11- LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - EVIL PERSONIFIED - SECTION 14

Qarzten Caimund’s shrewd policy of routinely checking beyond the official records of everyone, who had entered government service in Capital Channing, had yet again proven fruitful. Especially since, his hand-picked expert team in no time at all had uncovered lost bits of interesting facts about Nijel Pinng; that, an astute Censorate official had incidentally, purely by accident discovered, just before his suspicious death from a sudden stomach ailment (rupture):  that Nijel Pinng was the illegitimate half-sister to Lady Sejon. 

 

01- KENON RIEN

On further inquiry Qarzten Caimund had found the circumstances of Nijel’s life unfurling like the plot of a lowest currency denomination, a marketplace performance (play):

Sejon's aristocratic, philandering father Kenon Rien, had once passed through Moulon Province and result of one nights’ unbridled passion, with one of that region's rare beauties an innocent young girl named Arnora, he had begotten (produced, precipitated) the illegitimate twin offsprings.

 

02- ARNORA (14)

As the beauty Arnora was, unfortunately so far below Kenon's station/class, instead of doing the honourable thing, Kenon had through intimidation (bullying, strongarming) secured the mayor’s (village burgomaster’s) and her parents’ silence and instead arranged, well before her pregnancy showed, for her to be hastily married off to an aged but respectable Esquire Niet Wanner. The Esquire’s young wife had recently passed away because of a fever, leaving behind a wailing infant girl, which was Sejon. Such things did happen in the remote villages.

At the time, the Esquire Niet Wanner was in his mid fifties, and Arnora barely eighteen years old. Despite the age difference, Esquire Niet was a gentle soul and so treated his new bride Arnora with gentle respect, tolerance, and adoration.

 

In this blissful co-existence, laughter, and music once more permeated through the halls of Esquire Niet Wanner’s modest size, three story-mansion (villa); and typically, during this harmonious period Sejon experienced the unconditional love from her stepmother Arnora- alas, it was not to last!

After the nine month’s pregnancy, Arnora had opportunely expired from a complication of a difficult birthing. The case of her sudden, unexpected demise, was expediently covered up (without the knowledge of Esquire Niet Wanner); this, with secretly dispensed generous bribes from the Rien Clan, therefore, permanently silencing the attending physician, the mayor, and the other pertinent (relevant) local officials.

 

03- ESQUIRE NIET WANNER - JP

Esquire Niet Wanner, meanwhile, was utterly devastated by this terrible loss, for he had from the first, been besotted (love-struck, smitten) with his enchantingly beautiful young wife; now, considering himself unlucky or jinxed, he swore never to wed again.

Consequently, the three infants, Sejon and the twins were thus placed in the care of a wet-nurse Luse, who had providentially (conveniently, luckily), when the old nanny suddenly succumbed to an accident, by falling down from a flight of stairs and breaking her neck, in Esquire Wanner’s household: At that juncture, Luse had showed up seeking employment as a wet-nurse.

Luse, claimed her Scholar husband, she, and their seven-week-old infant son, had just happened to have arrived at Moulon Province; unfortunately, result of a boating accident, she had lost them both. Furthermore, she had no other family in this region, she was now stranded here, left all alone to fend for herself. In truth, Luse had been secretly handpicked by Kenon, and furnished with documentation this background-story, to keep an eye on what he deemed was his property, till more apt measures could be implemented.

 

04- WET-NURSE LUSE

Qarzten’s men had also uncovered, that Arnora had in fact, as Qarzten Caimund had suspected, been murdered on Lord Kenon's implicit order; after her father Tom Raygard, in his desperation, had attempted to, unsuccessfully, extort funds from Kenon Rien.

As consequence of heavy flooding that year, his crops had failed miserably and he stood on the brink of ruin; more importantly, Tom Raygard had lacked the essential funds for the medical care that was required to preserve his wife’ life. Farmer Tom, as he was known to most, was a decent sort but was forced to this despondent (extreme) measure.

Tom Raygard in his unrelenting pursuit of justice for his  deceased daughter Arnora, meanwhile, anticipating Kenon’s diabolical aim, had just made up his mind to confess all about the unlawful coercing which had forced him and Arnora to accede to the demands of  Kenon Rien and to warn Esquire Niet Wanner of the more current hidden threat from Rien Clan, pertaining to his infant twins.  Before he could act on this however, his aim had been abruptly, promptly thwarted (foiled, terminated); when during the violent, stormy night, a lightening struck the roof of his homestead, setting the structure completely ablaze. The ensuing (resultant) fire had gutted the decade old, partly decrepit two-story wooden farmhouse within seconds and, everyone previously tugged in their beds on the second story (floor, level) being unable to get to safety, had perished.

 

05- TOM RAYGARD -JP

There had been two or three mutely (wordlessly, murmured) raised, though quickly supressed queries (questions) about the spread of the fire being far too rapid; thus, feasibly precipitated by intentionally (purposely) placed tinder or a flare, it had unfortunately, tragically begotten multiple fatality.

Definitely one irksome speculation, in fervent whispers, had persisted; this,  founded on  an offhand remark, an accusation, from a bold constable- that besides the conflagration (inferno) caused by the lightening at the rooftop, there was also, though beyond coup (reduced to ashes, embers) scant evidence (trace) of strategically placed kindling that had proliferated (burgeoned) the seriousness of devastation from above and below.

Afterwards, these annoying inklings (whispers, notions) too were checked; particularly since the ultimate result had conveniently (for the aristocrat Rien Clan,) tied up the reminder loose ends. The matter was expediently wrapped up and filed away as consequence of natural disaster; this, so as not to impede (hinder, hamper) Kenon Rien’s future political ambitions.

