Babel thought about the question for several moments before answering. When he had his answer, he looked soberly at Quentin. “I have given you my answer. That answer remains yes.”
Quentin’s face softened and he smiled. “Then I shall have to teach you how.”
“I don’t understand. Your letter said I had to find the power within me.”
“And so you do. But wouldn’t it be easier to find with someone who knows where to look?”
“It definitely would.” Babel agreed.
“Then it’s agreed. Tomorrow we start your training. Now eat, your food is probably cold.”
Babel looked at his food and realized he had not yet taken a bite. He looked out over the group of people spaced throughout the commons and then took his first bite of food as the Chokka Császár.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The Keeper was concerned. He was pleased with the work of the Cancellarrii but the Chokka had still not been found. Additionally, the body of the son of the former Minister of Science – the professor – had disappeared from the morgue following the death of a Klopph. That disturbed him most; how could someone enter a secure facility and escape with a body undetected?
He knew that none of the Klopph would remove a body from the morgue. The order stood that all bodies of guests of the Klopph were burned. The Klopph would not disobey that order. Unless a Klopph did.
In the many years since he had organized the Klopph, no Klopph had ever disobeyed him. The Klopph were selected at birth and throughout their life, given the best of everything. Men feared them and nothing was beyond their reach.
The Keeper was confused but still felt deep down that it had not been a Klopph who disobeyed him. That meant something else. He was not sure what that something else entailed. It was the something else that created uncertainty within him. He was not used to elements of his world being out of his control. He had to be careful of how he reacted to the uncertainty because he knew it would bring insecurity – and then anger. The anger would lead to rash decisions and mistakes.
He left his office and went back to his personal quarters. He would need time to think it through. He was sure there was a rational explanation for the missing body.
For most of the night the Keeper sat in the large chair in his den. He knew he should be asleep but he couldn’t quite manage to get there. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something.
After several hours of staring out of a dark window and thinking, he rose and went to the kitchen. He conjured a glass of milk and sat down at his kitchen table. There, he reread the report from the Cancellarri. He had brought the file back from his office, something he rarely did (he thought of his personal quarters as his one place of solace from the rigors of ruling an entire world). As always, admired and appreciated the efficiency and preciseness of the Cancellarrii. The report included a complete transcript of the interrogation.
He read the transcript carefully, not wanting to miss anything. He had nearly completed the entire document, when something he had a read a few moments prior triggered in his mind. He searched back over the document and found the part of the interrogation where the professor was asked about his fake death when he was a child.
“I was killed in an accident as a child, only it wasn’t a real death.” the Keeper read Quentin’s words aloud. “My father took care of the paperwork, then I was sent away to live in the Outerlands.”
The Keeper read this aloud twice. Something about the way that the professor said “it wasn’t a real death” sounded strange. He didn’t come out and say that his death had been faked. Plus he said that he was “killed in an accident as a child.” Again that was a strange response.
The Cancellarrii had included photos from an old Chokka file taken of the accident when the Minister of Science’s son was killed. The photos were very graphic.
He looked closer at the body in the photos. There was no doubt that the body belonged to the professor as a child. “These are very realistic. Almost too realistic.”
Something didn’t feel right. He read the transcript of the interview of the Minister of Science after the death of his son. The words of the Minster didn’t sound as if they were just said to cover up a fake death. The words seemed sincere and full of sorrow. “No one is that good of an actor.”
He put the file away and called the Cancellarrii, who answered on the second ring. The Keeper smiled. It was the middle of night but the Cancellarrii was ready to respond as always. “I’m sorry to wake you. I would like you to come to my office first thing in the morning. There is something I’d like to discuss with you in regard to the dead professor.”
A few hours later, the Keeper handed the Cancellarrii a cup of coffee as they settled around his desk, and pulled out the report. “You have read the entire report on the death of the Minister’s son?”
“I have.”
“Did anything seem strange to you?”
The Cancellarrii thought for a moment. “The death of the boy seemed very well planned out. Of course, I would expect as much with the capabilities of a centralized government.”
The Keeper nodded in agreement. He had overthrown the Chokka but had to agree, their government was well organized. “Anything else?”
“Why don’t you tell me what is on your mind?”
“Very well.” The Keeper
