[ It takes her a second, there is no easy way to explain what it was to be hopeless, but nor does it need to be said. They took everything from me, and left me with the price of it. ]
Shortly after, English families arrived, sixty all told. I was moved into the lesser palace, whilst they took over the Fortress. I was young, and a fool. I still believed in their words, then. Nothing then was out of sorts, a transfer of power as usual. One that left me, admittedly, crippled. I was still Rani, but it was an honourary respect, at best. I was in no way in charge of the state.
[ What best, what best to show what it was like? That it was more than just the death, the blood, the murder? That it was all of it? ]
The first murder, I suppose. Was not of men, a half a year into their living there, but I awoke one morning to screaming. My people hold animals as dearly as their own children. But for no creature is this so true as for the cow. To kill one is to earn a death sentence. Devout Hindus do not even eat meat, let alone meat from a cow. They do not even kill them when they grow too old to produce milk. Instead, they are let go, free to wander wherever they will. One of the Temple's jobs is to see to their upkeep, and many return there of an evening, as they are wont.
... They found them gutted open in the street. Their carcases ripped apart in front of the Temples. If not for the grief, I think the street would have ripped apart in riot then and there.
[ And there, there was when it began. She hadn't seen it at the time, some sick portent in a play she did not yet know the ending too. ] I went to the Officer in charge at the Fortress. He was an odious little man. I asked him, what was he going to do? If no justice was done, this unrest would spread. He asked me what all the fuss was about over a few cows being killed? I did my best to explain. It was not his faith after all, and he.... said it was none of his concern. I said it was his concern, these Temples were in his keeping now, they were his to look after, as they had been mine.
He said he never had any intention of ever seeing to any of them, and would not waste a cent on them, our faith was none of the Crown's concern, nor were 'a few beasts'.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2019-01-11 01:54 pm (UTC)Shortly after, English families arrived, sixty all told. I was moved into the lesser palace, whilst they took over the Fortress. I was young, and a fool. I still believed in their words, then. Nothing then was out of sorts, a transfer of power as usual. One that left me, admittedly, crippled. I was still Rani, but it was an honourary respect, at best. I was in no way in charge of the state.
[ What best, what best to show what it was like? That it was more than just the death, the blood, the murder? That it was all of it? ]
The first murder, I suppose. Was not of men, a half a year into their living there, but I awoke one morning to screaming. My people hold animals as dearly as their own children. But for no creature is this so true as for the cow. To kill one is to earn a death sentence. Devout Hindus do not even eat meat, let alone meat from a cow. They do not even kill them when they grow too old to produce milk. Instead, they are let go, free to wander wherever they will. One of the Temple's jobs is to see to their upkeep, and many return there of an evening, as they are wont.
... They found them gutted open in the street. Their carcases ripped apart in front of the Temples. If not for the grief, I think the street would have ripped apart in riot then and there.
[ And there, there was when it began. She hadn't seen it at the time, some sick portent in a play she did not yet know the ending too. ] I went to the Officer in charge at the Fortress. He was an odious little man. I asked him, what was he going to do? If no justice was done, this unrest would spread. He asked me what all the fuss was about over a few cows being killed? I did my best to explain. It was not his faith after all, and he.... said it was none of his concern. I said it was his concern, these Temples were in his keeping now, they were his to look after, as they had been mine.
He said he never had any intention of ever seeing to any of them, and would not waste a cent on them, our faith was none of the Crown's concern, nor were 'a few beasts'.