NationStates Jolt Archive

Garulus Pentephraxis sighed and lay back in his soft leather sofa, on board Sanctaphrax's official government plane. The plane was bound for Birmingham, Alabama. Camel Eaters territory, and Garulus was there for charity work, helping the poor population. It was a good cause, with a political twist. He was meant to go, as it would improve already flourishing relations between the countries.
"5 minutes Mr Pentephraxis" The attendant, Julia called out. Garulus blushed, Julia was 22, and incredibly attractive. Her uniform consisted of a knee length skirt, blue, and a white and blue blouse. He blushed every time she spoke, and she knew it. She kept it to herself, Garulus was a nice young man, and she didn't want to ruin him.... yet.
The plane touched down, and Garulus surveyed his surroundings from the window. This place needed a good dose of charity, he was determined to help as much as possible, and even get some time in the spotlight. He stepped off, and took a last look back at luxury. He rented out a bike, as a car would be seen as luxury around these parts, and he wanted to attempt to fit in. He cycled through uneven cobbled roads, through to the house which he was staying at. As he cycled, he looked around, marvelling at the houses, the level of poverty. He saw people too, poor people, dressed in rags, unkempt and working to the bone. As he neared his destination, he was looking sideways, when he accidently ran into a girl, knocking her down and sending him flying. He got up shakily and walked over to the girl.
"I'm really sorry, are you ok?"

Tanna jumped up staring at the man who had just sent her and her bread loaf flying. She sniffed him quickly. "Who in the hell are you?" She strode forward her cheeks flushed from the venom building.

She looked at her hand the claw like nails still glinted with a deadly sharpness. Her hair black and greasy. Her face smudged with coal. "Well! Speak boy." Her accent was a drawl showing she had lived in Birmingham all her life.

OOC: Sorry for the lateness. Dinner.

"I... I'm really sorry. My names Garulus, I just came here from Sanctaphrax on a years charity work. Here, let me help you."
He helped the girl to her feet and looked sadly at the bread loaf, which had landed in a puddle of oil.
"I'll buy you another one, I promise, two even if you want... I'm really sorry. Are you ok?" Garulus went to a nearby stall and bought two bread loafs, each one bigger than the girls, and he gave them to her. "Listen, I've got to go, I'm really sorry. If you ever need any help, my names Garulus, Garulus Pentephraxis"
He got back on his bike, which was ok overall, and started riding to the house, he was already late. He pulled up outside, throwing the bike to the ground and knocking on the thin door. A middle-aged woman opened it slightly, eyed the stranger, asked him for his name, and when the answer came she opened it. She led him inside and up to a small attic room. He dumped his stuff there and listened as she explained the procedure to him.
"...At 9 AM, dinner at 8 PM. This is your private room, you're responsible for keeping it clean, I won't come in here at all. You pay me rent each month..." As the list went on, Garulus looked around the room. An old, scratched desk stood in the corner, a large, quite unstable wardrobe stood to one side, there was a thin mattress, which he assumed was the bed. It was torn, and the filling was coming out of it in places.
"....Do you understand Mr Pentephraxis? Mr Pentephraxis? Are you listening to me?" He nodded slightly and continued his examination of the room. Down the stairs was a bathroom. The room had no luxuries, with the notable exception of whatever he had in his bag. The old woman left, and he sat down and thought about the poor girl he'd hit. She had actually been surprisingly good-looking, he remembered now... he hoped she was ok.

Tanna looked at the loaves curiously remembering the stranger in great detail. She had quite a memory though and as such knew everything about the bike down to the last detail. She obviously realized he was richer than an old milker.

She padded towards the bike shop producing a bit of bread and handing it off to the man as he poured the both of them a green watery liquid.

"So what are you wanting Tanna?" The bike dealer asked flipping a coin in his hand that he caught before she could snatch it from the air.

"Information on a Red Welly. Number 349. The paint looks like the rails on the Nueve Tara Station design. I need information on that." The dealer blinked before typing it in slowly. He smiled and turned the screen towards her slowly before stopping.

"Well we all need something in life. And I haven't enough coin to go down to Honey Lane." Tanna nodded slowly rolling her eyes as she walked around and led the man into the back room...

15 Minutes later.

"Well it was given to a Garulus Pentephraxis..." The man was interrupted quickly.

"I know that just tell me where he lives will you?" The man looked over the document again and gave her an address. She walked to the hotel and went inside greasing the wheel's of commerce with a little bread as she went to his room and kicked the door as hard as she could. The wooden monstrosity barely held as she used a knife to skewer the latch and go inside....

