by C. C. Monö
“So how are you finding your apartment, Mr Hallman?” Nicole had an inquisitive smile on her lips, one that suggested she knew things Axel didn’t. “Is it to your liking?”
“It’s perfect.”
“I’m pleased to hear that, sir. Well, here we are.” Nicole stopped at one of the small tables. There were four chairs, three of them were already occupied. “Everyone, this is Axel Hallman from Sweden.” Nicole pulled out the empty chair and turned to Axel. “And Mr Hallman, this is your study group.” She let go of his arm.
“Thank you, Nicole.”
“My pleasure, Mr Hallman.” She turned to the other students. “Now I hope you all enjoy your evening.”
CHAPTER 17
TWELVE YEARS EARLIER
Maybe there’s a limit to how much excitement a human being can handle in a single day, Sarah pondered, as she took in the sight of the great hall. She’d never felt this way before. The thrill and anticipation that filled her was almost painful.
From the moment she’d arrived at the Academy, she’d been awestruck. The school resided in a grand, Asian-inspired palace just outside the small historical town of Hoi An, situated along Vietnam’s central coast. Protected behind a thick stonewall, the palace sat proudly on a little hill surrounded by the most magnificent garden Sarah had ever seen. The palace itself was no exception to the grandeur. The gold, the marble, the statues and the art…the luxury was endless, and everywhere she turned there was something to admire.
“So you’re from Tanzania?”
Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Lorena De Paz, the Spanish student who had arrived at the table a few minutes earlier.
“I’ve been to the Serengeti once on safari,” Lorena continued. “It’s a nice country.”
Sarah lit up. “Thank you,” she replied while her fingers fidgeted with her dress under the table. Mr Bell had picked out a beautiful apricot-coloured gown for her, along with a pair of gold earrings. She’d never worn gold jewellery before, and now she owned several pairs.
“So what do you do for a living,” Lorena asked. “If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”
Sarah hesitated and snuck a peek at the well-dressed man on her right, the one who had introduced himself as Kostay Aristov from Russia. Already she thought of him as “the man who never smiled”. He had a handsome face but unnerving eyes that revealed nothing of his emotions. It made her feel uneasy.
“I work as a maid,” she replied, turning back to Lorena. “Or I did before coming here.”
Lorena’s eyes widened and, for a moment, there was a crack in her confident façade.
“A maid? You mean like a servant?”
“I mean like a housemaid.”
“But…” Lorena and Kostay exchanged looks. “A housemaid?
Sarah gave a defiant little shrug. Under no circumstances would she be ashamed of who she was or where she came from. She had done her best with the hand she’d been dealt, which was more than one could say for many people born into wealthy families. As Ruth always used to say, “it’s not how we start our life that matters but how we end it.”
In front of her, Lorena leaned back in her chair with her glass of champagne in a steady grip. “I’m confused. You’ve got an orphanage?”
“Yes, together with Ruth.”
“Oh.” There was a brief moment of silence. “And who is Ruth?”
The question triggered a flood of warm memories and Sarah almost closed her eyes as they washed over her. “Ruth is the kindest person I know. She and her husband started the orphanage many years ago, but when he died she couldn’t afford to feed the children anymore. She was desperate so I decided to help her. Now she takes care of the orphans while I make sure they have a roof over their head and food in their bellies.”
“I’ll be damned.” Lorena laughed. “What about your parents? Are they also servants?”
“I never knew my parents. My mother left me at an orphanage when I was a baby.”
“You’re kidding me? You’re an orphan with an orphanage?”
“Yes.”
Lorena considered Sarah while toying with her glass. Then it was her turn to shrug.
“Cool. And now you’re here to rule the world. That’s a remarkable achievement.”
“I’m not here to rule the world,” Sarah objected. “I’m here to make it a better place.”
“Same thing, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m impressed. It takes a lot of courage and determination to get anywhere in this world. Believe me, I know. I’m a twenty-three-year-old woman who just attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Spanish armed forces. It wasn’t easy. Even my family thought I was nuts, but I did it and no one can take that away from me.” She raised her glass with a grin. “So what do you say? To strong, independent women?” She looked over at Kostay, who didn’t touch his glass, and she laughed. “Cheers!”
CHAPTER 18
PRESENT MOMENT
Confident and intelligent. That was Axel’s first impression when Izabella Martins introduced herself. The young Brazilian had chosen a sleeveless silk dress of the deepest red, daring enough to make her stand out in a crowd without coming across as provocative or distasteful. It was a brilliant choice if you were a woman who liked getting attention, Axel concluded.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Izabella said with a silvery voice and extended her hand.
“Likewise,” Axel replied, and then surprised himself by adding a little bow. He had no idea why he did it and was feeling like a complete idiot when he looked up and found Izabella watching him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
Great, he thought, how can I pretend to be a leader when I’m already copying the servants?
To evade further embarrassment, he turned to the man on his right, a proud-looking fellow, with a back straight as a ramrod.
“Hello Axel. My name is Thabo Zulu,” the man declared with a calm, almost noble expression on his face. “I am from South Africa.”
