Chapter 17: Father's Past

“Which means?”

Jardan moved to sit on a bench that was placed in the middle of the room. “He was a leader of the community. Had been for many years. He was instrumental in keeping most outsiders away with creative ideas. Over and over he was praised for his success. After awhile, he began to question why he didn’t have the most power on the council. That position was with my father who had been chosen for his leadership skills and the respect everyone had for him.

“Over time, Santos demanded to be council leader. When the others refused him, he pulled back and began a campaign to return us to our former glory.”

“What does that mean?”

“Back when we didn’t blend in with the world around us. In truth, a Dianthus is superior to others in intellect, health, and technology. We have discovered levels of science that the rest of the world is generations away from tapping into. He wanted us to take full advantage of it and rule the rest of the world.”