Yue

 7th December

05:15 GMT +5:30

"What has he told you? When are we leaving?"

Jivan is being comforted by one of the group's menfolk while his mother -her name is Ailani- speaks to me. Since an actual dialogue is taking place Lantern Stewart has dropped his bubble shield, while the glow from his ring strongly suggests to me that he could bring it back up very quickly.

"He told us that your son is the person chosen by the spirit of Jarhanpur to succeed him, and that you kidnapped him."

"I do not care what the demons in his head tell him! I will not have my son grow up in that place!"

Hm. India has some… Interesting laws on religion, but on the whole they're merely 'stupid' rather than following the monstrous example set by its neighbour. Most Muslims here are of the conservative persuasion when it comes to both magic and innately magical beings: they're all either evil demon worshippers or actual demons, kill them with fire. Or whatever else is to hand. And if she actually feels like that then I'm not sure that any sort of rational arguments can work here.

On the other hand, condemning thousands of people to death without their shaman-prince isn't something we want to do, and neither is having Jarhanpur declare war on India even if that is technically what happened when Rama Khan crossed the border. Or… If they accepted Jarhanpuri citizenship and violated Jarhanpuri law by doing anything to the shaman-prince then Rama Khan might be able to get them extradited. I haven't looked into how Indian courts handle this sort of thing.

"I… Would respectfully suggest that you not.. use that approach to argue your case here. Wonder Woman and I are Hellenists, and are unlikely to be swayed by it." She frowns in puzzlement. "The religion of the pre-Christian Greeks. It's polytheistic." Her face takes on a decidedly dour cast. "Now, Lord Rama Khan has given us his version of events and opening arguments. We would like to hear from you as well." I step back and indicate the gazebo. "If you'd like to join us..?"

"That madman tried to kill us! Why have you not taken us to safety?!"

"Because the Justice League is not actually empowered to do whatever they like wherever they like. Your precise legal status is sufficiently debatable that a negotiated agreement which we would enforce is far better than trying to work it out. While Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are obliged to protect your life, they're also obliged to protect the people of Jarhanpur, and if your son being removed endangers them…" I shrug. "They're technically obliged not to do what you want them to do."

Her face falls, then she gives her head a small shake and marches towards the pavilion. I.. seem to remember that in the comic version Diana admitted that she was wrong to insist that the child be put in the custody of his mother regardless of other factors, but I don't remember what else happened. Other than factually inaccurate beliefs briefly becoming true due to the broken lasso. I'm… Genuinely not sure which way Diana would jump on this one. Not even sure which way I want to go. Removing the child from the country seems stupid when he's not in any danger, but then again that system is inherently unstable. One guy falls off a horse and suddenly the whole nation falls apart. It would be safer in the medium term to return it to a normal relationship with the Earth. Why do they even need a shaman-king?

"You going with her or what?"

Right, yes. I raise my right hand to wave at Stewart, then fly rapidly back to the pavilion. Ailani hesitated at the steps, but glances my way as I approach, straightens her back and walks up them.

Rama Khan glowers at her for a moment, then turns his head back to Diana. Diana on the other hand is far more gracious, smiling warmly at Ailani. "Thank you for joining us."

Ailani's face unclenches slightly as she makes eye contact with Diana. "Thank you for protecting me from the demon."

"You see?" Rama Khan gestures to Ailani with his right hand while keeping his eyes on Diana. "She has no understanding of magic. She has insulted me continuously since-."

"Your evil has corrupted my son."

"Since I allowed her to escape to safety in my lands." He sneers. "Do not expect a rational discussion."

Diana keeps her attention on Ailani. "Ailani, why don't you tell me how you first entered Jarhanpur?"

She shrugs. "Militants attack the Indian army, the army attacks everyone. That's life here. When they came for our village, I had no desire to be raped and murdered. As many of us as could fled before they arrived. We were not fast enough. Or perhaps they were more eager than usual. They pursued, shooting at us…"

"You were not trying to enter Jarhanpur?"

"I had never heard of Jarhanpur until the people who live there told us where we were."

"Did the portal opening help you escape?"

"Those who were still alive."

Rama Khan frowns. "I had no way to move the portal to you. Nor do I seek to interfere in the internal affairs of other states. My people have known five thousand years of peace thanks to Jarhanpur's separation from the rest of the world."

Diana turns her head his way. "My lord, please. I have listened to your version of events. Allow me to hear Ailani's version as well."

"There are no mosques in that cursed land, no imams, and devils and sorcerers walk freely through the streets."

"If they cut contact with the outside world five thousand years ago, that would have been long before the start of Islam. Lord Rama Khan, would you have any objection to an imam being brought in to provide pastoral care?"

"As long as they do not constantly insult myself, my heir or my country as she is wont to do, I have no objection. We have any number of priests of any number of gods. One more will not make a difference."

Okay, I can probably find a moderate imam somewhere. Probably Kahndaq. The religious establishment there has become noticeably disinclined to criticise Adom's choice of gods. He hasn't actually banned them doing so or anything, but he has gotten quite serious about the protection of religious minorities and… Well. They know how popular he is with their parishioners.

"And what about his family? This is the first time you have allowed anyone to leave!"

"Yes, because his instruction has barely begun! If I die before he is trained it will be nearly as big a disaster as if I allowed you to abduct him!"

Diana raises her right hand slightly. "How much of his time do these lessons take?"

Rama Khan shakes his head slightly. "I was older than he is when the land called me, and my family knew what an honour it was. It was decades after my mentor's death that I gained the same understanding of our power, our connection that he had. But… After six years, he considered that I had learned everything I could from lessons alone."

"And he let you leave Jarhanpur?"

Rama Khan nods. "Of course. I was a prince and his heir, not a prisoner. If my duties required me to sacrifice certain things then I accepted that. The heir.. has a great degree of freedom once they are capable of succeeding their mentor."

"And that just involved them learning to communicate with the land?"

"There are many other things they should learn. I am not just the land's priest, I am its temporal ruler, as he will be in turn. But the need is less desperate once he possesses that skill."

"And once he rules in his own right?"

"I will be dead. And no others may gainsay him."

Ailani leans forward slightly. "You could not stop him leaving?"

"I will either have transcended the wheel of life or been reborn to it. In either case I will not be involved in what comes after."

Ailani's lip curls. "Your soul will lie in Hell."

Rama Khan's gaze is contemptuous. "You have many lives still to live."