondir, literally mode narnir, which means the language of crowds.”

“At that time, there was a Mondirian scholar who collected the folk’s languages into the first official grammar book, therefore, they called Mondiran the language of crowds.” the professor kept speaking. “So, those Ullinos aren’t really speaking in the language of God, rather the language of folks.”

Ullino, the meaning of this word is father, is the word for calling the priests and clergies in Mondirian. Actually, the name of Vouluinie, came from the word Uluinia in Mondirian, which was a cognate of ullino, so the word Vouluinie can be translated literally in “the land of father”.

Bueton isn’t sure about that, if this name came from the patrilineality of Vouluinie since ancient time, even in the tribal society before the conquering of Mondir empire in the history that can be proved, only the son can inherit his father’s proverties. Or it can also just because the way the Vouluinish ancestors called their hometown, like some languages call their hometown “motherland.”

The cars are runing on a path in the mountains, because it was build in the mountains, that is wasn’t easy to drive on that. In the forest, there isn’t any light, they can only drive with the light of the car before them on the narrow road. Suddenly, there is a platform without trees in the middle of the woods.

“The cars can’t get inside there.” the driver says. He parked the car on the edge of the platform, shout down the motor.

“Get up, it is just there.” says Mr. Voulier.

“It’s great to take sport sometime, right? Mr. Chevié.” says the minister.

Bueton takes out of the car, so do the passengers on the other car, all of them having a gun by. “They come for our security.” Mr. Voulier explains to Bueton. “Though I don’t know whether the old priests can hurt us anyway.”

That’s the first time Bueton hears him saying that rude since the hours he met Mr. Voulier. “Sure, where do we go now?”

“There,” the minister points out a path in the woods, Bueton squints his eyes, wanting to see the path clearly in the night. That path is deep in the mountains.

“This is for you.” Mr. Voulier throws him a gas light. “The gas in that might be enough for us to get to Suribia.”

They equip themsevles, hands on their luggages and walk toward the path into the mountains, at the end of path, Bueton seems to see the high walls of Suribia.

4

Chapel Sororrubi, in Suribia

Chapel Sororrubi, literally the chapel of the watch of God, is the biggest chapel building in Suribia. It is also the polling place for the Pope, when the pope’s serving period is done, or after his death. There will be a window period without Pope in Suribia, so called interregnum of the Pope. During that, the bishops all over the world will assemble to this chapel and vote for the next Pope.

“Who has already been there?” says Pope Ullino Battonino.

“They’ve brought the King of Hrygnygr to his room, Ullino.” says Father Ullino Mollono.

“How are those Vouluinies?”

“Almost there, the train was delayed in Battonia today.”

“Got it, please send Father Ullino Omino to catch them.”

“Sure, Ullino.” says Father Mollono.

Father Mollono walks out the chapel, enters Basilica Kaisaniri, that is connected to the chapel. Father Omino is already waiting by the door of the basilica. “Ullino Omino, there are almost there, you can open the door now.”

Father Omino pushes the door of the basilica, outside is a stoa place with marble columns. At the edge of the place, is a building standing, connecting directly with the high wall, that’s one of the foyers of Suribia, beside every walls is the same foyer. The door of Suribia would be mostly open to the villages nearby, many believers would certainly go to Suribia for praying. Only till the night, the doors will be closed. But in some situations, for example the war, as the permanent neutral country, the doors of Suribia will be locked for the wars, in this time, the foyers work as the checkpoints.

All the foyers equiped with several Suribian soldiers, and a priest as a gatekeeper. “Frater Mando Raruno.” Father Omino is calling the gatekeeper of this foyer while he is walking to it with Father Mollono. “Are they coming?”

Father Raruno has been standing in front of the foyer, after him are two Suribian soldiers with blue uniform. Most the soldiers in this country are the soldier from the countries nearby, after they finished their military training, they can choose to serve in their own country, or come to Suribia to serve for God. In order to prevent those soldiers to collude with their origin country and let the enemies come. All the Suribian soldiers can’t make team with the other came from the original country, all the members in a team should come from different countries.

As Father Omino and Father Mollono get to the foyer with gas light on their hands, Father Raruno pushes the door of the foyer. “Please come to upstairs, Fraters.”

