Story:Blood on the Omolai - Accounts from the Nakrama Street War

The following transcripts were gathered from audio tape recordings conducted as part of a specialized internal affairs investigation into corruption following the removal of the Aakar Byenama led government in Okrit. Oldest tapes date to 55PC.

Interview 1.1: 24-2-55PC - Conducted by Agent Makare Momed
Agent: "Witness interview number one. Could you please state your name and occupation during the period of interest for the tape, please"
Witness: "I don't trust you. I don't want to say my name"
A: "That's fine. Could you please state your occupation during the period of [15TT-10PC]"
W: "I was a porter for the Aakar family company. I punted boats. That was all. I did nothing"
A: "It's alright sir we aren't investigating you"
- short pause - 
A: "You are not going to be charged. We aren't investigating you, this about your employers"
W: "The president?"
A: "Former president. We are officially only somewhat aware of what was happening at the time. We need to know what happened for certain so we can have it in writing.
W: "But you aren't writing"
A: "It will be written"
- Agent motions to the audio recorder -
A: "We need it on paper so we can put things right"
W: "You'll give me my fingers back?"
A: "I'm not sure on that front but we can provide you with compensation, for you and your family"
- short pause -
A: "Could you state your occupation again please"
W: "I was a thin-swimmer. I punted goods boats after dark whenever the silks wanted contraband moved. I ported during the day as well but the night jobs fed us"
A: "What did you transport?"
W: "Stolen stuff. Warehouse on warehouse, the boys would go in, take what we could get away with and then break water. We did shops too, some homes, whatever we could get to from the shore or the river. Sometimes went all the way to Dak, or Datwa."
A: "Was this all you did for the Aakars"
- short pause -
W: "I did other things too"
A: "Could you elaborate"
W: "Maybe."
- short pause -
A: "If you could, Agak, it would be incredibly heplful"
W: "Don't butter your words, I don't want to speak of it, I won't speak of it"
A: "I am sorry to say this but we are already somewhat aware of your other jobs, sir. We need more details. Just tell us what you did - what they made you do - and we'll leave you be"
W: "I spit blood! How do you know"
A: "We have a source fairly close to the Aakars. He isn't secret"
W: "How does he know? His father hadn't teeth yet"
- short pause, witness expresses extreme hesitation -
W: "We... we were shunting back and forth. Between the docks and some of the canal-side houses in the noble district. Just the usual lads and I. We'd been doing it for a week at that point. Then one evening we're in our boat shed just north out of the city and one of the silks has a stranger with him. Tells us to bring him him to the Cirewe family compound, don't steal anything, just me and the one other kid on to bring a ladder and keep lookout. We didn't ask any questions, just got on the boat with him, left the other guys behind and made off into the city after sunset"
A: "Who else was with you?"
W: "The stranger and Tedro. He was a clever water rat. Thin fingers, quick on his feet, stole some really good stuff, made me laugh too"
- short pause, agent tries to speak but is cut off -
W: "We waited inside of the city until the canal gates went down and then punted to the Cirewe household. We waited without lanterns beyond the canal-side garden where part of the compound was right on the canal. We waited until the lights went out and we stopped hearing chatter, then Tedro put up the ladder and went to go up it just like any other job, but the stranger grabs him like a viper and near bites him, say he needs to go first and that Tedro just keeps watch from up the top of the ladder. We didn't question him, just stepped back and let him do what he wanted. He brought this sack with him that had something in it, something rigid and sharp, and he carried it up the ladder with him and a couple seconds after Tedro climbs up"
A: "Did you know what he was going to do?"
W: "No"
A: "How long did it take before you realised?"
