EXILIUM REX

Chapter 23

Angelo del Mundo's Rohypnol-Induced Hallucination In Fable Mode (Part 3)

All the mermaids and mermales carefully pick up their respective master clams in order to quickly leave the dome premises, while Councilor Pabebe remains where he is standing, with his ever so quiet Tamuneneng close by his side. The sea-leader raises his upper shell, and in one corner of his eyes, he can see the lively snickering of two creatures sitting in the gallery who should have been sympathizing with the crisis which has befallen the entire Ayisan Kingdom.

Majority of those who attended the session have not yet reached the dome’s doorways when a soldier merman swam towards Councilor Pabebe to whisper something on the sea-leader’s ear. The soft whisper to the clam Councilor’s ear becomes more loud than the eruption of an underwater volcano. “The mermen search party has returned!”

The soldier mermen stationed on the doorways suddenly blow their shell trumpets.

III. The Rumor

That evening. Inside the garage of the Council of the Clams in the depths of the Ayisan Sea.

Tamuneneng is happily serving the dinner rations of the three crocodiles of Councilor Pabebe. The influential Councilor often uses Pangil, this is why the young croc always has a double ration of plovers and edible-nest swiftlets which have been captured by the soldier mermen close to the vicinity of the Reef of Freedom.

Of the three, Tamuneneng’s favorite is the old crocodile, Tata Limnangmata. Aside from the many different stories of the old croc warrior during his heydays, Tata is the only cold-blooded crocodile living today in the Kingdom of the Ayisan Sea who has already experienced a Deep Sea Bottom Trawl. Because of this, Tata has a native and awesome array of knowledge and skills he has acquired from the experience, which are at par with no other creature. Furthermore, the old croc has the most unique ability to communicate with the seemingly mute mermaids and mermales. And Tata can do this telepathically, merely through his mind.

This is why Tamuneneng and Tata always relish the limited time they are with each other; like a father and a daughter who have been separated from each other’s company for a very long time.

In fact, Tata has been excitedly waiting for Tamuneneng. He has something very important to relay to the bachelorette mermaid.

“Tamuneneng, it’s very gratifying to see you here in the garage. Is your master already asleep?”

“How are you, Tata? Here’s your ration of plovers and edible-nest swiftlets for your dinner. I have placed additional portions to make sure you get a full share of dinner for tonight. Is your pesky cough still bothering you, sir?”

“Not anymore. By the way, thanks for the herbal seaweeds called lato which you have given me. Because of it, my throat has quickly been cleared. But, wait. I’ll eat my dinner for later. I have a story I want to tell you, child. Come sit here beside me.”

While the two other crocodile companions of Tata Limnangmata are happily eating their dinner, the mermaid’s old friend starts to speak.

“Is Councilor Pabebe already asleep?”

“Not yet, Tata. He is presently having a private meeting in his room, together with Councilor Lumot, General Palikpik-Tainga, and the two Queens who are the guests of the Council. Stepfather Batumbuhangin and stepbrother Gasang are there already, so Councilor told me to take my evening rest.”

“You are such a good child, Tamuneneng. That is why even your bachelor stepbrother mermale, Gasang, is amazed at the purity of your heart. As well as your beauty. And there’s no problem, because you and Gasang just became siblings because your real mother left you at the dome entrance years ago, and it was Batumbuhangin who adopted you. You’re a foundling.”

The bachelorette mermaid gets slightly elated with what she has heard.

“Are you two already romantically involved?”

“Naku! Tata, that is prohibited because we are still noble servants of the clam Councilors.”

“Ay, don’t believe every word those clams are telling you, girl. I’ll give them a big l*****g, if I’ll have my chance; then let’s see who’ll try to contradict what I’m telling you. But, wait. I have something to tell you. A rumor. It has already come to my attention that the soldier mermen tasked to search for our beloved Sea King and to quickly return him to his throne have failed miserably in their mission.”

“Yes, sir, that is true. General Palikpik-Tainga looked like rotten fish right now. Well, that’s according to what Gasang has told me earlier. Rumor, Tata?”

“Yes. Rumor. But this is very different. My guts tell me it has a scale of truth on it.”

“What is it, Tata?”

After lunch, when the search party of the soldier mermen has returned, some of the young crocodiles used by the search party visited me here. They have something to tell me. Something they have chosen not to divulge to their master mermen, because they feel certain the mermen will not believe them anyway.”

“What did they tell you?”

“An edible-nest swiftlet the mermen have captured, and which they have thought is dead already, told the young crocs what it knows about our noble leader’s disappearance, in exchange of its freedom.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, child. And the young crocs told me that the edible-nest swiftlet said it knows of the one creature who has witnessed the entire occurrence which is presently shaking the very foundations of our entire kingdom – Perla!”

Tamuneneng blankly stares at her old friend.

“Perla? Who is Perla?”

“Perla. She is the guardian of the lighthouse.”

“Perla? Lighthouse?”

“Yes, Tamuneneng. Perla is the guardian of the lighthouse on the Reef of Freedom. She is the only witness to the disappearance of the King of the Ayisan Sea.”

In the silence of the depths of the sea inside the garage, the old crocodile’s voice causes waves to reverberate; and the two are completely unaware that a creature standing on a nearby balcony of the Ayisan palace has heard everything that Tata Limnangmata has said.

It is General Palikpik-Tainga.