Sejon, however, was soon to be orphaned herself as the Esquire Niet Wanner, a week before his suicide, had acquired an insurance policy with an efficient, fearsome organization covertly known as the Brotherhood of Kozurs. The powerful federation (association, alliance) that had operating members, even at the farthest reaches of the Wenjenkun Empire, for a minimal cost, discreetly (prudently) addressed without fail, extremely difficult and all outstanding injustices. No one, however powerful, could escape their deadly talons; two days hence, the invincible (indomitable) Kozur assassins sent the aristocrat Kenon Rien to accompany the Esquire in death, but on an ignominious journey, straight to Hell!

The twins, meanwhile, because Esquire Niet Wanner’s had overlooked this eventuality, had been successfully secreted away (abducted), the moment of Niet’s demise; this order was issued directly from the top echelon of the Rien Clan, which considered the twins, akin Kenon Rien, as Clan ‘property.

Subsequently, twins were separated; the fate of the male child was still a mystery, the girl however, had been successfully traced by Qarzten Caimund’s competent men, to the household of a Magistrate Ronian Keru in Moulon Province, now under the suzerainty of Lord Shouzi Yozdek.

 

06- MAGISTRATE RONIAN  KERU OF MOULON PROVINCE

Qarzten  Caimund had long suspected this region (the Moulon Province), to be a hotbed of insurgency, as well as criminal (illegal) activity, though regrettably, he had lacked solid evidence to indict His Lordship Shouzi Yozdek of a serious breach or a treason. As Ronian Keru was on his concise list of conspirators, Qarzten Caimund had been keeping Nijel under surveillance way before she had showed up in the Capital.

About a month ago, Qarzten’s patience had finally (paid off) been rewarded when his agents had intercepted a letter from her former master who, despite his leave of absence for health reasons, was still the pawn of his Lordship Shouzi Yozdek. Alas, the coded message had been more difficult than usual to decipher and though Qarzten Caimund had a special team working on it around the clock, to date there had been no real progress (reported).  

As it were, this setback had come closely on the heels of another more devastating one. A while ago the only sure evidence against Shouzi, an incriminating letter written by him to Kujoge Yozdek, had been the means of an extortion attempt on the Lord. This letter had been traced to a freelance spy identified as a Ms. Jepipi. Just as Qarzten Caimund’s operatives had been about to close in on her at the bustling port of Kenzo, she had mysteriously vanished along with her trackers. The trail of the letter had gone cold from there on.

Of course, Qarzten Caimund could have incarcerated Nijel Pinng, on the charge of gaining her employment under false pretenses to spy on the throne and then tortured her to extract the required confessions. This would have only gotten him as far as her former master Ronian Keru however, who would have long been dead before the adequate law enforcement forces could arrest him. And so, temporarily Qarzten had ignored Sejon’s pitiful efforts to hide Nijel’s involvement in the business of the penknife. But then, Qarzten had much bigger fish to fry, and he did not want to draw up his net only to find two small shrimps ensnared in it. Nijel Pinng was far more useful kept as bait to trap all other significant conspirators. For that reason, if nothing else, Qarzten had bided his time till he had attained more solid evidence that was sure to follow. Then with these indisputable proofs in his arsenal, he could in one swoop (precise action), cleanse the system of all its parasitical elements.                                    

                                                                           ~

 

The subsequent day's extensively compiled report on Imperial Tutor Worren Youkup’s early morning unscheduled visit to Lady Sejon and the particulars of that meeting had both disappointed and exasperated Qarzten Caimund. He had expected more from one with Royal tutor’s competence; meanwhile, the specifics of Sejon's brilliant performance had made Qarzten wince. He had secretly abhorred her for her deceitful ways but now he held Sejon in even greater contempt for, not only corrupting the impeccable reputation of an innocuous old tutor Worren Youkup but also using his lifelong principles against him. This needless complication had come about because of Sejon’s informants had failed to pass on in time to her, Zakhertan Yozdek’s recent change of heart and his subsequent decision to establish Magnian, once the boy prince had reached the proper age, as the new Crown Prince. Nijel's palliative, sneaky suggestion meanwhile in reality, a double-edged sword, had caused Sejon to further jeopardize (sabotage) her standing.

Qarzten Caimund quietly reflected on the (previously) intercepted, second secret message from Nijel; though not yet deciphered, he could deduce (fathom) the contents from the subsequent corresponding events. The sudden onset of Lady Sejon’s illness after Worren’s visit for instance had come as no real surprise, although the choice of surrogate Royal Physician, who had attended her, had piqued (annoyed) Qarzten’s interest. Particularly since her ordinarily a robust personal physician had so abruptly was indisposed by a mysterious ailment, necessitating this opportune replacement by Enqui Rimeng, the personal physician of her nemesis Prince Herleif.

 

07- YOUNG ROYAL PHYSICIAN ENQUI RIMENG (1)

A barely detectable frown registered on Qarzten’s lips as he had quickly pinpointed the devious hand behind all this. Even though these recent developments would only slightly alter the portended course of events, Qarzten leaving nothing to chance, set to cover all bases, as well, manage any fluke insidious eventualities.

Later that evening, following his usual routine, Qarzten Caimund dismissed his assistant for a time and shut himself up in his study to deal with this and other most urgent (pressing) and delicate matters of the day. Most nights Qarzten had typically skipped sleep altogether (being a habitual insomniac) examining all vital reports, before presenting these with apt addendum resolutions, to Sovereign Zakhertan Yozdek (the only other who never seemed to need any sleep) later in the hour.   

In just less than an hour the first eight cases were summarily dispensed with when, upon opening a file and perusing its contents with one glance, a thin smile supplanted the habitual stern expression on Qarzten’s face.

“Good!” He hissed, very much relieved at having received confirmation of the postponement of Prince Herleif’s actual conspiracy to eliminate Magnian.

