The first thing I do after getting ready in the morning is text Socca and Sam, telling them to come over as soon as they can. Socca told me last night he only lost his games and internet privileges, so I know he’ll get my message.

The second thing I do is have a proper breakfast. My appetite is back and it’s not playing. I have a big bowl of porridge, two eggs, two slices of bread and an apple, and then I feel ready to face the day.

Next up is a little research. I head to the main rondavel, where the latest newspapers are laid out on the coffee table. There’s no one here besides the guards, so I make myself comfortable and catch up on the news. It’s bad.

The first headline I see reads “State of Panic”. It’s not an exaggeration. People are freaking out over the fact that it hasn’t rained yet in Delta, and everyone’s blaming the kidnapping. What started out as a few crackpots throwing accusations at neighbouring kingdoms has now become a war of words, with major public figures – healers, business owners, even newspaper editors – saying they suspect sabotage. Representatives from other kingdoms have dismissed the accusations, but it doesn’t look like the people are convinced.

Funny; our reporters are usually sharper than this. How can anyone seriously think another kingdom would pull such a sloppy job and risk starting a war? What would they gain by kidnapping me, anyway?

As far as the kidnapping goes, the culprits are still at large. I don’t understand why they haven’t caught them yet. There’s no reason the army, with their trucks and helicopters, couldn’t catch up to the kidnappers. The whole thing bugs me. All of it, from the crime boss living on Jansen’s land and the army’s presence there to Cheetah and his buddies, who apparently became criminal masterminds in the space of a few minutes. Something smells really off.

But I have more important things to think about now. Like Item Four on my list: visit my mother. Papa’s still asleep, but Mama’s awake, reading the paper in the lounge as usual. I wish she wouldn’t; it just depresses her.

“Morning, Mama.”

She folds the paper and pushes it aside, just like yesterday. “Hello, dear. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

She looks sceptical. “Rre Pule told me the girl who came with you was arrested.”

I frown at the sound of his name. “What else did he tell you?”

“That she claimed to be Rainmaker. Why would anyone do that?”

I knew it. She doesn’t know about what happened at the kgotla. I should have told her yesterday, I guess, but I assumed the Council would brief her. They’re supposed to. Obviously Rre Pule has other ideas, so I’d better tell her everything myself.

“Mama…”

“I have to tell you something,” she cuts in.

I look at her in surprise. “What is it?”

She fidgets with the edge of the newspaper. “Rre Pule said it was better not to tell you yet; you’re still so young. I wanted to let you be a child for as long as possible.” She smiles sadly. “But you’re about to be Kgosi. You have to know.”

“Know what, Mama?” I have no idea what she’s about to reveal, but I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.

“Last year the Dragon Emperor was here. Do you remember?”

I frown; is this about the trade deal? “Yes.”

“He came to propose a trade agreement. I don’t know the details; your father and I didn’t discuss those things. But there was also another reason the Emperor was here. Something concerning you.”

“Me? Why would I be involved in a deal with Dragon?”

Mama looks at her hands. “You know how things work, Kitso. Your father and I were promised to each other from birth. We should have done the same for you, but your father didn’t think there was anyone suitable, so we waited.”

A funny creeping feeling starts in my stomach, like something’s slithering around inside. “No. Mama, no. Don’t tell me you were going to marry me off!”

“It was only an idea. Nothing was decided.”

You know when people talk about their skin crawling and shivers of dread running through them? I know exactly what they mean now. “But the Emperor’s children are all much older than me!”

“He has a niece your age. A minor royal, but important enough to have some influence. She’s schooling abroad. We thought that when she finished in a few years the two of you could meet, and we’d see if it was a good match. She’s a nice girl. I think you’d like her.”

She thinks I’d like her? Is she joking? Five minutes ago she was talking about letting me enjoy my childhood, and now we’re talking marriage to a complete stranger!

“I don’t understand,” I blurt out. “We never marry from that far away. It’s always neighbouring kingdoms with similar cultures, so our ancestors have a link. Tradition is important to the clan. Why would Papa think of matching me with someone who wouldn’t be able to understand our ways? They have their ancestors and traditions, and we have ours. How would it even work?”

