--------------------

"Traitor?" she asked, blinking. "Warning? Please, if there is some excessive danger toward you of which we have no knowledge, let us know. This place is, after all, the heartbeat of the Warriors; you are in their Temple, in the great city of Phrinnchatka on the world K'eel Doba. As it is you are well protected here."

She then turned to the miffed Ryn.

"So you are a R-rr-rryn," she commented lightly, letting thr R roll out onto the air. About her other Sith murmured among themselves, some moving in more closely to observe, for of all the worlds of the grand and glorious Empire they once commanded -- and indeed, thought they yet did -- the planet of Cel's species had been ignored.

She looked at Cel for a long, curiously hard moment; then before the furry thing could so much as squeak she reached out and grasped the arm the young Ryn had been nursing. Her skilled hands ran up and down the limb, easily finding the break.

"It is a clean and simple one, not splintered or offset too badly; here--"

A sudden move: her other hand clamped the bone near the joint, the other holding below the fracture. A swift pull and twist, and the bone popped obligingly back into its proper setting.

"A simple enough procedure; all warriors... and warrioresses--" she added meaningfully. "--learn this from birth. This is a type of inconvenience we run into often, and we usually do not have the luxury of having a Healer nearby to pamper us."

Letting the arm drop, she nodded her head.

"We have no stimulants such as this caff of which you speak; indeed, it one who is dependent upon such affective substances is deemed weak among us. This, however, is something of which you simply do not know.

"All I can offer is brandy. If this is not to your pleasing, may I suggest you place yourself in meditation to alleviate what minute pain you might be experiencing now."

Again, this was a proper suggestion, if one the Sith thought somewhat surprising to have to say. For all the warriors learned how to implement such quieting and focusing procedures at quite an early age.

"Thank you, that was all I needed done in the first place. And on another note I am not a warrior, I am a slicer, but since you don't know what caff is you probably don't know what a slicer is either."

It was hard not to notice all these sith crowdind around me... in most places of the galaxy being ryn makes me unoticed and ignored, but here it seems to have an opposite effect.

I looked at Thea, though calmer then before she had a look of fear written on her face.

"Warn Yaoksi about what... Like she said we are surrounded by warriors of the sith, I don't know what that means but it sounds impressive, or at least invokes the feeling of its suppose to be impressive. And If its about the sith, I say at this point we would be screwed."

--------------------

“Well,” he said, eyes narrowing. “If you mean my promise of putting Gray back together, I hardly got the chance! I went into the Darker Realms with everyone else, and I was able to get Gray's spirit free and installed into Shayla for safe keeping. Then we get sent to Tattooine while Aelvedaar fights off those dang white spiders, and before anyone knew it blondie here runs off, leaving us stranded! Then on Dagobah, however the heck she got Gray back in her body, I don't know, but when we go looking for her, the two of them shoved me through into the Elseness! I happened to find a doorway out, out of pure luck, and ended up on these guys’ ship. So I don’t know what she’s doing back here, Phal, but there is something up with her and I don’t like it one bit.”

He looked back to Phalomir, speaking quickly.

“And I think she did something with Erik on Dagobah, I was helping to look for him when-- holy crap! If the others aren’t here, they might still be back on Dagobah! Or worse!”

Thoran tried to rise, but didn't get too far. Still, he glared at Shayla.

"So, fess up, Shayla! What did you do with Erik? And why are you so bad-ass all of sudden? All this sneaky self-absorbed dark alley stuff! You're acting like... like the Master!"

[ 01-08-2007 11:49 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Thoran ]

--------------------

I was marched across the tarmac, ushered into an underground transport of some type, and whisked from the spaceport into the city proper. We exited the transport to the streets of Phrinnchatka, a city both familiar and alien to me, for the last time I walked anywhere within it it was dark, devoid of life save for those few who were privileged to be here. I closed my eyes briefly, remembering that time, when I had come at the call of Galen to rescue our daughter.

Who purportedly was still here.

I had no reason to think otherwise; in fact, I had every reason to believe Galen's sister. So I marched rapidly along with the guard, neither trying to drag them back nor hasten them along, borne upon memories of days past and determination as to what I was going to do concerning those present.