“He’s a prince, you know.” The third man at the table stood up and offered his hand with a wide sunshine smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Paul Harris, born and raised in Sydney, Australia.”
Paul was a little shorter than Axel but a great deal wider around the waist. He made a sweeping motion towards Thabo. “His father is the king of the Zulus.”
Having lived in South Africa for several years, Axel knew a fair bit about the Zulus. They were a proud people, with a rich and fascinating history.
“Really? I lived in South Africa when I was younger.”
“Are you serious, mate?” Paul let out a rumbling laugh. “That’s fantastic! You guys must have a lot to talk about.”
“I’m sure we will,” Thabo concurred with a wry smile.
It was interesting, Axel thought, as he took a seat a moment later; Izabella, Paul, and Thabo were confident but in very different ways. Izabella had a touch of aggressiveness to the way she spoke and behaved, reminding him of a commander giving orders. Thabo showed a more composed confidence, an inner strength that suggested a fearless character. Paul was socially gifted and completely at ease as he conversed with the others. He had a certain wit to him that made him likable from the moment you met him.
“So Izabella,” Paul said with a cheerful voice after having taken a deep draught of his champagne, “why were you accepted to the Academy?”
Izabella reached up and touched a small ring of gold that glimmered in her right ear.
“When I was fifteen I launched Velvet Media, a web marketing and advertisement company. I sold it three years later for two and a half million dollars. I believe another factor is that my father was a successful business owner and my oldest brother is the mayor of João Pessoa. I guess you could say that leadership is in my genes.”
In the soft candlelight, Paul raised his glass in a cheer.
“Two and a half million dollars in three years; that’s impressive.”
“Thank you. What about you?”
“I ru
n a very successful golf academy just outside Sydney.”
“Is that a profitable business?” Izabella asked with a frown.
“Sure is, but I make most of my money as a sports agent. I represent seven of the ten top junior golfers in Australia. I was also studying management when I got accepted, and did pretty well there too.” He grinned and turned to Thabo. “And you’re a prince.”
Thabo offered him a slight nod.
“Yes, a Zulu prince. I’ve also studied diplomacy and foreign policy in London.”
Izabella leaned forward, her eyes sparkling.
“So will you become a king one day?”
“No; the oldest son will inherit the throne, and I have many older brothers.”
“Ah.” Izabella picked up her crystal glass and leaned back while surveying the surroundings. “I see.”
Thabo watched her for a second before turning to Axel. “What about you, Axel? How is it you were chosen for the Eagle King’s Academy?”
Axel felt as if his racing heart stumbled in his chest. He was no royal or successful businessman. He had neither money nor power; all he had was Talk Thirteen, and that, he now knew, was thanks to his father. The bastard.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t know. When I was thirteen, a friend and I started a network in South Africa called Talk Thirteen. The idea was to get kids our own age to stand up for children’s rights.”
“I’ve heard of Talk Thirteen,” Thabo said with his strong, African accent. “They have a slogan, right? ‘We are all the same and equal’?”
“Actually, it’s ‘Let’s change the game, we’re all the same’.” Axel let out a nervous laugh. “Not the greatest of slogans but we were thirteen years old. We wanted people to realise that all humans are equal and should be treated as such.”
“Oh, that’s cute.” Izabella laughed. “So you started this…network?”
“Yes, together with a friend, but it was a long time ago. I don’t work there anymore.” A silence fell over the table. Axel cleared his throat. “And my father is a successful businessman.”
“I thought he was a diplomat,” Thabo said, his face impassive.
“He was. Now he owns a couple of companies.”
“But what do you do?” Izabella asked.
“I studied economy.” Again there was a reaction from the others. Axel drank some water, hoping his nervousness wouldn’t show. “That’s it, I’m afraid.”
The silence remained another second or so.
“I think I’ll have to look up that organisation of yours,” Paul declared. “It sounds interesting.” He took a moment to drink and then gave them all a smug smile. “Now, if you don’t mind me changing the subject, you’ll never guess who I saw earlier today,” he said. “Principal Cunningham.”
Izabella gawked.
“You’re joking?”
“No, I met him by the elevators on the fourteenth floor. I was trying to find the virtual golf simulator. Mr Milton said it was up there, next to the bowling alley.”
Axel furrowed his brows. “There’s a bowling alley?”
“Sure, mate. And a gym, pool, a squash court…”
“What about Principal Cunningham,” Izabella interrupted.
“He’d just arrived to the premises. I asked one of the servants who said there’s a helipad on the roof, which is only accessible via stairs from the fourteenth floor. The principal had just arrived when...” The candles in the hall flickered and died. The music and chatter died down. “Wow. How did they do that?” Paul breathed.
Axel raised his gaze towards the ceiling. Above them the lights had begun to fade. The hologram eagles made one last turn before they flew off towards the ceiling and vanished.
He let his eyes travel around the hall, searching for Nicole, but he couldn’t see her. All the Academy employees had pulled back into the growing shadows among the large trees. The great hall became dark and quiet. To his left, Axel could hear Izabella shift in her chair.
“Oh, this is it,” she whispered.