Garulus was lying there, sleeping when he heard a noise, it sounded like someone kicking the door down. He looked up in time to hear the click of the latch, and the door open. "It wasn't locked" he said mildly, until he saw who it was... the girl!
"What? How? Why?" He shook his head slowly, closed his eyes, then opened them again, hoping it was just a dream. He looked at her, trying to decipher her feelings, but it was impossible.
"What are you doing here? How did you find me? Why did you come after me?"
He groaned inwardly, he got the feeling she wasn't there for a friendly chat, something to do with trying to batter the door down. He froze, and waited for her to speak. That was when he saw the knife. Great, only here for a day and already I'm going to be stabbed to death by some girl He thought to himself.

"You said if I ever needed any help right? Don't go and say you didn't because I remember it clearly. I need money and you need a guide. God bless capitalism now I'll be thirty camel-teeth a week and that's it."

She leaned back looking at him intently as he pondered her offer...

I need a guide? She seems to think I'm a tourist.... then again, she does have a knife. He thought.
"You want... to be my guide, in exchange for 30 Camel-teeth? You seem to have not quite understood. I don't need a guide, I'm here doing charity work. Helping people, I'm not a tourist..." He pondered his choices and finally said "Where do you work? If you need any help there, I'd be glad to see what I can do. As for a guide, I don't need one, but if you're so desperate that you tracked me down, then.... here, take this." He held out his hand, with 30 Phraxdusts on it. He gave a wry smile, "I forgot to change currency, is this ok?"

"Wow you're stupid. If I had the time to track your ass down then I don't have a job. We're the poorest of the poor here so we get by. And I know you're not a tourist the last charity guy through here was skinned and hung from Jar's. You need me to survive. As for the money. Currency is currency." She pocketed the Phraxdusts and made a mental note of the money changers office.

"Wait your Jewish aren't you? Couldn't you just change the money for me now then?" She looked at him as if he was trying to dupe her in some way.

Garulus snorted, he couldn't help it. The girl was talking complete rubbish, and not only that, but she didn't seem to recognize it.
"Yes I am Jewish, and no I can't change the money for you. Not all Jews are bankers, I'm afraid to say. I happen to be unemployed, the PM of Sanctaphrax's son, who came all the way to help people like you, and in the meantime you're already trying to blackmail me. I find I've survived well enough so far in life, now if you don't mind?" He motioned towards the door, asking her to leave.

"Really? You can't change the money?" She was stunned. Every Jew she'd ever met was a banker of some sort.

"Look boy you were fine out there when you were the PM's son but here. You're either a banker or a gang member. Especially if you're Jewish. Now like I said before. You need a guide." She flashed the knife momentarily just to illustrate her point.

Wow, impressive. I've been here a few hours and already I'm on the verge of death. Maybe I better do what she says. Aloud he said "Ok, fine. You want to be my guide, you claim I need a guide, be here at 10AM sharp. Not a minute before or a minute after ok? Now please leave, I want to get some sleep. One more thing, you threaten me with that knife one more time and I call the police and get the hell out of this country. Now please." He motioned the door for what felt like the millionth time. Not waiting to see if she left or not, he collapsed onto the mattress and tried to get to sleep.

She blinked and left.

Backkell Street

"Hey mom!" She placed a coin down and took a bottle of milk from a man in a kiosk. She ran up to a stoop and placed it next to her mother. Who just stood there staring into the street as the hundreds of people who lived there went about there business. Some sang and some danced. Most worked at their home for little while before joining in. One song was prevalent amongst all others.

"Nobody gets out of dis ya pit alive
Nobody no body gets out alive
Nobody gets out of dis ya pit alive
Nobody no body gets out alive
Nobody gets out of dis ya pit alive
Come on follow me 1 and 2 and 6 and 7 and 43 and
Nobody gets out of dis ya pit alive
Nobody, nobody gets alive"

Tanna nodded along with words lifting her head and adding another song to the mix.

"Now what's done in the dark must come to light
And some of them ah big up themselves
And ah grown with the badness
Jah know dat no right
You done know you ah fe come again
And renew your sight
In this time of fighting and confusion
Youth and youth dem just caught in pollution
Bear destruction it runs through the nations
Building walls constructing segregation
Time to cool yourself, just cool yourself
We should live in love and health
Uno we start; ah dem start first
Well one of you better give because
The time is gunner get worst"

Her mother turned and looked at her for a moment. She smiled for the first time since Yebzer joined the army and said. "So you got a job."

"Aye ma and I start morrow."

The next morning at ten she stood at the door and pounded on it once.