LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - THE CAPITAL CHANNING - SECTION 8
Fradel’s (Nevetsecnuac’s) expression still blank; he reverted his gaze back on Zaur. The minister's eyes were fixed on a distant point, as his mind pondered (mulled over) on some serious recollection or thought. Nevetsecnuac noted how all along Zaur had desperately tried to master, to contain a seething emotional battle raging within, while he upheld (sustained) an outward, impassive facade.
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| 01- ZAUR STUGR JP 28 |
The range of emotions (gratitude, sorrow, anger, exasperation, relief, dreads, apprehension, and impatience) that Zaur had tried to suppress beneath his calm facade (pretense), nevertheless detected by incisive Nevetsecnuac, rather intrigued him; hence, he subtly studied Zaur's face and wondered, “If I could vicariously impart to you (Zaur) all that I had observed in that pit, how would your emotions stand up to those grim revelations? Would you be able to maintain this calm demeanor (face, guise)?” A strange empathy, a sorrowful feeling enveloped Nevetsecnuac’s soul at that precise moment, provoking him to breach the all-pervasive wall of distrust that lay between him and his host, to communicate the true details in the hope of drawing Zaur out and enabling (aiding) him to drop the pretense and reveal what was truly at the crux (core) of his being. Moreover, Nevetsecnuac’s heart had ached to, for once have real communication, an exchange of thoughts and feelings, without least reserve.
“What's come over me?” Nevetsecnuac snapping from his
momentary weakness, this dangerous prescience (intuition), however, quietly
admonished self: “It’s inconceivable to consider this sheer madness, especially
with one such as Zaur, who has already proven to be shrewd and devious, though
admittedly not dangerous yet. I've
divulged far too much already. That pit
was located dangerously near the spot where Egil Viggoaries's vassals waited in
ambush for Fradel Rurik Korvald.”
Nevetsecnuac ruminated (cogitated) now, how he
had come perilously close to being discovered at the site by one of the
sentries; however, fortuitously, the guard had been deterred from further
scrutiny (investigation) of the noise, which Nevetsecnuac had inadvertently caused
just moments before when he had fallen into the pit. If that minor incident along with the planned
ambush by Egil Viggoaries, were to ever reach Zaur’s ears (it was ever to come
to light), Zaur’s discerning mind could, easily then link up the correlating (corresponding)
facts and therefore, begin doubting Fradel Rurik Korvald validity. Nevetsecnuac
hence reminded self to be more vigilant and selective with his rendition of the
supposed facts; meanwhile, unable to not entirely trust his host, Nevetsecnuac
was left with the only recourse of coaxing Zaur into taking the desired action on
his own accord without any requisite assistance from scholar Fradel.
The corollary (outcome) of Fradel’s part in all of
this must appear quite incidental(minor).
Meanwhile, as Nevetsecnuac
(Fradel) was not at liberty to conduct any sort of investigation within the
scarce time span he had until his audience with the Sovereign - if his intuition
(hypothesis) proved correct, by entrusting the key into Zaur’s hands, he would compel
the good Minister to fulfill at least part of Nevetsecnuac’s obligation to that
singular skeleton's spirit.
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| 02-THE EXPOSED GRAVE |
Nevetsecnuac was confident that a proper burial would follow shortly afterwards, though much depended on the depth of Zaur Stugr's commitment. If the minister was in earnest, he would even now be contemplating an inquiry into this, apparently very personal matter. With the greater means and manpower at his disposal, Zaur could ensure that the unfortunate victim, or victims, would be granted the eternal peace due them in the afterlife.
In the pit of
Nevetsecnuac's stomach, meanwhile, the nagging feeling that he had missed
something vitally pertinent, some cryptic quandary (predicament, fix) which was
tied to the elusive answer, had persisted.
Ending (interrupting) the
unsettling silence, Nevetsecnuac resumed his fabricated account, being most
careful to sporadically weave in just the right amount of truth.
"Having related how
Toza had procured the key, Yakkasar for a time fell silent and cautiously,
perhaps with a tinge of trepidation, looked about him. Being finally assured that no one was paying
any particular heed (attention) to us, he reached into his pocket, leaned
across the table and saying, please accept this, unclenched his fist to drop
this key right into my palm (hand)."
Zaur Stugr, lending Fradel
only half-an-ear learned how Toza, Yakkasar’s audacious (foolhardy) son had returned
from one of his bold escapades (more likely, illicit excavations or theft), and
claiming he’d found this rare treasure, expectedly had attempted to fence the
key to what he thought were some incited (interested) customers (buyers, collectors). Not only had every avenue had fallen through,
but worst trouble had beset the pair (father and son) shortly afterwards when
Yakkasar, thinking he could do better, had taken the bejeweled key and showed
it to an affluent acquaintance of his, unfortunately with negative result.
