Page 17 of Deliverance
“By Hersi’s staff, Kijani… he is but one human among many. Why does his existence goad you so?” Simeon asked.
Kijani gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “Make your proclamations now, before the crowd leaves.”
Eloy sighed, but rose to his feet to the silence of the crowd. He looked out among the many humans in attendance, making sure he had their undivided attention. “I hope that you have all enjoyed this Game.”
The crowd cheered and applauded in reply. Eloy allowed them to do so for a few seconds before he continued.
“Good. We gods have an announcement.”
The people in the audience, those who were standing sat back down and all gave the gods the respect of their silence.
“From this day forward, the Games will no longer be to the death.”
With that proclamation, some of the audience began to boo.
“Silence!” Eloy demanded, and a hush fell over the crowd. “We, the gods, have decided to make many changes. Ones that we will not see or abide being disobeyed. From this day forward, there will no longer be slavery.” This time, the crowd kept quiet, for fear of the fire god’s retribution. “All homes that have slaves must free them. Gladiators are no longer the property of their domini and are free to fight in the arena for their own pleasure and rewards of the great feast.”
Eloy paused to let what he had said sink in. He looked out among the crowd, particularly to the section where the Elite were sitting. Their faces told the god what they were thinking. As expected, the frowns and grimaces were evident that they were not pleased with this new world order. Eloy didn’t care if they liked the changes they were making, only that they obeyed them.
Simeon rose now, to stand beside him in a show of unity. “From this day forward,” he began, “there will no longer be currency in the form of rubios. Money promotes greed and greed is a sin we will no longer abide. We, the gods, provide. You, the people, shall have. From this day forward, all homes should have modern conveniences if the owner so desires. All homes will be where you can make your sanctuary, be it large, medium, or small. Grand, modern, or modest. No longer will you have to pay for your homes as the materials to build are provided by we alone, the gods. For every human will lift their hands to help their fellow humans in all things.”
Odessa rose now, to stand with the other two gods. There were murmurs around the crowd as the people took in what the gods were saying. “This one demands your undivided attention,” she said. Again, the people quieted and stared at the four gods. “This one agrees with these two. This one, the goddess of water, provides what nurtures you. This one will not do so for those who break our commandments. We, the gods, provide water, heat, wind, and earth freely. No longer will we hold back our blessings as long as our commandments are obeyed. You, the people, must also provide for each other for free. From this day forward, the system of the Elites is no more. No longer will one hold monopoly over all. Only the gods shall have such domain. No longer will businesses charge for their wares. What is available shall be shared and reproduced to share again.”
At that announcement, there was an applause, even as those who sat in the Elite section groused amongst themselves.
“Messengers have been dispersed throughout the lands to deliver these commandments to every house in our lands, including the badlands,” Eloy stated. “From this day forward, you are all equal amongst you. No man or woman is worth more than the other.” As he said the words, he felt his heart swell for he knew he was finally doing the right thing. This was what they should have done over two hundred years ago, and Eloy knew it.
Kijani rose now and shuffled over to the other three. “From this day forward, I, the god of earth, will provide. Food shall grow, life will flourish, and you will all receive our blessings as long as you are in obedience. You, the humans, will form your government with our guidance to ensure that our commandments are not broken. It must be a fair and just government for if not, you will feel the wrath of our anger. That is all,” he said.
The four gods stood among them, united in their proclamations. Together, they turned and walked away, leaving the crowd to digest what they had said. Each god went to their own limos that were waiting for them. Eloy climbed inside his, a smile on his face now that they had made changes. He knew it would take a while for people to adjust, but he would see it happen as would the other gods. Soon, he would be able to spend his time with Mateo and he couldn’t wait for that.
When he saw Mateo enter the sands, his blood boiled with the rage he’d felt at being disregarded. He had given Rama strict commands to not include Mateo in the Games, yet he had. The human would have to answer for that offense. Even worse was when he saw who Mateo’s opponent would be. None other than the Champion himself, Titus. His breath caught in his throat when Mateo looked up at him, as if saying goodbye. He couldn’t hide his pleasure when, during the fight, Mateo took the lead, injuring Titus into submission.
Still, regardless of Mateo’s victory, Rama had to answer for his insolence. He had put Mateo’s life in danger. Eloy could have watched his lover, the one human who meant the world to him, die a needless death. Simeon had been right all along, every life was worth something to someone and should not have been wasted for entertainment. They had stopped wars because of the cost of life, yet had forgotten their goals so many years later after reuniting the lands into one.
Eloy frowned, then called to his driver. “I will see the Ludus owner, Rama. Fetch him for me.”
“Yes, god Eloy,” the driver said, then turned off the engine and exited the automobile.
Eloy had hoped that Rama was still in the stands, contemplating the new commandments as were many of the humans. The wait wasn’t as long as he’d feared and when the back door opened with Rama standing there, Eloy beckoned the human inside. Quickly, Rama climbed in and took a seat in the limo opposite Eloy. He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs as if his palms were sweaty and he was trying to dry them off. Perhaps, he was. He looked down, not daring to look the god directly in the eyes, a most meek approach.
“Do you know why I called for you?” Eloy asked.
Rama swallowed and nodded as he continued to nervously fidget. His left leg began to twitch all on its own and he had no way to control it. “Yes, god Eloy.” Never had he been in the presence of a god and he could feel Eloy’s aura flowing through him, intimidating him… humbling him.
“Can you give me a good reason as to why you disobeyed my command?”
Rama licked his dry, trembling lips. “I had been sworn to secrecy, god Eloy.”
“Speak this secret or I will cut out your tongue.”
Rama froze at the threat; one he knew was not given idly. His teeth chattered before he found his voice again. “I did the only thing I could to protect Mateo, god Eloy. I had no choice but to bring the two to match. Please spare my life,” he begged, then fell to his knees on the limo floor, head bowed low, until his forehead touched Eloy’s feet, his hands clasped together as if praying, which he was.
Eloy’s eyebrow knitted as his lips turned downward. “Who has sworn you to secrecy?”
“Please, god—”
“Speak the name!” Eloy barked.
