“Yourmajesty,thereissomethingI’mnotsurewhetherIshouldmentiontoyou.”
“Whatisit?Ifyouhavesomethingtotellme,pleasefeelfreetosayit.Don’tbestrained.”
Deannacollectedherthoughts,reviewedtheofeventsinhermindandthenretedthefollowingstorytoAisha.
Shortlyafternoontime,aboutwhenthebarbarianswerediscoveredencroagontheKingdom,Deannawasiintheforestheminialkingtosomechieftainsaboutproceduresandrateressoftheminingproject.Whentheycameoutofthetentafterthemeeting,theyweregreetedwitharaordinarysight.Hundredsofapes,somewalkingontheground,someswingingfromtreetotreeintheforestroceedinginthesamedire.Deannaandthechieftainswerecuriousbecausetherewasnothinginthatdireexceptsheercliffsandprecipitousines.Whywouldsomanyapesmakeforsuimpasse?Theyfollowedstealthily,hidingbehindrgerodtreessoasnottoattracttheattentionofthismovinggroup.Theypassedthroughdeahickets,climbeduptrailingvioahillside.Bythentheirclotheswereshreddedbythebranchesandjuttingrocks.Hidingbehindahugerock,theypeekedoutandwereshockedbytheunbelievableseenactedbeforetheirhorrifiedeyes.Hundredsofapesstoodinanorderlyfileaotheirdeathintothefathomlessabyssbelow.Amongthemweresomefemaleapescarryingnew-borheirarms.Theytoojumpeddowomlesschasm.Thesilverbackmaleape,whoseemedtobetheleaderofthepack,lookedbackattheforest,thefamiliarpcewherehewasbornandgrewup.Helookedupattheskiesandhowledtragicallybeforehetoojumpeddownthecliff.Deannaandthechieftainscameoutofhiding,shockedbeyondwordsbythemassivetragedythathadjustoccurred.Oneachieftainmutteredunderhisbreath
“Thisisnotagoodomen.Thisisreallynotagoodomen......”Deanna,everalert,wasimmediatelysensitivetopossiblesequencesamoribesshouldatsofthisibespread,sosheimmediatelysaid,
“Idon’tthinkthisisagoodomeher,butpleasedoatsofthisibespreadoutsideofthepeoplepresenthere,asitwillcauseinstabilityandhavothetribesmenhearofthis.Ohepeoplebeejitteryandpanicky,itwillbehardforustopleteourprojeschedule,whichwillleadtoeveertrouble.”Thechieftainsheirheadssaying,
“Yht.Ourlipsaresealed.Nowordofthisiwillleavethishillside.Nowisacriticaltime,especiallywithKingDimitriabsentfromtheKingdom.PleaseassureQueenAishawewilldoourbest.Wesuggestsheanizeargereligiousventiontobegheavenforblessing.Iamsureitwilldoalotofgoodandbringludhappidom.”
“Sure.IwillletQueenAishaknowofyourrequest.”AfterhearingDeanna’satofthei,Aishagaveherathumbupandsaid,
“Youdidverywell,Deanna.Firstofall,yousquashedtherumorbeforeithadacetospread.That’sthemosteffitmethodtocopewiththissituation.Sedly,thewishofthepeopletanizeareligiousventiontosupplicatetheheavensforblessingisareasonableandlogicalrequestandshouldbegranted.IwillsubmittheirpetitiontoKingDimitriater.Thingsshouldbeprioritizedinorderofimportahereligiousventionwillhavetowaituntiltheminingprojectisfihirdly,whetherthismasssuicideoftheapesjumpingdownthecliffisabadomenornotishardtosay.Peopleofteomixallkindsoffarfetchedanduedanaloguestogetherandgivethemstraierpretations,untiltheybeesomethingelsealtogether.Thisisthesourceofsuperstition.Animalsoftengetheirbehaviorandaormallyduetogesinclimate,terrainorsomeirresistiblefactor.Thishasnothingtodowithgoodorbadomen.OfcourseIwilllookintoit,gatherinformationandmateriandtalktoexpertsinanimalpsychologicalbehavioraboutit.We’lltalkaboutitwhenweetoadefiniteclusion.”Deannanodded.ShehadagreatrespectforQueenAisha’sabilitytoanalyzeeverythingclearlyahodically.Aishatinued,
“Rumorsarereallyterrible.Taketherethappeningsindomforexample.Stephanie’sdyingprophesy,Charmaine’sdisappearandClementine’sdissolvingherfleshbodyinthekewaterhavespreadfarandwide,causinguandfearamongthepeople.Ifnewsofhundredsofapescollectivelyjumpedoffasteepcliffinamassivesuicideweretospread,domwouldcolpseinternallywithoutaernattack.”Aishadecidedthatshewouldcallthechieftainstoherthedayandtalktothemfranklyontheseriousnessofthesituation.Shewouldgiveciseorderstoputagagonthismostretevent.
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