Daniel got up. “I should go home now, my lady, and refresh myself.” He was near keeling over now and all his built-up knowledge of the planet’s etiquette had crawled away in a dark corner.
Ugidra got up. “Mr. Zacharias, I insist that you do so here. I will immediately arrange for a guest room with a private bath, and I will have food sent to it. Warlem, can you see to that?”
The poet got up and walked into the large hall after just a nod.
“Lady Dandra ko Galem, I thank you, but your husband will not be pleased to see me. He was not very friendly earlier today already.”
Ugidra smiled. “He won’t know you are here. Please take my word for that, Mr. Zacharias. The house is very large, and the servants know when to be silent.”
Daniel was not in a mood to argue. Deep down inside he was glad he did not have to travel back to his own place. He was not certain if he would still be awake to get out of the carriage.
A male servant came to the terrace. “If you will follow me, sir…” He guided Daniel through a few corridors, reaching a room that looked like a luxury suite of one of the famous Stardrift Hotels Daniel had once read about. The floor was covered with brown and orange carpeting, the walls were a soft beige and the bed in the room was large and inviting. As the servant showed Daniel around in the bathroom, another servant brought a tray with food.
Daniel was impressed how fast that all was arranged. The servants left him, he wolfed down most of the food and considered the bath. It did not take him long to decide that the bed now was more important. He threw his clothes off, rolled into the bed and was enveloped with a black nothing within seconds.
Waking up was a strange experience for Daniel. The smell, the sounds, the softness of the bed and the light created an ensemble that confused his still groggy brain. Slowly he sat up, stared around the room and only then he recalled where he was. In the house of his former employer. Without the man knowing it. He fell back into the pillows and sighed. A firm rub of his face brought more activity to him.
Daniel got out of the bed, found his way to the bathroom and filled the bath. The water, running quickly, was hot and inviting. As the tub was filling up, Daniel peeked out of the window, over which a curtain had been drawn. It was light. He had no idea what the time was. He kept the curtain closed and disappeared into the bathroom for a while, soaking and cleaning himself up for the first time in far too long. Heaven, if something like that existed, he mused, had to be like this.
He resisted the urge to fill up the tub again. Instead, he rubbed himself dry with a large white towel. It carried the sign of Dandra ko Galem that he had also seen on his hydger. He put on the bathrobe that lay on a side table, neatly folded up, and went back into the bedroom.
To his surprise he found his clothes, washed and dried, lying folded on a chair next to the bed. His hydger was lying on top of the stack. It made him wonder how long he had been asleep. He had not heard anyone come in and go around the room. As he was dressing, he noticed a sheet of paper on the table that was against the wall, near the door.
’Mr. Zacharias. Please ring the bell when you are awake. It is the cord next to the door. Thank you.’ it told him. The handwriting was simple, as was the message.
Feeling close to human again, and equally presentable, Daniel tugged the cord. He heard nothing, but chanced that it had been enough. While he waited for something to happen, probably someone to come to his room, he peered through the curtains again. His room was located somewhere at the backside of the house. There was nothing but garden and more hill as far as he could see. He tried to see where the path was where the cloaked person had come to the house, as he recalled the video he had seen, but that was invisible from where he stood.
There was a knock on the door. “May I come in, sir?” It was the voice of a woman.
“Of course, please do,” Daniel said, stepping away from the curtain.
The door swung open. The woman who had brought him food before entered, she had another tray with food with her. “Good afternoon, Mr. Zacharias.” She carefully closed the door behind her, balancing the tray on one hand. She’d obviously done that a lot.
Afternoon? “Good afternoon. Can you tell me how long I have been sleeping?”
The woman put the tray on the table. “Almost a whole day, sir. You must have been very tired, sir.” She then pointed out the assorted food items on the tray. “If there is anything you want, apart from this, you can always ask, sir,” she assured him with a smile. “Seigner Warlem asks you to call on him with the hydger, Mr. Zacharias, when you are ready to leave.”
Daniel had no more questions that she could answer, so she left him alone as he attacked the food.
40. Daniel Detective
It only was a short communication that happened with Warlem after Daniel had finished eating. “I’m coming,” was all the poet said.
Warlem did not waste time. He knocked on the door and came in only a few minutes later. “Daniel. You look much better. I dread to describe the state you were in yesterday.”
“I feel better too, thank you. It kind of strange being here, but the room service is a lot better than at my apartment,” Daniel grinned, staring at the strange fair haired beast that hung over Warlem’s shoulder.
“You can breathe easy,” Warlem said. “My father has left already. He has no idea you are here, and nobody is going to tell him you were. Is there anything my mother or I can do for you before you leave? We really hope you can find Rayko.”
“I would like some more information on her,” Daniel said. “Things she likes, friends, perhaps a reason to disappear? And what’s that… giant ferret doing on your shoulder, if I may ask?”
“Ferret?” Warlem picked the ferret up and stroked it. “This is not a ferret. This is a goffeesh. her name is Blondie. She’s Rayko’s.”
Daniel frowned for a moment. “So it was not a goldfish after all…”
“No. This is not a fish.” It was Warlem’s turn now looked a bit puzzled. “It’s a goffeesh. A goffeesh needs a lot of attention. That is why I have her. Care to hold her for a while? It is very pacifying to hold a goffeesh, Daniel.” He held out the long-stretched animal in one hand. It hung there, seemingly very much at peace. It probably was used to being handed around.
Daniel however thanked him for the honour.
Warlem nodded as he put the goffeesh over his shoulder again. “I think, my friend, the information you seek is something you should discuss also with my mother. We can answer your questions together…”
Daniel followed Warlem to the large hall. Udriga, Clelem’s wife, sat on a large couch, drinking tea.
“Oh, Mr. Zacharias. How do you feel?” she asked.
“A lot better, my lady.” Daniel then had the time to ask his questions. None of Rayko’s friends sounded like the type that would coax her into running off. And neither of the two people could think of a reason for her to disappear without a word. More and more the cloaked person took the centre of attention. It just didn’t make much sense. But then, many things suffered from that.
“And the row she had with her father just before she vanished?” Daniel tried one more time.
“Those happen frequently,” Ugidra said. “Rayko has a mind of her own, and that clashes with the ideas of her father. If they don’t have words at least twice a week, one of them is ill.”
“Being ill has not stopped them before, mother,” Warlem reminded her.
“Then, please, allow me to just mention some names,” Daniel said. “Seigner Dogom ko Tzuy? Would he have anything to gain from this kidnapping, if it really is one?”
Ugidra shook her head. “No. He and Clelem have their differences, but I don’t see him do this. He has always been friendly to us.”
“The shape of the man in the cloak would certainly fit him, though,” Warlem thought out loud.
Ugidra watched her son. “Seigner Huajo would never do something like this. He wouldn’t be able to, physically. His walking is bad enough, Warlem, do not mock the man, please.”
“Then what about the senator, Seigner Dirrit ko Asac?” Daniel just tried the name, to provoke a
