B2B 07 – We Didn’t Start the Fire!

In a land. We won’t tell you where. In a time. We won’t tell you when. Other than that there were people around. And some thought that they were better than the rest. And the rest tried to prove that they were still “people”.

We find ourselves in a place away from the war. The One between the Us and the Them. The “demons”, the “monkeys”, the “bears”, the “gods”, the men.

Yet somehow, the Us fought. On who were more “us” and who were less. Not the Them, but a whole lot less “us”.

There seems to have been some kind of an “incident“. But no one is ready to talk of what transpired, and who were involved, and why it really happened.

It’s alright and all hunky-dory… don’t ask too often.

It’s not even a proper story… don’t ask that often

Nobody was hurt that much… don’t speak too loud

And they were nobodies as such.. don’t speak that loud

Granny said they stink up and dirty the water… don’t dig too deep

If they push up a li’l, push a lot more harder… don’t dig that deep

If they didn’t burn, they would try to get higher … don’t look too hard

But as the guy said above, we didn’t start the fire… don’t look that hard

Longer the Lines, Bigger the Lies

FADE IN

As usual our collective consciousness is dumped in a place not far from a place where fermented drinks, with considerable ethanol content, are served. This time, we are almost equidistant from two such places.

The First, is where the landlords and their companions, drink away the pains of a day in the shade. Let’s call it the Yellow Flag Bar.

Another, slightly more decrepit, where the land-less laborers drown the aches of the long day in sun. Let’s call it the Red Rag Bar.

The narrative shall keep switching between these two places, the shifts signified by changes in the speech patterns, and the font color. As explained earlier, keep your disbelief suspended and your mobile devices on mute.

In the Yellow Flag Bar, sit J, F & K. The Trader Jack, the Fighter Frank, and the Learned Kane. They may not be the best of friends normally. Nevertheless, due to some recent developments, they are better companions to each other, than to the others. Frank buys the first round, while Jack buys the two after that. Kane seems to have misplaced his money purse.

JACK: I tell you it is almost criminal. How slow these people work? It is as if they are half alive.

FRANK [slightly less sober than expected]: They need to be taught another lesson. I have half of a mind to…

KANE [sniffing his goblet suspiciously]: You need not use it all at one go, Frank. The gods gave you only the half. So keep it safe. Let us do the thinking.

FRANK: Huh.. [to JACK] Stop sniggering into your glass, you snotty bean-counter! You didn’t find it so funny when you needed our protection, and help that night. Order another round will you?

JACK [gesturing to the tavern keeper]: No.. no… I just remembered an old joke. So, tell me Frank, about your city in the North. You travelled with the Princes, right?

KANE [having given up the pretence of sniffing his drinks, and now persistently sipping out of his goblet]: Almost last in the line, was our friend Frank. My teachers and I had travelled in the vanguard. In fact we came quite a few generations before, preparing the path. Bringing “civilization” to this place. The travails we faced in carving out this haven of the true faith, and converting so many of these … these people… into real people. Teaching them the right names for their gods. I tell you!

JACK: I agree, O Learned One. [to FRANK] My people came in with the Learned One’s. For protection and support. Thankfully with the help of the Learned One’s, we divvied up the land in this fertile land. Not as fertile, they say, as the North. Too many rocks!

FRANK: Yes. And your break them with your own soft hands? Bah! You guys got soft. If not for the fear our spears provide, this land of yours would not remain yours for even a season. When our contingent arrived, I remember how much “control” you had. Could not even get your harvest in?

JACK: No need to remind me. If our learned friend, and his teachers, did not feel the need to “punish” one of those… those dirty fellows, for asking for some water from their “sacred” pond, there would not have been all that trouble. Thankfully the Princes reached at an opportune time, and handled it so well.

KANE [by now gulping down the fragrant concoction and loose of tongue]: Bah… do we tell you how to count the cups of broken rice you pay them with? Who are you to comment on what we do? And the Princes? I wonder what was the need to meet their leaders. That old man. Or was it an Old Woman. The Elder Prince even accepted a wild berry from her.

FRANK: I heard he ate a berry which was half eaten?

J: Hah.. may be that Old Woman was checking, whether it was sweet or sour. These people! They forget their place.

K: All lies. He just accepted the berry. Did any one see him eat? They are sons of a King. Taught by the best.

F: I remember my Captain telling me that when the Elder Prince bit into the fruit, the Old Woman looked so happy. As if this one gesture made them equals. The Younger Prince kept his distance, though.