This was certainly welcome news for it eradicated another burdensome matter from Qarzten Caimund’s hectic schedule. Had his gentle coercion not worked, he would have had to implement dicey measures or lethal force to thwart the assassination attempt on Prince Magnian. It was not because he had been ordered to preserve Magnian's life, nor was it out of kindness that Qarzten had taken upon himself the task of safeguarding the boy. In the past he had not intervened in the demises of the other Princelings but then the circumstances had not been as volatile. This course was warranted because of the precarious (foreign) political circumstances created by both Korion and Kontu, with the greater danger stemming from Hedenko. In the likelihood of Herleif’s premature demise, the absence of an immediate replacement would set a dangerous precedence within the realm of Wenjenkun.

At this point Qarzten Caimund feeling tetchy, rose and walked over to stand, hands clasped behind his back, before the open doorway that led to the private veranda. A gentle breeze stirred the curtains that had been pulled back to either side, letting in the cool, crisp air into the room to gently caress his face. Qarzten had worked all through the night yet felt unaffected by it. Stretching out his limbs, he absently observed how the first reddish glow of the dawn streaking in over the high wall, then bathed the tranquil scene in the garden. The low-lying mist on the dew simply glistened like precious gems on the green grass, plump leaves and on the petals of the exquisite orchids. No artist's brush could create such a breathtaking depiction as that which now lay before his eyes; nature alone, that one unrivaled expert craftsman, had the only means with which to embody (illustrate) such wonder!

The rising songs of the awakening birds and insects next greeted his ears announcing the impending arrival of another brilliant day; despite his outward passive complacency however, his mind was still beset with worrisome loose ends. Suddenly feeling famished he turned away, sauntered (moseyed) back to his seat then comfortably settled in, he called out to his assistant, the one who had just moment’s prior reported for work as the shift had changed.

Indicating with a slight movement of his chin, the night's completed work for him to dispense, Qarzten succinctly next instructed the trusted aid to see to it that, after his quick sluice (sponge down), he be served his customary light breakfast, this time at the terrace.

 

08 -QARZTEN CAMUND (17)A - JP3

Once the simple repast was placed in readiness before him Qarzten Caimund, followed his habitual routine and partook of it quickly then, returned inside and went immediately right back to work. Marveling at his master's stamina, the assistant brought in the newest stack of documents and then stepping aside quietly waited, for them to receive Qarzten’s stamp of office (mark, hallmark).

In no time at all the Senior Grand Secretary had finished with this first pile and reached for the smaller second set of correspondence, marked "Confidential" in red lettering, which had next been quickly brought in as soon as the first pile was taken away. Qarzten pulled these new documents squarely in front of him and picking up the topmost one, broke the seal, retrieved the inside letter, then eased back into his chair to peruse its contents. In one glance he had absorbed the contents of the carefully worded report. A glint of a smile just then brushed his lips, “Good, they have finally deciphered the code. From now on we will have a much better idea of her correspondence and of their future, illicit activities.

It was about time, too; fortunately, at present, no drastic measures were warranted. Nevertheless, he impatiently drummed his fingers on the desk for he had never liked being stymied. He re-read the last part of the report and the decoded succinct messages once more, this time more assiduously, his lips forming the words noiselessly. "Cock not in possession of prize. It’s whereabouts still unknown."  Qarzten Caimund leered despite himself at the whimsical reference to the feared Black Eunuch Egil Viggoaries as the 'Cock'. This was a good turn of phrase; Nijel had both guts and a sardonic sense-of-humor.

More importantly, Caimund’s hunches about Viggoaries being the extortionist had been right on the mark, but now the Dark Eunuch had lost the advantages of the leverage it had given him over Lord Shouzi Yozdek.

“He must be livid.” Qarzten Caimund looked away, continuing with his quiet reflection, “That explains the Eunuch's latest series (cycle) of unbridled, perverse tyrannies. Worse still for Viggoaries, Lord Shouzi Yozdek has finally put a face to his tormentor and will now bring to bear his full vindictiveness against him. Even so, Viggoaries has enough devious power to thwart these impending assaults and extricate himself totally from these troubles in the same way he always has.”   

 

(END OF SECTION 14)

 

 

                                                                                     ~ 

 

 11- LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - EVIL PERSONIFIED - SECTION 13

All during Qarzten’s extensive investigations, there had been enough hearsay evidence to link Egil Viggoaries to far more heinous atrocities than his rival PM Lamont Gudaren had ever been involved in; however, the astute Dark Eunuch had been far too shrewd to leave least speck or shred of living evidence, perpetually eliminating, and cutting off all loose ends.  Qarzten’ competent force had dismally failed even to extract, a single drugged confession against the Eunuch. Egil Viggoaries, meanwhile, carried the notorious distinction of being the expert in these methods and anyone who had least contact with him always came away with the firm belief that he was immune to these types of trickery. Consequently, the surface reading of the Dark Eunuch’s service record looked impeccable, his loyalty and integrity appeared beyond question. 

01- EGIL VIGGORIES 4- JP

Qarzten Caimund had heard seven or eight such rumors about the childhood escapades of Egil Viggoaries that revealed a heart as black as coal, a conscience as putrid as excrement, a soul buried so deep in a bottomless, dark abyss that it was worse than nonexistent yet none of these blood-curdling stories could be substantiated. The intense fear that these rumours had nevertheless evoked, was quite unmistakable. The mere mention of his name even in the remotest corners of the Kingdom would be enough to scatter unruly crowds. All influential and powerful citizens and even most of the nobility quaked in their boots at the very sight of him. The Chief of Internal Security was truly the second most feared man in the land for, next to the Sovereign himself, Dark Eunuch’s brutality to date was unsurpassed. Like his mentor he carried the notorious distinction of being an ultimate sadist, one who enjoyed and thrived on inflicting physical and mental torture on everyone. Yet the only attainable accounts (with which to incriminate him) had been the ones done within the legal boundaries of the law. 

