Section Thirty-Nine: The Feshi People’s Problem, Part Two

When the sun began to rise, the gates of Gaur City were thrown open, and a tall platform had been erected in the central square. Today was the day Grant had decided to hold the assembly. People from the Gaur region poured in from all directions, crowding together in the square. The plaza, which had originally been able to hold only a few thousand, was now packed with more than ten times that number, and still more were on the way, so much so that even the gates became jammed.

The Revolutionary League had no choice but to send more hands to keep order and organize the flow of people. Even so, the crowds from the countryside and the small towns still filled Gaur City to the brim.

After great effort the flow was finally brought under control, but after a while unrest broke out again at the west gate. Some people pushed inward frantically, as though making way for someone important. Those already inside were being shoved about and, naturally, were displeased. They were just about to curse loudly when they saw that the ones entering from beyond the west gate were ranks of beastmen: among them were the Bearmen, sturdy as mountains, and the agile, swift Monkeymen. At once they swallowed back every harsh word.

The beastmen pressed all the way into the square and forcibly claimed a patch of ground for themselves. Ordinary human commoners generally felt a certain fear toward these strong and powerful beastmen, and thus endured this somewhat overbearing behavior. In fact, because of that fear, even in such a crush of people they still managed to keep a little distance from them. The beastmen, however, were entirely unconcerned. They put arms around one another’s shoulders and chatted loudly.

“Why did we have to come listen too? This isn’t even a clan assembly,” one Monkeyman asked.

“No idea. Big Brother Ackley told us to come, saying Lord Grant was going to make a speech,” replied an older Monkeyman.

“What’s a speech?” the first Monkeyman asked, scratching his scalp in confusion.

“It’s a human word. It just means talking, like when our chieftain speaks to us at each clan assembly,” said the Monkeyman who knew what a speech was, looking rather pleased with himself.

The Bear clan was having a different sort of conversation.

“Orisha, is Lord Grant going to speak? There are so many people here today. So many humans... I’m a little afraid,” said a smaller Bearman.

“You useless fool. You are a Bearman, and you dare to feel afraid? They’re only humans. What is there to fear? Not one of them could beat you. Don’t shame our Bear clan,” the Bearman called Orisha said, waving his shaggy fist.

“I still don’t understand why we had to come listen,” the timid Bearman murmured.

“From what Lord Grant said before, our Bear clan and the Monkey clan live in what is called the primitive Commonwealth. Maybe that’s why he wants to make some kind of Commonwealth Declaration, and that has something to do with us,” Orisha answered with self-important certainty.