Papa didn’t miss me. Not that I expected him to. It’s not like my feelings are hurt or anything. Ja, sure, it would have been nice if he came running to me with his arms outstretched, but hey. Whatever.

What would have been even better is if he’d had some kind of breakthrough while I was gone. Ja, I know; I was only gone for two days. Not even two days. But it was a lifetime to me, and you’d think a change like that would make a difference. Didn’t he notice all the people running around looking for me? Didn’t he wonder what was up?

Nah. Of course not. He was busy yelling at the goalie over a match that was lost five years ago.

When I sit beside him on the sofa he just smiles and says, “How are you today?” like nothing’s happened.

I let him watch for a bit before I get to the reason I’m here. “Papa, what’s going on with Rre Pule and the other Councillors?”

He groans as the opposing team scores a second goal.

“Papa.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s something wrong in the kingdom, isn’t there?”

“Is there? I don’t know. You should ask the Kgosi.”

I sigh. “You are the Kgosi.”

He laughs. “You’re right! Ha-ah, look at this fool! How do you miss an easy kick like that?”

Once I calmed down and got my brain working again, I started thinking about a way to save Dudu. That got me thinking about some of the things the water spirit said. Like the fact that there are problems in the kingdom, problems Papa was trying to fix before he had the dream. Maybe those problems aren’t connected to the new age. Or maybe they are.

“Papa, what can you tell me about Rre Pule?”

“Hmm? My uncle?”

“Yes.”

“He’s my uncle. You know that.”

“Ja. What else?”

“He doesn’t like football. Can you believe it? What kind of person doesn’t like football?”

Shu, this is going nowhere fast. I don’t have time to waste going round in circles. I have to find some way to get the situation under control, and that means I either have to prove my story’s true or find another way to convince the Council to listen to me. I’m not Kgosi yet, so my options are limited. Papa might be my only hope. If only I could get him to talk sense!

“Papa, do you remember anything from last year?”

“Oof!” He cringes as one of the players goes down, holding onto his knee. “Ah, no, he’s fine.”

“Papa.”

“Of course I remember things, Kitso. What do you want?”

For a moment he sounds almost like his old self; impatient, annoyed that I’m bugging him in the middle of a match. But I’m not fooled. “Around January you were really stressed. There was something big happening. You were in a lot of meetings…” I rack my brain, trying to remember. Then it comes to me. “There was a visitor. A foreign dignitary. From…” Where was it? Damn! Why wasn’t I paying attention?

“Dragon,” says Papa casually.

I stare at him in amazement. “Yes! Empire of the Dragon. Why was he here? It wasn’t an ordinary visit.”

“No. It was a headache. One big headache after another. Dragons and Councillors, everyone on my case. I’m telling you, my boy, I’m happy I don’t have to deal with those things anymore. Ah – no! Oh, so close!”

There it is. Almost. “Papa, do you remember having a dream?”

“I never remember my dreams.”

“You would have remembered this one. There was a singing pot in it.”

“Don’t be stupid, Kitso. Pots don’t sing.”

“I know, but it was a dream – ”

“Can’t you be quiet and let me watch my match?” he yells suddenly. He clicks his tongue loudly. “Go and bother your mother with your singing pots. Singing pots, indeed.”

I think it’s safe to say that was a huge failure. I wait for a moment, wondering whether it’s wise to push a little harder, but the guards have stepped forward, ready to jump in if Papa starts throwing things, and I don’t want them to overhear us.

Leaving my father to his match, I head out in search of my mother. My guards trail behind me. Mama’s not in the Kgosi’s quarters or the throne room. When I ask the gate guards they tell me she’s gone out, so I decide to walk over to Socca’s house and wait for him to get back from the police station. He offered to go and stay with Dudu while she’s processed. It’s only fifteen minutes away, but the guards won’t let me past the gate.

“I’m sorry, Taunyana, but you’re not supposed to leave the compound without a full royal guard unit.”

“What? Why?”

