All That Glitters Ch. 24

Wassim Andjuran had risen, washed carefully and dressed in the finest silks of the Chief Cleric. Today would be the day that he would rid himself of one of the thorns in his side, one of those who had broken his connection to the pirate syndicates. Fiona Marsh was still out there, but she would be his soon, he was sure.

He stepped forth into the temple proper and went down to the labyrinth under the grand vestibule, where his 'guests' were being temporarily housed.

Henadi Noor lay on her stomach, her back now swathed in treated bandages, working to alleviate the pain and the suffering she had endured under the scourging. She was awake.

"Ah, I see you are aware of what is happening to you, apostate, Fullohd," Andjuran snarled. Henadi looked at him with the same glare of hatred she had bestowed upon him during the scourging. Momentarily, he lost his nerve, but only for the moment.

"No need to reply," he laughed, the gag still in her mouth. "Today is the last day of your life. You will be brought before the council and deemed criminal apostate and executed. There is no hope for you, bitch. The council are formed from my faithful and will follow whatever I tell them to do. They will condemn you and I will see you executed this day!

"I will have my revenge on you for what you and Fiona Marsh have done to me. You have cost me a fortune in revenues and you will pay with your life, bitch!" Andjuran laughed at the woman before him. She was helpless, she was naked, she was broken, and soon she would be dead.

"Chief Cleric," a voice called out.

"In here, Najmaddin," Andjuran called out. His loyal henchman entered the room looking worried. A frisson of fear went up Andjuran's spine when he saw Anduura looking so agitated.

"What is it Najmaddin?" asked Andjuran, his demeanor suddenly cooled.

"The Valour has landed at the local shuttle port with Commodore Marsh and a warrant from the Senate for your arrest," Anduura reported. "They are headed here on foot. It will take them a few minutes to get here."

Anger flooded the face of Andjuran.

NO!! Andjuran screamed in his mind. How could this be? They cannot stop him now when he was so close!

"Is the council here?" he demanded of his henchman.

"Yes, Chief Cleric," Anduura reported.

"Good, take her, bring her before the council. We will complete this execution immediately, before Marsh can interfere!" Wassim reached out and slapped Henadi on the back, bringing a hiss of pain and anger from her.

"Make sure that gag never leaves her mouth, Anduura. I will ask you to wheel the Sacred Sword and take the head of this bitch for me!" Andjuran hissed at his man.

Anduura smiled viciously at Henadi. He was looking forward to taking the life of this woman who had violated the dictates of the Chief Cleric on the subservience of women to the men folk of the Church of Andanii, who stood up to the Chief Cleric by leaving Anuura and making not just any career by the career of a decorated Navy Officer, an example to the woman of the church that neither Andjuran nor Anduura wanted to see women following. He would enjoy taking this woman's life. This woman who had help stop the second attack on Liramor-23 and broken the faith of the pirate syndicates with his boss.

Courtyard of the Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City

The group arrived in the courtyard to find many people milling about. The people looked on the outsiders suspiciously. Fiona's group were all armed with legal stun weapons, which the people eyed warily.

Fiona was aware that clannish people tended to back their own over outsiders regardless of what their own had done. She didn't need to fight her way through this crowd and she didn't want to have to explain again and again what her purpose was. They needed to act with as little time lost as possible. She was sure that when Andjuran heard of her approach, he would seek to escape. She put Fayad in the lead, but C. Supt. Burhan pushed him back.

Burhan marched to the end of the courtyard and the steps leading up into the Grand Temple when they were blocked by the people around them.

"What do you wish here, defiler?" asked one of those who stood in their way, Fiona getting the gist of the conversation from the translation app on her comp.

"We have come seeking one Senator Wassim Andjuran, with a warrant for his arrest," Burhan replied

"What has he done that warrants his arrest" the spokesperson asked.

"He is accused of forsaking his duties as a Senator and stealing funds from a Senate committee. As well, he is charged with kidnapping a citizen of the Terran Union and Captain in the Terran Navy, Henadi Noor," Burhan told the man.

"He kidnapped her?" another person asked, doubt in his voice.

"He placed a bounty on her head, on my head as well," Fiona told them through the translator. "Others kidnapped her and brought her to him for that bounty.

"But he is to be arrested to face charges at a Senate Inquiry into misappropriation of Senate funds. Funds he was using for his own private purposes," Fiona stated.

"If he has a price on your head, why are you here then?" asked the spokesperson, suspiciously.