“It wasn’t your father’s idea.”

Of course it wasn’t. I grit my teeth, furious.

“Rre Pule said it would be a good alliance, the strongest one Lion has ever made. He said it was time to change, to adapt to the world around us, and joining with Dragon was the first step.”

Rre Pule, Rre Pule, Rre Pule! The man’s left his sticky fingerprints all over my life.
“So how come no one told me? You’re supposed to know from the beginning if you’re promised to someone.”

“Nothing was decided, Kitso.”

“You’re supposed to know even if someone is being considered. And it’s not like I was a baby when this happened. It was last year! You should have told me!”

“I wanted to, but Rre Pule thought there was no point in bringing it up until it was agreed.”

Of course he thought that. He didn’t want me protesting. I could kill him!

“I didn’t want to keep it from you, and now that you’ll be Kgosi you can decide for yourself. I think it’s better that way.” Mama reaches for my hand. “I know how much you respect tradition. If you think it’s better for the kingdom, you must marry one of our own, or a neighbour. Our people are free to marry who they like, but it would be a complicated thing for a Kgosi to marry someone with no ancestral connection to him. So many rituals… It’s your choice.”

I nod. “Thanks for telling me.” It couldn’t have been easy. She respects Rre Pule. I think she’s also a little bit scared of him. “Now there’s something I have to tell you.”

“About Dragon?”

I shake my head. “About the Rainmaker.”

She listens to my story. She gasps several times, and when I tell her how many times I tried and failed to make it rain her eyes fill with tears, but she doesn’t interrupt me. When I’m done she’s quiet for a while.

“I should have known,” she whispers. “I’m your mother. I should have known.”

“I didn’t even know until I tried using the Stick a few months back.”

Mama nods slowly. She’s taking this better than I expected. She’s shocked, but not sobbing. That’s good. “It’s my fault.”

“Mama, there’s no way you could have known!” Maybe I shouldn’t have told her. I feel guilty now, knowing that she feels bad.

“Not about you. About your father’s dream.”

The guilt vanishes. “You knew?”

“I knew he was having bad dreams. He tossed and turned. He was always sweating, even on cold nights. Nightmares. That’s what I thought. Nightmares caused by stress. I should have known. I’ve seen what happens to people who dream ancestor dreams. I should have recognised the signs, but we were all distracted. So many things! Events, Dragon, the budget, the crime in Oasis. Too many problems. Not enough time.” She shakes her head and looks at me with remorse. “I didn’t pay attention. If I had, I would have called the healer sooner. I would have called him as many times as I had to.”

I sigh. “It’s OK, Mama. None of us expected something like this.”

She wipes her tears away with the back of her hand, then reaches across the table to touch my face. “My poor son! All of this on your young shoulders. It’s not fair.”

No, it’s not. But that’s life, right?

“And that poor girl in the borstal. What can we do for her?”

“I have a plan.”

Mama’s hand drops in surprise. “You do?”

I smile. “I do.”

*****

My friends come over around eight. We’ve all become early birds now; I guess it’s hard to stay in bed when there’s so much going on. I tell them about the bombshell Mama just dropped on me. They laugh. What loyal, supportive friends I have. I tell them my parents wanted to marry me off without even mentioning it to me, and they laugh.

“What’s her name?” asks Sam, already tapping away on her phone.

“How should I know? She’s the Emperor’s niece.”

“OK, I’m doing a search. Dragon teen princess. Got it. Oh, her parents must be liberals. She’s in school in Eagle and her first name is Michelle.”

“Michelle Sedibeng,” says Socca. “I like it.”

I shove him. He doesn’t even tilt.

“Look! Paparazzi shots of your future wife,” says Sam, turning her phone so we can see.

“Hey, she’s kind of hot,” says Socca.

Sam rolls her eyes, and I glare at Socca. As if I care what she looks like. It’s the principle of the thing. I knew I was going to marry for duty, but I expected to have some say in the matter! I lean over to get a good look. OK, so she’s cute. Doesn’t change anything. Well, it doesn’t change much.

