Oligarchy.

A cool wind swept through the square, carrying a scent that would change the world. Tension and excitement was palpable in the air. The signs were clear; something would happen today. There were talks of the dark king stepping down. Some said that foreign hands could play their parts. Still others maintained that the king would hold on, the protests would die down, and then would his black hand come down heavily on those who dared oppose him. ‘How could they even dream of toppling him, The Dark King, before whom even the Gods tremble with fear?’

The crowds had started to gather from the morning itself, but it was now that it was reaching a hysteric level. The attendance had been unprecedented today. There was chanting of ‘Go Away Black Heart’ all around the square. Loud banners unfurled in the air, swaying lightly in the breeze. Huge screens had been erected at the four corners, and indeed around the city itself, to intimate every one of the developments. The general atmosphere around the city was more relaxed. No one seemed to remember that the curfew hours had begun, and it was time to retreat into the safety of their respective houses.

But then, there wasn’t really any need to tell them. The last major outbreak of violence had been two days ago, in the downtown area between the anti and pro-king groups. It had left more than a hundred dead, thousand injured, but it was the outcome of the very same incident that had fueled the general anger and contempt for the King to new heights. People had taken to the streets like never before, determined to throw the immortal sorcerer out of the office now.

Around the country, small and powerless conjurers and magicians pledged their support to the cause. They knew they were nothing more than amoebae compared to the King, but then, was David any bigger? They helped to conjure safety shields and manufacture more effective Molotov’s.

Today, the security establishment was conspicuous by its absence. There was no sign of the fearsome Secret Service, or of the regular police. The militia was absent too. There was no response on government help-lines. In short, it looked as if the administrative machinery had been dismantled over-night.

*******

The leader of the mass-movement, Ranhall, led the procession through the entire city, before stopping in the grounds of the historic Fort Independence. The whole complex was lighted by atomic lights. Temporary shelters had peen erected, and there were provisions for eating as well. Somewhere ahead was a small dais on which stood a young, flamboyant boy. He seemed to be speaking something into a loudspeaker, but for some reason, couldn’t be heard. He looked bemused, and signaled the technician to look into the problem.

It had grown late now, the crowd was restless. They had come here expecting some kind of announcement proclaiming the resignation of the Sorcerer-King and a return to a civilian governorship. However, all they had to do here was hear stories about the old king. . The wide-spread corruption, the atrocities, tales of families being torn apart, of disappearing and of killings.

(To be continued.)