A King Ascends, page 10
CHAPTER 19
The palace was in an uproar. The king and queen were missing, the children were missing, Prince Jon was off planet, and the servants were whispering in the hallways. Rumors were flying faster than an intergalactic ship. Gregory and his wife, Suri, worried. They loved their monarch, his wife and family, but they also loved their son. They worried about the security of their king and queen. Especially, they worried about their son, who had recently been assigned as a guard for General Tariq. Assignment as a guard was a significant promotion since the general was an important personage, but there was one problem. They didn’t like him; he had the reputation of a braggart and a cheat. He used to go into town and gamble significant amounts of his wealth. Lately, the gossips said that he was gambling a lot, but it wasn’t his money. His young wife had died suddenly, and he had mourned in public, but Suri had seen his smirk when he didn’t think anyone was looking. He was rude to the staff, treated his guards worse, and was sneaky. Neither Gregory nor Suri trusted him to treat their son well. Now, the general’s puppet was back. The prefect was just a hanger-on of the general. Everyone knew that. No one trusted him either.
Suri bustled around the apartment, wanting to keep busy so she couldn’t think. She worried about what the general and the prefect had in store, and now her son was among that group of vipers. Gregory watched her and worried for them both. The apartment was already clean, but he said nothing. He knew his wife and agreed with her method of dealing with stress and worry.
“Has anyone said they have seen any of the royal family?”
Suri shook her head. “No one is allowed to clean the royal apartments.” She moved the pillows around the chairs for the fourth time in the last five minutes.
He got up and gave her shoulder a pat. “I think I’ll go down to the stables. Maybe I can get some more information.” He descended the stairs. Well-liked and popular, he greeted staff on his way. Most of the staff knew him, and many people visited him and his horses. Gregory was very proud of his horses, especially since he had talked the king into importing them from Earth. People couldn’t help but love horses. They were just so beautiful. The royal family loved them, and various personages also had imported horses of their own to keep in the royal stables.
When he got to the stables, it amazed him to find several grooms working. It was late. He soon found out why so many were there. Draven was telling stories again. Grooms loved to listen to his stories about the building of the palace and the stables. The buildings were thousands of years old. Gregory didn’t know whether all the stories were true, but Draven was a great history buff and could have done some research. He had the talent to weave a story out of the smallest fact.
Gregory stood for a while and listened, and then he went into the office he kept there. He worked on his ledgers and enjoyed the sweet smell of the hay and the monotone of voices from the stalls. A change in the tone of the voices alerted him when an unfamiliar voice joined them. He went to the door of his office. He saw that the unknown voice belonged to a guard from General Tariq’s staff.
His well-trained grooms wouldn’t do anything that the guard would take offense at, but he noted the cool, bordering on chilly, reception the guard received.
“Hey you,” the guard said, pointing to one groom. “My horse needs to be rubbed down and fed,” he demanded, snapping his fingers.
“Yes, sir,” answered one of the oldest grooms, who took the sweaty and tired horse’s reins. The groom led the horse down the aisle toward a stall. The guard watched them, then turned his back and stalked away.
The grooms crowded around the older groom, throwing out suggestions of things he could do to the horse in retaliation. The old groom listened and said, “I think this here horse deserves extra grain. Look at what he has to put up with day after day.” He murmured to the animal and gave him a good rubdown and a couple of cups of extra grain.
“Why do that? That guard will just expect it from now on,” complained one groom.
“Our job is to take care of these animals, and we do that to the best of our ability. I won’t do less than that just because someone is mean. Besides, it ain’t this animal’s fault his master is a jackass.”
Gregory smiled and nodded his head. He stayed and listened for a while more and left, saying nothing. The atmosphere in the stables eased, and the group soon split up. Gregory knew he wouldn’t learn any new information that night.
Gregory returned to his desk and continued to work for a while more, but he wanted to get back to Suri. Needing to be held, they could comfort each other in these dangerous times. He hoped his son did not act anything like the boorish soldier who had visited his stables. He thought his son wouldn’t dare behave that way, because everyone knew him, and Willem knew his parents would find out if that were the case. Gregory knew he wouldn’t have to do a thing. His Suri would take care of Willem. The thought made him smile.
CHAPTER 20
The space station floated in black space, looking serene with its transparent dome. The Intergalactic Police transport bumped the docking link. As the link closed and air hissed in, the door telescoped open. They marched down the ramp to meet the head of the IP training delegation.
After the greetings were over, Matt indicated the chests being carried down the ramp.
“I have a favor to ask. Can you put those on the transport to the planet? I have someone meeting them at the spaceport. Here are the clearance papers and certificates.” He handed over the forged documents.
“I would appreciate gentle treatment for this one chest in particular. It contains delicate equipment,” supplied Lu-zan.
“Of course, sir.” Turning, the officer ordered a soldier to put a “DELICATE” sticker on that chest. Turning back, he added, “Right this way, sir. I have ideas about how to use the space station as a training tool.”
“Excellent. I hope we can come up with some challenging exercises.”