Nowhere was there a shred of evidence of wrongdoing with which to arrest or prosecute him.    

 The impartial, dark side of Qarzten Caimund could not help but admire Egil Viggoaries’s resourcefulness, thoroughness, and his uncanny ability to perform the darkest deeds in full daylight without there being even one credible witness.    

Added to the Dark Eunuch's accomplishments was his creation of that most dreaded network of spies, the invisible force that went by the name of, Secret Brotherhood of The Black Molochs. The organization was so brilliantly set up that it was impenetrable, yet it had thousands of tentacles extending (reaching) out everywhere, strangling all levels of Government and the populace of Wenjenkun.  Suffice it to say, Qarzten Caimund had been perturbed for an exceptionally long time about his inability to infiltrate Egil Viggoaries’s organization, even the lesser ranks.   

Then his resilience and persistence long at last had paid off. He had broken ground, so to speak, gained a significant inroad with one promising candidate.  It had taken him years of painstaking effort to covertly recruit and school Yuchemos Mantus, but in the end, Yuchemos had surpassed all Qarzten Caimund’s expectations in a surprisingly brief period. But then, that young man had some real ability other than his strikingly handsome features, fine physical bearing, so now, in less than two days time, he would be initiated into the Inner Circle of The Black Molochs. This indeed was a remarkable accomplishment. 

02- YUCHEMOS MANTUS (2)JP

Qarzten Caimund in the meantime was constrained to exercising greater caution than ever before to maintain his sham impartiality concerning Yuchemos Mantus and not to jeopardize this rarest opportunity. And so, when Zakhertan Yozdek had suddenly the other day had inquired about what he had thought of Yuchemos Mantus’s abilities and shortcomings in particular consideration for a more responsible posting in Capital, Qarzten had been most careful not to be either (for) too enthused or against the idea. He had to guard against alerting Zakhertan Yozdek’s suspicions, for once aroused, especially now, with so much riding on it; it would lead to most profound consequences (repercussions) for Yuchemos.  Zakhertan’s mood changes and reactions to people and things were closely monitored (studied) by Egil Viggoaries, who knew Zakhertan better than anyone, and occasionally the Dark Eunuch had been able to home-in accurately in on the truth. As an added cautionary measure, Yuchemos Mantus had been furthermore, ordered to avoid all but the most innocuous contact with the Senior Grand Secretary and his office staff for the next three or four months or more; and even then, only if conditions had seriously warranted it.  

Though it appeared to each factional leader (PM Lamont Gudaren and Egil Viggoaries), their power and influence on political and military spheres were steadily mounting, their machinations were frequently in fact, foiled (stymied), by the ever-vigilant Senior Grand  Secretary Qarzten Caimund, who had devised and set in place long ago, specific (certain) curbs.    

The instant that the delicate balance was disturbed or placed in serious jeopardy by either of the factions striving to usurp more power, Qarzten Caimund’s contingency plans, then activated, would automatically disrupt, and terminate it. Qarzten’s force for some time hence had curtailed and kept the two antagonists’ ambitions in permanent check, as if by divine intervention or by capricious fate.   

Of course, with the perpetual animosity (hostility) of Korion and the potential threat from Deng Hedenko of Kontu looming on the north-eastern horizon, Qarzten Caimund had once, long ago, quietly questioned the validity of eradicating these two powerful cliques at this juncture and also, whether it could be timely effected (brought about) before the impending “Great War”.  Qarzten Caimund had (thereafter) since then implemented certain measures, to minimize the damage that these two could beget. The anticipated future pockets of rebellion would be quashed right at its start, to remove any risk or jeopardy to the might and stability of Wenjenkun's main military force. Ripple effects, including a series of carefully planned assassinations, would then commence, eliminating all potential danger to the national security. The painstakingly detailed instructions and coded cue words which Qarzten Caimund had labored over through many a night had been temporarily locked up, on Zakhertan Yozdek’s order, in the Palace vault. 

Qarzten Caimund had noticed of late however, three or four other disturbing developments becoming known, the chief one being an indirect intervention in the countermeasures set up against Lamont Gudaren and Egil Viggoaries from another quarter: Lord Shouzi Yozdek (current ruling tyrant in Gulbrand Province). This had caused these measures to lose bit of their effectiveness. Direct intervention against Lord Shouzi would have rectified this volatile situation and eliminated the threat but His Highness had termed the damage as comparatively minimal.

03- QARZTEN CAMUND (7)jp

Still, despite adequate proof, Qarzten Caimund while working out, during routine, combat session with the Sovereign Zakhertan  and the selective group of  indomitable royal warriors, Qarzten had braved Zakhertan's wrath and in between strikes, he had broached the subject yet again, urging Zakhertan to grant him permission, while there were still ample time and opportunity, to deal with this potentially explosive situation.  Though the Sovereign had listened with due patience while he fought unceasingly, to Qarzten’s well presented oral case, he had in the end shook his head (shown reluctance) and refused to take any decisive military action (against his kin) at that specific juncture (point in time).   

“Egil Viggoaries’s and Lamont Gudaren’s service to the State has not yet been fully realized."  Had been Zakhertan’s blunt (frank) response; his way of saying 'No', without fully closing the door.    

Discerning that there was more to the Sovereign's reluctance than his concern for the kin or the welfare of the State, Qarzten had set aside his misgivings and dropped the subject; a decision he had come to regret so many times over, since then.    

