10. Epilogue

Slupper entered the room, and the conversation stopped immediately. I should have sent Socipi himself, it’s his idea AND specialty to break rules, he thought. A large lion and grey owl looked up in shock.

“I trust you will make the right decision,” the Lion said.

The feline quickly left the room, while the owl frowned.

“It is forbidden to influence the judge of the Council of Kame right before the trial begins. Why does everyone try anyway?”

“I know, I know. But Solomon is a good being. He helped us, he taught me a lot. He was seduced by the thought of The Truth. But now that that’s over, I think he deserves a second chance.”

“It’s not my decision. All 666 members of the Council will vote. More than half have to be for it, only then can I spare Solomon.”

A stout owl stuck his head around the corner. “Honorable One, you are expected. Slupper, you come with me.”

The grey owl put on her grey Judge’s Crown. Slupper walked with the younger owl.

He had imagined a lot about the Council of Kame, but what he saw exceeded all his dreams. All animal species were represented by one companion, every vote was equally valuable. All kinds of rivers, trees, plants, and soil made sure each kind felt at home and could move around.

Slupper startled at a shark jumping right out of the water, while on the left a giraffe let a rabbit hop over her neck to a better spot. With every step, his feet touched a different plant. And wherever he looked, he saw other colors and other eyes.

It all culminated in one open space in the center. There stood the Wise Owl atop a wooden platform.

“We are gathered here today to judge the crimes of Solomon, first Companion of his kind. I call the first witness: Companion Akez.”

A shark swam towards the center. Facing the council, facing so many powerful beings waiting for his words, the big shark no longer seemed so scary.

“Wise Owl, I have little to report. I was indeed, twenty years ago, planning to search for The Truth together with him. I thought we would finally find the secret to world peace. But I saw he had other intentions, left, and never returned.”

“Why did you not warn us? Why did you not stop him?”

“I … I thought he would never find it anyway. That he would give up. I hoped he would come to his senses after I left him.”

“Thank you for your testimony. I call the second group of witnesses: Slupper and Socipi.”

Slupper shuffled to the center. Socipi cheerfully swam next to him. When his little river ended, he also climbed onto the hard floor.

“I understand Solomon tried to train and use you for his own plan. Socipi, would you say his actions were premeditated?”

Socipi looked confused. “That means on purpose,” Slupper whispered.

“Yes, I would say that. From day one we had to keep everything secret, because he was afraid someone else would find the book first. Then he endangered our city by making it drift away from land. All to convince me and Slupper to cooperate.”

“Then I know enough. You may leave.”

After a brief gesture with their fins, they walked away on their own paths.

“Is there anyone else who can or wants to defend Solomon?”

An eerie silence remained. The owl nodded.

“Esteemed Council of Kame. Solomon has been a trustworthy Companion for years. His intentions were good, perhaps, but his actions increasingly worse. Thanks to the heroic deeds of Slupper and Socipi it never got that far, though it could have ended terribly. In the absence of the gods, this time the Primal Turtles could have conquered the entire world. I therefore ask you: shall we give him a second chance? Everyone makes mistakes. And we need to show that the Companions stand strong.”

Murmuring arose and the owl raised her voice. “Or is this a bridge too far and will Solomon remain imprisoned for life? I ask you to vote. Raise your vote necklace for Solomon forgiven, otherwise you vote Solomon locked away.”

All members of the Council fell silent and stared straight ahead. It was forbidden to discuss your vote when the vote was officially requested. It was even forbidden to look at another’s vote before casting one yourself.

A large group immediately grabbed their vote necklace, in their mouth, beak, or claws. They were made from the rarest stones taken from the Diamond Path and shone magically in the sunlight.

The judge counted, but didn’t get past 290. Too few. She wanted to announce the result, when a wolf shouted through her.

“Of course they won’t forgive him for all deeds! That would send the wrong message: do whatever you want as Companion, you’ll be forgiven anyway. I have a better proposal. Solomon banished and his Companion position revoked.”

The owl nodded. “New vote. Hold your vote necklace up if you are for the new proposal, do nothing otherwise.”

A larger group now held up the necklace. Halfway through counting, the judge could stop. “That’s already 350, more than enough. Solomon is hereby stripped of his Companionship and banished from the waters around Garda, Origina and Aprania.”

She slapped her wing on a special wooden pillar. The vote had concluded. Her eyes peered through the audience until she found Slupper. “That means we have an empty spot. Slupper, I hereby offer you the Companionship.”

“Oh, well, that is a great honor. To be honest, though, I also committed major errors by blindly trusting Solomon. Socipi here, he handled perfectly.”

“In that case,” boomed an unknown female voice, “you can fulfill the position together.”

Everyone looked around, but no one saw who had spoken. The owl nodded profusely again. She was easily swayed by others, a rare treat for a leader, but thankfully quick in her decisions.

“Hereby I pronounce Socipi the Companion for the sea turtles and Slupper the Companion for the land turtles—which will henceforth be named tortoises. They are now officially seen as two different animal species. This session is adjourned.”

Everyone stood up at once and left the hall, chatting loudly. The lion Anniwe, however, held back the judge as she stepped off her pedestal.

“What’s the meaning of this? As supreme judge, you have to decide, not anyone shouting through you! Solomon is a god—and history teaches us that the world is better off without gods!”

The falcon Horus placed his enormous wings between them, afraid Anniwe would dare attack the Wise Owl.

“He is but a demigod,” Horus said. “Just like me and many other descendants of godlike creatures. The world should use our abilities, not banish them.”

The falcon’s eyes seemed to look right through the lion, as if to destroy him with his gaze.

Anniwe roared. “I won’t let this go so easily.”

And so it was that life continued …