“For your protection, Taunyana. Just until the kidnappers are caught.”

In other words, forever. “I’m just going to Socca’s house. I don’t need seven guards to walk three streets from here. There are already four guards standing right behind me!”

“I’m sorry, but I have my orders.”

This is crazy. Rre Pule is out of control; I know he’s the one behind these stupid restrictions. He’s been dying to keep me from slipping past my guards, and the kidnapping has finally given him an excuse to treat me like a prisoner.

I walk away, furious, and take out my phone to call Socca.

“K! How did it go with your pops?”

“Come over and I’ll tell you. They won’t let me leave the compound without a complete guard unit.”

“Are you joking?”

“Do I sound like I’m joking? How’s Dudu?”

“Hanging on. They’ve taken her to the borstal. They wouldn’t let me go along, but they said they’d give her a single room.”

“You mean cell.”

“Man, don’t say it like that. I’ll be there in five so we can talk properly. Should I call the brat? I think she’s still at the Met.”

“Ja, thanks. I’m going to try and see the old man.”

“Good luck.”

I hang up and make my way to the secondary wives’ quarters. The Council hasn’t arrested Ranger yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. The guard at the door isn’t happy to see me, but doesn’t turn me away. I knock, open the door and step into the small lounge. Ranger comes out of the bedroom. He looks old. I mean he always looked old, but today he looks about a thousand years old. I feel sorry for him, and guilty. If I had tried harder to help Dudu…

“Afternoon, Rra.”

“Taunyana.”

“Did someone tell you? They took… They…”

“I know. I waited. When she didn’t come back, I knew.” He looks at me sadly. “They wanted her to make it rain and she couldn’t. That’s why, isn’t it?”

I nod.
Ranger Stranger sighs and waves me towards one of the chairs. We sit down at the same time.

“They don’t understand,” he says. “Rainmaking has changed. It’s not like before, where one man can make it start and stop. It comes when it comes. All Dudu does is let it in when the time is near. Do you understand? The rain is a visitor. She waits by the door and when she hears footsteps, she opens the door. It’s not like before.”

I wait a moment before responding, searching for the right words. “You’re right; they don’t understand. I didn’t understand, either, but I do now and I want to get her out of there. She hasn’t done anything wrong, but I have to prove it and I can’t do it alone.”

He looks at the guard standing at the other end of the room. “Where are your friends?”

“They’re coming.”

“You have a plan?”

I shake my head.

“That might be best. The three of you, your plans are a bit too clever. They get you in trouble.” He looks at the guard again and lowers his voice. “Your father?”

I shake my head once more. “He doesn’t remember. Other things, but not…that.”

“Other things?”

“Politics.” I sigh.

He doesn’t say anything, but somehow I get the feeling he knows exactly what I’m talking about. One of these days I’ll get him to explain who he really is and how he knows so much, but not today. Today I’m on another mission.

“When do you think the new age will begin? On the day of the coronation?”

He nods. “It has always been like that.”

“How many times has this happened? How come no one knows about it?”

Ranger smiles. “People know. They don’t talk.”

The words sound familiar. It takes me a minute to remember that he said the same thing about the desert dog. “Which people?”

“Old, old people. From another time.”

“Like you?”

He smiles again. “Maybe.”

“Why don’t these people talk? Why keep it a secret?”

“Everything has its time, Taunyana.”

Ag, Ranger and his mysteries. “So what are we going to do? The Council doesn’t believe me, and they won’t tell the people the truth unless I can prove it.”

He sighs again. “There is nothing I can do for you, or for Dudu. My work was to take you to the place where answers are found.”

“But I didn’t find all the answers! There are so many things I don’t know!”

“The world can be a difficult place, Taunyana. You will learn. But there is always a way.” He’s quiet for a while. “You have good friends,” he says suddenly. “Brave. Loyal. That is the best thing a Kgosi can hope for. When the difficult times come, remember that, and you will prevail.”

Prevail. Like I’m going into battle. I swallow my fear. Maybe I am. I get up and thank him, though I’m not sure he’s helped me at all.

