Let the Scales Fall Off (3)

Emeravwe studied him.

Though he often boasted, she had come to see that none of his claims were unfounded—about his looks or abilities. He was just as sharp as anyone in their office, if not more so thanks to his additional experience as an officer. And he had a quick wit and honeyed tongue to match. This surprised her not only because his behavior distorted his abilities, but because he was an Ehwoéki.

She locked her hands behind her, and nodded in acknowledgment. “You said you were an ignorant Ehwoéki when we met, but I have since seen that you are literate. Of course, you must be to join the Bureau of Court Affairs, but…”

Mudiaga gave her a knowing look. “You’re wondering how an Ehwoéki can be literate?”

Emeravwe pressed her lips together. She nodded. “Did the Palace Guard teach you?”

Mudiaga laughed, “The Palace Guard teaches how to hold swords, spears, bows, and horse reins. Not how to hold pen to paper!” He paused, his expression waning wistful. “My father taught me.”

Surprised, Agaenaye Fatima piped, “Your father is also learned? Then, who taught him?”

There was a longer pause, then he said solemnly, “He had a benefactor...” Mudiaga hesitated, and his eyes shifted from Emeravwe to Agaenaye Fatima. “An elder of the Omamerhi clan of the Imodu Tribe.”

Agaenaye Fatima gasped. “You have connections to the Imodu Omamerhi clan? Really! No wonder you are a palace guard, even though you are only Ehwoéki!”

Emeravwe looked from Mudiaga to Agaenaye Fatima. She was sure she had heard the name before, but she could not place it. “Who are the Omamerhi?”

Agaenaye Fatima eyed her doubtfully. “Come on, Agaenaye Emeravwe! As a Maiden who has studied the Four Classics, you should know it was the Omamerhi who created our current alphabet system during the third century. Thereby nationalizing a common language used by all Four Tribes! Not to mention, they were pioneers in many other fields!”

She turned to Mudiaga with awe. “But how could mere Ehwoéki be acquainted with such a prestigious clan? The Imodu Omamerhi was one of the oldest and foremost clans of all Four Tribes!”

Mudiaga’s eyebrows pinched; his voice came out stern, “It was only a chance affiliation—we weren’t deeply connected!”

A look of dismay washed over Agaenaye Fatima, and she lowered her eyes.

Emeravwe wondered at Mudiaga’s harsh tone. “It is rare for Ehwoéki and the lower castes to be accepted into the palace’s service, except as laborers. You should be grateful to be connected to such a powerful clan, right?”

Both Mudiaga and Agaenaye Fatima remained silent, their looks grim.

It was Mudiaga who answered, “The clan was put to death ten years ago. During a purge the lower castes call the Onorogu Massacre.” He faced her. “It’s what Aye Chioma called the Insurgence of Onorogu.”

“Oh.”

Emeravwe was dumbfounded. She finally understood why Mudiaga did not want to be linked to that clan.

Yet, her mind lingered on the subject as they walked on. She wondered what occurred during the Insurgence of Onorogu. The event, being recent, was not recorded in the Four Classics, which detailed Xxene’s early history, and until today she had never heard of it.

She thought, Seeing as Aye Chioma and Eunuch Otase are so anxious about the topic, there must still be fresh wounds. Aye Chioma even said Okémeh protested the Insurgence of Onorogu in the marketplaces.

She wondered if the past incident was somehow related to their current case.

After walking a distance from the palace to the outskirts of Joyovwi Market, they arrived at the first victim's home. Mudiaga banged on the closed iron gates, and a footman with a yellow apatite rushed to open them. When they entered the compound though, he immediately stopped Mudiaga in his tracks.

“Please wait here, Oga.”

Mudiaga nodded to Emeravwe and Agaenaye Fatima. “I’ll look around and see if I can find any servants to interview.”

Emeravwe looked from the footman to Mudiaga, confused. “We should greet and speak with the lord of the home first.”

“Yes, you and Fatima go ahead.” She looked even more bewildered at his insistence, and Mudiaga said, “You know they won’t let me in.”

Emeravwe studied him, and took in his guard uniform and the sword at his belt. “Because you are an officer?”

They all eyed her quizzically.

Mudiaga guffawed suddenly. “That’s right! I forgot you’ve been sheltered in the palace.” He flung out his arms, indicating not only the compound, but all of Xxene, it seemed. “This is how things are outside the Sun’s Court. An Ehwoéki, or anyone lower, can’t set foot in the District of Onorogu unless they’re employed there, or have official business, like me. Even so, I can’t enter an Onorogu’s home without their expressed permission. It’s only because I’m in uniform that I’m allowed through the front gate instead of thrown out through the back!”

Emeravwe stared, gobsmacked. She looked skeptically from Mudiaga to Agaenaye Fatima and the footman, but their expressions corroborated his words. “Th-then let us go and ask permission!” she said, at a loss.

Mudiaga and the footman exchanged ridiculing glances, then he simply shook his head.

The footman stepped forward, bowing as he swept out a hand to indicate the path to the front door of the home. “This way, please, Agaenaye.”

As she and Agaenaye Fatima followed the footman, Emeravwe turned to Mudiaga. He flashed her an unaffected smile and wink, then strode toward a side courtyard. She watched his tall figure and saw he held his head high, and shoulders squared, but her heart swelled with empathy.

But that was not the end of it. At all the homes they visited that day, Mudiaga received the same disdainful treatment. While she and Agaenaye Fatima were courteously welcomed inside, and even provided with refreshments, he was detained outside. Even as an officer of the Palace Guard. He walked the grounds like a roaming hound, looking for servants to question.

By the time they finished their interviews and walked through Joyovwi Market toward the palace, Emeravwe felt disheartened. The hierarchy in the palace was strict, with the ranks of Maidens, Eunuchs, and officials clearly defined. But she did not think it was as harsh as this.

When she worked in the Bureau of Halls and Chambers, she had been shunned and rejected by the other Maidens. But though they pushed her aside, she always found her way back into their midst, so they had no choice but to eventually put up with her. Outside the palace, however, it seemed the social gaps were too great for anyone to make a leap between the castes.

This cast a pall on her, because it made her realize even more her obscure background. The ruby in her forehead marked her as an Onorogu, but she had no family, no clan. No status.

How was she any different from the members of the lesser castes?

This thought made her so afraid, and even more determined to find a way to distinguish herself. Even if it meant climbing up the king!