The three sat in silence for a mont after Pablo's confession.
The church was quiet. The sll of candles still filled the air. Faint light filtered through the stained glass windows, painting patches of color on the stone floor.
Pablo sat on a simple wooden bench. Before him, Jinny stood, her arms crossed beneath her chest, accentuating her figure. Pablo could not stop his eyes from staring. He looked at her beautiful face, at her amber eyes, at her full lips, then his eyes drifted downward. To her soft neck, to her prominent chest pressing against her simple shirt.
Jinny noticed. Of course she noticed. She was not stupid. She was used to n's glances. But she said nothing. She ignored it. There were more important things to discuss.
Kuma sat on his massive chair, looking at Pablo with deep eyes.
"Why?" Kuma asked in his deep voice. "Sorbet is not your kingdom. You are not from here. Why are you doing all this? Why are you risking your life for people you don't know?"
Pablo turned his gaze away from Jinny. It was ti to act.
He took a deep breath. He made his voice tremble slightly, as if he were emotional. As if he were hiding a deep pain.
"Because I have seen injustice, Kuma." he said in a low voice. "I have seen the poor die while the rich live in palaces. I have seen the elderly work in the fields until they die, while the nobles drink wine in their mansions."
He paused. He looked at the ground. Then he raised his eyes.
"I was planning different things at first. I just wanted to expand my family's influence. Sorbet was just a stop. A place to put my feet and start from."
"But after I ca here... after I saw the south with my own eyes... after I spoke to the poor and learned of their suffering... my plans changed."
His voice beca sharper now.
"King Bekori is planning to turn all the people of the south into slaves."
Silence.
His eyes were fixed on Kuma and Jinny. He was waiting for their reaction.
"Slaves?" Jinny whispered. Her voice trembled slightly.
"Yes. Slaves. Do you know why? The Heavenly Tribute paid to the World Governnt is calculated based on the population of the kingdom. The larger the population, the larger the tribute. Bekori wants to reduce the population of Sorbet. How? By turning the poor into slaves and selling them. This reduces the number of free citizens, and thus the tribute decreases. And he keeps the money."
Kuma moved for the first ti. His massive body swayed slightly. His grip tightened on the arm of the chair so hard that the wood creaked. On his face, anger appeared that Pablo had never seen before. His sunken eyes ignited. His hooked nose flared slightly.
"When?" Kuma asked. His voice was like distant thunder.
"In less than a year. I have confird information. I will not say where I got it from. But it is true."
Jinny was trembling. Not from the cold. She was thinking of the poor people she knew. Of the elderly Kuma treated. Of the children playing in the streets of the south. All of them were threatened with becoming slaves.
"This... this cannot happen." she said. Her voice was sharp now. "I will not allow it."
"Neither will I." Pablo said. "That is why I am here. That is why I need your help."
He looked at Kuma.
"Your ability, Kuma... it could change everything. I can plan, I can gather money, I can provide weapons, I can incite the youth. But in battle... in the decisive mont... I will need soone with your strength."
Kuma did not reply. He was thinking.
Jinny spoke instead of him.
"This is a big decision. We don't know you. We have only heard your na. How do we know you are sincere? How do we know you won't exploit us like the nobles exploit the poor?"
"I will not exploit you." Pablo said. "I am not a saint. I do not claim to be doing this only for the greater good. I am building my family. Sorbet is part of this plan. But the difference between and Bekori... is that I do not plan to turn the poor into slaves. I plan to make them soldiers and free citizens. I will need their loyalty. And I will not earn their loyalty if I treat them like animals."
A long silence.
Then Jinny said:
"We will think. We will talk to each other. Then we will give you an answer."
"Do not take too long." Pablo said. "The matter is approaching. The king is moving. If we are not ready, he will crush us all."
He stood up. He was about to leave.
Then he turned to Jinny.
He looked at her. At her beautiful face. At her eyes. At her lips. At her alluring body. He looked for a long ti. Then he winked at her.
A clear wink. Impossible to misunderstand.
Jinny raised an eyebrow. Then she ignored it. She turned her face as if she had seen nothing.
Pablo knew why. He knew that she loved Kuma. And that Kuma loved her. He knew that their story would end tragically in the end. But this was not the ti.
He smiled a small smile. Then he turned his back and walked toward the door.
He opened the door. He paused for a mont. He said without turning around:
"Think about it. If you decide to help , know that my doors are always open."
He left. He closed the door behind him.
---
The air was cold. The breeze carried the sll of wild herbs and earth. The sky was clear blue.
Pablo stood for a mont. He breathed deeply.
He was happy.
A glint appeared in his eyes that no one had seen before. He knew that Kuma and Jinny would agree. Not because they trusted him. Because they no longer had a choice. The only other option was slavery.
The signs of their joining were clear. The anger in Kuma's eyes. The tremor in Jinny's voice. The need for hope.
They would agree. Soon.
And after they joined this revolution... he would bind them to his family in one way or another. And Kuma's ability would be under his command.
He began walking back to the cave. His steps were light. He felt powerful.
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