On the wall behind the long, still-empty table, came an image of the universe, lit up by millions of twinkling stars. For a few seconds, nothing else happened. Then in the distance came the sound of an electric guitar and the rapid beating of a hi-hat. An eerie yet exuberating sensation swept over the students as the volume began to increase, followed by a low, guttural humming.
Axel grinned. He knew this song. It was AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”.
The stars on the wall began to move, creating a sense of moving through space. It was as if the music brought with it some ancient power, making the hairs on Axel’s arms stand up. A bass drum let loose a heavy beat and the humming voices sang out one word – “THUNDER!” At that moment, the stars on the wall exploded into white, and the picture of a young, bearded man appeared. Under his smiling face, written in gold letters, stood his name, “Edward Reed”; Axel’s new neighbour.
As the photo faded back into stars and darkness, the surrounding Academy employees began to clap. They clapped at a steady rhythm, following the music. Then came a second “THUNDER!” and Izabella’s face appeared. Despite the music, he could hear her inhale in surprise.
One by one the twelve students were recognised on the wall. Federico Calvo, Julie Baston, Ava Taylor…
For each photo, the hall grew increasingly vibrant. The students, even Axel, were now clapping along with the staff members. Some, among them Paul, drove their fists into the air, shouting “THUNDER” as each new photo appeared.
This was absolute madness. The atmosphere seemed to captivate students and staff alike to such a degree it was laughable. Yet somewhere in his heart, Axel felt an extraordinary and uncomfortable desire to shout along. It was unnerving, and he tried to ignore it since he wasn’t the kind of person who lost his control amongst others.
Axel was the last to be recognised. His photo faded just as AC/DC’s lead singer, Brian Johnson sang, “You've been...THUNDERSTRUCK.” At that precise moment, the room lit up. Lights flashed and danced across the tables. Around the hall, flames shot out from the floor, and as the lights faded a little, three large hologram eagles appeared under the ceiling. Stunned, Axel looked up as the birds dove towards the students; one eagle for each table. It happened so fast he barely had time to react. Instinct made him rear as the massive bird approached with increasing speed.
“Shit!” Paul cried, and a split second later the eagle exploded, turning into a glimmering, hologram rain.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” a dark voice boomed from the speakers as the tiny light particles fell around the students, “please give a warm welcome to your teachers!”
CHAPTER 19
At the far end of the great hall, a spotlight lit up a massive double door. Axel craned his neck as it opened, and two muscular guards with grim faces stepped in. Dressed in tailored black suits, they positioned themselves on either side of the door, hands behind their straight backs and a grim expression on their faces.
Then the world’s most renowned teachers made their dazzling entrance.
“Professor Evans,” Izabella gasped as a short, stout woman emerged to the wild applause of the spectators. On the wall behind the empty table, the woman’s profile photo appeared, along with beautiful animated gold letters, spelling out her name. The professor smiled and gave the students a little wave before making her way to her seat.
Behind Professor Evans came an elderly man named Professor Plouffe. One by one, the teachers entered while their photos and names appeared on the wall. Izabella knew them all, all but the one who entered last.
“Who’s that?” she asked, pointing at the broad-shouldered Asian man with hard eyes and a serious face. “Mr Nakata? I’ve never heard of him before.”
“Neither have I,” Paul admitted.
Thabo shrugged and Axel certainly didn’t know who it was.
“I guess we’ll know soon enough.” Izabella laughed and gave Axel a beaming smile.
There were fifteen chairs. Seven tea
chers had placed themselves on the right and seven on the left. The chair in the middle remained empty. It was a little bigger than the other chairs, and above it, one of the hologram eagles had returned.
“That has to be Principal Cunningham’s seat,” Izabella continued. “God, he’s amazing! I can’t believe I’m going to meet him. In person!”
Axel suppressed a moan, not so much in regards to what Izabella had said, but rather a reaction to his current feelings. He’d never understood people’s obsession with the famous principal. The man was a living legend and even the media treated him like some kind of superhero or messiah. Such absolute adoration had to be questioned. No human being was perfect, which was why it annoyed him to the core that a part of him shared Izabella’s excitement.
To his relief there was little time to contemplate the matter. The music died along with the lights until the room was set in complete darkness. Only the sound of nervous students shifting in their seats could be heard. A few seconds passed and stillness settled in the great hall.
Then there was an explosion. Powerful sparklers ignited along the floor, creating a burning corridor from the elevators to the head table. Axel was almost blinded by the white light.
“And now the greatest of them all…” the booming voice announced.
Geez, this was getting a little corny, wasn’t it? All the same, as Axel turned and saw the golden wings of one of the elevators begin to glimmer, he felt a rush of anticipation run through his body.
“…Principal Cunningham!”
They were only twelve students, but together with the teachers and thirty or so excited servants, the great hall shook as a thunderous applause erupted. Teachers and students rose to their feet.
Axel had seen the famous principal on TV many times and always imagined him taller. Despite being in his late sixties, the man made his way between the sparklers with calm, confident strides. He was the “leaders of leaders”; top of the hierarchy, and he knew it.
