Chapter 46

Shai brought his fist down through the glass table. It shattered in spectacular glittering punctuated by small spatterings of red. Zale jumped for his tea, grabbing just before it, too, cascaded to the floor. He stared dumbly at Shai, who was now seething with rage. "So THAT'S Their game!" he roared, "Those rotten, vile, corrupt…bastards! They plan to endanger every life here for their stupid plot against me!"

Mert and Akil came bursting into the room, panic written on their faces. They quickly assessed the situation. Akil moved to assist Shai, who merely brushed him aside. "They WANT me to hire a world tier hunter. It would drain all the money we have and leave the state helpless. It would look like we can't do anything without hunters around. Make us out to be incompetent and incapable. They plan to sway the public and claim the country when we have no money or power backing us. All because I am powerless."

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Mert and Akil stayed out of his way as they began cleaning the mess. He fumed for a while, pacing the room and looking at his papers until he finally calmed down enough to be rational again. "My apologies," he said to Zale, then to Akil, "Zale and I will move to the balcony for now. I need some fresh air."

Akil nodded once. Zale took the cue and left his tea with Mert. The balcony overlooked the well-groomed garden at the back of the estate. In the dark, the lights gently illuminated the walkways and fountain with their subtle amber glow. Shai leaned on the ledge and took a deep breath of the cool desert air. He didn't speak for a long time.

When he did, his words came out shaky and pained. "My father once told me, 'it is not a man of brilliance who guides his country true, but a man of great heart.' For many years I've believed it to mean someone who is honest and caring. However, I think I missed another important element. To have heart, one must have the courage to do what is best for the people."

As he spoke, he grew stronger until he straightened himself. "I believe the best thing I can do for my country is to bow out gracefully and use my position as payment to force Obelisk to take action," he declared.

Shai was awash with different emotions: hope, defeat, anxiety. His eyes shone, whether from welling tears or his determination, Zale couldn't tell. "Zale, I will lose my throne and right as king of Egypt. I will likely lose many other things, as well. Are you still willing to help me despite that?"

Zale chuckled, and it turned into a full-lunged laugh. "Shai, if I followed you here before you were pharaoh and had money, I wouldn't have spent the last week reading more than eight hours a day for a week straight. I'm here because I want to be, and as your friend, I'll stick with you until the end."

Shai found himself overwhelmed, and his tears streaked his tears silently. "Thank you, Zale. It means more than you know."

"Don't mention it. We should get your hand taken care of," Zale said, resting a hand on Shai's shoulder with a smile that conveyed what his words couldn't.

"Indeed," Shai agreed, wiping his tears with his healthy hand.