“You have a voice, too,” he says, as I turn to leave. “Don’t wait for others to speak for you. Before you can speak for your people, you must learn to speak for yourself.”

Ja, sure. Speak for myself. That’s done wonders for me so far. I walk slowly to my room, feeling hopeless. The ancestors made a mistake. They should have waited until I was of age. Right now I have no power. I can’t do anything without the Council, and they’ve turned against me. So where does that leave the kingdom?

*****

Socca and Sam arrive within a few minutes of each other. I give them a brief update on everything I’ve learned since we last spoke.

“I wonder what the whole Dragon story is,” says Socca thoughtfully. “It sounds important.”

“Probably related to the trade agreement,” says Sam, nodding.

Me and Socca exchange glances. “The what?” asks Socca.

“The trade deal between Dragon and Lion. That’s why the Dragon Emperor was here last year. To discuss a trade agreement.”

“How do you know that?”

“Seriously? It was all over the internet! Plus, my dad was always talking about it. Similar deals have been signed in other kingdoms, so even though the Council didn’t make a statement everyone guessed what was going on. It was pretty controversial, because the agreements are good for Dragon and not so good for their partners.” She leans forward. “You know Dragon is one of the wealthiest kingdoms in the world, right? So everyone wants to partner with them, but they’re picky. They like African kingdoms because you guys aren’t as tough as other places. They made a deal with Kingdom of the Tusk, and I think Leopard, too, then they set their sights on Lion. But your dad wasn’t a pushover. The Emperor was here for a whole month. He left in a hurry, without sending out a press release or anything, and next thing we know your dad’s on extended sick leave. So the deal never happened. But my dad says the Emperor will be back. He’s just waiting for a new Kgosi.”

The look on Sam’s face says it all. A stubborn, crazy adult might not be a pushover, but a fourteen-year-old Kgosi will for sure. At least that’s what the Emperor thinks. After all, what do I know about trade? What do I know about anything? I bet he thinks all he has to do is throw a few cool gifts my way and I’ll give him whatever he asks for. Maybe he already has people on the Council who support the deal.

Is that the headache Papa was talking about? Did the Councillors disagree about the deal? An adult Kgosi doesn’t need Council approval, but it’s always better if most of the Council agrees with his decisions. Maybe there was too much fighting over the whole thing, and that’s why Papa was stressed. Maybe he didn’t know which way to go.

But none of that helps me figure out what to do about this Rainmaker mess.

“Damn, K,” says Socca, shaking his head. “You’re about to inherit a whole lot of drama.”

“Tell me about it.”

“So we can assume that the trade issue is the reason your dad was under pressure when he had the ancestor dream,” Sam muses. “And maybe he was worried that people – especially the Emperor – would think he was cracking, so he kept it to himself. You’ll have to figure out how to tackle that one, but not now. Now we have to spring the Rainmaker out of the clink.” Her eyes glitter with excitement.

I shoot an amused look at Socca, who shrugs. “The clink?”

“Yeah! You know, the lockup.” She beams. “If I’d known being friends with the prince was half this exciting I would have done it ages ago. So, what’s the plan, kids? Tunnel underground? Forge a royal pardon? What are we thinking?”

I laugh. It feels weird to be laughing at a time like this, but I can’t help it. Sam is a lunatic, and she’s made me realise how strange and crazy this whole situation is. I’m about to become the ruler of a kingdom at fourteen, I’ve lost the rainmaking power to some kid from Desert, we ran away, got saved by an “exiled guard” (whatever that means), got chased by a creature that doesn’t officially exist, found out we’re entering a new age, got tips from a water spirit, got kidnapped, got rescued, and now Dudu’s been locked up for treason because she couldn’t make rain on demand. It’s insane.

The more I think about, the harder I laugh. Maybe I’m in shock, or hysterical, or something, but it feels good to laugh. I haven’t laughed like this, good and proper, since Sam let the snakes loose in the kitchen. Was that really only two days ago? Feels like years.