Sith melted from our path, some stopping to bow their heads briefly, others simply scampering off to the sides of our little troop. Thus unimpeded, we made good time, and soon had come to that towering ediface I remembered so well: the Temple of the Warriors.

Up those imposing steps we marched, through the little shrine-like building at the apex of this facade, across the courtyard behind and into the Foyer. Through those shadowy pillars then, memories of my last flight through this very spot, then with all the demons from hell snapping at my heels. I blinked; writhing, gibbering imps sequed into...

Nothing but shadows. Shadows coming at me from a corridor we had suddenly entered; I stiffened, chastising myself for replacing reality with memories, and looked ahead. We had come to an enormous set of heavily guarded, ornate doors; one of the Sith in my entourage stepped forward and spoke to them.

They bowed, raising the spears with which they had been blocking the door, obviously allowing us entry. The same Sith who had spoken now reached out, opened those doors; they oiled open easily and silently, letting me momentarily marvel at this feat of engineering these people had produced. Then my momentarily wandering mind snapped into sharp focus:

She rose to her feet, there upon the high-set throne upon which she had seated herself. She even deigned to move forth, coming down a couple steps, undoubtedly to make me feel more at home in her presence, more of a peer and less of a...

A what? An enemy? A serf?

I frowned behind my Mandalorian helmet and straightened, going so far as to cross my arms when the escort bowed en group and drifted off to either side of me.

"Where is she?" I spat, coming right to the point.

Silence was my only response; I felt a little ripple of unease run up and down my spine, red flags waving, as Galen was so wont to say, throughout every cell of my being. My teeth gritted as I clenched my jaw, then I spoke up boldly once again.

I could not let her know of my rising unease, of the barest hint of fear that was beginning to whisper in the corners of my mind...

"What do you want?" I spat again, and fell silent.

--------------------

Thea backed away from the lady next to her and looked up at her as if she had three heads. "If Shayla is here you are protecting the traitor!"

Thea took a breath and looked at Link, "I started to tell you about my start at the Praxeum. Shayla is the reason we left the first time. It was to find and rescue her - but she turned on us."

Turning back to the other being and standing she continued raising her voice louder and louder as she went on, pacing around the table. "Shayla betrayed the Jedi. She let that woman torture Logan. He was like my brother, he was teaching me when his master was too busy trying to help that traitor. When Cella was helping Jeroc. We got him out and left. But then she helped kidnap me from the Praxeum, I know she was part of it. And I know Cella died because of that. I know she was trying to save me - it was while I was gone with them that I lost contact with her forever. She was weak at the time I could tell. I wouldn't put it above Shayla to have killed her herself! The Jedi who trained her - who did all she could to help her! The one who took me in to train - me - a nervous little youngling. Cella was a great master and she took her time to be with me, to care for me. Anyway, Galen eventually got us both out of the cave they put me in - with her. But we ran into Shayla again, and this time she would have let that Graysith - the evil one - kill me. Luckily Master Shawn and Loban rescued me from her for the last time. She didn't try to get me back again, maybe because she had already gotten what she wanted - Cella, Jeroc, and Logan are dead - the Praxeum destroyed, and I never got trained. I was left with Yaoksi soon after being rescued as Master Shawn had to go after Loban who had disappeared."

Thea paused and stopped pacing looking alternately at the strange woman and Link, "I've never told Yaoksi about this. He won't know that there is someone in this complex who would want to kill me. I didn't think that she would be anywhere near Galen - especially hearing that Galen is still alive! Link, she uses the Dark Side - she can be nothing but pure evil now. Anyone who can betray the Jedi Order and break the Code must be evil."

--------------------

"Thea, I have told you this before my knowledge of the world you came from is like your knowledge of mine. I honestly am confused at this point, but if this person is as bad as you say she is then lets find Yaoksi."

I peered over to the sith.

"Can you take us to Yaoksi, he's the uninjured human male that followed the injured human male."

--------------------

She nodded to them both.

"The one you refer to as Yaoksi accompanied others to the Royal Healing Chamber, where two of your companions are being treated for grievous wounds."

She paused. "Under normal circumstances I would not allow you to go there, for those ill or injured enough to be taken there are not allowed to have visitors, however..."