“She shops a lot,” says Sam. “Watch out. And she has a nose stud and a tattoo.”

“Wild child,” says Socca, and the two of them laugh again.

“OK, OK, enough! We have serious issues to discuss.”

Sam puts her phone away. “Sorry, Your Highness. You said you have a plan. Let’s hear it.”

I take a deep breath, feeling quite proud of myself. “Every royal has the right to make a public speech at any time, without Council approval. The Council don’t believe us; they’re not going to tell the people anything until they can come up with some rubbish story to feed them. So I’m going to get up on the stage in the stadium and tell everyone the truth.”

Sam’s mouth drops open. “What?”

Socca stares at me. “K, they’ll hate you! Remember why you wanted to leave in the first place? The whole failed Rainmaker thing? You think if you tell them in person it’ll make them more forgiving?”

“No. That’s not the point.” Why should I focus on what could go wrong? I’m calm and confident for a change, because I no longer feel helpless. That’s got to count for something.

“So what’s the point?” asks Socca.

“Doing the right thing.” I turn to Sam. “You were right from the beginning. I shouldn’t have tried to run away before. It was cowardly, and the kingdom deserves better than that. Look how my father struggled. But he never ran. No one did. I’m a Sedibeng, too, and I have to live up to the name. So no more running. No matter what. No more hiding.”

There’s a long silence after that little speech. I feel a sort of heaviness in my chest, like there are too many emotions fighting to get out.

“I don’t think your people will actually kill you,” says Sam finally. “They might throw you in prison, but they won’t kill you. You did your best. That’s all they can ask for.”

Socca sighs. “I don’t know. Our people don’t get angry easily, but they’re angry now. Not at you, ‘cause they don’t know what happened, but it’s a lot of anger, K. If it gets turned around on you… People can go crazy.”

I know what he means. It hasn’t happened in my lifetime or even in my parents’ lifetime, but it has happened. Mass hysteria, as the history books call it. People rioting in the streets, beating each other up, looting shops, tyre necklaces, burning people alive. I’m glad I haven’t lived through that, but it scares me just knowing it’s possible. The friendly, loyal subjects of Lion turned into monsters, because they were sick and tired and no one was listening.

My grandfather swore when he came to the throne that it would never happen again. So far, it hasn’t. I don’t want to be the one to disturb the peace. It comes down to trust at the end of the day. I have to trust my people to hear me out, believe me and give me a chance to do right by them. They have to trust me to be honest, respect their concerns, and lead them to the best of my abilities.

“I have to do it,” I tell my friends. “I understand if you don’t want to be there. It might get ugly if the people don’t like what I have to say. But I’m doing it.”

“Don’t be stupid; of course we’ll be there,” says Socca. “If they start throwing things, we’ll throw them back. Right, Brat?”

“No question. I want to be on the stage.” Sam’s eyes are glittering again.

“The guards won’t allow that,” I tell her with a smile.

“I’ll stand to one side. No one will see me. Come on!”

“I’ll see what I can do.” I check the time on my phone. “I have one more thing to do before we go see Dudu.”

“Prepare your big speech in front of the mirror?” Sam teases.

“No. Have a chat with the Senior Councillor.”

“Oh!” Sam rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe I forgot. You distracted me with your Dragon fiancée. Socks, do you have GPS on your phone?”

He gives her a dirty look. Stupid question. What kind of person doesn’t have GPS on their phone?

“Thought so. Kitso, too, right? And me.”

“So what?” Socca blurts out. “The whole city has GPS on their phones!”

“The chopper,” says Sam, and me and Socca let out identical groans.

“That again?” Socca shakes his head. “Let it go, girl. There’s no way that helicopter saw us. Cover or no cover, it was dark and we heard it in time to get out of the way. Simple story.”

“Not so simple, actually. The chopper saw us. I was watching it the whole time. You were asleep.”

Socca scowls.

