The Great Escape Chapter 8, Part 9 of 9

The Great Escape
Chapter 8, Part 9 of 9
 
While Belena and Ezra fucked, Kalyndra knocked at the back of his hut and climbed through the gap in the wall.  
 
Calliope and Thalassa were already there, along with all the diver faction: seven women in all, plus Leanne, who was a salter but agreed to support Calliope if she stood up against Belena; two small flickering orange tapers lighted the hut. There was suspicious silence for a second, then Calliope said:
 
"Thank you for coming, Kalyndra. Have you told Ferne where you've gone?"
 
"No, but I've warned her that something important is happening that threatens to change everything for us."
 
"I see. What did she say?"
 
"She's willing to listen."
 
"That's good enough."
 
Calliope was not worried that Ferne might be organizing against her. There was no going back now. The women got down to business. With Leanne and Kalyndra on the side, the gap between the two factions was only three. With Ferne as well, they would be stronger politically and able to make changes. The problem would be to show Ferne and the other members of the Salter faction that the Mariner tribe was viable without Belena and that they could prosper with Calliope, Ferne, or someone else as chief.
 
The discussion lasted an hour, during which Kalyndra learned what had been resolved and that it was only now a question of numbers and timing. Of course, she gave her support, as she promised Ezra, though she was not entirely convinced a new chief would improve things.
 
"I understand your skepticism," Calliope assured her. "But we are too far into this to stop now. We can agree with the tribe tonight, or we can give up. Does everyone agree?"
 
They did.
 
"So, I suggest you tell Ferne what we have resolved and ask her to join us if she will."
 
Kalyndra left by the front door. From now on, it didn't matter who was spying on them. She was back in ten minutes with Ferne, who looked even more skeptical than Kalyndra, but she listened patiently and asked only pertinent questions. Accusations of tyranny and favoritism against Belena were not a complete revelation, but there were some details she had yet to hear. Devon's testimony changed things for her, and so did Thalassa.  
 
She saw the innocent girl's relief as Calliope explained that her daughter would have gone to Belena's boat tonight rather than cause friction in the camp, but the women in this hut vowed to prevent it at all costs.
 
It reminded Ferne how differently she had felt when Belena first invited Kalyndra to join her for the night. Ferne thought it was an honor and never asked her daughter what she thought. Doubtless, she hadn't suffered the horror Devon related to, but it was easy not to notice things when one prefers not to see them. Besides, regardless of Belena's sexual character, the tribe's future should be considered.
 
Ferne said: "I've not wanted to rock the boat while Belena negotiated such good deals with the Herders and Cloners, so I worry that we will all be worse off without her."
 
"I agree," Calliope replied. "Belena's influence has helped our case, especially with the Herders, but the economic conditions are the same, whoever rules, and with Ezra potent and willing to father children with us, we are in a good position with the Cloners. We can even afford to be more generous to the Woodlanders than Belena has been."
 
"I don't doubt it, though we are talking about long-term plans for the future. You have no experience of leadership."
 
"No, only of this small faction. But you have."
 
Ferne paused. She had long been second-in-command to Belena.
 
"I have more experience than you, Calliope, but I'm better suited to being a lieutenant and have no other ambition. If we are going to do this properly, then you'll have to stand against Belena. You'll have to be our new chief."
 
"So you'll join us?"
 
"If the tribe no longer wants Belena, then she must go. I am with you."
 
Now, they had to put the case to the tribe. In fifteen minutes, all the adult women were crammed into Ezra's hut, and Calliope announced that she and Ferne had formed a united faction against Belena. There was little to discuss after the complaints against Belena's tyranny, sexual abuse, and favoritism were announced: only those unaffected by her might not object. Calliope asked for a vote, and Ferne gave support. The decision was unanimous: Belena's rule was over.
 
Belena is banished
 
The following day, when she emerged from her boat house with a long stretch and a wide, contented smile, Belena was greeted by the whole tribe waiting in a semi-circle outside her door. Her smile vanished when she saw their stony faces.
 
"What is it? What's wrong?"
 
Calliope stepped forward.
 
"Belena. The Mariner tribe had a meeting last night and made a decision."
 
"What decision?"
 
"We no longer want you as our chief."
 