 

                                                                            ~   

When the news of Prince Herleif’s terrible blunder with the penknife and his subsequent punishment had first reached Qarzten Caimund, he had not taken pleasure in derision of the prince as so many others who had also held Prince Herleif in contempt, had done. Senior Grand Secretary had simply shaken his head in utter disbelief at the extent of the prince's stupidity and negligence and then frowned when he thought of; the three or four presages (portend) repercussions this innocuous episode could entail. Nevertheless, because he had deemed Herleif’s days as being numbered even without the derivative of this mishap, he had concentrated instead on dealing with other more pressing issues on his agenda.  Irksomely, the persistent reports of Herleif’s exaggerated and perverse responses had continued to filter in. The day after the prince’s recovery, in fact, he had ordered the torture and inquisition of his own equally contemptible Chief Eunuch Wagner, along with the rest of his household retinue. The needlessness of this act against ones who were so obviously innocent had angered Qarzten Caimund to the boiling point. Though very much perturbed the Senior Grand Secretary Qarzten Caimund had maintained his admirable reserve however, as he held a specific purpose in mind. He had opted to run only a little interference and advocated that the handling of the investigation into the origin of the knife be done by the Chief of Internal Security. Egil Viggoaries was on the surface the most capable man for resolving this case swiftly thus leaving Zakhertan Yozdek free to concentrate on more serious matters. The fact that Qarzten Caimund had good reason to suspect other Palace players as having had a hand in this affair would, it seemed, had opened meanwhile, another (assortment of problems) complex issue and tied up the attention of everyone involved, including Egil Viggoaries, in efforts which would inevitably change the natural course of events. But then Qarzten Caimund could not resist weaving another trap for Egil Viggoaries when this added opportunity had struck. His ulterior motive had been in part to entice Egil Viggoaries with a sure bait, to either redeem or, expectantly even on a small scale, hang himself. It was a calculated risk which Qarzten knew he would win regardless of the outcome. As it happened Zakhertan Yozdek’s elite secret service had been dispatched two days ago to investigate a rebellion looming on the horizon of Tanghui Province. The instance the urgent matters within Channing were concluded, Qarzten Caimund would then be free to accompany the new Military Governor, to Tanghui to promptly consolidate the political situation there. Qarzten inwardly cursed the delay, as he was most anxious to leave for this assignment since the route to Tanghui bypassed Tenzo Province where he had another more urgent business and a certain investigation to oversee. 

04- COMANDER ZHADOL BORYM AND LANCE DIOSTIN

 

Qarzten Caimund had learned some time prior, of the strange disappearances of certain figures associated with the Inner Circle of The Black Molochs: Lance Diostin, Zhadol Borym, Zuan and Sanqui Xiory; warranting hence, an indebt enquiry to resolve his many unanswered questions. Qarzten had quietly suspected that they had all, save Lance Diostin, been murdered, result of fresh power struggle between Egil Viggoaries and the P.M., despite the serious lack of corpses and typically, not one shred of evidence to incriminate either of them.    

Additionally, there had been another minor concern for Qarzten, certain irregularity in fact, pertaining to the Illustrious Scholar Fradel Rurik Korvald. Something odd about the elusive Scholar had alerted Qarzten Caimund’s keen senses right at the beginning and soon as Fradel had reached the Capital, he had been placed under surveillance.  The accrued discrepancies (about the scholar) had been forthwith relayed to Sovereign Zakhertan Yozdek and Qarzten had received permission for investigate in greater depth and place the Scholar under constant surveillance, even though, Qarzten had quietly anticipated Zakhertan had had his own compiled, extensive report from his elite force, Black Band Guard Regiment and the auxiliary group, Shadow Brigade. Qarzten Caimund, for efficiency’s sake, had often wished to utilize (tap into) such a Force but their allegiance had been solely to Zakhertan and no other. Such an elite group could not be swayed, corrupted, enticed, threatened, or extorted let alone recruited. It was an immediate death sentence even to approach one with such an (intent) offer.    

Despite his impeccably record Qarzten Caimund had irately, already reckoned that, lately he too had been kept under closer scrutiny, more keenly than anyone else, since Zakhertan always seemed to know his activities well in advance. Qarzten had nothing to fear, however, since he had always functioned scrupulously (trustworthily) and could not be faulted or reprimanded for any irregular activity since he engaged in none.    

His mind at present reverting back to the incidence of the latest sham assassination attempt on Zakhertan Yozdek, Quarzten looked away, destructed by the sudden downpour at the outside. Through quiet reflection on the reports about the penknife incident, Qarzten of course had long ago pieced together the scant clues and had deduced the palpable culprits. For the time being, however, he had kept this data to himself, adapting a wait-and-see attitude. Quarzten’s vacillation had been due in part, to his wishing to allow the old Imperial Tutor a sufficient period of grace, to set his personal affairs in order before his risky (foolhardy) confession. Qarzten Caimund knew also that Worren Youkup’s unwitting part in this scheme had been baleful (sinister), and that he had been but an inconsequential scapegoat (martyr). Qarzten would never admit it, but he was in fact aggrieved that Worren’s lifetime impeccable service (employment), would soon to be reduced to ruins. His attention next directed to one of the architects of the ploy Lady Sejon and more importantly her handmaiden Nijel Pinng, Qarzten again irately looked away wondering, the method Lady Sejon must’ve used to persuade otherwise discerning Tutor Worren Youkup, to assume full blame.     

More the pity, Qarzten inwardly scoffed; for he knew, even after Her Ladyship’s complicity (regarding the knife) with the Imperial Tutor became known, Lady Sejon would predictably be acquitted, until such time when, as only Zakhertan Yozdek would know, she would have outlived her usefulness to him.

Qarzten Caimund frowning, set aside the document pertaining to Lady Sejon, with a multitude of others awaiting his perusal and shrugged dispassionately. The life of Lady Sejon was of little consequence anyhow; she mattered less and less in the grand scheme of things, and that thankfully, welfare of Prince Magnian was nonaligned with hers. As for the instigator of all this Nijel Pinng, now that was an entirely different matter.

