CHAPTER 3 - EQUALITY
"We shouldn't stop here long." said Mayathir, looking anxiously out the glass door of the gas station.
"Sorry, I just really had to take a piss." said Jimmy, running to the bathroom.
Mayathir sighed. "What about you?"
Uglakh shook his head. "I good."
Uglakh looked around the shelves of the store, trying to locate another bag of Lembas Krunchies. He noticed that the human cashier was alternating between watching a small TV and making sure that Uglakh wasn't shoplifting anything. Of course he didn't give the elf or the hobbit a second glance. The orc is always the suspect. Uglakh tried to ignore the piercing stares that seemed to burn a hole in his back. The cashier reached down and turned the volume up on the television when a special news report came on:
"Rescue crews from Gondor city are giving up the search for survivors now, a week after the devastating Mount Doom eruption. The official death toll now stands at 1520, mostly orcish, with hundreds more suffering from ash inhalation, many who had to be airlifted to the Houses of Healing, since local hospitals were full. The decision to halt the rescue effort has been met with fierce opposition. Orcish rights groups claim that there would be more rescue crews and they wouldn't give up so quickly if the victims were human, elvish, or dwarvish. Last night police had to intervene when an angry mob of orcs began rioting in the west Minas Tirith district, near Gondor city hall. Damage is estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars, and dozens of arrests were made."
The news report continued, showing a picture of chaos. Emergency vehicles, crowded hospitals, interviews with victims and their families, with politicians and policemen. Uglakh stared at the TV screen, thinking of the kind of political fallout the Mount Doom eruption would bring. According to the written laws in Middle-Earth and all over Arda, orcs, humans, elves, and dwarves were all considered equal. But that was just on paper. In reality, there was quite a distinct line, and orcs were invariably under it. He saw it in the way people looked at him, the way they crossed the street to avoid him as he walked by, and by the way the cashier at this gas station was telling him to hurry up and buy the bag of Lembas Krunchies he was holding in his hand. The eruption of Mount Doom finally brought this issue into the spotlight where people couldn't just keep on ignoring it. He quickly exchanged money with the cashier and walked outside, away from the tension.
However, tension followed him. Mayathir walked outside with him.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the elf pointedly.
"I just go outside to wait."
"Listen to me, Goblin. Wherever you go, you are staying in my sight, do you understand?"
Uglakh felt a surge of anger rise inside him. Goblin. The G Word.
"You not trust me?" he managed to say without stooping to the elf's level by calling him a long-ear.
"Trust the one ring with an orc? I don't think so. Remember: I've got my eye on you."
Uglakh clenched his fist in anger, but calmed himself down.
"I will show you can trust me." said Uglakh as calmly as he could.
Mayathir responded with a quick "hmph".
Jimmy came out of the gas station. "Sorry I took so long, turns out I didn't just have to... whoa, I'm sensing a lot of tension here. What's going on?"
"Nothing." said Mayathir strongly, letting them both know that the discussion was over. They got back on the Motorcycle and drove along the highway southwards.
-
Ghashburz sat in the back of a Limousine, looking out the window. He was attractive, as far as orcs go. Nearly six feet tall, well built, and his skin was somewhat smoother and a darker shade of green than most orcs. He looked the other way, and saw Aiwen sitting next to him. Aiwen was the epitome of elvish fairness. Her long dark hair coursed smoothly around her pointy ears and stopped below her elbows. She wore a form-fitting black outfit which accentuated her perfect form. She turned her head, and her glance matched his. She smiled at him, a smile that was both warm and mischievous. He smiled back. No words needed.
"We're almost there." came the voice of the limousine driver. "Get ready."
Ghashburz opened up a box on the floor in front of them.
"Which one do you want to use, dear?" he said.
"I'll take a Narsil." she said.
Ghashburz reached into the box and pulled out a Narsil, a compact submachine gun that could empty its entire clip of 30 9mm rounds in two seconds.
"I'm in a pistol mood today." said Ghashburz. "I'll just use a Foehammer .50 for now. It'll make things more fun." he placed the Foehammer in his pocket
"Sting as a backup piece?"
"No, I don't need one." said Ghashburz. "This mission's a walk in the park."
"Please? Just bring it for me? You know how much I care about you."
"All right." said Ghashburz. He took out a Sting 9mm and placed it in a hidden holster in the bottom of his pant leg. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The limousine pulled to a stop and they stepped out.