In the foyer, expect two doors to Suribia and outlands, there are also a temporal checkpoint and the rest room of the soldiers on the ground floor. On the first floor are the bedroom of the gatekeeper and the observing hall, which is the only place where has windows in this building. They walk into it, there are three windows on the wall, throughout them can see the road to outlands. “That might be them, right?” Father Raruno points the gas light lighting in the middle of the path.

“It should be, prepare to open the door, Frater Raruno.” says Father Omino. “Please to inform Ullino Battonino.”

Three priests go down to the ground floor, Father Mollono chooses a different direction from other two, back to Suribia. Father Raruno and Father Omino on the other hand, walk towards the door to outlands, there are two soldiers standing by it.

“Open.” Father Raruno says.

The moonlight comes into the door, seems to welcome the approaching visitors.

Bueton first sees the high walls of Suribia, he is so astonished that he can’t close his mouth. He can’t imagine how the poeple built the huge building constructure on the barren highland in that time.

“Isn’t that amazing?” says the minister. “I still remebered the feeling when I first time came here. Remember, after we enter the walls, we can’t speak in Vouluinish anymore.”

Bueton promises. There is a building looks like a church next to the wall at the end of the road. There are three windows on its first floor, and two people wearing priest robe standing at the door.

“That’s the foyer.” says Mr. Voulier. “I’ve heard that the last time they closed the foyers was already the period of Medieval Plague. They only opened the door near Cesania, because there was a hospital behind the foyer. Also, there was far from the central of Suribia, that is, far from the Pope’s Palace. In that time, Suribia was the only country with advance medical, in order to help the doctors researching the plague and taking care of the patients, they only opened that place, and isolated the hospital and the foyer. That’s why Suribia was the only country without the pandemic.”

Bueton remembered he has learnt this history in history class, he heard that the plague had taken almost half of the population at that period.

“Nobody knows when will be the next time they close the door again.” says Mr. Voulier.

“Rasori. (Hi.)” The minister walks in the front, he speaks to the two priests in front of the foyer in Mondirian. “We are from Vouluinie.”

“Rasori, please follow me, the Pope is already waiting at Chapel Sororrubi. I’ll first bring you to your rooms then to the chapel to meet the Pope.” says one of the priests, his round face has a little blush on it and without any facial hair. “Forget to introduce you, I’m Father Omino, I’m the person to bring you into the walls. Here is Father Raruno, who’s the gatekeeper of this foyer.”

“Father Omino, Father Raruno.” says the minister. “I’m Molven Rogeond, the prime minister of Vouluinie. These are Chéve Voulier and Bueton Chevié.”

“Nice to meet you, please come with me.”

Bueton and the others follow the priest into the foyer, behind the door are two Suribian soldiers wearing blue uniforms. They just check their passports and let them pass the foyer. The visitors follow Father Omino going through outthe door in the opposite side, behind the door are two Suribian soldier too. Before their eyes is a place filled with marble columns, at the end of that, is a glorious church, opening its door.

People say the amount of churches and chapels is over one thousand in Suribia. Bueton isn’t a faithful religionist, but he still feels peace everytime when he enters a church.

“Your rooms are in St. Nigeno Palace.” says Father Omino, leading them to enter Basilica Kaisaniri. This basilica is like the entrance of Suribia. They go out from the west door of the church, outside the door is a garden, alone the road by the garden, they see a white building, where is the place they stay in Suribia, St. Nigeno Palace.

St. Nigeno Palace was served as the guest house of Pope, for the important visitors to have a room to settle. Out of St. Nigeno Palace, there is also another place be used as the guest house named St. Urbalino Palace at the East of Pope’s Palace.

“The King of Hrygnygr stays in St. Urbalino Palace, the Pope has asked to differential the guest from different countries in different building.” says Father Omino. “The ambassadors from Salum Empire and Kalimu might arrive in one or two days, after they arrive, our meeting will begin, before that, you can rest here.”

St. Nigeno Palace is a beutiful building decorated in Baroque style, the rooms of Bueton and others sits on the east of the first floor. “Please settle your luggages and be prepared to go to Chapel Sororrubi with me. Pope has something to tell you first.” says Father Omino.

“What’s in emergency?” says the minister.

“Probably about the prophecy we found before” says Father Omino.

“The prophecy?”

Father Omino nods. “Few months ago, founded by our documentor Father Ullino Barano when he was organizing the documents. We thought it might be about the event happened on Bírdeng Island few days ago.”