Sam looks at me. “Remember how I kept saying the lights were close? Right behind us, but never actually touching the car? Almost like we were playing toy soldiers, marching in a line. The chopper would have caught up to us for sure if they were really looking. But they were kind of…hovering. You know why?” She raises her eyebrows for effect. “Because they already knew where we were. They knew the whole time, because they were tracking our phones.”

“Only my phone is tracked,” I remind her. “That’s why we left it.”

“So we thought. But think about it. You’re a prince who likes to escape from his guards. How many times has it happened? Way too many for the Council, that’s for sure. Fortunately for them, there is one person who always knows where you are. Your BFF over here. They’ve probably been tracking his phone for years and added mine to the list when we started hanging out together.”

Socca reaches into this pocket and pulls out his phone.

“You’re not going to find anything,” says Sam. “All Rre Pule has to do is demand access to your network provider’s system. Who’s going to say no to the Senior Councillor? It’s for the safety of the heir to the throne, after all.”

I shake my head slowly, trying to make sense of this new theory. “But why? If they knew where we were all along, why not just come and get us?”

Sam shrugs. “I’m not psychic. I could be wrong about all of this, though I doubt it. I think they let us get a head start so they could see where we were going, then when we got out of Delta they panicked and sent the chopper after us. But something changed their minds. Maybe they saw the old man and got curious. Anyway, they decided to leave us alone and find out what we were up to. Once we crossed into Desert, it must have been obvious that our trip had something to do with the storms. It was only when we got picked up by those guys that the army had to step in.”

Socca lets out a low whistle. “Man! If Rre Pule’s really behind all this, the man’s twisted.”

“Socks has a point.” Sam runs a hand over her short hair. “It might be dangerous to confront him. We don’t know what his agenda is.”

“I don’t care,” I whisper. “You two wait here. I’ll be back.”

I leave the room and make my way to the Council Chambers behind the kgotla. Now I’m really angry. All these years I felt guilty for disliking Rre Pule, but my instincts were right. He’s a crafty, sneaky creature, and I intend to find out once and for all exactly what he’s trying to do.

A few minutes later I sit in Rre Pule’s office, waiting for the man to arrive. He’s late. He’s supposed to report for duty at nine a.m. I bet he’s off poking his nose where it doesn’t belong, making someone’s life miserable.

After about ten minutes he comes in.

“Morning, Taunyana,” he says cheerfully. What kind of person can be cheerful after putting an innocent young girl in borstal?

“Morning, Rre Pule.”

“What can I do for you? I hope this isn’t about the girl.” He takes his seat and gives me a stern don’t-argue-with-your-elders look. “She fooled you into accepting that ridiculous tale of hers and must face the consequences. As for the old man…well, the Council hasn’t agreed on what to do with him yet. If you ask me, he should be charged with kidnapping and treason, but… ”

“But you can’t accuse him of kidnapping me, since you’ve already told the press that the kidnappers are still out there,” I guess. “But they’re not. You caught them, didn’t you? You just don’t want anyone to know until it suits you.”

He doesn’t even deny it. “The announcement will be made after the coronation. It will be the first success of your reign.”

What a strange way of thinking. “I don’t care about that!”

“You should. No one will take a child Kgosi seriously unless important things happen when he takes the throne. Now, back to the old man. You said yourself that the he took you and your friends out of Delta and made no effort to inform the Council. That’s a crime.”

“Why do you believe that part of my story and not the rest?”

Rre Pule sighs.

“Never mind. That’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why are you here, Taunyana? You know it’s a busy time for the Council.”

“Yes, I know. You’ve been very busy planning my wedding to a Dragon princess, and trying to get my father to sign a trade agreement.”

He laughs. I’ve just confronted him with some of his crimes and he laughs! “Who have you been talking to, Kitso?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Dragon? All those lessons I had that were supposed to prepare me to rule; they were pointless. The things I really needed to know were kept from me. Like the fact that you’ve been tracking my friends’ phones. Is that even legal?”

“It’s for your protection.”

“So it’s true. You did know where we were. You could have picked us up anytime, but you didn’t. Why?”