"I am here to take Henadi Noor back with me, as she is a member of my command, my house," Fiona told them in terms they would understand. "As well, we suspect that Wassim Andjuran is responsible for two attacks against Liramor-23, and a possible third attack that occurred just days ago.

"I am responsible for the defence of the Piscium System, where Liramor-23 is located. I want to see this man arrested for the actions that he has committed. More importantly, Henadi is a friend of mine, and I would see her back among her friends."

"What proof have you of this?" asked a third person.

"You do not have to take my word for it. You can ask Henadi Noor," Fiona said.

"We could not, as she was gagged at Andjuran's insistence. He said it was to stop her from spouting her apostate views to the members of the Church, but after what we witnessed, many of us are not so sure of that," a woman stated boldly.

"What do you mean, what you witnessed?" Fiona demanded, harshly. The crowd backed away from her, except for the lady who had spoken.

"They scourged her. They gave her twelve lashes. She stood up to that. She stood strong. She did not feint; she did not even cry out after the first lash. She showed bravery that few of us can ever imagine another having. This from a woman, who the men of our religion are encouraged to look down apon," the last was spoken with open contempt for the men around her.

"Three were scourged that day. One man feinted after eight strokes. Another man feinted after six strokes and died after twenty strokes. Only one did not feint, only one stood up to Andjuran. Only one walked away under on her own legs. Only one showed what kind of person she was. Only one set the example for all the women, and all the men of Andanii to follow.

"That is an example I wish to follow. I no longer wish to follow the dictates of Chief Cleric Wassim Andjuran, and how he has forbidden women to have a life of their own. I will love my husband, and my children, but I will be my own woman from this point on. I will live in the manner that we once lived, when women were considered of equal importance in the house.

"I will show you where Wassim Andjuran is," she told Fiona, then spun on the crowd. "I dare any of you to stop me, or them," the last was said in a snarl to the men that were blocking Fiona's group.

"Follow, please," the woman said, gesturing toward the Grand Temple. For a moment, those blocking them stood their ground, but they broke ranks under the glare of the woman leading Fiona and her group into the temple.

The Labyrinth, Grand Temple of Andanii, Aereet City, Planet Anuura

Henadi Noor was dragged before the Council of Andanii between the arms of two temple guards. The council consisted of twelve men and two women, though the Matriarch of Andanii was not one of those women.

Andjuran, as the Chief Cleric, would normally be one of the twelve, but he was acting as the prosecutor and could not be part of the council. It mattered not. The council was formed of Andjuran's faithful. They would do as he demanded of them.

Henadi had been dressed in a long, grey gown in the fashion those of the Church of Andanii preferred. She had sandals on her feet and her hair had been hastily braided.

They placed her on her knees before the council, her hands tied behind her back. She looked up at the men and women of this council and knew fear. She knew all of these people and knew also they were part of Andjuran's clique.

She wanted to get up and run, but she was far to weak to do anything at the moment. Henadi was barely able to hold her head up from loss of blood, partial starvation, and the repeated shocks her body had taken during the last week, the scourging being the most prominent.

Andjuran stepped forward.

"Kneeling before the Grand Council of Andanii is a criminal apostate. A woman who has repeatedly spoken out against the Church of Andanii vilifying our church to the greater community of the Terran Union. She has besmirched the good deeds of the Church as a whole, its role in the community both on and off of Anuura, and even the good words of the Prophet Andanii himself," Andjuran told the council.

"Her repeated slurs and smears against the church were of such a nature that the word of Andanii has found little favour outside of the Planet Anuura. In fact, the church now has an aura of a dangerous cult before the people of the Terran Union, all thanks to this woman.

"For the last week, you have seen the evidence from outside of Planet Anuura. Of what her words have done to blight the good words of the Church of Andanii. You have had the opportunity to see the effects of these words on the good words of the Prophet.

"I ask this council to enact the ultimate penalty for her transgressions against the Chief Cleric, against the Church itself, and against the name of the Prophet," Andjuran demanded.

"What say you, the members of the Grand Council of Andanii?" he asked.

"Why is the accused gagged, Chief Cleric?" one of the women asked.

"To prevent her from venting her bile against the Church, Madame Council," Andjuran answered.

"All accused are permitted to speak in their defence, Chief Cleric," one of the other Council members spoke next.

"Indeed, but in this situation, her words would be poisonous to all. I ask the Council's indulgence in this situation and ask that the Grand Council make its decision based on the information that you have been provided.