Sam and Socca look at each other.

“K? What’s so funny?”

“Everything!” I gasp, tears of laughter streaming down my face. “The fate of the whole kingdom rests on my shoulders. My shoulders! I can’t even beat the high score on Bush Hunt and I’m supposed to run a kingdom!”

“That’s not funny,” says Sam.

“Ja, man. It’s hectic.”

“I think he’s having a breakdown.”

“Yoh. Should I get the guard?”

“I’m fine.” The laughter stops finally, and I manage to pull myself together. “I’m good. Don’t call anybody.”

“OK, back to work,” says Sam. “What’s the plan?”

“There is no plan, Sam.” I wipe away the last of the tears. Funny; I don’t feel the least bit like laughing anymore. In fact I kind of want to cry. There’s a fat lump sitting in my throat. Don’t know how it got there.

“We have to do something,” says Socca.

“After everything we went through to get this far, we can’t give up.” Sam jumps up and goes to my desk. “Where’s the notebook?”

“Confiscated, along with everything else I had on me when Rre Pule rescued us.” I give her a bitter smile. “For our own protection, of course.”

“Fine. We’ll get a new book. We’ll go home and think about it, and meet tomorrow to brainstorm.”

“How come you don’t have an idea already?” I snap. “Aren’t you supposed to be the genius around here? What’s wrong? Lost your edge?”

“Hey, in case you forgot, we’ve had a pretty intense couple of days, and when I got home my dad gave me hell. Not a great environment for creative thinking, OK?”

“I’m surprised he even noticed you were missing.”

“K!” Socca’s eyes widen.

For a second I’m annoyed that he has the nerve to scold me after all the things he’s said about Sam. Then the red haze of anger disappears, and all I’m left with is a knot of guilt. Why did I say that? That was horrible. I’m not a horrible person.

I look at Sam. She looks more irritated than hurt, but you never know with her. It could be part of her act. “Sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean it. I’m just…in a lousy mood, I guess.”

“It’s cool. You’re under pressure, you lost your head.” She shrugs. “Everyone thinks that, anyway. People just don’t get my dad, that’s all.”

Me and Socca nod and murmur words of agreement. Geez. I can’t believe I said that. The stress is getting to me. I need to get a grip.

“I don’t understand why everyone is so quick to judge, anyway,” she goes on, exasperated. “So what if I have the same name as my father? People here name their kids after relatives all the time. Some of them even have the same name twice, like that girl in school; what’s her name?”

“Thandaza Thandaza,” me and Socca reply at the same time.

“Exactly! But nobody says her parents don’t love her. Just because they don’t see us walking around together. It’s stupid.” She scratches the back of her neck and scowls. “I have to go. See you tomorrow.” She heads for the door, then turns around suddenly. “And it was my mother who named me, by the way. So I would grow up to be smart like my father. Which I did.” She storms out and slams the door behind her.

Before we have time to react, she opens it again, steps inside and closes the door. “I think they saw us.”

I look at Socca. His eyes are wide and a little fearful, like he thinks she might have snapped. It’s my fault. Why did I make that stupid remark about her dad? Now I’ve gone and messed her up. You know, more than she was before.

She sighs impatiently. “The helicopter. Remember? When we were hiding in the cave? I’ve been thinking about it and it’s impossible that they missed us, even in the dark. There’s no cover in Savannah and they were so close. They had to have seen us.”

“If they saw us they would have done something.” Socca speaks slowly and carefully, like he’s afraid of setting her off.

“Ja,” I add. “Why would they let us go?”

“That’s a good question,” she says softly, then leaves again. She closes the door gently this time. I take that as a sign that she’s not angry anymore.

“She’s nuts,” I declare.

“Don’t be so hard on her.”

I blink, stunned, and turn to face him. Isn’t that supposed to be my line?

“I know she can be a pain, but she’s not so bad. She probably saved my life back there.” He frowns thoughtfully. “I think she just pretends to be tough, you know? Maybe things are hectic with her pops, and that’s just how she deals.”

