Chapter2: A question of will
In the halls of the great mudkon temple there was a crowd gathered whispering amongst themselves. The doors to the hall inside had been closed for days on end, as something took place inside.
"How much longer they gonna make us wait eh?" said one
"I'm gonna go eat a bit more of scab – I'll see you later"
"I dunno what they're doing in there – but I can tell you it's something big"
There was a chill of fear in the air and a whiff of the unexpected. Nobody was sure what had happened that night when the group had come back. Only one person had spoken of it to the others, "A red light … Shrykull punished them all!"
Inside those doors the Bigface walked back and forwards. The Bigface was a mudkon with a huge orange mask that came down almost to his feet. It had long somber eyes on the mask with an expression that could hide any emotion. The elders of the clan sat cross legged at the sides of the room their expressions deep in thought. Abe sat in the center looking up at Bigface. He looked briefly at the two scars he had on his hands.
"Nothing like it," said Bigface at length, "has ever happened before. Nothing has ever been said of the sky catching fire. Something must be done to find out about it but what?"
"Why would the sky attack us?" said an eldere called Japh
"Because we deserve it!" said another very old elder called Gabbu, "All the times mudkons have skived off rituals! All the times mudkons have not respected their elders! The ancient temples have been desecrated by the glukkons. It is only right that we and they should be punished and they have taken the sharp end of the fire!"
"But what should I do?" asked Abe to the council
"You?" said the same elder, "Nothing. You have done enough for us young Abe. Your heroic deeds will be talked about for generations to come. This power however is the power of the gods and is beyond us. This I forecast will bring about the end of the Glukkons and will lead us to reclaim the temples of Oddworld. This is a power which is beyond you and us and with which we should not interfere"
"I still do not know," said Bigface slowly, "Shrykull has never done such a thing before. It seems a little strange that he would now take action into his own hands after Abe has done so much when he could have done so eons before"
"Yes but look what we have!" said Gabbu, "We have the evidence in front of us that he has taken action. The courage of us mudkons has given him strength to act"
"Is this the conclusion of the council?" yawned Japh, "Because I am getting very tired of waiting here"
"I don't think…" began Bigface
"The meeting has ended," interrupted Gabbu, "There is nothing more to discuss"
One by one the mudkons filed out through the doors.
"Wait!" called Abe, "Is that it?"
The elders ignored him. Outside they approached the crowd of people and Japh spoke Abe struggling to see over the crowd of elders.
"The council has decided that the fire of the sky was the power of Shykull enacting justice. You have nothing to fear from it"
A great cheer went up amongst the mudkons who burst into a party. A keg of forest wine was opened and happiness resounded out through the temple. The elders dispersed too old to party and happy to finally go to bed after a long and wearying day. Abe shook his head and looked at the floor. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning he saw Bigface.
"Don't lose hope," he said, "I did not agree with the council"
"What do you think it was Bigface? What do you think that light was?"
Bigface shook his mask from side to side in thought, "Walk with me," he said.
Outside in the dark of the forest night Bigface and Abe walked along a stone path. Below them was a long and far drop that made Abe feel slightly dizzy. He had still not gotten used to these huge drops and falls – the mudkons lived in the huge trees – the cities themselves attached and everywhere below uneven ground. This temple was one of the few bastions that had never seen a slig. The vast industrial and commercial enterprises of the glukkons had not yet penetrated this far. These huge trees had stood for millennias their roots diving deep into the earth below the crust. They lived and breathed.
"The mudkons are a race of believers," said Bigface his hand on Abe's shoulder, "Although their minds are strong their wills are not – do you under stand me?"
"I think so," replied Abe scratching his head
"Every now and again though you get mudkons who don't follow the will of others. They have their own will like you and I. Tell me Abe… why did you escape from Rapture farms?"
"Cos the Glukkons were gonna carve us up for lunch!"
"Exactly," replied the Bigface, "You had a will of your own. Had the others at Rapture farms even known they still would have stayed. It was your will that enabled you to escape and fight against their guns. You escaped and came here where we are still free and since then factories have gone down all over Oddworld. If I had asked someone whether they thought it was possible to ever bring down Rapture farms they would have said it was hopeless. Through your will you have changed the will of others"
"I guess," shrugged Abe
"What I'm saying to you is that they will believe what they want. You and I both know that that fire in the sky was not the work of a god. We need to find out what. If it's a Glukkon tool then it could be used on us – and if so we must destroy it"
"What should I do?"
"Last night I had a dream. I was visited by the voice of a mudkon from far away. His name was Rau and he's very old"
"Where does he live?"
Bigface stopped and sat down on a rock outside a mudkon home. He gestured Abe to sit next to him and Abe nodded and did so. Bigface took a deep breath and looked directly at Abe, "He lives in Pradock the capital city. He asked for you to come and see him"
"The capital? That's miles away"
"He is a slave to Mafrack the so called "president" of Oddworld"
"How can I get to him? Pradock is miles away"
"You must take a wind well. Under the sewers of Pradock there is an underground city of mudkons"
"Ew!" said Abe disgusted that mudkons could live in a sewer
"Yes," replied Bigface, "All sorts of creatures live in the sewers under Pradock – fleeches in huge numbers, even paramites.
"Why do mudkons live there?"
"Legend has it," said Bigface, "That before the Glukkons came to Oddworld Pradock was a great mudkon temple and city. Originally the glukkons worked with the mudkons but eventually because of their superior technology the Glukkons with the sligs suppressed the mudkons and raised the temple to the ground. The catacombs in many places still remain connected to the sewers. Being economic many of the passages in the catacombs instead of being filled in were used as flowing channels for the new sewage system. Those mudkons who were not killed or enslaved escaped underground into the catacombs. They have lived on ever since"
"I guess they wouldn't be too happy with the city above them eh?"
"I have never been to the capital before but I would think that they were not happy"
"You have never been?" questioned Abe, "Then how do you know all this?"
"Rau told me all this in my dream. He says he has something to show you but he would not tell me what. He seems slightly distressed almost mad"
"Insane?" asked Abe
"You could put it that way," said Bigface dryly, "Being a slave to the biggest villain gluckon on the planet must have its side effects"
"I'm sorry," said Abe looking at the floor, "I didn't realize"
"You have nothing to be sorry about"
Distantly they could hear the noise of the partying mudkons. The forest was alive with the noises of the night. From the warm glow of the temple center they could hear music and song. Bells and gongs were being played.
"When should I leave?"
"Now," replied Bigface, "While they are all busy. The elders will not be happy that you did not take their word"
"I do not follow the elders," said Abe, "I have never felt that way. I had no elders in Rapture farms"
"Which is why I knew from the beginning that you were special"
A bird fluttered out of the tree tops and landed on the ground in front of them. It was yellow and hopped over to Bigface. It rested on his hand unafraid and Abe looked on surprised.
"Why does it not fly away?"
"It knows I won't hurt it. It knows I have time for it," said Bigface, "You will learn true patience one day too. One day I will teach you these things before I die"
"I must go," said Abe
"Let me show you where the wind well is"
"You know where all the wind wells are in Oddworld?"
"Most of them," replied Bigface, "But for others I consult the ancient scrolls. Many don't work because of the Glukkons"
"You will come with me?"
"I am old," said Bigface, "But I will come with you so far as the catacombs. I dare not venture into the capital itself"
"Show me then"
Bigface stood to his feet and raised his hand. The bird fluttered away into the tree tops.
"Follow me"
