[b]The Brothers' War, Part One (Of Ten?)[/b]

Sultan Al-Hakam Kiram I, spiritual head of the Muslims of Mindanao, sat at the porch of his Sulu residence, guarded by only a couple of experienced men. On his rocking chair, the prematurely wrinkled man - he was only in his mid-thirties - read a letter from his friend, Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke of Sarawak. He smiled as he read the portion about developments in Sarawak itself, how it was at last prospering as an independent state. The other portion, about developments in Sabah/North Borneo, made for much more sobering reading; note that Al Hakam Kiram was always sober due to the demads of his faith.

He heard light footsteps behind him as the manor door opened, and a figure stepped out, his wife, Sabiha, who wore a rainbow-patterned headscarf. Smiling, the young woman then say, "grieved again, my lord?"

A nod from Al-Hakam Kiram, who would say, "My brother has crossed the line." Mubarak Mansur Kiram was every bit the opposite of Al-Hakam, a warrior when his older brother was an intellectual, contempteous of patience and caution. Sent to reestablish the Kiram family's hereditary rights over Sabah, Mubarak had allied with a clique of hardline Muslim clerics and taken control of the region for himself, claiming to be the 'True' Sultan of Sulu and calling his brother an apostate for coming to terms with the Lady President and her regime. "He has massacred several dozen protesters in Kota Kinabalu. More importantly, there are rumors of pirates gathering at Lahad Datu, only a stone's throw away from Sulu itself. If that is not an indication of an upcoming attack, I do not know what is."

Sabiha indigantly exclaimed: "He would not be so brazen!" 

The two both knew it was a lie. The Sultan then said, "He is. But I am not without teeth; I may not rule Sulu in name, but I have friends everywhere, even in my brother's domain." He then pursed his lips. "Sabiha, take a ferry to Manila; stall our Lady President so that I can move with impunity. For all her merits, our glorious leader will only support the cause of the people of Sabah if there is a rebel movement waiting in the wings. She will not act in a way that portrays her as hungry for territory."

Sabiha would tilt her head slightly to the right, "But the Lady President - Priscilla - has [i]your[/i] claim to Sabah; you are a citizen of her country now, and thus she has inherited your rights to the region."

Sultan Al-Hakam Karim I smiled faintly and said, "She does not see it that way; it would be 'feudalistic' for her to do so. No, she will pay genuine service to the ideal of self-determination until my brother has crushed all opposition and brought all of Sabah under his iron boot. Then, when he attacks Philippine Territory, only then will she wage a war of self-defense. Idealistic, but not what we need."

A nod from Sabiha; already, she was mentally preparing the lines she was going to feed the Lady President, "I and my servants will pack my bags. I will also bring bodyguards, but not so much that you are left undefended. I love you, my lord, and I promise, I will do my best."

The reply was, "Bring poems, calligraphy, and minature paintings; our Lady President loves beautiful things." He then held out the letter from Anthony. "My brother has also ordered a ban on miniatures; remind the Lady President of that once the truth comes out."

Sabiha sighed, "You do not need to make me hate my brother-in-law more. Either way, I don't need to know about [i]how[/i] you are going to create rebels under that man's iron fist. Or what your plans are at all. I may stay loyal, but I am not immune to pain or even blackmail." This was a kind reminder that if the Sultan was serious about this, he should exercise prudence and caution. Loose lips sank pirate ships, after all.

Al-Hakam Kiram I got up from his chair; he was still perfectly capable of walking normally, it was just that rocking chairs were relaxing. "I'm going to visit the local Mosque; it is almost prayer time."

A smile from his wife; the residence had its own attached prayer room, but the local Mosque had 'old family friends' whose business she didn't pry into too much. She then gave a bow of thanks, and said, "To the downfall of your brother."

Another reply, "To the downfall of my brother."