I guess this ordeal has taken its toll on all of us. I got snarky, Sam got emotional and Socca got deep.

“Oh, I forgot; we’re allowed to see Dudu tomorrow,” he says, nudging my arm. “Visiting hours are from ten to eleven. We should all go.”

By “all” I assume he means the three of us. I smile. Maybe I didn’t give him and Sam enough credit. They didn’t need me to keep the peace after all. Somehow we’ve fallen into this new routine where it’s the three of us instead of the two of us and Sam. I’m glad. You can never have too many friends. Especially the kind who hang out with you ‘cause they want to, not ‘cause you’re the prince.

“Sure. We’ll go.”

He gets to his feet. “I should get home. My parents were supposed to think of a good way to punish me for leaving, so I’d better go find out what they came up with.”

“I think I know.”

He grins and we both say, “Gadget ban,” at the same time, then laugh.

There must be a manual out there that tells parents how to react when their kids mess up. It’s always a gadget ban. For something minor, no video games. Something big means no video games and no internet. For something really bad the punishment is no games, no internet and no cellphone. Eternal suffering, basically.

“Hey, Socca.”

“Ja?”

“Thanks.”

He looks at me for a moment, then nods. I don’t need to spell it out. I know he understands what I’m trying to say. Besides, there are no words for this kind of thing. He’s been my boy since we were in nappies, through peace and war, girls and bullies, mud and cracked earth.

“Tomorrow,” he says, heading for the door.

“Tomorrow.”

*****

That night I lie awake for a long time, thinking. Sometimes I believe that if I think for long enough I can make things happen. Like shifting things in the fabric of time, or whatever. Just let the thoughts run, run, run and something, somewhere will break open.

Sometimes it works. Not tonight, though. Tonight I’m getting tangled up in the thoughts, in ideas and hopes and fears, Rainmakers, Dragon trade deals, kidnappers, Rre Pule, water spirits with fish tails. It’s a mess. There are too many voices in my head all trying to get my attention, but none of them are telling me what I want to hear.

Ranger Stranger’s words come back to me. “You have a voice, too.” Suddenly I sit up in bed. He’s right! I’m a royal, and that still means something. Sure, I can’t make major decisions without Council approval or issue a pardon for Dudu. But I can speak for myself.

I get out of bed and open the door. The guard looks at me in surprise.

“Is something wrong, Taunyana?”

“I need a copy of the kingdom’s charter.”

He frowns. “Eh…the what?”

“Never mind.” I walk past him, unlock the front door and step outside. He follows.

“Is something wrong?” the outdoor guard asks.

Yoh, these people. Maybe I should say yes. I think that might make them feel more comfortable.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just need to get something.”

“We can get it for you,” he says anxiously.

What are they so worried about? I’ve lived in this palace all my life; I can find my way around with my eyes closed and no one is going to snatch me from under their noses. What are they expecting? That a kidnapper will drop out of the sky? A spaceship will beam me up in a ray of blue light? I shake my head and walk barefoot across the compound.

The main rondavel is unlocked. I step into the lounge and flick on the lights. There are three bookshelves filled with all sorts of books. Novels, biographies, reference books, magazines. I know there’s a copy of the charter here; I’ve seen it before. There’s another copy locked in the Kgosi’s office near the throne room, but I’m not allowed in there. Speaking of that, it’s about time I got the key. I’m not going to be a very good Kgosi if I can’t get into my own office.

I kneel beside the first bookshelf and go through the titles. Not here. I move on to the next one. Not here, either. I finally find it on the third shelf. It’s a thick hardcover book, about the size of an average coffee table book. I carry it under my arm, turn off the light and head back to my room. The guards follow me in baffled silence. Ja, let them wonder.

Once I’m back in my private space, I climb into bed and flip through the book. There it is: the answer to my problem, in black and white. I turn to another section, and by the time I’ve finished reading I know exactly what I’m going to do.