He takes a long, deep breath, then raises his gaze to meet mine. “Why do you think? When the prince goes through all that trouble to escape, he must have a very good reason. I wanted to know what was going on. If you had come to me in the first place we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“How am I supposed to confide in someone who lies to me?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

We stare each other down for a minute. He looks away first, and I feel a thrill of triumph.

“You started this, Kitso. You went AWOL and turned everything upside down. I was just trying to solve the mystery. We had eyes on you, and we would never have let anything happen.”

“You let us get kidnapped,” I point out.

“We had that under control.” He grunts impatiently. “Don’t be naive. We’ve been trying to get concrete evidence against Mzinga for years, and we had a chance to catch him in the act. Why do you think Jansen leased the property to him? You think he’s a fool? He knew what the man was doing and he knew we wanted proof. The whole house is under surveillance, so we intercepted the kidnappers’ call, raided the place and set a trap.” He shrugs. “Two birds, one stone.”

I can’t believe this. “You used us as bait?”

“You were never in danger. We brought you home and locked up a criminal. It was a good day for the kingdom.”

My stomach turns. I feel like I’ve been thrown into an arena and I don’t know how to play this game. Everyone’s screaming, waiting for me to make a move, but I’m clueless. I don’t belong here.

I look at Rre Pule. “What was Papa so worried about before he got sick? It’s not just because the trade deal is controversial. There are problems in the kingdom, big problems. What’s going on?”

He flicks a pen between his forefinger and middle finger, then places it gently on the desk and folds his arms. “The Council is no longer united.” His voice is soft and weary. “After all these years… we are divided. Different factions want different things, and now there is too much infighting and scheming. It started with the Dragon deal. We disagreed, and the disagreements became heated. Your father tried to keep the peace, but soon it was impossible. Each faction tried to manipulate him into taking their side. After he went on leave things improved for a while, but the peace didn’t last. We’re fighting again, worse than before. There have been…incidents.”

My heart races. “Violence?”

“No, not outright. These are mostly elderly men; we’re too old to brawl. There’s plotting, though. Pulling strings here and there, sabotage. Things that were once unthinkable. I may not do things the way you like, but everything I do is to keep the kingdom strong and united. That’s why I support the trade agreement. It will cost us, but in the end it will be worth it. It shows the world that Kingdom of the Lion is powerful. It shows the people that their Kgosi is strong. A strong Kgosi will bring the Council back in line.”

“The way you’ve done it? By making decisions and then bullying them into agreeing with you?”

Rre Pule shrugs.

I expected to be angry. Scared, anxious. Even frustrated. But instead I’m disappointed and sad. This isn’t the kingdom I was raised to love. “Is this how the government works? Everyone lying and keeping secrets and bullying each other?”

“Yes. That’s part of it. You must make difficult decisions.”

I shake my head.

“You think life is like one of your video games?” he asks calmly. “You choose who you want to be, you find the treasure, and you win? It’s not so simple. Not at all. You are who you are, clan and blood and duty. Those are the things you fight for, not treasure. You can’t die five times and keep coming back to life. Politics is not a game.”

“Sounds like a game to me. One where people don’t play fair.”

Rre Pule’s expression softens, and for a second I see the other side of the man who has supported my father all these years, the side that loves the kingdom. “You are young, Taunyana. You don’t understand the burdens of those who lead. In a perfect world you wouldn’t be troubled with these things at your age, and that’s why you have the Council. You will have time to learn. For now all you have to do is focus on your education. By the time you’re eighteen you will be old enough to see things differently.”

He’s right. I’m a kid. There are a lot of things I don’t understand, a lot of things I don’t know. But I understand the things that matter. I understand that my kingdom is on the brink of a massive change, and the people who are supposed to guide and support me can’t always be trusted. So I have to trust my instincts. I have to trust my people.

I clear my throat. “As a royal and the future Kgosi, I have a right to address the people.”

Rre Pule’s eyes narrow. “Address them? What do you mean? You will address them during the coronation.”

“I want to address them at six p.m. tonight.”

