Amber lowered her head and walked away.
– I can't.
Before they continued their conversation, Arnout, Andries' father, hurriedly passed through the room with a funereal air despite the white rays of sunlight that came through the window being invigorating and bringing the innate joy of a sunny day. He seemed enraged about something. His blue eyes really seemed to emanate a crimson anger, he compulsively pulls his red beard while cursing. His black leather boots stomped loudly.
– What is happening to your father? I've never seen him like this. He's totally out of his mind.
– They are the legends.
– Legends!? I don't understand. Why would legends worry you?
– The six hundred years predicted by legends since the last supposed appearance of the two moons is about to be completed. They would just be legends as I said and this date would go unnoticed, but panthers are seen in Gehucht. Silver Panthers. Two of them were seen hanging around. Therefore, there are those who maintain that the legends are true.
– It is true that there have never been panthers here, but the fact that we have never seen them before does not mean that they do not exist. Perhaps it is a rare species that we are only now discovering. In any case, there are no silver panthers in the legends. I don't see any reason for so much concern.
– I would like to think like you, but the patriarch and the elder council of Gehucht do not think so.
– Don't tell me you're taking this story seriously too?
– The council will meet with the patriarch to discuss. Anyone can participate. It will be tonight. I will go to the meeting. Would you like to go too?
– Hmm... Maybe it will appear there. – Amber seemed worried and anxious. – Have to go now. My father is about to arrive and he will need me.
They said goodbye with gentle affection. When Amber left Teunie appeared, she hugged him and accompanied him towards the hut. Teunie was a tall boy. A unique mix between Dutch and Indian. He had long, black hair, slightly brown skin and green eyes like precious stones. Amber loved his company. In addition to being attractive, Teunie was cheerful and fun.
The night has come. The meeting began in the party room of the landlords' main house. Arnout, the patriarch, was present as was Gehucht's council of elders. Marinus entered through the side door with his father Derrick and his stepfather Levien, who always wore impeccable attire and a hat that hid a lock of violet hair near his left ear. Andries' mother Barber also attended. She entered through the main door with her three children. Andries searched with his eyes, but found neither Amber nor Teunie.
Many others from Gehucht left their mills and came to the great hall. A figure caught everyone's attention. An old Indian lady entered through the side door, walking with difficulty. There was a lot of murmuring. She sat next to the board. As tempers were high, Arnout took the floor before anyone offended the old Indian woman.
– Jurecê is a napacroro elder. You came here at my invitation. The patriarch's invitation.
The murmuring stopped. The meeting had begun. The patriarch began the lecture.
– Ancient legends of our indigenous bloodlines are passed down to us from generation to generation. Until recently they were nothing more than legends, but silver panthers have been seen in Gehucht and heading towards the forgotten forest. As we all know, since the arrival of our ancestors from Holland in these lands there has never been news of the appearance of panthers. Therefore, we must believe that they do not exist in these lands except in legends. But since a few weeks ago this reality seems to have changed.
– So what if there are panthers? There are cows, pigs, cats, dogs, monkeys and why not panthers? – Someone said.
– These are no ordinary panthers. – Said Arnout, signaling for Arent, Gehucht's most respectable tracker, to take the lead.
– I saw her. Claasje, the servant of Derrick's house, when leaving her masters' house at the end of her work, saw a silver panther. She called me and so I followed her. She headed towards the forgotten forest. When she was entering the forest, I saw... – she paused, swallowing dryly – The creature turned into a human being; man or woman I don't know. I didn't follow her. I didn't mean to go into that forest. It is prohibited as everyone knows.
There was a murmur in the room. A converse took over the air. Most believed the tracker, but many were incredulous.
– I want you to listen to what the elderly Indian woman has to tell us. – Said the patriarch. Everyone was silent. The old woman did not get up, but she began to speak.
– Some violet panthers have been seen in our village in recent months. – everyone held their breath. – Time immemorial Tuatu made an agreement with Caarô. The panthers, daughters of the moons, would not molest men or men. But whenever the six-hundred-year cycle closes, it is to be expected that the agitated panthers will leave their underground city. These appearances, however, are harmless at the end of cycles; they never molest men. The history of each closed cycle is passed down from generation to generation through our elders. But with the arrival of the white man, terrible wars were fought in the past as we know. Our elders were killed and our history with them. We only managed to piece together fragments here and there.
– So, do you believe that the two moons will emerge and demand compliance with the agreement in three weeks? – Asked the patriarch.
– For the napacroros this is an unquestionable truth.
The murmur was loud this time. There was a lot of laughter. Amber arrives through the side door, panting, but no one notices. Marinus, who had left the meeting, soon arrives through the main door. Others who arrived late for the meeting entered through the side door. Hearing the last phrases said, they laughed.
Derrick spoke up, addressing the old woman.
– Do you then believe that there is one among us or among your people who is a panther-man, or a panther-woman, who will sacrifice one of us with transmutation to appease the wrath of Tuatu?
– That's why I came here...
The conversation became very loud, preventing the elderly woman from continuing. The patriarch signaled for everyone to be silent.
– That's why I came here. – The elderly woman began. – Caarô wasn't the only one who knew the secret. He passed the knowledge on to one of his sons before his life was gone. The one afraid of the panther-man never revealed the secret to the village. It was only passed on to the next generation and that to the next until today, but the white man appeared and with his wars decimated the family descending from Caarô. I'm the only one left. When I was a child, my entire family was a victim of the war, they died before they could pass on the secret to me. Now no one knows who the panther-man is, but the witch doctor in my village assured us that he is not among the napacroros.