"That is mutiny. You can't do that. If you want to vote me out, we have elections every five years."
 
"It's not mutiny. We can reject you if you have broken our laws, as you have."
 
"Which laws?"
 
"Abuse of power, favoritism, tyranny, and rape."
 
"Who accuses me of these offenses?"
 
Calliope signaled Devon. The girl stepped boldly forward:
 
"I accuse Belena of tyranny and rape."
 
"Nonsense!" Belena exclaimed.
 
Leanne stepped forward. "I accuse Belena of tyranny."
 
Cressi stepped forward. "I accuse Belena of rape."
 
Other women stepped forward to make accusations of abuse and favoritism until Belena held up her hands, saying, "Stop! This is all nonsense. Can't you see? Calliope is a traitor. She's put you all up to this to grab power for herself. Ferne, you can't have been taken in by her."
 
"I'm sorry, Belena," Ferne said, "it's all over. The tribe has decided."
 
"It's not the law!" Belena insisted, but with Ferne's opposition and her daughter away, some of the fight left her, and she looked around for support. There was no one, but then she remembered. Ezra was behind her. He hadn't spoken yet, so she turned to him.
 
"Ezra, you see, there's a conspiracy against me. You'll take my side?"
 
But he walked past her and stood beside Calliope and folded his arms.
 
That took the rest of the fight out of her. She seemed to collapse for a moment. Then she straightened up and, ignoring the women, pointed an accusing finger at Ezra. Her face contorted with anger, almost spitting the word, she shouted: "Liar!"
 
He felt the accusation keenly and bowed his head.
 
"Belena, I'm sorry, I never meant ..."
 
But she turned her back to him, tears welling in her eyes; she quietly repeated the word "Liar!"
 
"Belena Mariner," Calliope intoned loudly. "For your crimes and abuses, you are no longer chief of the Mariners.  
 
You are exiled for six months until Gerta and Helen return from Cloner City when we have an election. We have food, water, and a tent for you to take with us. Pack your belongings and be gone!"
 
There was nothing Belena could do. She collected her most prized possessions into a bag, put on her best cloak, and washed the tears from her face. She made a dignified exit, though when Ferne tried to speak privately, Belena shrugged her off. She was given a backpack that undid into a small tent. Kalyndra handed her a bag of food and a large bladder of water. May and Della ran forward to be hugged one last time, and then she was off; her rule ended, her spirit broken.
 
There was relief in the Mariner Settlement but no celebration. Instead, the women were quiet; some even wondered if they had done the right thing. Ferne indicated to Calliope that this was the first test of her leadership.
 
Calliope stood on a bench and spoke in loud, commanding tones.
 
"Ladies! I feel sad for Belena but feel no remorse. She was a tyrant who divided us into antagonistic forces.  
 
Now, we can be a harmonious tribe once again. Who can regret this? Who thinks it was wrong to keep our daughters safe?"
 
"So here are my first orders. The instruments Belena used to abuse our girls are to be destroyed. I want us all to see them burned."
 
Devon was happy to be the first to obey. She entered the boat and re-emerged with the leather bag, which she emptied onto the campfire. The other women helped her pile up dry logs around the bundle of whips, straps, gags, and dildos. Kindling was added, and a lighted stick from the stove was thrown on the pile.
 
The women watched the fire build, flames licking the wood pile, singeing the leather implements. Then, with emissions of grey smoke, the pile of dildos caught flame. Devon stood nearest, seeking closure on the ugliest episode in her life as the fire roared and the instruments of her torture were reduced to ashes.
 
Afterward, the women went about their usual allotted chores while Ferne and Calliope sat down to organize new work rosters, which would share the jobs fairly. They also had to decide when to contact the other tribes with the news. A trade meeting was due with the Herders in two weeks and the Woodlanders in three weeks. In three months, there was the annual meeting of all Samotheans near the Cloner City, though they were sure the Cloners would have the news long before then because Belena would indeed have gone to stay there with her daughter.
 
As the women returned from their chores for lunch, Ferne and Calliope were finishing their plans. They had decided to contact the Woodlanders as soon as possible and left contacting the other tribes for now.  
 
Calliope gave her second orders as acting chief:
 
"Kalyndra, Devon. Please go to the Woodlander meeting and send a white smoke signal. Could you collect some food for lunch to take with you? Off you go."
 
