suke ji dan kadan ne. Yan hayaniyan sun sha neman su kawo hari sau dayawa, su wuce kariyar makamashin, su sallaka loton; basu taba nasara koda sau daya ba. Idan har shi da mutanensa sun yi zamansu a cikin zoben, babu wata barazana daga waje da zata damesu.
Amma, wannan baya nufincewa, babu barazana daga cikin gida. Abinda kuma kenan da yake hana MacGil barci a kwanakinnan. Dalili ma, a tabbace, dayasa ake bukin yau: auren babar ‘yarsa. Auren da aka shirya musamman domin kwantar da hankalin makiyansa, saboda tabattar da dan karamin zaman lafiya dake tsakanin shasunan masrautun gabar da yammacin daular zoben.
A yayinda zoben ke da fadin mil dari biyar ta kowane shashi, yana rabe daga sakiya ta dalilin wata tudu. Su tudun kenan. A daya gefen su tudun masarautar gabar take a zaune, tana mukin daya rabin zoben. Kuma wannan masarautar, abokan gabarsu ne suke mulkinta tun shekaru aru aru, dangin McClouds, sun sha neman su rusa alkawarin zaman lafiyan dake sakaninsu da dangin MacGil. Dangin McCloud sun kasance yan tawaye, wayanda basu murna da abinda Allah yayi masu, dayardansu cewa gefensu na masarautar na zaune a kan kasa da bashi da albarka kaman amfanin gona da kyau saboda rashin kyaun kasan. Suna gasa a kan su tudun ma, suna ta naciyan cewa duka fadin tudun kasarsu ce, bayankuma akalla rabin gurin na dangin MacGil ne. Akwai fadace fadacen kan iyaka, da barazanan kawo hari a ko dayaushe.
A yayinda MacGil keta jujjuya lamarin a zuciyarsa, ya ji haushi. Yakamata dangin McCloud suyi murna; suna da kwaciyan hankali a cikin zoben, loton tana karesu, su kan kasa mai kyau, batare da suna jin tsoron komaiba. Meyasa bazasu gamsu da nasu rabin bangaren zobenba? Saboda MacGil ya gina rundunan mayakansa sukayi karfinda sukayine yasa, a karo na farko a tarihi, dangin McCloud basu isa su kawo hari ba. Amma MacGil, kasancewarsa sarki mai wayonda yake, yanajin cewa akwai wani abu; ya sanwannan dan zaman lafiyan bazai juraba. Saboda haka, ya shirya auren babban diyarsa wa babban yariman dangin McCloud. Yanzu kuma ranan ya iso.
A yayinda yake kalon kasa, sai yanaganin dubben mabiyansa a shimfide suna sanye da tufafe masu hasken launi, suna ta shigowa daga kowani bangaren masarautan, daga duka gefen su tudun. Kusan dukan mutanen zoben gaba daya, sunata shigowa cikin katangun kariyarsa da ya gina. Mutanensa sunyi watanni suna shiri, suna bin umrnin da aka yi musu na susa komai ya zama harka na arziki, mai karfi. Wannan ba ranan aure na kawai ba, rana ne na aikawa dangi McCloud da wani sako.
MacGil yabi daruruwan mayankansa da yasa suka yi jeruwa na mussanman a wuraren tsaro, a cikin angwanni, a jere a gefen katangu, mayaka fiye da yadda zai taba bukata – sai yaji ya gamsu. Wannan ya kasance nuna karfi da yaso yayi. Amma hankalinsa bai kwanta ba; yanayin wuri yayi zafi sosai, rikici zai iya faruwa. Yayi fatan kar wasu yan zafinkai, abuge da barasa, su taso daga kowane bangare.
Yayi kallo zuwaga filin gasa, filayen wasanni, sai ya tuna ranan dake zuwa, acike da wasanni da gasa da ireiren bukukkuwa. Zasu yi armashi. Tabattace dangin McCloud zasu zo da karamin tawagan mayakansu, kuma kowane gasa, kowane kokowa, kowane rigerige, zai dauki ma’ana na musamman. Harma idan wani ya bata hanya, zai iya zama yaki.
“Sarki na?”
Yaji hanu mai laushi akan nasa sai ya juyo yaga sarauniyarsa, Krea, wacce har yanzu itace mace mafi kyau da ya taba sani. Aureriya da zaman lafiya gareshi duk zamanin mulkinsa, ta Haifa masa yara biyar, uku a cikinsu maza, kuma bata taba kokawa ba. Alhali ma kuwa, ta zama mafi yardediyar mai bashi shawara. A yayin wucewan shekaru, yagano cewa tafi dukannin mutanensa wayo. Kai, tafi shi dakansa ma wayo.
“Ranar siyasa ne’” tace. “Amma kuma ranar auren ‘yarmu. Kayi kokari kayi nishadi. Bazai faru sau biyu ba.”
“Lokacinda bani da komai bancika damuwa ba,” ya bata amsa. “Yanzu da mukeda komai, komai yakan dameni. Mun tsira. Amma bana jin na tsira.”