Qarzten Caimund reflected on how his policy of routinely checking beyond the official records of everyone, who had entered government service in Capital, had paid off yet again; furthermore, the revelation (disclosure) had shed an entirely rather an intriguing light on things.

 

(END OF SECTION 13)

 

                                                                                     ~ 

 LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - THE CAPITAL CHANNING - SECTION 7

Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) at present graciously handed the key to Zaur when the minister politely inquired about it, seeing no reason at all, to why he should not enlist Zaur Stugr's help in resolving this mystery. 

01- THE MYSTERIOUS KEY

“Oh blessed, gracious Heaven!  After all this time you've reached me from beyond.” Zaur Stugr wanted to cry out loud, holding back his tears.

"It's probably nothing of consequence." Zaur had finally ejected as a matter-of-factly, pressing (puckering, compressing) his lips and feigning mild interest, as he held on to the key.

"It is a pretty thing, though.  Isn't it?” Zaur looked directly at Fradel, and at the same time tried making light of the object.  "I dare say it’s of unusual construction.”

“Unfortunately," Zaur then shook his head, "I can't decipher these strange pictographs, these antiquated, curvilinear indentations at the base of the stem."  He reached over and pointed them out to Fradel (Nevetsecnuac).

Zaur’s not altogether convincing professed ignorance, after his brief scrutiny of the key, had again peaked Nevetsecnuac's interest.

 "Up to now, I confess, I've prided myself on being quite an expert at finding the meanings of these sort symbols, pictographs.  I have a sizable collection of similar curiosities at my disposal.  Naturally, they are kept out of harm's way for private viewing only.  Not everyone shares my interest, you see.” Zaur was now being unusually talkative, which further apexed Nevetsecnuac’s curiosity.

"My wife has harangued me often enough to dispose of such antiquities, insisting that I stay within the bounds of modern taste.  If you're interested, however, I would be delighted (most happy) to show them to you when we are better disposed." Zaur Stugr rattled on, playing the eccentric fool.  Inwardly he was considering his options, devising ways of procuring the key without raising the scholar's curiosity.

 

02-THE KEY AND THE BOX

The fact that the pictographs were identical to the ones on the box Zaur had in his secret possession (he’d kept in the secret compartment) had confirmed what he had all along suspected.

Just then, mixed feelings of apprehension, relief and dread washed over Zaur Stugr and gripped his heart.  Oddly enough, he was now afraid of finding out the truth.  He had long since given up, never expecting to see this key again, much less holding it in his palm. “I have spent most of my life searching for this key, expecting it to resolve my lifelong, anguished dilemma.” He solemnly ruminated (mused).

As it happens, the key resting on his palm had conjured up memories both pleasant and dreadful.  All the hopeful waiting, the heartbreak, the loneliness!  Suddenly Zaur was most anxious to get away from the inquisitive scrutiny of Fradel Rurik Korvald and to get at the box. 

“No!” he checked his impatience.  There was still much that had to be learned and a few things he needed to make certain of first.  His eyes, leaving the key, looked up sharply.

"Have you shown this item to anyone else…Zunrogo, perhaps?" Zaur made a deliberate effort at feigning a moderate interest.

03-ZAUR STUGR JP 8

Going along with his host's charade, Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) simply complacently smiled and shook his head.   "No, with everything that has been happening lately, I'd actually forgotten its existence."

 Curiously enough, Nevetsecnuac's answer seemed to reassure Zaur Stugr and, a sure elated smile widened (in a curvature) his host's lips.

 “You know full well, all about it, don't you?” Nevetsecnuac silently questioned his host; but Zaur’s youthful age precluded him from (being directly involved) having any direct involvement. Regardless, the key certainly had some personal significance to Zaur.  Suddenly the picture was much clearer to Nevetsecnuac.  Zaur Stugr had positively identified the key and knew exactly who it had belonged to.  He could therefore, if properly coaxed, unravel the identity of at least one of those tortured skeletons.  

Zaur Stugr’s seemingly placid face was fanned by the light breeze which carried on it the intoxicating fragrance of the night air and he had remained distractedly quiet for some time, his mind immersed in a serious recollection.

“What are you afraid of exposing after such an obvious timespan?  Why would you disclaim any knowledge of its importance to you?  Nevetsecnuac, however, made no outward inquiry and, instead, waited patiently for Zaur's next response.

Marshaling his thoughts, Zaur Stugr suddenly turned to face Fradel and, with deliberate calm in his voice asked, "It is indeed a rare antique.  How did you manage to obtain it?"

Fradel (Nevetsecnuac), in those lapsed few moments had already anticipated Zaur’s next question; he could not disclose the truth however, without revealing how he had ended up in the burial pit and, furthermore, escaped the inescapable traps. And so, he quietly reviewed his options of likely responses.

“I could claim I found it on the side of the road.  No that's too trite and would not be believed. What I need is a lame, boring explanation suited to a scholar, yet with enough of an angle to divert questions elsewhere.  Better to go with a partial fabrication with just enough fact to it to appear plausible.” 

Responding as a matter-of-factly now, Nevetsecnuac summed up in no uncertain terms his experience that had led to finding the key.

04-NEVETS ON HORSEBACK IN THE RAIN (2)

“It had all transpired at the time, while I was traveling on horseback alone on route to the Capital and, wanting to be innocuous, was garbed (dressed) in ordinary travelling clothes. This was a time well before my teaming up with Zunrogo Tugo and the guards.  That afternoon, caught in a sudden torrential downpour, I had sought a refuge at the roadside Inn/ tea house.                                 

“I had been enjoying my steamed tea and hot cakes when an old man, his tattered clothes soaked to the skin, also sought refuge in the same tea house.  Despite the cash that the old man had held out in his hand, he was rudely greeted by the proprietor, denied seating at any table, even though there were few empty ones about, and told to leave the premises at once.”