She smiled gently at them.

"Your distress is in turn distressing. Since your companion Yaoksi was not himself placed there for healing purposes, I will take you to him."

Gesturing gracefully toward the door, she began to lead them from the little bar, into the Grand Dining Hall and across to the double set of doors which opened onto the corridor beyond.

"Only your presence here, Tarnus!" she hissed, the sound of those five words striking against him like an adder. A slim finger lifted, and the honor guard promptly segued into a military squad, which immediately surrounded him, disarming him so fast he had no time to prepare any defense. The began to move out with him, heading to the dungeons deep within the bowels of the Temple, but were halted by a single hissed word.

"No."

They came to a crisp and obedient halt, turning him back around to face the Dark Lady of the Sith. Or someone they at least believed to be her; smiling darkly she finished descending from the dias to lay a finger against the place on his helmet where his lips would be.

"Shush now, no complaints, my dear Lt. General," she said, her voice honeyed.

"Observe."

With that she dropped her hand, letting the arm fall limply to her cloak. She closed her eyes, as if concentrating; then after a moment both arms began to slowly raise upward as her head tilted back. The hood of her cloak fell back, exposing flaming red hair which tumbled down her back like a lava flow.

And then she let loose with all of her talents... and horrifyingly enough, more than her talents. She stretched back, back, into a place of dark terror, to a tower newly risen, newly powered. Connecting there, she then reached forward, upward and outward, and as her Sire had managed to do so seemingly long ago created a chronotic shield in the heavens about K'eel Doba.

And it's moon.

And it's sister planet... and star.

An enormous chronotic shield...

...which simply plucked the system from the very face of existence and tucked it away into a place where even nightmares fear to tread. Or so it would seem to an outside observer.

Straining, the Graysith-thing managed a smile as with an effort even greater she gave that shield a push, sending it expanding rapidly outward in all directions like some kind of infernal shockwave. It boomed out in deadly silence, travelling at the speed of light, touching a bit of dust here, a passing asteroid there, converting them into their energy equivalents which then dissipated back and forward across the continuum of Time.

And then it found the ships...

She smiled when the rebounding shockwave struck back, rocking the system, sending foundations to rattling and trees to swaying and oceans to sloshing upon K'eel Doba and its sister.

Every living thing on the two planets promptly losts its footing, and went down. All save an oily-eyed thing, which had been prepared.

Her smile grew crooked, lascivious, her eyes now twin holes into eternity. She pinned them on the fallen human, watched with glee as he fought to regain his footing in the tangle of arms and legs and spears and horns he now found himself in.

She nodded gracefully, ever the concerned hostess.

"You undoubtedly wish to answer that," she said simply, nodding to his wrist comm which began blinking in a frantic call to arms on his wrist.

--------------------

It scarcely had taken a minute, so it seemed. Perhaps the time was longer, but no more than ten for the universe to depart from orderly calm to utter chaos.

Landarian, sitting comfortably in the command chair aboard Relentless, was not only duly following his protocols but was making certain his superior's last commands were being carried out. Communiques winged between SSDs, lifelines remaining intact between the vessels of the blockade as it moved out, spreading itself thin, to his thinking, but far enough away from the planet Relentless yet orbited for assured safety. That they could take on anything vessel that flew was a given; but who knew what planet-based armaments existed here.

And a single SSD can slip away faster than a Dagoban nightbat, he reasoned, finally coming to some sort of reconciliation with this last order.

So they remained at the LaGrange point, waiting to retrieve Lt General Tarnus...

When all hell broke loose.

"Sir!" an Ensign exclaimed, yanking himself from his scanners in disbelief.

"I'm not getting any reading, sir! I mean, I read the planet and its moon, and outward to about 586 million klicks... and then nothing!

"Sir!"

Landarian was on his feet in an instant, leaped a handrail and approached the Ensign.

"You're not malfunctioning, Ensign?" he asked, staring at the impossibility with his own eyes.

"No, Si-" came an immediate reply... but one truncated as two other impossibilities occurred in tandem.

Space reappeared about the mysterious blank zone. Completely, shockingly, and utterly unexpectedly empty of ships.

