Text 4. Call of the Panther

Black Panther, this is the Wakanda's honorific title for their king.

This tradition is said to have originated from the clan disputes in Wakanda in ancient times. 18 tribes conquered each other to fight for the throne of Wakanda. Among them, the tribe that worshiped the panther god Buster accidentally found a special strange thing that can The physical fitness of the soldiers far exceeded that of ordinary people overnight, and the use of vibration gold weapons and armor allowed the Black Panther tribe to quickly unify the entire Wakanda.

Since then, Black Panther has become the title of King of Wakanda.

According to the tradition of the Wakanda people, being a black panther means becoming the guardian of the kingdom. Therefore, the black panther, the king of this country, is the most powerful warrior in the kingdom of Wakanda.

This Black Panther is T'Challa's father, T'Chaka, who has inherited the throne for more than 30 years.

His rule is stable and long, and has been recognized by all 18 tribes in the country. His rule will continue for a long time until his son T'Challa is really mature enough to take over as the Black Panther.

Merlin had seen a black panther before.

Although he didn't see the panther head-on, he did sense its presence that night in 1992.

The panther's vibration-gold armor can block the penetration of Merlin's perception, but that night, when the panther was talking to Enjob, he took off the helmet, so Merlin sensed the life activities of the panther.

Indeed, as in the legend, it is almost superhuman.

It's like a majestic sea.

That represents the mystery and power of the black panther.

"hum"

The Royal Ark slowly landed on the square in front of the Wakanda Royal Palace. With the opening of the landing machine, Merlin and his party walked out of the Royal Ark. In front of their eyes, more than 30 people were holding vibrating gold spears and wearing The female warriors of the Doramiji Guard in golden and red armor stood on both sides of the road, as if welcoming the return of the prince.

And in front of them, stood a woman wearing a white gauze skirt and a cumbersome crown.

She looks in her 40s, and her well-maintained face is full of gentleness and expectation. She is T'Challa's stepmother, Princess Surui's biological mother, Black Panther's wife, and the current queen of Wakanda.

Her name is Lamonda, and she comes from a certain tribe in South Africa. After T'Challa's mother, Queen Niami, died more than ten years ago, she became the new wife of the Black Panther.

According to Ororo, the queen and T'Challa have a very good relationship, just like a real mother and child. It seems that His Majesty the Black Panther's family is quite complete, and there are no such frivolous things in the legend. royal fight.

"Mother."

T'Challa stepped forward quickly and bowed to the queen, and Ororo and Su Rui also saluted the queen with lady's etiquette.

"Get up."

The queen stretched out her hands and asked her son, daughter-in-law and daughter to stand up straight. She chatted with her son first, then turned her gaze to Eric, and said:

"Is this the son of Enjob?"

"Well, his name is Eric."

Techara introduced for his mother:

"Ororo has confirmed that he is indeed Uncle Enjob's child."

"All right."

Queen Lamonda's expression looked quite calm, but Merlin noticed that the queen's hands were tightly clasped together, which meant that the queen's heart was not as calm as it looked on the outside.

It seems that not everyone in the Wakanda royal family is very happy about Eric's sudden appearance.

"Go to your father and take Eric with you."

Queen Ramunda said to her son and daughter:

"Black Panther is waiting for his nephew. He has something to say to Eric."

After finishing speaking, the queen looked at Merlin again, and she said to Merlin:

"You must be Eric's guardian, Mr. Merlin Riley?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Merlin nodded slightly to the queen, and said:

"I am Merlin."

"Very well, follow me, Mr. Merlin."

Queen Ramunda said to Merlin:

"I'm sorry that the conversation between Black Panther and Eric can't be known to you. This is Wakanda's royal family affairs. Please come with me. I have prepared a banquet in the palace to welcome the guests from afar."

"Well, wait a minute, Your Majesty, I want to have a few words with Eric."

Merlin said something to the queen, then pulled Eric aside, he whispered to Eric:

"When you go, you will probably know all the truth about your father. I believe you can make the right judgment, but I still want to tell you that no matter what you hear, no matter what you see, you must Get yourself under control."

"This is their territory. Although I believe that Ororo will not let you get hurt, it is still necessary to be on the safe side."