While they toured the space station, the crew carried the chests to the transport, a standard two deck carrier with a large cargo hold. It carried a crew of ten, which included a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, cargo manager, and six cargo crew members. Activity was brisk, and they handled the two chests a little roughly since the manager wasn’t there to oversee the loading of the cargo hold. They packed the chests with other boxes on top and put them on a rack with telescoping straps that would hold them securely in place. The crew stayed in the pressurized hold with the cargo, which was lucky for Jon and Alexis. A little while later, the crew finished up and got into their restraints for take-off. Then they waited.
Jon and Alexis could hear the crew talking, mostly complaining about conditions on the planet, company policies changing, and about their pay. They talked about their families being upset with all the new soldiers on the streets and the fear that seemed to lie beneath the surface. Jon strained to hear any information about what was happening.
The workers had little to do until the transport put down on the surface. Then they were busy. The yard became crowded with boxes and crates. It looked like controlled chaos, with machines moving briskly up and down aisles. It took most of the afternoon to unload everything. Then the crew took time off for dinner, and the area became silent. Jon and Alexis listened for a few minutes to ensure no one was around. They checked the mechanism in their container to ensure it worked, hoping they had not damaged it in the loading and unloading process. Jon activated the mechanism, and the side of the chest slid open. Both them and their backpacks rolled out at the same time. Laughing quietly, they untangled themselves and crept around the corner and out of the yard.
The yard was silent for a few more minutes until the workers returned. The forklifts started up and moved down the various aisles. One worker on a forklift had just passed an aisle when she noticed something odd about one crate. She stopped and changed directions to check. When she got close, she noticed the number on the crate and that it was empty. She called the main office to report the opened crate. Her duty done, she reversed directions to go back to her errand. Later, an officer hurried over to the chest. Checking the manifest, he saw there were two crates listed. He hurried to check the second crate, only to find it, too, was open and empty.
Dammit, the Director of Pyrotechnics sent these crates according to this cargo invoice. I wonder if any of the locals took them for a bit of fun. Anyway, I need to get in touch with the director’s office and let him know about his missing fireworks. Why he would want fireworks on this planet is beyond me, thought the officer.
CHAPTER 21
Willem kept checking over his shoulder as he hurried down the street. He didn’t see anyone behind him, but everyone was so edgy that he couldn’t help looking. General Tariq was insane, and when the time came, he hoped to be the one to kill him. Meanwhile, it was more important to keep his mind on his mission. Everyone he loved was in danger.
He entered the palace through the secret passage he had found when he was a child. He didn’t know how many others might know of it, but in all the years he’d used it, he had seen no one else near it. Its simplicity had served him well. His mission was to listen and try to find out more about the royal family. He had made his way carefully to the royal suite. No one seemed to be around. He searched the king and queen’s suite but learned nothing. It tempted him to check on the queen, but he feared a guard walking in and catching them in the bolt-hole. The royal family had always lived simply within the palace, which had been built long ago in appreciation for them and the planet that had given so much through the centuries. It was immaculate, like it had just been cleaned. In the daughter’s room, he found clothes tossed about and some mess, but nothing suspicious. He moved on to the younger brothers’ area. There was a different story told in these rooms, where blood was on the walls and floor. The overturned and broken furniture proved a fight had taken place here.
Looking into every cabinet and wardrobe, Willem hoped there was a secret passage somewhere, so some of the royal family could have escaped. He saw no evidence of one, but if it were cleverly hidden, he might not see it. He tapped on all the walls, furniture, and wardrobe, looking for any hidden latches, pushing and pulling every sconce on the walls. Retracing his steps, he went back into every suite. He hoped he had missed none. The king and queen’s set of rooms were a small maze. They had added to it and remodeled many times throughout the centuries.
“What are you doing here?” came a rough voice.
Startled, Willem turned to see a guard just coming into the room.
“General Tariq wanted these rooms searched, sir!” he announced, as he snapped a salute.
“I have searched these other rooms,” the soldier lied, “but carry on. It wouldn’t hurt to be checked twice.” He left Willem to finish the job. “I’ll just tell the general,” he said, knowing he would take full credit for the job.
Willem continued to look around, looking at areas he knew were not passageways, in case the soldier came back.
A little later, Willem found it in the king and queen’s suite. It was a chest of drawers that swung out to reveal a hidden passageway behind it. That led to a set of descending stairs. Willem quietly entered the dark passageway and closed the chest of drawers behind him. Carefully, he went down two flights of stairs until he came to two branching passageways going in different directions. He looked at the floor and saw footprints leading down the dust-covered steps. He knew that over the centuries, the passageway had not been often used because a fine layer of dust had accumulated. Whoever had come down had left a clear set of footprints to follow as he descended the stairs.
Taking off his inner shirt, he swept across the floor of the passage so no prints would show, swirling the dust and masking any potential trail. Backtracking, he did the same in the opposite passageway. He followed the footprints until he came to another stairway. Because the footprints did not continue, he stepped around the opening and continued down the passageway for about another ten yards. He then went to the stairway and started down. Three more times he swept away the footprints.