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| 03- YAKKASAR AND HIS SON TOZU |
Yakkasar’s trust was grossly misplaced, subsequent night a group of seedy ruffians had broken into their humble dwelling and demolished everything inside in their search for the key. Toza, returning unexpectedly to retrieve something he had forgotten had interrupted their rampage and pitted against the four-armed bandits, had been badly trounced (beaten).
Yakkasar returning home, at
small hours and in an already dejected mood, had found his beloved son in a
pool of his own blood on the verge of expiring.
Stopping his father from fetching help, Tozu with his dying breath had
implored Yakkasar to discard (restore) the wretched key, to its original owner.
Believing the item to be cursed, Yakkasar had,
after selling their small property to pay for the burial of his son, had
undertaken the arduous return journey to find the pit. Only difficulty being,
of late, he could not recollect the specifics his son had imparted to him.
Yakkasar had already
traveled a respectable distance to, a rough estimation of an area, hoping that
this would hone (sharpen, jar) his memory, but it had not. By the time he had
met up with Fradel Rurik Korvald, having suffered during the course of his travel’s
untold hardships, been assaulted, robbed, humiliated and subjected to other
misfortunes too numerous to recount, Yakkasar had eventually been reduced to
that sorry state.
On top of everything else
his health was now failing him and, noting that the persistent symptoms were
the very same ones which had dispatched (caused the demise of) his former
neighbor, Yakkasar firmly believed his days were numbered. Caught in these dire
straits, knowing that he could neither retreat nor advance and, he would never
be able to fulfill his promise to his dead son, he simply had begged Fradel
Rurik Korvald to grant an old man one last favor and take this cursed key off his
hands and perhaps, with his discernible competence, accomplish what he had
failed to do.
"I wouldn't ask this
of just anyone," Yakkasar vehemently had proclaimed, "but you have
shown yourself to be a righteous (virtuous), good-hearted gentleman. I beg you to help me out of my
difficulties. Both my deceased son Tozu
and I'd be eternally grateful to you, and when my time comes to its natural
conclusion, I promise, to speak well of you to the God of the
Underworld."
“The old man's insistences
raised such pity in me (Fradel Rurik Korvald) that I had to finally acquiesce
and consented to do his bidding.”
With complete confidence,
Nevetsecnuac (Fradel) had anticipated the probable timing of Zaur's request, his
retaining of the subtly imparted details, the approximate estimation of
specifics; however, as warranted caution, he’d excluded the name of the Cyprecox Pass, where the vicinity of it the pit was
located, leaving Zaur to discover this by himself.
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| 04-NEVETSECNUAC JP 62 |
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Nevetsecnuac cast a quick, unreadable side-glance at Zaur as he reached out for a morsel or two. He’d been plied (served, provided) with variety of alcoholic drinks all night long and watched most assiduously; hence, he had been emptying his cup out of politeness, not realizing that he had consumed an inordinate number of sprits over and above his capacity. Consequently, at present, Nevetsecnuac's head began to swim, and it became increasingly difficult for him to maintain his coordination. Curiously enough, his thoughts and speech had not been impeded (hindered), though he was getting rather awkward (clumsy), thus he was most anxious to drop this charade and retire (get preferred rest) for the night. Yet, very much to his disappointment, Zaur had maintained his thoughtful silence and did not voice the anticipated (prompted) inquiry.
Despite Zaur's own
intoxicated state, earlier on he had perceived (comprehended) Fradel Rurik
Korvald’s subtle goading (ploy) and stubbornly did not comply.
“Now you are being too transparent. Is this intentional?”
Zaur was dubious of this latest, seemingly
pure motive, enveloped as if it were in mere sentimentality and benevolent
intent.
“No one could be that caring…Why would it matter to
you, Fradel, whether the owner of this key was vindicated or not?” He looked skeptically at his guest; for Zaur found it
hard to accept that anyone would go to this much trouble merely out of the
(kindness) goodness of his heart.
“There must be some sinister motive lurking
underneath. Moreover, what is behind
this persistent, albeit discrete push, to involve me directly?” Zaur suppressed
a frown.
“Have I given it away?
How much does Fradel Rurik Korvald suspect?”
Zaur never took anything
at face value and had always dug deeper to be rewarded consistently with the
ulterior motives behind those seemingly benign words, innocuous gestures and
deeds that inundated him daily. This was
the golden rule to surviving in the duplicitous environment of the Capital and
it had served him well so far. He was
not about to alter the philosophy he had espoused for his (whole) entire adult
life on the mere chance that Fradel Rurik Korvald was a (glitch, an
abnormality) rare anomaly. Men acted the
same way regardless of station, creed, or race, harboring the same malicious,
greedy, and conspiratorial (conniving) intents.
Inclined slightly towards
Fradel Rurik Korvald he scrutinized him, noting the subtle clumsiness of his
movements. “Truthfully, you are quite unlike anyone I have ever known (or
encountered); even now, you are most remarkable, so resilient, despite your
apparent inebriated (intoxicated) state.”