And something rammed into Relentless like a herd of runaway rontos.

"Engage emergency inertial dampeners!" Landarian yelled out reflexively as the gigantic SSD rocked back and forth like a cork in water.

"And find out what the hell hit us, and where it came from!"

The Ensign didn't even reply; he just let his fingers begin a wild tarantelle upon his boards. And after an agonizing five or six seconds had passed, seconds in which the great ship finally managed to come back to an even keel, he turned back in shock.

"I- I'm not certain, Sir! Something I can't even get to register, kind of a sphere of... of nothing, like a shell or some kind, just... appeared out there, and it seemed to move outward, er I think. I think the center of that sphere was this planet, Sir; it's difficult to tell, but what few readings I could get verified information from 586 million klicks in all directions from here. What I am certain of though, is that things appear normal now... except..."

He gulped.

"S-Sir," he struggled to maintain military decorum.

"Th-the blockade, Sir. It's gone."

Landarian jerked his face to the starfield shining so innocently on the forward viewport. Then--

"Battle stations!" he barked.

"Send a coded message to the General; he knows directives as well as I. As of this moment my primary duty is to this ship and the crew aboard her; we will return for him! But now I want a course plotted to Coruscant, and emergency hyperdrive implementation--

"NOW!"

Fingers flew, klaxons blared...

And the ship accelerated out of orbit, flew to the barest minimum distance from the gravity well that K'eel Doba warped into spacetime, and fled into the relative safety of hyperspace.

((OOC: Look for their reappearance in the thread Back Into The Fire in the "Empire/Republic" forums, thank you.))

[ 06-22-2007 01:07 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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She grabbed the vibroblade she had dropped and tucked it into her belt where it would be hidden by her bag but still easy to access should she need it.

Thea followed the lady out into the hall. She was just remarking at the enormity of the building when everything shook and she toppled over grabbing onto her guide trying to stop herself from falling.

--------------------

Then Lt. General Sorben Tarnus, third in command of the budding and purportedly voracious New Empire, was led away. The double doors closed with finality upon their new prisoner, surrounded and guarded once again by warriors faithful to her.

Only then, as the last set of eyes left her alone in the great Receiving Room, did she allow her body to give way, shuddering as it collapsed unconscious upon the dias in reaction to the horrendous strain it had just been through.

--------------------

Literally.

As the earth below her shook, Shayla found absolutely nothing to latch onto for support. So instead she fell into a heap on the floor of the Royal Healing Chambers and remained there, reaching out with her talents to access just what had happened...

...and was slammed with something oily and dark and completely...

...familar. She stretched out further, that darkness pervading her senses...

...and there she found it. Thousands of life-forces, snuffed out...

...completely. And while many lives were suddenly silenced, no one in Shayla's immediate environment seemed anything other than merely harmed.

Still....what had such power to create such loss?

Something deep within Shayla rose its voice in answer, oiling up from underneath the surface.

"Bad-ass indeed," she whispered, getting to her feet, her eyes dark.

[ 01-09-2007 10:21 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

--------------------

“What have you done, Shayla?” he asked in a low voice that sounded more like the beginning rumblings of a growl. He stared deeply into Shayla’s dark eyes, seeing now the blackness within. “What darkness now inhabits you?”

Phalomir’s instinct for protection took over as his hand flew out before him, ready to simultaneously place a magick protection on those around him and send Shayla into the wall, but a strong hand grabbed his wrist before the magick was released. Startled, Phalomir seared his wild eyes to the one that dared stop him. He was met with the wide intense stare of Thoran, half risen from the disheveled bed.

--------------------

And Thoran heard it.

“No,” said Thoran, sternly, his hand digging into Phalomir’s wrist. “She is not the Dark One. It is with her, my brother, and she is here. And together, all of us, we must destroy her.”

--------------------

Her hand launched itself toward his throat, claws extended for attention.

"You shall not kill my mother!" she growled, squeezing her nails deeply into the flesh on both sides of his windpipe, blocking his air intake just enough to make him begin turning the most royal shade of reddish-violet.

"If this is what you plan, you will have to get through me, and all the Warriors of Phrinnchatka, first!"

