The Enemies

Nothing is Impossible

Rhea

Joolls and I are sitting in the Assembly hall waiting for the meeting to be over. He is tense and I hate that the feeling spreads on me too. Finally, the doors open. Several officers leave the room, and we both stand up. The hall becomes crowded too fast for my liking. After few minutes, Teo Flexibald walks out. When he spots me, he beams and comes to greet us.

'Rhea, what a pleasure!' he exclaims cordially, nodding to Joolls. 'Sergeant.'

Joolls is not accustomed to meeting with Assembly members and looks out of place. He would rather be with regular soldiers than here with me. But he endures it. For me.

I nod nonchalantly to Flexibald.

'Commander in Chief, I have something from General Flint.'

I pass him the folder with the plan and the first draft of the strategy to overcome the Moneree defense system.

'Will this be in any of the reports?'

I shake my head 'no'. Nothing from my father is in electronic reports; my father himself is not in any of the databases. Obviously. The question is preposterous. I would expect it from someone from the officers but not from Flexibald, the Commander in Chief of the entire Karmian army. Of course, I will never tell him that, but from the degrading look I give him, he knows.

'Rhea, Rhea.'

In a fatherly manner Flexibald pats me on my sholder.

'Try to be more tolerant to people. Some of us are kind and understanding. Kindness is a verture after all.'

My impatient sigh in reply makes him laugh good-naturedly.

'Say "hi" to your father from me, will you?'

He walks away still smiling. Edgy, I am unable to disguise my feelings. The hair on my back stands when I remember where I am going. Since everyone thinks what I suggest is impossible, I have to prove them wrong. There is no decent plan how to drive Drellians out of Karm at the moment, as we are weak and will never beat them in a fair fight. The plan my father suggests is rubbish. Well, it is not bad, per se, but there is a high chance it will not work.

It will not work until we do what I propose.

Joolls starts towards the exit and I follow, focusing on the red rugs under our feet. I hate the rugs. The Karimans annoyingly exigerate their role in the interior design.

'Are you nervous or just upset no one listened to you?'

Joolls is brisk. That annoyes too.

'Nervous. I am not sure if I can do it. I may be crazy but I am not suicidal. I just know this is the only way.'

We stop at one of the ancient grey colomns. The rare sun lightning the square in the center of Stolnter.

'Can I help?'

'Can you accompany me?'

He nods and frowns.

'Of course.'

Early in the morning, we fly to the small village of Bromswick. We neither talk, nor exchange glances. Joolls respects my tension. He is the only one left who honors my tantrums and silent lunacy.

'I have to get through the debris floating in water. I will not be able to swim through all of that.'

I jump out of the sky jet and grab my supplies.

'We need to steal a small boat.'

He seems non-chalant but he eyes me. Abhor staring.