Chapter 7

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Chapter 7 We took the train from the outer wall into the city itself. There we were met by a woman who somehow knew who we were. "Hello, my name is Joo Dee," she said. "I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Katara, and Toph. Shall we get started?" This was great. She'd know where the Earth King was. This was going to be easier than I imagined. "Yes," I said. "We have information about the Fire Nation that we need to deliver to the Earth King immediately." "Great! Let's begin our tour, then I'll show you to your new home." I was confused. Maybe she hadn't heard what I said, so I tried again. "We need to talk to the king about the war. It's important." "You're in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here." What was this lady's problem? It's like she was totally ignoring me—not to mention ignoring reality. She didn't realize how wrong she was. If we don't stop the Fire Nation, NOBODY will be safe anywhere.

But Joo Dee simply led us to a carriage and started our tour of the city. I tried to tell her again and again how important it was for us to see the king, but she ignored me each time. "Maybe she's deaf?" I wondered out loud. "She hears you," Toph said. "She's just not listening." "Why won't she talk about the war?" Katara asked. "Whatever her deal is, I don't like this place," Aang said. "We just need to find Appa and get out of here." We passed the king's palace and saw some scary- looking guards. Joo Dee said that they were agents of the Dai Li, who guard the city's traditions. "Can we see the king now?" Aang blurted out. Joo Dee just laughed. "Oh, no. One doesn't just pop in on the king." Now this was getting frustrating. Then the carriage stopped in front of a really nice house. "Here we are! Your new home!" Joo Dee said cheerfully, just as a messenger arrived with a scroll. She took it and read it quickly. Then she announced, "Good news! Your request to see the king is being

processed and you should get to see him in about a month." "A month!" We were going to have to stay in that weird place for a whole month? That wasn't going to leave us much time to prepare our attack on the Fire Nation. "If we're going to be here for a whole month, we should spend our time looking for Appa," Aang said. We searched all over the city. Not only had no one seen Appa, but everyone seemed scared to talk to us. Even our next-door neighbor was terrified. "You can't mention the war here," he said. "And whatever you do, stay away from the Dai Li!" I couldn't believe how crazy it was. Clearly we were not going to get help from anyone. Not from Joo Dee, not from our neighbors, and apparently not from the Dai Li. We were going to have to do it on our own. Which meant we needed a plan to get in to see the Earth King. He's the only one who could straighten everything out. Later Katara saw something in the newspaper that gave her an idea. "The king is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear. We can sneak in with the crowd." So that night, Katara and Toph dressed up as fancy ladies and went in first. Aang and I snuck in as

busboys. Then trouble came walking up to us. It was Joo Dee. "What are you doing here?" she wanted to know. "You have to leave immediately or we'll all be in terrible trouble." I'd had it with her. "Not until we see the king!" "You don't understand. You must go!" But I wasn't about to leave. No one was going to tell us what to do. While Aang provided a distraction, I went to search for the king. A short while later he entered the ballroom. Then, as Aang rushed over to greet him, I was grabbed by two Dai Li guards and taken to a room along with Katara and Toph. A few minutes later Aang showed up with this guy Long Feng, the head of the Dai Li. Ah, finally, someone who could give me some answers. "Why won't you let us talk to the king? We have information that could defeat the Fire Nation!" "The Earth King has no time to get involved with political squabbles and the day-to-day minutia of military activities," Long Feng said. "But this could be the most important thing he's ever heard!" Aang explained. "What's most important to the king is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. It's my job to oversee the rest of the city's resources, including the

military." So Long Feng was the guy who's really in power. This explained a lot. "So the king is just a figurehead," Katara said. "He's your puppet!" Toph added. If this was the guy who's in charge, then maybe we'd come to the right place after all. "We've found out about a solar eclipse that will leave the Fire Nation defenseless. You could lead an invasion—" "Enough!" He angrily cut me off. "I don't want to hear your ridiculous plan. It is the strict policy of Ba Sing Se that the war not be mentioned within our walls." It was all beginning to make sense. This guy had a sweet deal with all the power, and he was keeping the truth from the people of the city—not to mention from the king. This was corruption, plain and simple, and it was as bad as the Fire Nation itself. "You can't keep the truth from all these people!" Katara shouted. "I'll tell them," Aang said. "I'll make sure everyone knows." "Until now you've been treated as honored guests," Long Feng said sternly. "But from now on