He stares at me in shock. Funny; I’ve never seen him looked shocked before. It suits him. Maybe I should surprise him more often.

Then he laughs. “That’s out of the question. You can’t just do things out of the blue. If the people are going to gather an event must be organised. The public must be made aware in advance. Security must be planned.”

“It’s been done before.”

“For emergencies.”

“This is an emergency.”

“Taunyana, I understand that you are upset.” Ah, yes. I know this tone. This is the polite suggestion tone. “This is not the time to make rash decisions. Why don’t we discuss this tomorrow, so you can have time to think about what you want to say?”

I listen like a good prince until he’s done. “Tonight, Rre Pule. I have the right. I checked the charter.”

Rre Pule’s smile slips. “Think carefully about what you are asking for. Once you have spoken to the people, you can’t take the words back.”

“I know.”

“What do you want to say? We can sit down and prepare a speech.”

“No speech. I’m going to speak from the heart. Could you organise the Council and send an announcement to the press? There’s enough time to alert the royal guards, the army and the broadcast media. I’m not going to take long. Twenty minutes, tops.”

Rre Pule blusters. He wants to argue, but he knows this time he’s not going to win. He glares at me, grits his teeth and gives a stiff nod. “Of course. As you wish, Taunyana.” He emphasises the title, a snarky reminder that I’m not yet Kgosi.

I may not be in charge yet, but I’m about to be the leader of this kingdom, and that’s no joke. Rre Pule can make all the polite suggestions he wants, but for the first time in my life I am going to exercise my rights as a Lion, as a Sedibeng, and as heir to the throne. And there’s nothing he can do to stop me.

*****

Dudu’s supposed to stay in the detention centre pending trail, but as far as I can see she’s already being treated like a convicted criminal. The yellow uniform is too big for her, kind of like her usual clothes, and the circles under her eyes tell me she didn’t get much sleep. But she’s not crying, and when she sees us across the packed visitors’ hall she even manages a smile.

“I’m sorry,” she says to me. “I let you down.”

Yoh, this girl! Is she serious? She’s the one behind bars and she’s apologising?

“You did nothing wrong.” Sam steals my words. “The Council is responsible for this, and today they’re going to pay. His Highness has a plan.”

“Thanks for the intro.” I give Sam a look and she grins.

Dudu’s eyes widen. “What plan?”

“Don’t worry,” I tell her. “If it works, you might be out of here sooner than you think.”

“Thank you, Taunyana. I know you’ll do your best. How is Baba?”

“Fine, for now. He’s worried about you, but they won’t let him leave the compound so he can’t visit.”

Dudu nods. “I thought so.”

We stay and chat a little, and share the packet of chips Socca brought along. When we’re about to go, I remember one more important question.

“Dudu, do you have any idea when it’ll rain again?”

She shakes her head. “Sorry.”

“What if she can only make it rain in Desert?” asks Socca.

“Don’t be daft, Socks; what’s the point of that?” Sam shakes her head at him.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Dudu admits. “Maybe I can’t make it rain here. I’ve never done it before.”

That is not what I want to hear, so I’m going to pretend she didn’t say it. We leave her with a few words of comfort and head back to the palace, trailed by seven guards. As soon as I’m alone I hunt down the phone book and make a call to the national TV station. Once the secretary hears who’s on the line she becomes sweet and polite, and in seconds I’ve been put through to the head of news.

“I have a small request about the broadcast of tonight’s speech,” I begin.

“Of course, Taunyana. We’re happy to oblige.”

“I need a camera crew to shoot live from the girls’ borstal.”

There’s a brief silence, and then, “Ah, OK. Of course. Anything in particular?”

“Yes. A few close-ups of a girl named Dudu.”

“Can I ask why?”

“It’s a surprise.”

I thank him, confirm the details and hang up. By the end of the night everyone in the kingdom will know who their new Rainmaker is, and they’ll know that the Council left her to rot in borstal. Two birds, one stone. Your move, Rre Pule.

*****

The stadium is packed. Despite all that talk about short notice, the people have come, just like I knew they would. It’s so hot under the spotlights. Someone should get that sorted out.