[ 01-09-2007 11:04 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

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What in blazes was I doing on the floor?!

--on my hiney, myriad tiny aches and pains beginning to holler for attention. But through that rising melee I heard other words, words I didn't like in the least little bit.

What's all this about killing--?

I swallowed, craned upward, for suddenly I was unwilling as hell to bring any sort of attention to myself whatsoever. My shocked gaze encompassed the glowering Sith Lord, the blond, whose eyes had suddenly turned into something reminiscent of old jet fuel, and the young red-headed lady with the horns--

The horns?!?

--who was trying to choke Thoran to death, or so it seemed.

Ohh-hh, Aaron buddy, if there was ever a time you should wake up, it's now! I couldn't help thinking.

The veritable bantha poodoo just hit the exhausts, pal; I've got a ba-aad feeling about this!

I was beginning to try to find a nice little hidey-hole in which to make myself invisible, when delayed reaction brought Round Two slamming into my aching head.

The kids!

I groaned involuntarily; certain then that I had been heard, I rose shakily to my feet.

No one appeared to be giving me much notice, so I just smiled and began slinking toward the door.

"I'm just gonna go check on Thea and Cel, and see if they're ok, so if you guys don't mind..."

I forced a smile, stuck a thumb over my shoulder at the door and kept on moving.

[ 01-09-2007 11:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

--------------------

“Then help us,” he said, the air now flowing through his windpipe. “There is a terrible darkness within her, using her. It gives her balance, strength, but at a terrible price. If there is a way to save her, then it is only with your help.”

Thoran flicked his eyes to Phalomir, who stood gaping, hand still poised to strike at Shayla but no longer with that intent. Thoran glanced then at Shayla, who returned with a glare that would melt iron.

“Can you sense it now within Shayla?” he asked, still staring at the blonde woman. “It knows you, ShaRhylla. All beings from the Darker Realm know you. And who is it you would kill me for? Your mother?”

Thoran shot his eyes back to meet ShaRhylla’s. “Or the thing that uses her?”

--------------------

Then she yanked her hand from Thoran's grip.

"I am used by no one; all I do, I do for me!" she hissed, the words so low that Thoran, the one closest to her, barely heard them. For a moment she stuggled, vascillating, a rudderless ship bobbing about in an ocean suddenly far far too deep, far far too dark for her to handle.

Well she remembered the Darker Realms, her time there... what Entaris had done...

...followed by the actions of her mother.

She swayed, nostrils flaring with indecision. And then she broke.

"Shayla, come with me!" she cried, flouncing from the Healing Chambers and barking orders that all there be "kept under watchful eye, that their healing might show the true disposition of the Sith warriors."

Her eyes blinded with anger, she didn't even notice the auburn-haired human, who tried to make himself a tapestry against the wall as she flung herself past him and into the corridor, heading off to seek the only one she thought she could really trust at that moment:

Her mother.

And she didn't even truly know if the Dark Lady had returned to the Temple...

[ 01-09-2007 11:32 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

--------------------

Home... A place where the heart is, where the heart finds peace... He wasnt sure if he had a place, but if such a place existed...perhaps this was it...or could become it.

He had been away for so long...so very long, but he was home...hopefully he could reuinite with his mother...his dear mother...

the boy snuck his sleeve to his eye to wipe away the beginings of a tear. It the anticipation felt good, but hopefully the conclusion would feel better...

He smiled to himself as he strode down the hallway, the brillient white robes he wore flowing around him as though he were some priest carrying the word of some higher being, he almost looked mature...almost looked older then the boy of 15 that he was... But he still had that hint of giddyness in his step...that hint of boyish unrestraint... But he was trying...

Training...everyday was training...every moment a chance to better yourself...or so his father had told him before letting the boy go off on his own, a bit that had taken more then some time to convince the old warrior of, but he had done it...just barely.

But he had agree'd to take every moment he could to better himself...and so it was, that he strode down the hallway, extending his budding senses outword in an attempt to locate someone familiar. All the while holding his own presence as descreetly back as he could...