J: At least that made the laborers resume the harvesting. They worked extra hard. And while the Princes were here, they were allowed to drink the clean water from the ponds. And given double rations. If that carried on, our barns would have emptied out faster than they filled it.

K: Yes. Not just the barns of corn. But our store of good-deeds. Drinking from the same pond as those …. those dirty one’s. Think of it. Next we know, one of them would get educated and try to write a book of laws. Which says same laws apply to all. That’s why, when the Princes had gone ahead on their campaign trail, leaving our friend Frank and his company of strong warriors…

F: … No need to thank me… I was at the back… way back… I was never near the fire.

J: Yes, yes… that law-abiding Captain of yours. He did get angry when he came back, and saw that burnt out hut with half-burnt bones. I think he would have cried, if he stopped shouting at you guys. He is still looking for the guys who started that fire, isn’t he?

K: That fire was a punishment. No… it was the reward, For the Old Chief. She had the Fortune of seeing from such close quarters the son of the High King of the North. She even fed him. Her purpose of life was done. She ascended to heaven through the flames that night.

J: Yes. [laughing maniacally] A lot of them “ascended” to heaven that night. Especially as someone who looked very similar to Frank here, cut to pieces, the few who tried to flee and pushed the parts back into the “holy” fire.

Suddenly we are in another place. There are just two guys sharing liquor from a earthen pot. One is an older, more tired looking man, let’s call him Bourne. The other a younger, and visibly more vital fellow, whom we can call Milo.

BOURNE: I tell. Only trouble. If you no listen to High One’s. New fighters strong. Cruel. Killers.

MILO: You old. I strong. Strong hands. I break head with stone.

BOURNE: Pour me another. One hand. One stone. One head break. Two hands. Two stones. Two heads break. Night you sleep. They cut. They burn.

MILO: I know way. We ask help. Forest Men to the South. King of the Low Lands. Welcomes us back. Calls all brothers. There we work, land we own. Even King of the High Lands. Not bad. Especially his friend. Albino man. The High Chinned One.

B: They be Monkeys. We be Men. Not brothers. No more. Long ago. We become Men. Right names of the gods. Complete Men teach. No more monkeys. Just Broken Men.

M: How same gods? No water from clean pond. Dig hole and muddy water drink.

B: Drink. Be quiet. We dirty.

M: No. They eat. We starve. They hit. We cry.

B: Yes. Say yes. Starve but live. Drink. Don’t think.

M: No. [shouts out] They burn. We die!

B: [crying silent tears] Yes. They burn. We die.

M: No. One day. This stops. We all be equal. One day.

B: May be. May be not. Till man thinks he more man than other. This happens. They burn. We die. Man. Woman. Child. Life of low cost. Broken Rice for Broken Men. For two extra fistfuls ask. They cut hands. Say now ask? Why you cry?

M: Why? Old Man? Why?

B: Because Big Man come. Tell big things. Sit and smile. Smile and talk. Then go away. Then other men come. They not like. Think they more men. We more dirt. They burn. We die.

Through tears of anger and shared memories…

We see the scene change back. Back to where J, F & K sit carousing.

J: It seems our warrior friend here is afraid. Or is he ashamed? May be he remembers the cries that rang in the night. Thank the gods, that the fire they started was away from the barns with the newly harvested corn or…

F: I am telling you I was asleep that night. I had a mighty headache. We didn’t start the fire…

K: There is no need to be afraid, or ashamed. That righteous mob did the work of gods that night. You helped keep the order on earth. And sent that holy woman to her rightful place. A lesser heaven than the one I will go. But still heaven. That fire you started…

F: Please, lower your voice. I am telling you WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE…

J: Yes… yes… drink. It’s my round. I agree, that fire just became visible that night… I didn’t bring the wood and the oil to help… IT WAS ALWAYS BURNING,

K: [to JACK] Yes, I think I like this version of the story. [talking excitedly to the men on the next table, who are trying very hard to ignore him] This fire! It is the fire of righteous pride. For our shining everlasting culture… some of us by adding our exhortations and clarified butter, as we did that whole night, have kept it burning,… SINCE THE WORLD’S BEEN TURNING…

F: Please. [in a small voice] I want to forget that night. WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE…

We hear the far-off voices of BOURNE & MILO as they stagger back to their hovels: [crying together] They Burn! We Die!

FRANK [losing the last vestiges of self control, in the face of extreme self loathing]: WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE… please… WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE!

FADE OUT