13. Sharos, Tharakos

Tuesday, September 23. 4:09 PM.

Kamar had arrived at the scheduled time. In front of him, Jorge felt a sense of discomfort because he sensed that the dignitary's clothing was much more appropriate than his own, which he had bought at a Zara store in Madrid and made him look like a tourist; in contrast, Kamar looked like a true prince from The Thousand and One Nights with his blue tunic embroidered at the collar and cuffs with golden thread. They greeted each other amicably and together began to enjoy a delicious tea that the host ordered to be steaming, keeping in mind the guest's tastes.

—Mr. Rojo, your house's tea is excellent. Thank you very much for receiving me while you are so newly arrived; I imagine you are still getting accustomed to everything.

—That's right, that's right. I confess that I still feel as if I am dreaming; I suppose I will get used to what surrounds me, but right now I don't even know if I would be able to find my bedroom without help.

Kamar displayed a kind smile of complicity.

—I’m sure you will soon take the reins, I'm sure of it. As you know, the production of your estate is fundamental to Ketiris: it is entirely strategic. Without your ketirita, the country would collapse. We need you to maintain the correct level of production, and if any unforeseen issues arise, report them immediately to the authorities.

—I thought that it worked automatically, isn't that so?

—Technically you don't have to do anything, of course; but every quarter, a responsible person will present you with a simple report regarding whether the objectives have been reached or not, and if at any moment there is a serious problem, they would come beforehand to inform you. If that is the case, you should contact the Council so that we can help you face any difficulties.

—Would I call you on the phone then?

—That's right.

—And what if I run out of battery? I haven't seen many plugs around here, nor do I have a charger.

—Don't worry, it won't run out; and if you lose it, Yusuf will provide you with another one. You will always have communication with the Council if you need it.

—Alright.

—The ketirita is our main concern, but in reality, there are many productions from your estate; and your only client is the State, so we are increasing your funds as ketirita, gold, copper, fish... all of that operates autonomously.

—As I hope you have already been informed, this visit is not official, I hope you consider me your friend going forward; my purpose is to help you feel at ease.

—And believe me, I appreciate it, Mr. Abumón.

—When we are alone, you can call me Kamar, Mr. Rojo.

—If you are Kamar, I have to be Jorge, don't you think?

—Of course, yes, Jorge —said the ketirí with a big smile.

—Well, now that we are on friendly terms, I must tell you that having acquired our nationality, your last name, Rojo, seems strange to us and, above all, difficult to pronounce.

—But you say it wonderfully! —protested Jorge.

—Thank you, that's true; I don't mean myself, but most people, who only know the ketirí language. That's why I wanted to propose that you change it for something more usual; and I also ask that you choose a drawing or emblem for your estate.

—So, you are asking me to change "Jorge Rojo" for something more pronounceable?

—Only "Rojo". You can keep the name Jorge since, while it’s not easy for most to pronounce, it will be your last name that applies to your estate; let's say it represents your official name, while "Jorge" is reserved for close friends.

It was true that every time he heard his last name on foreign lips, he encountered attempts that only came close, due to that strong "r" and that "j," phonemes absent from most languages. Then he had an idea; Jorge had always prided himself on his name and associated it with the medieval legend of the saint who defeated the dragon, although he secretly sympathized more with the beast than the hero.

—Can I take any invented last name I want?

—I don't see why not.

—What is "dragon" in ketirí?

—Dragon? It's called "tharakos"; it's a word of uncertain origin, possibly coming from a mix of a Phoenician term and a Greek one.

—I wish for that to be the name of my estate, and its emblem to be a dragon.

—Very well. Allow me then to greet you properly, elí —said Kamar as he stood up. He brought his palms together and pressed his wrists to his chest while keeping the tips of his fingers pointing at Jorge's chest, who had also stood up. He smiled and said: —Sharos, Tharakos.

Jorge was a bit bewildered because he didn't know what to say or do.

—What? —he exclaimed a bit perplexed.

—"Sharos" would be something like "hail," or "I greet you"; and the response should be "sharos" followed by the interlocutor's name.

—That is to say, in this case, "sharos Kamar."

—No, no, I meant the name of the estate, so referred to me it would be Abumón, and the greeting "sharos Abumón." The full name, in my case, Kamar Abumón, is usually used in official formulas; in your case now it would be Jorge Tharakos. Generally, we consider the name something intimate, and its use is reserved for trusted people, especially if used alone, but even followed by the name of the estate is not usually used with subordinates. Keep in mind that each estate has an exclusive name, therefore it can be used without confusion. I am the only Abumón, and you the only Tharakos; in contrast, Kamar or Jorge may have others. I will note the change, which will be published to give it legal validity; you will immediately be sent a passport with your new official name, as well as other corrected identity and property documents. You have just indicated the emblem, a dragon, which being so different from the rest of the estate emblems can be displayed in any way you want; now we just need you to choose a livery.

—What is livery? Excuse my ignorance, Kamar.

—Don't worry. Each estate has a specific color that characterizes it; mine, for example, is blue. Well, actually, I mentioned one color when there are certainly two, although the first is the most important; since it would be impossible to have exclusive colors with so many estates, we choose two, which indeed form a unique combination, for example, mine are blue and purple. White, black, and gold are excluded, which anyone can use freely; for example, Benassur used brown and yellow.

—Yes, I have seen it around —said Jorge, to whom this particular combination seemed very dull, even though it mixed admirably with white, black, and gold.

—Do you want to think it over carefully? There is no need to choose now —replied Kamar, who actually hoped to leave the meeting with this matter already settled.

—Oh, there is no need to wait. The thing is, I don't know if my choice would be feasible; that is to say, it may happen that it already corresponds to some of the estates.

—That's why don't worry, I would tell you immediately, as I remember every livery of Ketiris.

—Well, in that case, I would like to choose orange and turquoise.

—Excellent choice! In fact, turquoise has not been used until now, and orange is not even used as a primary color. The only estate with a slightly similar livery would be Asier, from Betia, which has green and yellow; but turquoise is actually blue, and orange stands out well from yellow, moreover, the main colors do not resemble each other, it would be impossible to confuse them. In short: there is no problem. Then order the steward to apply the new livery for the garments, documents, and everything else. As I told you, I will send you new official documents, including the granting of the title of nobility; that is, officially you are the High Jorge Tharakos.

Kamar's words sounded like heavenly music in Jorge's ears; from then on, he could buy select slaves, something that gave him delightful tickles in his testicles.