He knew the level for housing of the head of household staff. His parents lived on this level. He noticed the footprints spaced a little closer, as if the person were unsure or looking for something. He slowed down in order to watch the footsteps more carefully. Some walls were thinner in places, and he could hear sounds. He started looking for peepholes and soon located one. He looked through it and saw a corridor with doors leading to rooms that seemed uninhabited. A light was on, but no sound or movements showed. He closed the peephole and continued down the passageway, still following the footprints.
He soon heard a muffled sound ahead. It was a brief scuff that stopped him immediately. He inched forward and realized the sound had come from around a bend in the passageway. He stood still and listened. Was that a soft sob? he wondered. Unsure of what he had heard, he moved closer and peered around the corner. What he saw made him gasp. The involuntary sound made the young girl he saw scuttle back in fear.
He immediately put his hands up to show her he didn’t have a weapon. “Hello, my name is Willem,” he quietly said to allay her fear. She kept staring at his uniform and trembling. “It’s okay, honest. I’m one of the good guys,” he said, when he realized he had forgotten he had on his uniform. She didn’t look like she believed him.
He had seen the princess many times, but only at a distance. She was around fifteen years old, a lively teenager, and Willem knew she loved chocolate-covered cherries. His mother was the head upstairs maid in the palace, and all the household staff knew the royal family. All of them loved the princess. This dirty, frightened girl hardly looked like the polished, sheltered princess, but he would recognize her anywhere. Somehow, he had to convince her to trust him.
“Princess Leni, I am the son of Gregory and Suri Young, the head groom and head upstairs maid here at the palace. They assigned me to General Tariq’s guard, and that’s why I’m wearing his uniform. Please, don’t be afraid. I’m trying to find your family. Do you know if any other escaped?”
“Why do you want to know? So you can tell General Tariq?” she asked tearfully, but bravely. “You could be one of them, or you could turn me over to one of them. Why should I trust you?”
“Yes, I could, but I won’t. I could take you to meet my parents, but I think you don’t know them very well. You would have seen them, so that wouldn’t prove anything. During my childhood, I played with Prince Jon, and we ran around the lower floors of the palace, so I know my way around. I think you want out of the palace. I know a way. It’s another secret passage.”
She watched him for a long time.
“Princess Leni, I must get back to my charge, and it might be a good thing for you to come with me. I’m supposed to be watching Senator Aeneas and his daughter. General Tariq wants him to betray a member of your family who is coming here. I’m not sure who it is, but I think it’s probably your brother, Jon. I have to report soon. We have a plan, and I think you may be safer with the senator. Please, will you come?”
“Okay,” she said simply, surprising him.
“Okay?” he asked, stunned. “Okay, this way then.” He turned down the passageway, dragging his shirt behind him. She gave him a strange look until he explained. She looked surprised and chagrined that she hadn’t noticed her footprints. He led her down two more floors until they reached the lowest levels. The passageway had deteriorated as they descended. The stone was still solid, but it had a lot of dust and mold. It made sneezing a very real hazard. He hoped neither of them gave into the urge to sneeze because someone might hear it through the walls. Accumulated dust gave evidence that no one had used the stairs in a long time, and he hadn’t used them in about ten years. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any surprises.
Princess Leni tried not to show her unease over the mold-covered walls and the squeaks of little creatures as they hid from the light. Willem’s whispered encouragement helped, and she didn’t want him to know how afraid she really was. They continued back down the passageway until they came upon a heavy, iron-bound door.
“This leads to another tunnel, but I want to warn you, it’s rougher than this one. Just follow my lead, and we’ll get through all right. Ready?”
She nodded in reply.
The first thing she noticed when he opened the door was odor. It smelled like dirt, not dust. She hadn’t realized that there was a difference. The second thing she noticed was how rough the walls were. The missing musty smell evidenced there was no water seeping down the walls.
“How did you know about this?” she whispered.
“When I was a young man, about seven years old, I grew bored and started exploring. No one stopped me as long as I got back in time for dinner.” He grinned at her. “It was great fun poking around. I explored until I was around ten years old, but by then school was a lot harder and I had to study more, and I grew more interested in what my dad did. I told you about what he does,” he said proudly. “He really enjoys being head groom for the horses.”
“I’m glad my father didn’t know you were down here poking around; he might have thrown you and your parents out of the palace. Now you are the savior in our story.”
Willem blushed at her praise.
“Actually, my mother showed all of us the secret passageway from our rooms, but I had never tried to use one of them before. It was dark and scary. I didn’t want to go into it. I’m a little surprised that my brothers hadn’t either.” That thought made her very sad. “If they had more warning, things could have been different.”
“Let’s just wait until we get you into a less dangerous place. I promise I’ll look for your brothers.” He led the way until he came to another iron-bound door. He signaled she should be silent. He eased the door open, looking all around. It opened into a tunnel under the stables. He listened at the trapdoor in the ceiling above them.