“What did the prophecy say?” asked Bueton.

“Still unclear. As you know, the documents here were encoded, it takes time to decode it.”

“Understand, that’s why you gather us to here?” says the minister.

“Based on the Pope, might not be more than this, however, we have already asked Father Barano to decode this prophecy.” says Father Omino. All the prophecies, documents in Suribia must be encoded with a complicate encoding process, that’s because in medieval time, the knowledge all over ther world was gathered here, the priests at that time were afraid that when the knowledges spreaded to outlands, it will cause the conflicts between countries. Therefore they asked the priests in Suribia to invent a complex encoding method, and encoded all the documents. Because the encoded documents kept the phonotactics of Mondirian and the suffix system, the people who didn’t be trained to read Mondirian will see the cipher was just a pure Mondirian text, and can’t get the real information about the decipher text.

“First step is to remove the suffixes, be added back after the cipher is done.” Father Omino remembered the time he first learnt the Suribian coding method. “The key is the last cipher before it in the document collection. That is, even when someone gets the cipher, he can’t decode it whithout the cipher before it or the whole document collection.”

“Ullino, if that was the first cipher in the document collection?” asked Father Omino.

“All the first cipher was encoded with Chapter Uriri.” Chapter Uriri, which recorded how God created this world. “That’s the rule be created from the priests who invented this method.”

Because the order of the ciphers is important to the decoding, in Suribia, there is a priest who organizes all the documents, who was called the documentor. Now the documentor is Father Barano.

Father Omino came from a village of Lo Belino, his father died when he was fourteen. His mother was afraid that she couldn’t raise him up by herself, therefore she send him to Suribia to learnt the teology. His mother is a Gae, when the event bursted out, he was worried about the safty of his mother living in Lo Belino, so he send a telegraphy back to his home that night, hoping his mother could come to Suribia for the shelter as soon as possible.

Even though Father Omino didn’t have the confidence that his mother would recieve that telegraphy, what he could only do is to wait for her reply silently. That night, he kneeled before the altar of Basilica Kaisaniri, praying to Gad, the fish cross on the altar couldn’t answer any question from him. Nobody can give a correct answer why the church would use the fish cross as the image of God. Some religionist say, that’s because when the ancestors saw the fry swimming in the river, they understood the continuation and the unbreakability of the life, so made the fish shape as the figure of God. Another scholars say otherwise, it came from the ancient instrument of torture: tongue cutting pliers, which was a kind of instrument used to cutting tongues from criminals. In the religion, the Day of Judgment is an important belief, that is, on the Day of Judgment, God would cut the sinner’s tongues, and sent them into hell. Therefore the fish cross is also the symbol of judgment and fair, which can be seen in courts too. Especially when the judge judges, they will have a budge in fish shape on their chest, means not only with a justice judgment, but also with the responsibility to God.

Bueton washes his face with cold water at restroom, the transporting time whole day long made him feel tired. The clear water wets his light brown hair, he combs it with his pale hands, making sure it’s still neat.

“Fuck.” he sweared. The keep-coming informations fill his brain, he couldn’t handle them.

Mr. Voulier knocked the door of the restroom. “It’s time to go, Mr. Chevié.” He keeps speaking in Mondirian even in here.

“Come.” answers Bueton in Mondirian too. He ties up his tie, makes sure he looks as a professional translator, he’s now going to meet the Pope.

There are two Suribian soldier standing in front of Chapel Sororrubi, on their hands is an iron box with a huge lock. “As usual, please give us guns before entering to Chapel Sororrubi.” says Father Omino. Chapel Sororrubi is connected with Pope’s Palace, where is the core of Suribia, that’s why when entering this region, all the weapons are not allowed.

As soon as the last guardian of the minister gives them his gun, those two Suribian soldier take the most huge lock having the much decorations Bueton has never seen to lock the box, and open the door of the chapel.

Unlike the plain wooden door, there aren’t any space without elaborate frescoes on the wall of the the room in the door, especially the ceiling, fascinating Bueton.

They set a long table in the middle of Chapel Sororrubi, Bueton can’t even take his eyes away from the sophisticated ceiling frescoes when he moves and sits. “Lisés fíní? (Do you like it?)” Suddenly, he hears Father Omino asking him.

