Chapter 23 Petition

　　—Once petition itself can no longer produce compromise, royal power is not far from death.

　　When Gong Kang finished speaking the surrounding crowd fell completely silent.

　　Most of those present had experienced the loss of relatives to sacrifice or labor service, yet once the wound healed the pain was forgotten; they had long since grown numb.

　　Now Gong Kang’s words tore open the old scar and sprinkled salt upon it.

　　Apart from the suppressed sobs of a few women, silence reigned.

　　“Gong Kang, what… what exactly do you intend? No matter who you are, you must not slander the Green Clan celestial gods!” Fang Mu said in agitation, glancing toward the Great Chieftain.

　　“Let him continue!” Great Chieftain Gongdian spoke.

　　“Thank you, Father! The Green Clan celestial gods are served by the BullHead Clan, the Giant Clan, and the EagleGod Clan. Why can the BullHeads not bear the principal burden of the sacrifices? After the War of the Gods only our human race has been forced to offer sacrifices. Years of humiliation and stealthy survival have earned us only contempt; we are called ‘the lowly, cowardly human race.’

　　“Cowardice purchases no mercy. Eight thousand sacrifices and twenty thousand laborers—we absolutely cannot accept them. Otherwise next year the demands will only intensify until the bloodline of our human race is extinguished. Therefore our two great human clans can no longer continue this mutual slaughter. We must unite and jointly petition the Green Clan celestial gods.”

　　Someone in the crowd shouted: “Gong Kang is right!” At once the people raised their arms and cried together: “Gong Kang is right! We must petition the Green Clan!”

　　Su Ziqi and Gongkong raised their arms and joined the shout.

　　Thus the humansacrifice combat tournament of that year came to an end. Gong Kang stood like a hero, a monument erected in the hearts of the clan people.

　　In the end the chieftains of the two clans conferred and decided to petition the Green Clan celestial gods jointly, requesting a reduction in the quotas of sacrifices and laborers.

　　The spectators dispersed. Su Ziqi’s party returned with Gongkong to the tree hollow of the sacrificial platform in the inner city; the guards upon the platform were still snoring soundly.

　　On the way back Zheng Ya sighed continuously: “Lian Xiang is truly beautiful; Gong Kang is worthy of being called a hero. Hero and beauty—they are perfectly matched!”

　　Wang Yue also praised without cease: “Indeed—both are accomplished in civil and martial arts; they complement each other perfectly.”

　　Su Ziqi, however, remained troubled by the artificial interference in Gong Kang and Lian Xiang’s love: “Gongkong, your elder brother Gong Kang and Lian Xiang are in free love; your father should not interfere.”

　　The phrase “free love” that Su Ziqi used was a fusion of ancient Sumerian and ancient Egyptian; Gongkong clearly did not understand it, indicating that the native language contained no such concept.

　　Gongkong’s face showed puzzlement: “Free love? What does that phrase mean? In our clan marriage is arranged by parental command and the words of matchmakers.”

　　Wang Yue smiled: “Ziqi, a primitive tribe such as theirs cannot give birth to so open a consciousness. Do not bother explaining to Gongkong; even if you did he would not understand.”

　　Gongkong suddenly asked in rather awkward Chinese: “You say I do not understand? Do not understand what?”

　　Su Ziqi was rather surprised: “Gongkong, when did you begin secretly learning our language?”

　　Gongkong switched back to the native tongue and said solemnly: “Sister Ziqi, your language is extremely elegant; you must teach it to me.”

　　Wang Yue, seeing the usually glib Gongkong behave like a modest gentleman before Su Ziqi, teased: “Ah, I understand—love for the house extends to the crow; the power of love is truly great.”

　　Su Ziqi’s face flushed: “Sister Yue, what nonsense are you talking?”

　　Gongkong again asked in imperfect Chinese: “Love? What does ‘love’ mean?”

　　Su Ziqi diverted the conversation in the native tongue: “Nothing, nothing important. Gongkong, can you speak to the Great Chieftain and give us a little freedom of movement so that we are not confined every day inside this tree hollow?”

　　“Very well; I shall try to speak with Father.”

　　A few days later, early one morning, Gongkong arrived in high spirits bearing good news: the scouts sent out in every direction of the forest had for more than a month seen no further appearance of Vimana. The Great Chieftain considered that vigilance could be relaxed; Su Ziqi and her companions might now move about within Wangqiu City.

　　Two conditions, however, were attached: first, they must be accompanied by Gongkong; second, they must wear the garments of the Gongyou Clan and appear as members of the clan.

　　Hearing the news the five leapt with excitement.

　　During the more than a month of contact with the Gongyou Clan, Su Ziqi and the others had gained a deeper understanding of this planet and of the clan itself.

　　The continent of Mu was a single continental plate surrounded by ocean. The five tribes of the Gongyou Clan—the Dragon, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf Tribes—all lived within the largest forest upon the continent, known as the Nanyu Forest, situated in the southern part of the land.

　　The totem of the Dragon Tribe to which Gongkong belonged was the bluegreen dragon. The ablebodied men of the tribe spent each day either hunting in the forest or reclaiming wasteland to plant maize, tubers, and the like.

　　Although the giant trees within the city bore fruit throughout the year, the greatest harvest came in autumn; it was still spring, and only scattered small fruits hung from the branches.

　　Livestock were also raised inside the city. Yet with so large a population these resources alone could scarcely feed the entire populace; in times of scarcity the elderly, the weak, women, and children had to go into the forest to gather wild grains and fruits.

　　Living by the mountain one eats of the mountain; living by the water one eats of the water. All the clan’s food and drink came from the forest. Because the forest’s resources were extremely rich—different fruits and grains could be gathered in every season, and wild animals were abundant—so long as one was reasonably diligent, the members of the clan need never worry about food and drink.

　　Su Ziqi wished to understand and experience the clan’s life more deeply and therefore proposed to Gongkong that the women might accompany the clan’s women to gather grains and fruits, while the men might follow the hunters on the hunt.

　　Gongkong smiled: “Sister Ziqi, no problem. Tomorrow we shall go together to gather fruit.”

　　Su Ziqi asked in surprise: “Did you not say the men go hunting? Why will you not go with them?”

　　“The animals of the forest are all my friends; I cannot bear to see them slaughtered. Moreover I myself eat only vegetables, so I never take part in the hunt.”

　　Zheng Ya, herself a vegetarian, seemed to have found a kindred spirit. She had not expected the usual ruffianfaced Gongkong to possess so delicate an inner nature—forming a sharp contrast with his outward appearance. “Is that so? I never imagined Gongkong was a vegetarian as well.”

　　Dong Yifeng, hearing that hunting was possible, immediately grew excited: “Ziqi, tell Gongkong that Huamei and I would like to follow the Great Chieftain on the hunt—ask whether it is permitted.”

　　Upon Earth Dong had once gone specially to the African savannah, accompanying primitive tribes on the hunt while studying African species.

　　Su Ziqi translated; Gongkong said he would request permission from the Great Chieftain.

　　In the afternoon Gongkong returned with good news: the Great Chieftain agreed that the following day Dong Yifeng and Huamei might accompany the clan on the hunt, but throughout the entire expedition they must remain close beside Second Young Master Gong Yi.

　　Gongkong himself intended the next day to take Su Ziqi, Wang Yue, and Zheng Ya with the clan’s gathering party into the forest to collect fruits and grains.