Page 46 of The Ruler
“Like what?”
“Well,” She scratched her upper arm. “There’s a girl whose mother volunteered as a peacekeeper and accepted the carrying of twin boys.”
“Yes.” Peacekeepers were the women who carried the boys who were destined to be sent to the Northlands at the age of three.
“I’m not sure what went wrong, but one of the twin boys turned out to be a girl and the mother didn’t wish to raise them.”
It wasn’t uncommon for peacekeepers not to raise their children, since giving them up at the age of three was harder than giving them up at birth. But it was very uncommon for a mother not to want her daughter.
“That’s odd,” I said.
Isobel’s forehead wrinkled. “Strangely enough, this little girl, Willow, hasn’t been adopted by anyone. She just lives in a parenting unit, which makes her a candidate.”
“And Willow’s personality?” I asked.
“She’s described as lively and happy.”
“We’ll take her.” I smiled.
My mother nodded. “I’ll choose the ones most suited and send you their profiles.”
“We need a minimum of eight girls,” I instructed. “Two boys will be fine.”
“Why not ten girls?”
“Because I need two boys who can bridge the genders.”
“What do you mean?”
“The two boys will have something in common with the boys since they are, well, boys. But they will also have something in common with the girls since they’re all from the Motherlands.”
“Ahh, I see.” Isobel nodded. “I’m on it.”
“Thank you, and one last thing. I want the name of Willow’s twin brother. It will make it easier for the teachers if two of the kids have something to bond over from the beginning. I’ll ask Khan to find the boy and include him in the group.
“Understood.”
“Wonderful. I’ll talk to you when we’re back from our journey to the east.”
She nodded. “I wish you eternal peace and happiness, my child.”
“Same to you, Mother.”
Ending the call, I packed the last items in my bag and waited for Khan to come and get me. He had told me he just needed to finalize a few details and would be back soon. Plunking myself down on the sofa, I crossed my legs and rocked my foot in the air, excitement flowing through me. If we could make this school project a success, then we could start more schools, and eventually it could become the new norm that Nboys grew up with girls and learned to respect them as equals. Maybe then, the new generation would see the logic of having an all-female council instead of a single ruler. In time, they might wish to join the Motherlands and be fully integrated to enjoy the benefits we had to offer.
Khan
I could have asked the local police to handle the situation with the rebels and normally I would have, but Edward was a special case. He was the youngest son of the dictator that my father had overthrown in a bloody coup thirty years ago.
On the night of the revolution my father and his friends took out the ruler and his three oldest sons. Edward’s mother had begged for her two youngest children, who were only two and four years old at the time, to be spared. It was because of her tears that Edward and his sister lived today.
I needed to remind Edward that he had survived because of my father’s mercy and that if he didn’t crawl back down the hole he belonged in, I would have to eliminate him today.
He was a sneaky bastard, Edward. He didn’t rally large crowds or shout his intentions from the rooftops. No, he was subtle and only met with small groups at a time like a nasty spider, spinning his web and pulling threads.
Boulder’s informant had assured us he would be in his favorite spot, a bar called the Heinous Whore where he recruited his followers among the poor and desperate.
The bar was a shithole next to a whorehouse with broken windows and a sign that said:Low prices on outdated models.