A strange feeling of loss
suddenly just then gripped Zaur Stugr’s heart.
“But I sense that beneath that placid exterior, there
are so many grave concerns. You seem
burdened by a perilous responsibility, far heavier than the requirements of
your young years. What is it about you,
Fradel Rurik Korvald, that I should feel inexplicably drawn to trust you in
this way? I feel simply dwarfed whenever
I'm near you, yet this is none of your conscious doing. On the contrary, your modesty and humility at
times overwhelms me.”
Deep down, Zaur did indeed harbor a certain
affinity towards scholar Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) from the first moment when he
had first laid eyes on him.
Being favorably disposed
from the start, after each private conversation (discussion) with this affable,
worthy opponent who had challenged his abilities to the maximum, Zaur’s
admiration and respect had progressively increased (augmented) for Fradel Rurik
Korvald. Admittedly, Zaur had grown
rather complacent over the years and needed this cerebral jolt (intellectual
shock) which Fradel had presented at every exchange, for him to be prepared for
the inevitable showdown.
“Under different circumstances, perhaps we could
have…” The sinister face of suspicion abruptly
surfacing in his mind’s eye, however, cut short, this (yearning) sentiment to
once more poison Zaur’s heart and cloud his judgment.
“No, you and I can never be close (intimate) friends.” For as far as Zaur was concerned the degree of
complexity in Fradel Rurik Korvald’s character, the allusive secrecy, the
vulnerable, pure naiveté lying atop a certain recalcitrance (or bedlam) were
all inconsistencies in the scholar's character, which reinforced Zaur’s view
that, Fradel Rurik Korvald was not one to be taken lightly and that underneath
it all, lurked sure danger.
“What do I really know of him? So far there is nothing concrete that I can
hold up to him and say, it fits. All
along he's revealed only petty, negligible, and partial (incomplete) facts
about himself. Nothing tangible, nothing useful that could be (pinpointed or)
indexed for future use. As always at
every exchange, and this night is no exception, I'm stumped when it comes to
deciphering his real motives. Every
avenue I explore in his character comes to the usual dead end. Is he toying
with me?”
Subsequently working
himself up into a state of discontent, Zaur Stugr became convinced that Fradel
Rurik Korvald was a master at the art of deceit and that he'd been working all
along to beguile him, to lead him astray, to show him up for a fool. He became livid as he imagined how all along
Fradel had subtly manipulated him and, worse still, had nearly beaten him at
his own game. With remarkable willpower,
however, he maintained his impassive, amiable facade.
He could not have imagined that his own
cynical view was the very culprit he suspected, the evil contaminant that all
along had blindfolded him, obscuring his innate intuition that otherwise might
have shed the light of truth over Fradel Rurik Korvald. Things might have turned out differently then
but, being as they were, they now led Zaur Stugr to tread the course he would
regret for the rest of his life. He was
locked in this erroneous course (route, path), and no amount of future great
accomplishments could mitigate, alter, or amend for, what he would now fail to
do.
Habitually, Zaur Stugr’s
analytical mind, prevailing over any rumor or an account, did not allow him to
capitulate or hastily construe facts without first exploring every avenue
available to him, but the “key” and the lateness of the hour in this case after
a long wearying (taxing) day, constrained him to make an exception.
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| 05- ZAUR STUGR JP 29 |
“All right,” he reluctantly conceded, “you win for now. I'll play into your gambit. I was going to anyhow and eventually resolve the mystery for you. But I promise you that, when the time comes, I'll feed you such a bewildering version that it will spin your head into a daze and unleash your full imagination.” He absentmindedly nodded to Fradel Rurik Korvald.
“And in due course, with perseverance, I'll break down
that elusive (intangible) wall you've put up to guard your secrets. I'll break you yet. Wouldn't you be shocked out of your scholar's
cap if you knew the significance of that key and, the enormity of the truth
about the pit, skeleton, and I?”
All the same Zaur’s
spiteful smile died before it reached his lips, as the imagined abominations,
the gruesome tortures and, lingering, tragic demise of his revered one, caused
an intense angst to overtake him.
Zaur’s ear just then
caught Fradel Rurik Korvald’s explanation of, how the meeting with Zunrogo and
the subsequent events had unfortunately thwarted (hindered) Fradel’s fulfilling
his promise to the old man, Yakkasar.
“Is he still going on about Yakkasar and, that cursed
son of a traitor Zunrogo? When will he
drop this tiresome prattle?”
Surmising this change in
mood, Nevetsecnuac paused and once more helped himself to some food. As he thoughtfully chewed it, he marveled at
Zaur's tenacity and strong inner discipline.
“Very well, “he conceded, “I'll
meet you halfway.”
(END OF SECTION 8)
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