Ta mayar da kallo gareshi da idanun tausayi, manya masu kyalli; suna kama da suna rike da hikiman duk duniya. Giran idanunta sun sauko, kama yadda suka saba, suna kama da Kaman tana jin barci kadan, kuma a kewaye da mafi kyawun, mikekiyar sumanta mai fararen gashi kadan, wanda ya zubo daga dukan gefenin fuskarta duka biyu. Fuskanta ya dan fara nuna girma, amma banda haka bata sauya ba ko kadan.
“Hakan ya kasance domin baka da tsiranne,” tace. “Babu sarkin da yake da tsira. Munada yan leken asiri a fadarmu fiye da yadda kake zato. Kuma haka abubuwan suke kasancewa a koda yaushe.”
Ta maso kusa ta sumbaceshi, sai tayi murmushi.
“Kayi kokari kaji dadinsa,” tace “Ai muna bukin aure ne ba fada ba.”
Da wannan, ta juya ta bar wuraren kariyan.
Ya kalli tafiyarta, sai ya juya ya kewaye fadansa da kallo. Gaskiyarta; tanada gaskiya ne a koda yaushe. Shi baiso ya ji dadin bukinba. Yana mtukar son babbar ‘yarsa, kuma ai aure akace. Ranan yakasance mafi kyawun ranar mafi kyawun shekara, bazara tana kololuwarata, rani kuma nason ya shigo, rana kuma duka biyu suna daidai a sama, da dan iskanda yake hurawa. Komai na cikin mafi kyawun yanayi, bishiyoyi kota ina da launonin pinki da malmo da lemu da farare. Babu abinda zaiso Kaman iya zuwa ya zauna da mutanensa, ya kalli daurin auren diyarsa, ya sha kofunan barasa har sai ya gagara sha kuma.
Amma ya gagara. Yanada jerin ayuyyuka kafin ma ya iya fitowa daga gininsa a fada. Aimaa, ranar auren ‘ya na zaman alhaki ne a kan sarki: zai zauna da majalisarsa; ya zauna da yaransa; yayita zama da dagon jeren masu kokekoke wayanda ke da daman ganin sarki a irin wannan ranan. Zai zama masa babban sa’a in har ya iya barin gininsa kafin bukin yammacin.
*
MacGil yasa kayan sarauta mafi kyau, bakin wando, da bel mai rowan gwal, doguwar riga da akayi da mafi kyawun yadin siliki mai launin malmo da gwal, farin alkebba, takalma masu kyalli da suka kai kwanrisa, sai dasa hular sarautarsa – hular kayattacen gwal da babban lu’u lu’u a binne a sakiyarsa – ya cigaba da bin layunkan cikin gininsa, masu hidima suna dukan gefensa. Ya wuce daki bayan daki, ya sauka matakalan saukowa daga katangan kariya, ya yanki ta cikin ainihin fadan zama, ta babban zaure mai shigaye, da silin dinsa mai tsawo da kyawawan gilasai. Daga karshe ya kai ga daddaden kofar itacen oak, da kauri Kaman bishiya, wanda masu hidimarsa suka bude kafinsu koma gefe. Dakin ikon sarauta.
Masu bada shawararsa sun mike da shigansa, a ka rufe kofan bayan shigansa.
“ku zauna,” yace, da sauri fiye da yanda ya saba. Agajiye yake, musamman ma a yau, saboda hidimomin tafiyar da mulkin wannan masarautar da basu karewa, wayanda yake son yagama dasu.
Ya wuce a cikin fadar ikon sarautan, wanda baya fasa bashi sha’awa. Silin dinsa kafa hamsin daga kasa, gabadaya bango daya da kyawawan gilasai, kasa da bango da a ka gina daga duwatsu masu kaurin kafa daya. Dakin zai iya daukan baki dari a saukake. Amma a ranaku Kaman yau, lokacinda majalisarsa ke zama, shi da yan kalilan din masu bashi shawara ne kawai a kayadadden zaman. Babban tebiri mai kama da lauje shi ya dauke mafi yawan dakin, wanda bayanshi masu bashi shawaran suka sassaya.
Ya wuce ta kofar, sambai ta sakiya, zuwa kan kujeran sarautarsa. Ya haura matakalun dutsen, ya wuce gunkayen zaki na gwal, sai ya zauna a kan jan katifan velvet dake kan kujeran sarautan, wanda a ka kera gaba daya da gwal. Akan wannan kujeran sarautan mahaifinsa ya zauna, Kaman yadda mahaifinshi shima yayi da dukkanin yan dangin MacGil kafinshi. Yayinda ya zauna, MacGil yaji nauyin duka kakkaninsa – na dukkanin zamani – akanshi.
Ya kewaye masu bada shawara da suka halartu da kallo. Akwai Brom, janar dinsa mafi girma kuma mai bashi shawara a kan harkokin tsaro; Kolk, janar din rundunar yara maza, Aberthol, tsohon cikin taron, almajiri kuma masani tarihi, mai karantar da sarakuna na nasabi uku; Firth, mai bashi shawara a kan harkokin cikin gida na fadan, siririn mutum da guntun, suma da ramukan ido masu zurfi da basu taba zama wuri guda. MacGil bai taba yadda da Firth gaba dayaba, kuma baima taba gane matsayinsa ba. Amma mahaifinsa, da mahaifinshi shima, sun nada mai bada shawara kan harkokin cikin gida na al’amuran fada, saboda haka shima ya rikeshi saboda girmama masu.