I take a deep breath. My hands shake as I reach up to adjust the microphone. The last time I spoke before this many people was at the New Year celebrations three years back, when Papa made me read out the poem I’d written in class about why I love my kingdom. I hated every second, except the end, where everyone clapped and cheered. That part I loved.

But this is different. I’m not some kid coming to read a patriotic poem. I’m the almost-Kgosi, coming to tell the people things they don’t want to hear, things that will shock and confuse them. And I didn’t write a single thing down.

I look up at the screen behind me, which features a live feed. My face, magnified about a million times. Great. Like I need the extra pressure.

My heart starts its gallop. I should have written a speech. Why didn’t I write a speech? I can’t find the words now, and everyone’s waiting. I stall for time. I greet them, in the long, elaborate way people of the clans have always greeted each other. I introduce myself by my full name: Kitso wa Sedibeng, the lion cub, seed of the great tree, he who carries the name.

They cheer, and that gives me a little boost. I lick my lips and glance at Sam and Socca, hiding at the corner of the stage. I think of Dudu and Ranger. No more worrying about saying the right thing; I’ll say whatever comes to mind and hope for the best. I pray silently to the ancestors for strength, and then I begin.

“I love my kingdom. I love my people. And because I love my people, I can’t keep them in the dark.” I clear my throat and adjust the microphone. “There are things you must all know, things that have happened recently. Things that will change all our lives forever in ways none of us can imagine. Before I explain, let me just say that I believe we can face these changes. The ancestors have never sent us storms we couldn’t weather, or a drought we couldn’t survive. They trust us. We must trust them.”

The stadium is dead quiet. I’ve never heard such silence from a crowd of so many. I decide to take it as a good sign.

“I’m not your Rainmaker anymore.”

A murmur goes through the crowd.

“I can’t make it rain. The power now belongs to someone else. Not a stranger or a thief or an enemy. One of us. A Lion with a kind heart and a loyal spirit, a Lion who loves this kingdom and her people as much as I do, as much as you do. But at this very moment this new Rainmaker is sitting in a borstal right here in the city.”

I turn to look at the screen. There’s a shot from the borstal, a group of girls sitting in the hall, watching a small TV. They jump up as their faces appear on screen. Then the camera zeroes in on Dudu’s face. Her eyes are wide, but she doesn’t move or run away.

The people in the stadium go nuts. It’s chaos; shouting, roaring, like a thunderclap. I hold up my hands and pray that the cameras don’t show them shaking.

“She’s there because of a misunderstanding; confusion. These are confusing times for all of us. You have probably wondered what’s going on in the royal house and the Council. You’ve heard rumours and gossip about kidnappings and assassination attempts, and I’m here to tell you the truth. We are in crisis, Lions, but we’re not alone. I have received a message from the ancestors. They told me that we are about to enter a new age, and that means everything is going to change.”

I pause to take a breath. “It’s hard to explain everything that’s happened. I had to go all the way to Desert to find out the truth, and sometimes that’s how life works. You can’t sit at home and know things. You have to take a chance, go out and look. That’s how I found the Rainmaker. That’s how I met the spirit who gave me the ancestors’ message. I wasn’t kidnapped from Delta. I left to find out who had made it rain, because it wasn’t me, and it wasn’t my father. I was kidnapped on my way home, but that’s another story.”

“I will give a full, official statement later with all the details, because I want you to know what happened over the last few days. For now, the important thing is that life is changing. The kingdom is changing. You won’t have a Kgosi who makes it rain anymore, and the new Rainmaker is no longer bound by the schedule. The schedule doesn’t work. The Rain Stick doesn’t work.”

The crowd starts shouting again. I turn to Socca and beckon. He comes running with the Stick, and the people cheer. My stomach drops. It’s like they haven’t heard a single word I’ve said!

“This is just a piece of wood now,” I tell them. “Do you understand? The ancestors have stripped it of its power.”

“No!” the people cry. “Rain, rain, rain!”