"Can't you see we're full up?  Go down the road!" The proprietor had rasped as he apprehensively looked around him, afraid that his other customers might be offended by the likes of this tattered old man.

"This is a respectable place.  No solicitation is allowed."  Turning a deaf ear to the old man's pleas, he signaled to his two hefty attendants (waiters) to at once dispose of this unwanted nuisance (pest, bug).

In the ensuing seconds hence, the old man was hastily hustled outside.” Fradel winced (cringed, recoiled) at this point with obvious abhorrence (loathing) of the proprietor.

Zaur nodded and grimaced wryly as he envisioned the typical scenario being played out repeatedly throughout the land.  “So, what's so odd about that? Cruelly he was driven out into the cold, pelting rain, so what about it?" Fradel Rurik Korvald’s obvious indignation just then baffled Zaur, and he riveted his keen, questioning gaze on the other's face.

“Ah!  Scholar Fradel Rurik Korvald had lived in privileged seclusion all these years; therefore, he had not been exposed to the sweeping changes, the new brutish realities of the populace's everyday existence. Naturally, this would shock him.” The answer came to him quickly, Zaur nodded.

 "And no doubt, being the gentleman you are, you stood up to defend that poor wretch." Zaur’s downward gaze concealed the smirk on his lips and the scorn in his eyes.

As Zaur Stugr had expected, by his own account the scholar Fradel Rurik Korvald, unable to swallow this injustice, had indeed rushed to the old man's rescue.  Fradel had indignantly risen to his feet and called out to the old man, walked over and next greeted the elder with respectful familiarity. 

Ignoring the snarls and frowns of the manager and his staff, he had then guided the old man, named Yakkasar back to his table.

(Of course, Yakkasar was a made-up name which Nevetsecnuac on the spur had invented.)

 "I could not stand by and let this happen.  The injustice of it all fired my soul with seething rage." Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) abashedly explained.

At the outset Zaur expressed a sympathetic view and urged Fradel Rurik Korvald to please continue.  Seeming to lend an attentive ear, Zaur inwardly however, jeered with derision and tagged a few more items on to the list he had been mentally compiling of the presumed characteristics of his guest Fradel Rurik Korvald: “Fradel is righteously soft and sentimental; sentimental enough to patronize (support) the grave robbing scum of the earth.”

“And of course, you treated him to not just a tea but a complete, hot, full-course meal.”  Zaur (with his prejudiced viewpoint) wearyingly continued to listen to Fradel, inwardly filling in some details, to the old man Yakkasar's hard luck story.

Apparently, the old thief had been in hard straits and had starved for the two days prior to this chance encounter with the perfect stooge, Fradel Rurik Korvald.  Though he had flashed some money around, it had barely been enough for a cup of tea, as the rest had to have been reserved for his night's lodgings.  To one as destitute as him, Fradel Rurik Korvald must have appeared as a godsend. 

Sitting himself across from the scholar, he had polished off several dishes in record time then, with a bloated stomach, sat back to express his undying gratitude and praise his newfound friend to the sky.  Next, he had decisively recounted how his wife had been lost to him in the great flood of yesteryear and how, having escaped the disaster, he had settled in the foothills of town Huer where he had been constrained to carve out a meager livelihood and single-handedly raised his only surviving son, Toza, to adulthood. The other two children had succumbed to fatal diseases, no surprise there: shortly after his wife's tragic demise.  For the hardships he had endured he had been amply rewarded; while his son, the mighty hunter had lived, Yakkasar had not known any hardship, hunger, or misery.

“No one would dare tackle the local ruffian.” Zaur scoffed, growing more impatient with Fradel now. Disguising (veiling, masking) his irritation, however, he simply looked away, and with an unreadable expression, watched the shadows for a time dancing in the light breeze in the well-manicured (rimmed, shaped) garden.

05-GARDEN IN TWILIGHT

“Why was Fradel being so insistent in dragging this out?” Zaur shifted into his seat, having had already conceived of the only possible outcome to this story.

 “This purported hunter Yakkasar’s son Toza had no doubt recovered the key along with, only the gods know what else, and had probably been murdered in some other town trying to fence it.  A fitting end for his kind! The old geezer Yakkasar had survived long enough though, to span this lengthy yarn to Fradel.” Zaur lowered his gaze and affixed it back on the key. “But what would be the point of exposing this Yakkasar’s fraud and embarrassing the gullible Fradel Rurik Korvald?  What did it matter what fabrication the old rogue had been feeding the unsuspecting stranger like Fradel, as-long-as he, at least, had been truthful about the location where he had recovered the key.”

Experience had taught Zaur not to overlook the incidentals, the seemingly unrelated details that supported the main report.  Lacking in imagination, men of Yakkasar's sort often built a bridge of lies on pillars of truth to make their story more credible.  In this case even an approximation would be of some use.  With due patience therefore, Zaur had lent an uninterrupted, though a semi-disinterested ear to, Fradel Rurik Korvald’s present redundancies to gauge the true facts he really was after.

“Good!” Nevetsecnuac was inwardly pleased with the apparent result.  As he had surmised, a more elaborate story would have made Zaur dubious.  The naiveté of the narrative had expectedly played Zaur right in Nevetsecnuac's hands.

Nevetsecnuac at present drawing this out, painstakingly related in detail all Yakkasar’s tedious accounts about Toza’s great potential and his prospects.  Yakkasar then unexpectedly leaning closer to Fradel at one point, had supposedly whispered the pertinent details; how on one such routine hunting trip Toza had traversed some unfamiliar ground near a certain pass to get to an area where game could reportedly be had in abundance. The specifics of the topography which, Yakkasar had professed at that moment, had been rather hazy and bit hard for him to recollect.

This setback had inwardly infuriated Zaur; nevertheless, yet again admirably suppressed his ire and impatience.