The girls exchanged a glance and then hurried to obey their orders. In ten minutes, they'd gathered food, water, a closed clay pot with living embers from the stove, a bag of earth, a small stack of kindling, and a hand axe to cut more wood if necessary. These things were needed for the smoke-signal code of the Mariners and Woodlanders.
 
When one tribe wanted to contact the other without making the day-long journey between the two camps, they would light a fire at the meeting place, adding pale earth to color the smoke white or using charcoal, leaves, and straw to send up black smoke. White smoke meant, "Come to a meeting tomorrow." Black smoke meant, "Come to a meeting now; we are waiting."
 
The girls set off and were soon on their way east across the plain, walking quickly and maintaining a wary silence. The primary reason for their rivalry no longer existed, but their competitiveness had its momentum.  
 
Calliope sent them on this joint task to help them sort out their differences for the new regime.
 
Mentioning the Woodlanders reminded Calliope she hadn't seen Ezra since Belena's banishment. She looked around and asked where he was. No one knew, so she sent Thalassa in search of him.
 
Thalassa found him sitting on the bed in his hut, his head in his hands, staring at his feet.
 
"Ezra, Mum wants you."
 
He looked up, unfocussed.
 
"What's wrong?" she asked.
 
"Nothing, only I feel sad for Belena for what I did to her."
 
The beautiful girl with the straight chestnut hair and calm silver-grey eyes, usually so full of compassion, now had steel in her countenance. She came and sat next to him.
 
"You don't need to be sad for her," she said. "Belena deserved it."
 
"You're right. I'm pitying myself more than her, but only because I broke my word. I led her on and lied to her.  
 
She deserved exile, but I made it worse."
 
"It is permitted to lie to liars, to deceive a deceiver."
 
"I suppose so, and I did what I needed to do."
 
"No, that's how tyrants talk. You did what was right. We all did. Also, you helped save me, so be happy for my sake, at least."
 
"Thalassa, I'm thrilled I helped protect you. If there is any good in this whole business, it's that you're safe."
 
"There is much more good in this business than just my safety, Ezra. Devon and the others are avenged, and you'll see my mother will be a better chief."
 
Someone else will also make a better chief someday. Do you have political ambitions, Thalassa?"
 
"Not that I know of," she answered, smiling, pleased he was coming out of his funk. "By the way, if you happen to feel sad again, there are a dozen women in this tribe who would dearly love the job of making you happy any time you want to ask them. Including me."
 
He smiled. This wasn't the gentle, shy girl he knew in the forest.
 
"Thank you, but didn't you say Calliope wanted me?"
 
"Yes, come on." She jumped up and led him out of his hut to the table where the tribe was having lunch.
 
"Ah, Ezra," Calliope said. "You're late for lunch. Are you hungry?"
 
"Not really."
 
"Very well. Help yourself when you are. Meanwhile, I sent Kalyndra and Devon to summon the Woodlanders to the meeting place tomorrow. I want you to be there."
 
"Of course, Calliope."
 
"Good. Nothing in our agreement has changed. You're free to take whomever you like as a bedmate and stay with us as long as you like."
 
"Thank you. I'll keep to my plan. If she's willing, Cressi should be my bedmate this week."
 
"Cressi?" Calliope said. "Did you hear that?"
 
"God, yes!" she replied.
 
Most of the women smiled at her lusty enthusiasm.
 
"That's settled," Calliope concluded. "Is everyone done with lunch? Yes? Then, check with Ferne about the new  
work allocations. Althea, Leanne: you can help me remove Belena's stuff from the boat. We'll store it in a spare hut."
 
With that, Calliope cleared away her plate, wiped her hands on her skirt, rolled up the sleeves of her blouse, and walked serenely into the old chief's boat to take possession of and stamp her authority, albeit temporary, on the tribe.
 
Ezra marveled at her transformation and shared a knowing glance with Ferne, who was perhaps less impressed but equally admiring. Most of the tribe noticed the transformation and looked on with a sense of satisfaction, feeling they had made a good choice for Belena's replacement. There was a real chief who needed only the opportunity to flourish. There was a chief whose success was in their hands. They exchanged smiles and got on with their work.
 
 
To be continued