He looked around and stuffed something into Eric's hand:

"Hold this if you're in danger."

Eric looked at the black gloves in his hand, he nodded, and said to Merlin:

"Don't worry, Merlin, I'm not a kid anymore, I'll take care of it."

"Fine."

Merlin patted Eric on the shoulder, then nodded to Ororo and T'Challa, and followed Queen Lamonda to the other side of the palace.

"Is the journey going well?"

Although Her Majesty the Queen was protected by several female warriors of the Doramiji Guards, she didn't have much aristocratic airs. She was like a peaceful elder sister, talking and chatting with Merlin along the way.

"It went well."

Merlin habitually observed the defense situation around the palace, and replied:

"Except for the fact that I later learned that the plane had no pilot, which made me slightly uneasy. After all, it was my first time flying in an unmanned plane."

"Well, everyone feels anxiety when they realize that their lives are not in their hands."

Queen Ramunda nodded, and she said:

"But please rest assured that Wakanda's mechanical technology is very advanced, and unmanned control occupies a very important position in our lives. The chances of the plane crash you are worried about are many times smaller than when the pilot is driving it."

"The machine will not let down its vigilance, the data will not snooze, and the controlled machine will not make some unconstrained attempts. Everything will proceed in the correct order, and there will be no waves. Just like Wakanda, we like it Everything is organized, rather than some sudden 'surprise' that catches people off guard."

Hearing what the queen said, Merlin was silent for a moment, and he said:

"I feel that there is something in your words, Your Majesty, please speak directly, I don't like to beat around the bush."

"Well, if you'd like to have a good talk."

The queen turned around and waved her hand, and the surrounding female warriors took a few steps back obediently.

"Mr. Merlin, I hope that after my husband's conversation with Eric is over, you will be able to get him out of Wakanda."

Queen Ramunda said bluntly:

"My son T'Challa may succeed to the throne of the Black Panther in the next few years. I don't want to make waves at this time. You can understand this matter as a mother's worry about her son."

"oh?"

Merlin asked in a playful tone:

"why?"

"As far as I know, Eric's father, Prince Njob, made a huge mistake. It stands to reason that, as his son, Eric cannot have the right to inherit the throne. His successor to T'Challa There is no threat, is there? What's more, this child has gone back to his hometown after a lot of hardships, and will be taken away in a hurry. "

"Isn't this a bit too hurtful?"

"It's not what Eric thinks, Mr. Merlin."

The queen sighed, and she made a "please" gesture, and then sat with Merlin on the stone pier in the garden, and she said to Merlin:

"You and Eric don't understand the political form of Wakanda. This country was originally established by 18 tribes. Today, most of the 18 tribes have survived in name only, but there are still several tribes. A powerful gesture, the imperial council composed of their elders has the power to intervene in the change of the throne."

"While Eric's father, Prince Njob, was also my husband, Prince T'Chaka's strongest rival to the throne when he was young, but their brotherhood eventually prevailed over politics, and Prince Njob chose himself Exiled, out of the political maelstrom of Wakanda, my husband succeeded."

The queen said softly:

"But those waves haven't disappeared, and I worry that once Eric stays in Wakanda, the forces that once supported his father's fight for the throne with T'Chaka will become active again. After all, legally speaking, Eric The blood of the royal family does flow in his body, even though he is unwilling to compete with T'Challa, once he enters this vortex, many things cannot be controlled by him."

"It's also for Eric's good."

Queen Ramunda exhorted:

"Even if I don't know you and Eric well, I can feel that the relationship between you is very deep, and you don't want Eric to fall into an unavoidable political vortex in Wakanda, right?"

"Actually, Eric himself doesn't want to stay in Wakanda."

Merlin said frankly:

"But it's one thing for us to leave by ourselves, and another to be kicked out. Your Majesty, I need to know the truth! Don't use any political turmoil to fool me!"

Merlin said sharply:

"On the way here, I talked with your son and daughter-in-law about the situation in Wakanda. His Majesty the Black Panther T'Chaka has been in power for more than 30 years. His political skills are superb, and he has suppressed other clans without temper. T'Challa's succession will not cause any disturbances, and you want Eric to leave, it must not be just for so-called political reasons, just tell me your real concerns, and then I will decide whether to help you or not."