W: "It was maybe half an hour after he went in the Tedro ducked down on the ladder for a moment, said guards were about so I should get ready to just punt off and leave the stranger behind, we weren't going to die. A few minutes later he's looking over the garden and the wind leaves him, lets out huge gasp like he's about to scream and then there's a couple loud 'toqk' sounds. I start to ask him what was happening until just within earshot from inside the compound I hear a little girl starting to scream. There's another 'toqk' and guards yelling and then an ear bleeding scream and then lamps start to light all within the compound. Tedro gets startled so he falls off the ladder and he hits head on the rim of the boat on the way down. The boat was already slick with blood, but as more and more lights turned on along the canal I saw it splattered all over the back end of the boat and the water around his head began to cloud red"
- short pause - 
W: "I had tried to pull him out of the water but I moved so fast the boat shook and I saw torches start running along a nearby bridge and the canal walls burst with yelling. I only just managed to get him on the boat when the stranger started down the ladder and dropped on the boat. He barks like a jackal and tells him to start rowing and when I move to start rowing he tips the ladder down into the canal and kicks Tedro back overboard. I couldn't even say anything when darts start coming out of the windows and along the walls and the stranger barks again and I just end up punting down the canal as fast as I can and leave Tedro behind"
A: "How did you get out of the city?"
W: "Usually we would sit out under this quiet bridge until dawn and be the first ones through the canal gates but we didn't have that luxury. I punted to one of the northern most walls by a canal gate and we scaled the wall with the ladder and left the boat behind. Had to swim to shore and wade through the swamp"
A: "Where did the stranger go?"
W: "I don't know. I don't care. There were eels, leeches, crocodiles. My feet sank right to the ankles in the mud. I heard noises in the mangroves. It stank. My feet were cut and covered in dirt and blood. They leaked pus for weeks. I'm lucky to still have them.
A: "Where did you go then"
W: "Our boat shed. I thought at least one of the boys would still be there. I'd clean up the best I could and wait for sun-up. And I would shed blood if I didn't get paid by one of those rich bastards that hired us"
A: "Did you?"
W: "The next night. It took a full day before I saw one of those seed-suckers again. Could've killed him. I tried to"
- short pause, agent looks through notes - 
A: "Did this happen on [8-3-9TT]?"
W: "You know it did"
A: "We simply need to state it for the recording"
- Agent is cut off by witness -
W: "What damn idiot would not have heard about what happened that night"
- short pause -
A: "Did you know what was going to happen to the Cirewe children"
W: "I did not! I already told you, moron. I would not have stepped inside of that boat shed if I knew"
A: "Can you tell us who was involved? The stranger, the man who gave you the job?"
W: "He had a dark cowl, I couldn't see his face. He had as strong jaw, a high pitched, gravelly voice. Was tall, thin"
A: "The stranger?"
W: "The murdering dung drinking bastard, yes. I saw so much blood come out of Tedro's skull. I don't even know if he was still alive. Can you imagine how much blood was in that courtyard? No amount of blessings or charity can atone for all the blood I shed that night"
A: "What about the"
- agent is cut off by witness -
W: "He stuck a a 4 month old child with"
- witness is cut off by agent - 
A: "We have enough accounts of that scene. The aftermath of the Cirewe children's murder is well documented"
W: "Did you know some people started calling it 'the slinging'"
A: "Who was the man who put you up to it
W: "I don't remember the name. They didn't want us to know their names and I didn't want to either. I hated them. All I remember was he was a husband of one Orit's cousins. Or the cousin of one of Orit's wives. I don't care to remember"
A: "What do you remember about him"
W: "Gave us a couple jobs, mostly targeted thefts. Made us ship then killer then didn't show his face for years. He was short and thin, gaunt like he hadn't eaten in months. Wore the same fancy rags as all the others. Bald"
- agent looks through notes - 
A: "How old would you say he was?"
W: "Maybe 40 or 50 years old. Not as close to death as he deserved"
- agent continues to look through notes -
A: "If he is who I think he is then he was much closer to death than you think"
W: "How?"
A: "Shot. Do you remember a [firearm] attack in the market district the year after?"
W: "Was that when someone got embedded into a wall by the rug sellers? Some huge thing that needed two men to fire?"
A: "Yes. One of two people killed actually. Some special-built weapon from the Fire Palace in Goro. We don't think he was the main target"
W: "Do you know who did it?"
A: "I don't know if I can tell you. It wasn't the Cirewe, they were too deep in debt by then. Probably the Tesiimeo family or the new merchant council we're not sure"
W: "It's good that he died"
- long pause - 
A: "Would you be willing to come in again?"
W: "How much will you pay me?"
A: "Ahhh"
- Recording end -