His father had taught him the principle, though Recinis had never been very good at it himself. But jharu had taken off with it...it was a hunting technique, to allow ones will to be hidden, to become less then a tiny ripple on the fabric... ancient hunters had used it to be able to get within touching distance of their prey... And while it was not as effective on beings of higher brain functions, so long as they werent looking for him, he suposed he would be ok...after all...on the sith world, what was one more sith among the bunch?

he smiled, truely pleased with himself. He had asked those that met him as he returned to the city to let him pass without word, he wished to suprise his mother, if she were home. He was not sure if they had heeded his request, but he hoped they had... Soon he would find out he suposed...

He was winding through the hallways still, when it struck. it seemed as though all of existence simply shuttered around him, physicaly and mentally, throwing him off his balance. the reflexes his father had honed into him were quick...they were not however, that quick, and he went reeling into the wall. Though is reflexes were quick enough, and his balance sturdy enough to keep him from undertaking an injury of any true concern, though he was definately not unscathed...

when the universe had come to its rightness once more, through all the chaos, he stood and regained his barrings. Shaking his head gently he looked about, and went to assist those he could, when he had seen to them, he decided he should seek out the healers...see if he could perhaps help...see if there was anything he could do... Or in the very least...see for himself and hope that no one was seriously injured.

He entered the room to find a razor sharp tension within the air. A tension that made him feel sick deep within... Looking about he saw the familiar face of shayla...he had not known her to well...but he knew her face... And...another woman who had just rushed past him...She held a resemblence to his mother...and yet..she was very much different...and without a doubt sith blood within her... Could this be the sister i was told of?
He shook his head and returned to the matter at hand...This is not right...They should not be focused on eachother like this

For a moment the boy forgot that he was a child, and that those within this room were elder, and likely to pay him no heed...for a moment his spirit was as grown as it could be, and his voice came accross calmly and clearly

"Stop...whatever has caused this tension...release it...anger will not solve anything. Fighting...only creates more pain..." The sadness and sincerity in his eyes were undeniable, and his voice echoed his true concern...All i ever wanted...for as long as i can remember...is to be with my mother...will that day ever come again? Will i ever experience joy? it seems as though i was born for conflict...yet all i desire is peace...

After the thought crossed his mind, he realized that he was perhaps the yongest in this room...a boy of 15...likely to be dismissed or ignored immediately...But he held his steel as best he could...He was a warrior.. He was sith...he was the son of Jharmeen and Recinis...He was proud of his blood...and he knew his words were true...even if his voice was small.

He only hoped that he was not shaking on the outside...

[ 01-10-2007 06:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jharu ]

--------------------

Her smoldering eyes fell on him. "You speak of things which you do not understand," she growled, her greeny-blue eyes locking on his own. "Out of my way, now!" she finished, using only her Force-ability to shove Jharu from her path and mvoing then to join ShaRhylla.

"She is in the Receiving Hall," Shayla said, a small portion of her being raising its head in surprise that she knew this at all...

...and yet another portion knowing exactly why.

--------------------

“You arrive at a very inconvenient time, lad,” he said. “Dark forces are gathering, and you should be off to your own home now…”

Recognition came to Phalomir as he now got a closer look at the boy’s face.

“…Jharu?” he asked, uncertain. “No, it couldn’t be, you were just this tall when…”

“Jharu?” he repeated.

--------------------

He was helped to his feet by a man he did not recognize..

"i am jharu...but...who are you?"

[ 01-10-2007 07:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jharu ]

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“I am Lord Phalomir, of the Armorers. We met some time ago, when you were here with your father.”

Phalomir walked to Thoran’s bed with Jharu. “Forgive me, but I am confused, you grew very quickly! And you have indeed arrived at a rather dark time. Have you, um, seen your mother? And Recinis, is he here?”

[ 01-10-2007 07:25 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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"Phalomir...i think i remember..."

he then shook his head, "i havnt seen my mother...i was hoping she would be here...i've...i've missed her..."

he then looked up and focused on phalomir again, "My father is not here...he is still in the wilds of the planet...training... I believe he feels he is not ready to face the universe again... His heart is in chaos..."

the boy shook his head again, then looked up quietly once more. "...is...my mother...ok?" A bit of worry crept into his voice as he spoke. "why was everyone so angry?"

--------------------