"All right."

The queen stared at Merlin's eyes, and the latter refused to give an inch. After a moment of confrontation, the queen took the initiative to withdraw her gaze, and she whispered:

"It's because of my husband, T'Chaka the Black Panther, T'Challa's father."

"For so many years, he has been bitter because he failed to save his cousin. At the beginning, Enjob, who knew the righteousness, took the initiative to give in and gave up everything to make T'Chaka a black panther. However, he felt that he He failed his brother, and he failed to save Enjob. Countless nights he woke up in a dream, dreaming that Enjobu, covered in blood, was seeking revenge from him."

"He chose to let Eric to fend for himself because of a mistake at the beginning. This incident has become his nightmare. I am worried that after he sees Eric, because of the complicated emotions flowing in his heart, he will put some unsettled What should belong to Eric, hand it over to him."

The queen sighed, and she said to Merlin:

"That's not a good thing, Mr. Merlin. Eric has no roots in Wakanda. Once he becomes the Black Panther, the country's upheaval is at hand. Worst of all, Wakanda's upheaval, It is likely to affect the whole world, as you have seen, our advanced technology can be used for self-blockade, but it can also be used for foreign wars.”

"Well, that's the reason."

Merlin nodded and said:

"This reason is much more reliable than the previous one, but what I'm curious about is why, in 1992, His Majesty T'Chaka would let his brother's son to fend for himself in the outside world? Prince T'Challa also said However, his father was not a cruel man, and I thought, there must be some reason for that, right?"

"Yes, and it's heavy."

Queen Lamonda did not continue to hide, she stood up, looked at the mountains in the distance, and said softly:

"Since the establishment of Wakanda, a debate has always existed in the hearts of our people. Should we integrate into the world or should we be alone? What Wakanda has will attract outsiders. We must defend our homeland, There will be war."

"The previous Black Panthers have chosen to be self-enclosed and isolated from the world. You can say that our black compatriots who watched the outside world in cold blood have experienced such a tragic past, but it is because of this conservative that Wakanda has been able to be stable for thousands of years. Those cruel Wakanda was not powerful enough to change the tide of the world when things happened, and then we stopped paying attention to those things. But Prince Njob is an outlier in the royal family, and he is eager to integrate Wakanda into the world , truly become part of the world.”

"Because of this, a group of like-minded people gathered behind him, powerful enough to impact Wakanda's Millennium Order. Enjob is a symbol, Mr. Merlin, he represents another trend of thought in Wakanda, And he left in the end to practice this trend of thought.”

"The reason why my husband left Eric in the outside world was because he feared that Eric, who grew up in the outside world, would become another Enjob after returning to Wakanda. His appearance would make the Kingdom of Wakanda There is a split in the spiritual order of my husband, and my husband is here to maintain the order of the millennium, for the stability of this country, and for his people."

Queen Lamonda looked back at Merlin, and she said:

"It's a pity that he made a decision and the people are safe. As a price, he has lost his peace of mind since then."

"He longed for redemption from his loved ones"

"Take Eric away, Merlin. He was born a Wakanda, but he will never be a real Wakanda. He belongs to your world and doesn't fit in our world."

Merlin didn't answer right away, he frowned and thought. After a few minutes, he stood up and said to Queen Lamonda:

"Okay, I'll take Eric away."

"But with all due respect, Your Majesty Lamonda, I don't think Prince Enjob's idea is wrong. No one can live without society. No matter how advanced your kingdom is, it cannot be separated from this world."

"This era is no longer the era of isolationism. One day, you will be forced to open the door and contact the world."

"I hope that by that time, the disaster that once happened to your black compatriots will not be repeated again."

After finishing speaking, Merlin looked back at the capital of Wakanda under the setting sun, and said softly:

"Maybe it was for self-protection at first, then it turned into indifference, and finally it was fear. What Princess Su Rui said is right."

"I've only been here for less than an hour, and I'm already starting to hate the isolation here"

"It seems that I am really not suitable to live in Wakanda."