Quentin nodded. “So in the morning then.”
“Yes, in the morning. Now get some sleep.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Good night, Babel.”
Quentin waited until he heard Babel’s footsteps disappear and then turned around to face the screen. “Let’s see what other secrets you have for us.”
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
“I want answers!” the Keeper demanded.
“We’re currently working on that. We are speaking to everyone who was associated with the Chokka’s servants and everyone who served at the outpost the same time as the cook. If anyone knows anything, they will tell us.” the Cancellarrii answered.
The Keeper thought for a moment. “Perhaps there actually is no book. Is it possible that the cook was mistaken?”
“The cook was convinced there was such a book. Why would he make up such a thing on his death bed?” the Kaptajn answered.
The Keeper turned and faced the new Kaptajn, the man whose power was dwarfed only by the Cancellarrii. “After years of service in the palace, I sent him to you in an outpost. Perhaps he was angry. He was hoping to die surrounded by the luxury of the palace. Instead, he was shipped to live out the rest of his life in the Outerlands. Maybe he wanted to start a conspiracy that would outlive his own life.”
“It’s possible, sir.” replied the Kaptajn. “But something just doesn’t sound right.”
“What do you mean by that?” the Keeper challenged. He was testing his new Kaptajn, seeing if he would stand up to him – a quality he wanted in his Kaptajn. The Cancellarrii knew his new Kaptajn was being tested and said nothing.
“Why would the cook tell the Klopph such a story? If the intention was to alarm us through conspiracy, he forgot that the Klopph do not intimidate. If his desire was spread hope among the people of the world, he could do better than attempt to pass rumors across the lips of the Klopph. He spoke matter of fact. Nothing more.”
“You were there at his death and witnessed firsthand?”
“I was and I did.”
“Did you ask him why he was telling you this?”
“I did. His answer was that he was one of only a few left alive who knew that the book existed and he could not let that secret die with him. He said he owed the government at least that much for sparing his life and treating him well throughout the years.”
The Keeper considered the Kaptajn’s words. The Kaptajn had not backed down and that pleased him. The Cancellarrii had chosen well, as he had expected him to. “Very well. So we know that a book exists. And we know that book contains an unknown narrative. We also assume that the book is in the hands of the Chokka. Is there any way to discover where the book truly ended?”
The Cancellarrii regained the conversation. “As I mentioned, we are making all possible inquiries.”
“Is there no way to trace the deliveries and narrow down those people involved?”
“We can narrow down the timeframe and look at the most likely suspects but our inquiry will take time to make sure the information is accurate. It wouldn’t be prudent to neglect any timeframe based solely on if they served with the cook or not. During the interval which we spend investigating, the Chokka gain more time to plot. We will work all angles but our efforts would be better spent on the present than chasing stories of the past.”
The Keeper nodded regretfully. “Any news of his whereabouts?”
The Cancellarrii shook his head. “Our battalion in the Great Waste picked up the trail and followed it east but it ended just to the north of the city.”
“So they have come back here?”
“Either that or they discovered a means to travel undetected.”
The Keeper placed his hands behind his back and paced around the room for a few moments. The Cancellarrii and the Kaptajn waited patiently. Finally the Keeper looked up at them. “Have you ever heard of a secret Chokka fortress?”
The Kaptajn shook his head indicating that he had not. The Cancellarrii on the other hand had heard of such a place, although it had been many years since he heard anything spoken on the subject. “In the first few years after our arrival year, I often heard whispers among the residents of the Elder Quarter asking why the Császár did not take residence in the fortress upon our invasion.”
“Did any of these people mention where such a fortress might be located?”
“It was said that the fortress lay just north of the city. I have investigated several times but have never revealed anything.”
“I have heard similar rumors. I have been to the area a few times myself but like you never seen sign of a fortress.” The Keeper looked at the Kaptajn. “Do you have men in the area?”
The Kaptajn nodded. “The battalion that trailed the Chokka trail remains in the area. I will have them scour the area. It is a large area. Is there a specific location we should begin?”
“If you were to build a fortress, what would you look for in a location?” the Cancellarrii asked.
“I would find a higher elevation for a vantage point.”
“Even if it were underground?”
The Kaptajn considered. “Yes.”
“Then that is where you will focus.”
The Keeper looked at both men. “Make it happen. We need to find the fortress.”
Both men noted the dismissal and exited the Keeper’s office.
After they had gone, the Keeper went back to his living quarters and sat down at his kitchen table. The past few weeks had been more stressful than at any other point of his rule. That stress was starting to wear on him. “Perhaps tomorrow I will take a few