“Excuse me, Father?” He doesn’t know how to do, when he hears Gae unpredicatably. “Do you speak Gae language?”

Father Omino smiles and says. “My mother is a Gae, Gae language is counted to be my mother tongue.”

“Glad to know that.” answers Bueton.

Suddenly, they hear someone knocking the door to Pope’s Palace, the soldier outside the door walks into the room, telling them that the Pope is by the door. When hearing that, all the people stand up from the seats, also Bueton, stands up blankly.

Pope Battonino wearning a white robe with a read shawl. Even he is already seventy, the Pope with a medium body shape is still looking very healthy. He walks rapidly, but doesn’t gasp when he walks to the people. The man following him is Father Mollono.

“Ude solu fossari. (Welcome.)” says the Pope, his voice is deep and kind. “Sorry that I was back to the room for rest before you came.” Pope put his hands before his mouth, fingers by fingers, his palms aren’t closed, like holding a ball, it’s a common greeting in clergies.

“Dearest Pope, I’m the minister of Vouluinie, Molven Rogeond. These are the officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chéve Voulier, and Gae translator Bueton Chevié.” the Minister greets with then same gesture.

“Welcome, I’m Pope Battonino, this is Frater Mollono. Frater Omino must to tell you why I called you to come here.”

“Yes, can you tell us more about the prophecy?” says the minister.

“I’m afraid that I couldn’t give you too much help. We still need to wait Father Barano to decode the cipher.” says the Pope. “But I can tell you what I’m trying to prevent. I’m afraid that the event occured on last Sunday might become a war over the world.”

Bueton suddenly opens his eyes looking at Mr. Voulier. “That slip.”

“What slip?” asks the Pope.

“This slip came with your telegraphy this morning.” says Mr. Voulier. He takes the slip with Gae writing from his pocket of the shirt. “Based on Mr. Chevié’s traslation, that means ‘destroy’. We thought it might be the threaten from pure Gaenists.”

The Pope takes that paper, asks. “Are you sure the translation is correct? Mr. Chevié.”

“He gets it right, Ullino.” Father Omino closes to the Pope, seeing the paper and says. “That’s actually the meaning of destroy.”

“What a trouble, let’s sit and speak.” says the Pope.

As they sit by the table, someone knocks the door Bueton and others came from, he’s the documentor, Father Barano. “Ullino, there is something you must see, about that prophecy.”

“Frater Barano, have you already decoded it?” before the Pope says, Mollono speaks first.

“Not yet, it still takes a little time, I’ve only translated the first lines. But I thought you must know that.” Father Barano walks by the long table.

Morgua iageloroun nikkitte iagelo herisili, fer ai mollo. ( Before the sunrise fight the people of the sea and the people of the land.)

Krusītte gosē er rensītte morgua, hanli nikkiatte mittili foutte mitto. (From the northern mountains to southern seas blooms the flower of fire on the land.)

Ero iagelo lobolo, penol orbo oun nifossa ullino. (Three men grow, the child reaches, and the father falls down to the land.)

Barano speaks out the deciphers he wrote on the paper. After hearing that, Bueton takes a deep breath. Fight the people of the sea and the people of the land, seems to be the fight between Gaes and Vouluinies. But what’s the flower of fire? Bueton can’t control himself not to tremble.

The people sitting beside the long table keep in silence after hearing this prophecy for a while. Finally, the Pope speaks. “So, how can we do now?” he speaks with his wisdom voice. “Frater Mollono, when would other people arrive?”

“We can hold the metting in two days, Ullino.” says Father Mollono.

“Good.” the Pope stands. “Sorry my friends, I’m afraid that our speech might end here. Please come with me, Frater Mollono.”

Pope’s pace isn’t as light as he came, but much heavier. A Suribian soldier closes the door to Chapel Sororrubi after him.

“Ullino, this circumstance sounds horrifying” after being sure that the people in the chapel can’t hear the conversation, Father Mollono says. “I’m afraid that your worry might be right.”

“Though we can’t ensure the prophecy would come true. It seems it would be a big war over the world. Frater Mollono, we are the servant from God, we must to save those folks believing in God before the things getting worse.” says the Pope, they are walking on the corridor heading to Pope’s Palace. “I must ask you to help me sending a telegraphy.”

“To where?”

“To Bírdeng Island.”