Well this little chapter is shorter then a fish's memory but perhaps that's the luxery in your first chapter. Don't worry, this is just the introduction questions will be answered.

Some would say Shim was a poor sort of fellow, a rude sort of fellow, and perhaps a uneducated sort of fellow, but he, of course, thought otherwise. However; it didn't matter what anyone thought of him because he worked for Cide's High Committee which meant what he thought was law.

In this particular branch of the High Committee guards were stationed across Cide to make sure only the 'useful' citizens entered and exited.

Shim was in charge of search station 11 and was not only good at figuring out who was useful but he knew how to keep a crowd happy.

"Let me tell you," Shim said to the citizens of Cide who had come to Shim not because they were frightened of his sickening aroma but because they awaited a show.

He took a seat on his high and mighty throne, an ancient wood chair next to fresh pile of horse dung. The atmosphere of the search station was a commen sight in the city of Cide, the horse dung however was not. Cide is land painted with organized streams, rivers and lakes. There were little roads and no carriages, only boats moved by fixed magic got the people of Cide from one place to another. Many boats found their way passing through Shim's humble station to exit and enter the Lake of Peace.

"Manchu is an idiot!" He excited on the matter. "He is just an idiot I tell you, a real idiot."

There was a silence. The crowd was confused. "What happened?" one asked.

"Oh, I'll tell you what happened," He started. "You all know of that disgusting Libron called 'The White Acacia.'"

"Oh, yes!" someone else called.

"Yeah! Well . . . Did you know that an Acacia is a flower? Obviously a dumb flower because it doesn't grow here, I don't think it even grows in Librony . . . Well anyway, Manchu is watching his station, 23, when an old man comes by in one of them Justice Boats . . . You know, the ones that carry the bodies of all the people that just had their fine final hour in the Square of Justice," He pauses. "Get this now, the ol' man says he's dumping off the bodies in Librony to give a present to our dear neighbors… But he's got no papers so Manchu and his crew check the very small boat . . . 'You're good to go,' he says. Well, Not long later Captain of the Committee of Offence and Defense comes along with his crew, tells Manchu that a man passed by saying he was taken out the bodies when actually that man was disguised and was really The White Acacia."

Mummers waved through the crowed.

"Now, it gets even worse, Manchu lets the ship by on its search when really the captain wasn't even the captain and it was HE who was the real White Acacia."

There was a silence. "Wait, Manchu is the White Acacia?"

"No you fools, the captain was!"

"Oh, no!" gasped a woman.

"Oh, yes . . . " Shim trailed off as he noticed his very own boat was drifting it's way to his gate. "Well, come on now let's see your papers."

A rigid old voice replied. Shim examined the new arrival and made a face at her disgusting features and smell. "Have not got my papers, sir."

Shing grumbled. The last thing he want to do was go examine the boat. "Then I best go looking in your ship now shouldn't I?" He cracked his knees straight and stood up.

"Wait, now young fellow I wouldn't come in here If I were you," the old voice reported.

Shim raised one eyebrow, "Now, why wouldn't I do that?"

"Well, sir . . . My boy has got the Ropeien."

A burst of chaos arose from the crowd as they all backed away.

Shim paused for a moment as his eyes widened on the boy he hadn't even seen. He took a step backward in shock and unsure what to do. That boy sure looked like he had the Ropeien.

"You get him out of here, you here me!" he yelled at once. "You leave now, and you don't come back."

The old hag nodded thankful and the boat pressed on past the gate. But soon, Shim knew he had made a grave mistake for just around the corner was the real captain's boat.

"The old woman that had just passed . . . she said her son had Ropeien. . . You didn't let her go did you?" The captain asked hopefully.

There was a long silence.

"I did, Sir."

"Damn you! That was the White Acacia"