Nevetsecnuac had of course deliberately, contrived (manufactured) the old man's forgetfulness at this point, as a means of excluding the credible detail Zaur expected or hoped to hear; subtly testing therefore, Zaur 's true intent and measure of his commitment.

 Nevetsecnuac knew that without specific information about the Cyprecox Pass, Zaur’s search for the pit would be rendered fruitless.  As it were, there were several such strategic passes in and around the Capital province, most concealing similar traps, pits, and mass graves that had been constructed at the time to effectively repel the scores of foreign aggressions that had been unleashed on Wenjenkun.  This fact Nevetsecnuac had learned from Zunrogo, during one of their intense political discussions about ingenious historical military campaigns. Drawing from this, Nevetsecnuac had made Toza’s find, one such historical undertaking (enterprise) pit. Having served Zaur with a perfect lure (bait), Nevetsecnuac would now wait, in the interim drawing out the tale, to see how long it would take Zaur to make his anticipated inquiry.

The dullness of the narrative up to this point had nearly put Zaur to sleep.  He had just about run out of patience and was about to hasten Fradel Rurik Korvald to get on with it and urge him to recollect, to reveal the information Zaur sought most to gain, which was the actual, if not an approximation (estimate) of location, of the grave. Fradel Rurik Korvald’s next revelation however, shocked and halted his aim.

"Midway to Toza's destination, the earth under his feet had suddenly given way and cast him into a deep pit.  The hunter, after barely surviving the great fall, had discovered to his great horror that the place was writhing with worms and snakes, and even some skeletal remains."

“A pit… What, skeletal remains?”

06-SKELETAL REMAINS IN PIT

Seemingly turning a blind eye to Zaur’s agitation, Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) used the same impassive tone to then recount how Toza, by great good fortune, had escaped serious injury and had suffered only minor lacerations and bruises.

“Trapped as he’d been Toza had faced certain death within that terrible pit but, opportunely some other hunters were following the same trail as Toza’s and, hearing his desperate cries for help, rushed to his aid. Expending ingenuity and, with concerted effort, they eventually succeeded in hauling Toza up to safety; but not before he had chanced upon the key hidden in the jaw of one of the skeletons, those selfsame bones that lay huddled in a far corner opposite to all the rest.  Presumably the impact of Toza's fall had caused the brittle jawbone to snap and release the key; the key which now became plainly visible in the dark cavity of the mouth, in due course giving him quite a fright."

07-KEY HIDDEN IN MOUTH

 From the corner of his eye Nevetsecnuac had noted how Zaur had, for a fleeting second, flinched at the mere mention of the solitary skeleton that held the key.

 All color had completely drained from the good minister's face as he (Zaur Stugr) clutched tightly at the key in his palm.

This confirmed Nevetsecnuac's hypothesis.  “No doubt about it, that singular skeleton had been someone of great significance to Zaur. Likely,” throwing Zaur a cursory glance Nevetsecnuac ventured a guess, “someone close to his person, an uncle, even a father, perhaps.  But I don't suppose you'll ever confide in the scholar Fradel Rurik Korvald, will you Minister Zaur Stugr?”

Smiling tightly, Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) reached for his cup to relieve his parched throat. As he raised the drink to his lips his thoughts drifted off to those wretched skeletal remains and the curious circumstances under which he had gained possession of the key.

He recalled most vividly how, there in the pit, were scattered about the tell-tale signs of a lengthy interrogation, torture, and murder of the solitary man.  The stains on the broken shards of porcelain indicated that the captives had been fed a rich diet for a time.  The lack of any trace of cloth and personal items other than the key disclosed the fact that they had been imprisoned in their nakedness, no doubt to further conceal their identities, even from posterity.  This fact reinforced their social prominence.  Finally, there had been the revelation of the ultimate treachery, the corroded bronze jug which, upon Nevetsecnuac's closer scrutiny, had revealed that it had once contained wine tainted with that particularly abhorrent poison that paralyzed its unfortunate victim and brought about a lingering and most agonizing death.

 Lord Asger Thuxur Marrog Zhon had indeed taught Nevetsecnuac well, his well-rounded education had covered every conceivable kind of potion and poison known to man.  The symptoms of this specific toxin, Nevetsecnuac knew, would only manifest themselves two days after ingesting it, by which time it would be too late for any antidote, any salvation from its curse.

 Evidently the large group of prisoners had been fed false hopes all along, right up to the time of their inevitable tragic demise.  There was no question that the clustered group had been spared from the tortures inflicted on the solitary one and that he had borne the brunt of their vicious barbarism.  The one with the key had died of his injuries and there had been no discoloration in his bones like that which, in the others, plainly told of death by ingested poison.

The aromatic, semi-sweet wine poured over Nevetsecnuac's tongue, nestled for a time in the hollow of his cheek before it glided smoothly down his throat.  As he savored the floral aftertaste, particularly pleasing to the senses, he considered how a multitude of ills could be concealed in a wine such as this.  Feeling rather flushed, he absentmindedly touched his cheek and forehead with the back of his hand and then looked away once more.

 What had necessitated these slow, painful deaths and the added mutilation of the one who held the key?  Both his legs had been sharply severed at the ankles, as if with an ax, and his kneecaps had been brutally scythed.  His ribcage had been shattered in several sections, and the bones of his hands had been maliciously crushed.  Curiously enough, though, the clasped jawbone had been left intact, as if his captors had allowed him the power of speech, which he had adamantly refused, to the bitter end.  

Nevetsecnuac solemnly (somberly) mused, “Wasn't it strange, then, that it was only when I had considered the vague notion, if only the dead could speak, that the clenched jaw had quite amazingly (unfastened and) released this very key into my palm?  And again, this very evening fate intervening (interfering), this very key should drop onto the terrazzo (tiles)?”

 

(END OF SECTION 7)