My hands are shaking so badly I’m scared I’ll drop the Stick, but I have to make them see reason. I grip the Stick tightly and hold it up. The people go crazy, screaming and howling, the noise echoing across the sunken field where I stand. I wait patiently for them to figure it out. It takes a while. My arm starts to hurt before the cheering finally dies down and is replaced by shocked silence.

“It doesn’t work!” I shout into the microphone. I fling the Stick to the ground and it rolls across the soccer pitch. “It doesn’t work. It’s broken, just like our system. It’s old and falling apart, and the ancestors are going to change it whether we like it or not! It doesn’t matter how much we complain or how many offerings we make. This is the way of things. Everything has its end, so something new can follow. And this is how our new system is going to work.

“You have all been overprotected and treated like small children for far too long. Your Kgosi says smile and you show all your teeth. Your Kgosi says the sky is red and you nod and agree. Not anymore! It’s time for you to take responsibility for your own well-being. I’m just a kid. I can barely look after myself, so you can’t expect me to look after a whole kingdom. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work! You are not supposed to serve me. I’m supposed to serve you. I’m supposed to let you make the decisions about how your kingdom should operate, because you are the ones who have to live in it.

“I am honoured to lead you, but I will need help and guidance. Not just from the Council. From you. My elders, my peers. All of you must help me be the Kgosi you deserve. That is how things will be from now on. Whether this message makes you happy or sad makes no difference. Things are changing, and we all have to accept it. The rains will come and go as they please, and we have to accept it. The new era has begun, and we have to accept it! Those are the facts. There’s no negotiation.

“I know this is a lot to take in. Maybe some of you don’t take it seriously. Maybe some of you think I’m crazy. Maybe some of you are angry, or scared. Well, at first I didn’t want to take it seriously, either. I thought I was crazy. I was angry for a while, and I’m still scared. But I have faith in Kingdom of the Lion. You are a strong, brave, noble people. You don’t need one man, or twelve, to tell you what’s best for you. You know what you need. You know what worries you, what frustrates you, what makes your life difficult. For so long the kingdom has had leaders who talk. Now it’s time for a leader who listens.”

I stop there, worn out. Who knew talking could be such hard work? I take a few deep breaths and wipe the sweat off my forehead.

And then I feel something. A funny throb in my body, as if someone’s playing guitar with my veins. It’s like pins and needles, but softer. I look up into the night sky, and suddenly I know exactly what I’m feeling. It’s the rain gods in my blood, just like Dudu said. We all have them. Some of us feel them more than others. Well, I feel them now. They’re humming to let me know that the sky is ready. Almost three days late, but here at last.

This is it! My chance to prove to everyone that Dudu is the Rainmaker. When I asked for a camera in the borstal all I wanted was to show the people what the Council had done, but now they’re going to see a whole lot more. Looks like the ancestors are on my side tonight.

I see a crackle of lightning in the sky and hear the rumble of thunder. The people hear it too; they start looking up and muttering. I can feel their excitement as it swells and fills the stadium. Then they all look at me. This is the moment of truth. I know that if the people believe I have even the tiniest bit of rainmaking power, they will follow me. But I don’t want them to follow me because I finally got in touch with the rain gods in my blood. I want them to follow me because they believe me. Because they trust me.

So even though I want to close my eyes and raise my hands the way Dudu does, even though I want to shout “Rain!” so the whole stadium shakes with the echo, I don’t. This isn’t my moment. It’s the Rainmaker’s. She’s here with us, and the skies won’t open until she says the word.

“And now, for all those who still doubt, here is proof that every word I’ve said is the truth.” I turn to face the screen.

The people do the same. I feel the humming inside me intensify. Come on, Dudu. Do your thing. Make it rain.

We all see her close her eyes. She raises her hands…and then she makes magic happen. The clouds swarm in. The skies open and the rain gushes down. There’s no warning, no drizzle. Just water, heavy and fierce. Forget downpour; this is a deluge! My guards come rushing to take me to shelter, but there’s no point. The entire stadium and everyone in it is drenched, and it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.