"You have seen the evidence, that is all you need. I ask the Grand Council to find this person a criminal apostate and to enact the ultimate penalty due for her transgressions. I ask the Grand Council to decide Yes for death or No for leniency," Andjuran said as he bowed before the members of the Grand Council.

Pre-made ballots were handed out to each Council member. The ballots had two words on them, Yes and No. The Grand Council members marked their ballots and placed them into a bag that was passed around. The bag was brought to Andjuran, who, as Chief Cleric, was required to count the ballots.

"For the Grand Council to order an execution, all of the members must agree. The vote for death must be unanimous," Andjuran spoke, as he pulled the first ballot from the bag.

"Yes," he said, and pulled another. One after another the word Yes, was ticked off until her came to the tenth ballot. This one was marked No. But Andjuran would have none of that.

"Yes," he spoke again, and continued through to the final ballot. Only one was in dissent. "All the ballots have confirmed for death." Andjuran stated for the Grand Council.

"Chief Cleric?" one of the women on the council spoke up.

"Yes, Madame Council. Do you wish to change your vote to No?" Andjuran demanded of her in a tone that would broke not objection.

The woman looked around at the other Council members. She saw immediately that none of them would support her 'changing' her vote. She had been decisively boxed in by Andjuran.

"No, Grand Cleric," she replied, timidly. She had been cowed by Andjuran and the other members of the council.

"Good. Bring the block," Andjuran shouted.

The members of the Grand Council spoke up demanding what Andjuran was doing.

"Death has been decided. There is no purpose in delaying it. This criminal apostate will die here and now, where you can witness the execution," Andjuran told the council.

What Andjuran didn't tell them was he now had them in the palm of his hand for allowing the execution of Henadi Noor. They might squirm and bitch, but they would be expelled from the community for this transgression. He had control over them above and beyond what they were expecting.

The block was brought forward and Henadi was rudely picked up off the floor and placed behind it. A long leather strap was placed behind her knees and she was pushed forward over the block, her neck fitting into a groove designed to cradle it, her body now parallel to the Grand Council. The strap was brought up around her arms and buckled tight, binding her in place. She did not have the strength to fight the bindings. A basket was placed below her eyes, presumably to capture her head.

"Bring the Sacred Sword!" Andjuran shouted. Najmaddin Anduura had been waiting for this moment. The sword had been brought down to the labyrinth earlier, in the wooden case it always travelled in. Najmaddin opened the case, took the sword in his gloved hands, turned and walked deliberately to stand beside the block, facing the Grand Council with his back to the darkness of the labyrinth.

Henadi turned her head to look at the members of the Grand Council, but none would return her look.

"I'll have none of that," Andjuran growled, grabbing Henadi's braid and pulling her head back out over the block, leaving her neck bare to the headsman.

Najmaddin knew the blade was sharp, he had sharpened it himself. He had also practiced on some melons to know just how much force he needed to apply to complete the task. There was a feral grin on his face as he raised the sword over his right shoulder, preparing to bring it down.

The swish of the sword cutting the air ended with the sound that the Grand Council had never heard before.

The thunk of a head being parted from it's body was unique. The sound was distinctive and something that none of the Grand Council ever wanted to hear again, or to remember except in their worst nightmares.

But nobody had told Wassim Andjuran how fast blood could empty from a body when the head was so neatly severed at the neck. Eager to witness the death of one of his arch enemies, Andjuran was too close. Thick, hot blood covered his pristine robes.

Nobody had told Andjuran about the smell that so much blood could make, nor how sticky it became after only a brief time exposed to the air. He was covered with blood from his chest to his feet.

He heard someone scream "Henadi!!" but more telling for him were the whispers coming from the Grand Council. "Tagut!"

Tagut was an ancient word, much changed in spelling and pronunciation since the old times. But its meaning hadn't changed. It reflected those who transgressed against Andanii, those who revelled in the blood of the innocent in the pagan rites of blood sacrifice.

The Grand Council had painted him as one of the damned...Tagut.

End of chapter twenty-four.

I'm taking a break from Glitters for a few weeks, in order to finally get to those stories I have promised all along. Don't worry, chapter twenty-five has already been fleshed out but no detailed work to it yet. It should be ready about mid-January if all goes well.

Please rate and comment but remember to keep your comments respectful.

Be well, Be kind to one another, Be safe.

bigtddybr