"We shouldn't stop here long." said Mayathir, looking anxiously out the glass door of the gas station.
"Sorry, I just really had to take a piss." said Jimmy, running to the bathroom.
Mayathir sighed. "What about you?"
Uglakh shook his head. "I good."
Uglakh looked around the shelves of the store, trying to locate another bag of Lembas Krunchies. He noticed that the human cashier was alternating between watching a small TV and making sure that Uglakh wasn't shoplifting anything. Of course he didn't give the elf or the hobbit a second glance. The orc is always the suspect. Uglakh tried to ignore the piercing stares that seemed to burn a hole in his back. The cashier reached down and turned the volume up on the television when a special news report came on:
"Rescue crews from Gondor city are giving up the search for survivors now, a week after the devastating Mount Doom eruption. The official death toll now stands at 1520, mostly orcish, with hundreds more suffering from ash inhalation, many who had to be airlifted to the Houses of Healing, since local hospitals were full. The decision to halt the rescue effort has been met with fierce opposition. Orcish rights groups claim that there would be more rescue crews and they wouldn't give up so quickly if the victims were human, elvish, or dwarvish. Last night police had to intervene when an angry mob of orcs began rioting in the west Minas Tirith district, near Gondor city hall. Damage is estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars, and dozens of arrests were made."
The news report continued, showing a picture of chaos. Emergency vehicles, crowded hospitals, interviews with victims and their families, with politicians and policemen. Uglakh stared at the TV screen, thinking of the kind of political fallout the Mount Doom eruption would bring. According to the written laws in Middle-Earth and all over Arda, orcs, humans, elves, and dwarves were all considered equal. But that was just on paper. In reality, there was quite a distinct line, and orcs were invariably under it. He saw it in the way people looked at him, the way they crossed the street to avoid him as he walked by, and by the way the cashier at this gas station was telling him to hurry up and buy the bag of Lembas Krunchies he was holding in his hand. The eruption of Mount Doom finally brought this issue into the spotlight where people couldn't just keep on ignoring it. He quickly exchanged money with the cashier and walked outside, away from the tension.
However, tension followed him. Mayathir walked outside with him.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the elf pointedly.
"I just go outside to wait."
"Listen to me, Goblin. Wherever you go, you are staying in my sight, do you understand?"
Uglakh felt a surge of anger rise inside him. Goblin. The G Word.
"You not trust me?" he managed to say without stooping to the elf's level by calling him a long-ear.
"Trust the one ring with an orc? I don't think so. Remember: I've got my eye on you."
Uglakh clenched his fist in anger, but calmed himself down.
"I will show you can trust me." said Uglakh as calmly as he could.
Mayathir responded with a quick "hmph".
Jimmy came out of the gas station. "Sorry I took so long, turns out I didn't just have to... whoa, I'm sensing a lot of tension here. What's going on?"
"Nothing." said Mayathir strongly, letting them both know that the discussion was over. They got back on the Motorcycle and drove along the highway southwards.
-
Ghashburz sat in the back of a Limousine, looking out the window. He was attractive, as far as orcs go. Nearly six feet tall, well built, and his skin was somewhat smoother and a darker shade of green than most orcs. He looked the other way, and saw Aiwen sitting next to him. Aiwen was the epitome of elvish fairness. Her long dark hair coursed smoothly around her pointy ears and stopped below her elbows. She wore a form-fitting black outfit which accentuated her perfect form. She turned her head, and her glance matched his. She smiled at him, a smile that was both warm and mischievous. He smiled back. No words needed.
"We're almost there." came the voice of the limousine driver. "Get ready."
Ghashburz opened up a box on the floor in front of them.
"Which one do you want to use, dear?" he said.
"I'll take a Narsil." she said.
Ghashburz reached into the box and pulled out a Narsil, a compact submachine gun that could empty its entire clip of 30 9mm rounds in two seconds.
"I'm in a pistol mood today." said Ghashburz. "I'll just use a Foehammer .50 for now. It'll make things more fun." he placed the Foehammer in his pocket
"Sting as a backup piece?"
"No, I don't need one." said Ghashburz. "This mission's a walk in the park."
"Please? Just bring it for me? You know how much I care about you."
"All right." said Ghashburz. He took out a Sting 9mm and placed it in a hidden holster in the bottom of his pant leg. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The limousine pulled to a stop and they stepped out.