“Cody, word has reached me from a little bird that you have been using the Orb’s power for less-than-righteous purposes. I trust that similar rumors will never find my ears again,” lectured Stalkton firmly. Cody had no doubt that the little bird had been none other than the rare Xerxbird, seemingly indigenous to Cody’s private life. He nodded apologetically.
“Then let us move onto more important matters. First, I am sorry to inform you that I have been suffering from severe constipation.” Cody took a small step back from his master. “Secondly, your training progress report. So far you have impressed with your ability to master the High Language and its application effortlessly. I’m not yet sure if this is due to your natural talent or simply the leather Book in your backpack. Either way, I am ready to take your training to the next level. Although, perhaps, it would be beneficial first to teach you a creation word which you can use to wash those two lipstick marks off your cheek.” Cody quickly rubbed his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He felt his heart beat faster again at the memory of his morning.
“The word I am now going to entrust to you is a significant one. Indeed, in some religious traditions it was the first word in the High Language ever uttered—light. The word in the language of creation is illumchanta. Now there is one very important thing you must know about this word . . .”
“Illumchanta!” cut in Cody eagerly. A flash of light burst above their heads, floating under the dome ceiling like a star. “Gai di gasme,” he finished. The new light reflected off Stalkton’s pale skin like a mirror.
“You impatient fool. How a clumsy, reckless boy such as you manages to get lipstick marks on your cheek while I haven’t enjoyed the company of a lady friend in two thousand years is beyond me! What I was about to finish explaining is that there is no entity of anti-light. This creation cannot be reversed!” Stalkton said angrily, taking a step back into the shadows.
“What do you mean? Can’t you just teach me the word for darkness?” Cody asked bashfully, looking up at the glowing ball floating above their heads.
Stalkton shook his head. “What is darkness? Is it the opposite of light, or merely the absence of it? We cannot make darkness, although it is always present. Indeed, it is impossible for us to even stand in the light without projecting the dark shadow of our silhouette onto the floor. It is only when we understand the ever present darkness that we can appreciate the light. However, fortunately for us, your creation skills are noticeably amateur and this light should fade away within several minutes.”
“How long would it have lasted had I been more skilled?” Cody asked nervously. Stalkton brought his eyebrows together. “I’m not sure. How long has the sun given light?” he asked, opening the door while his stomach gave a deep growl. “I suddenly feel as though I have gained the upper hand in my fierce battle with constipation and must cut this session short. The last word I wish to leave with you as you go is bauciv, the creation word for wood. Practice these words. Know them well. They are the building blocks into a deeper understanding. Tomorrow we will advance to the next stage. Wish me luck!”
Cody couldn’t help but walk with a slight strut in his step. Not only was his training going well, but as he walked down the streets of Atlantis back to the Palace, he noticed that all activity froze and voices were silent. He loved being a celebrity; someone interesting who had a purpose. Even as the gong rang over the city and citizens recited the chant of the Orb’s Hymn, Cody noticed that many had kept their eyes on him. An image of his father unexpectedly flashed into his mind. Would he be proud of me now? Would he still have left? A guilty desire took control of Cody’s heart. He wished his father could see him right now, the pride and joy of Atlantis. He knew that if his father were there, he would walk right past him and never look back.
“Cody!” the voice pulled him from his daydreams. He puffed out his chest, and turned to the speaker, hopeful that it was Tiana. It was not. Jade came running down the street directly at him, her eyes red and puffy. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her cry. In fact, he often had suspected that she had been born with sterile tear ducts. Wow, who knew?
The tear-stained cheeks gave Cody due warning that it was not an appropriate time for joking. “Cody, it’s an outrage! I can’t believe it; we’ve got to do something. It isn’t right!” Jade stammered. Cody had rarely seen his emotionally-reserved best friend in such hysterics. Is this about Tiana’s kiss? Is there more lipstick on my cheek?
He grabbed her shoulders. “Take a deep breath, Jade; back up for a second. What is an outrage? What has happened?”
Jade’s green eyes bulged. “Then you haven’t heard yet? It’s all over Atlantis!” she cried, grabbing her temples and breathing in stuttered breaths.
“What haven’t I heard? Spit it out, Jade” said Cody shaking his friend by the shoulders.
Jade pushed his arms away. “You selfish boy! How can you not have heard? It’s the trial. They’ve come to their verdict on the trial. Kantan won. That sick, twisted man has won. Cody, don’t you get it . . . Randilin’s been sentenced to death!”
The Inauguration of Death
Death. A word known by all but understood by few. Indeed, there was not a living person on earth, or in earth who truly understood it. To Cody, the word was hollow, void of meaning. On some days he thought that perhaps his father, wherever he had gone, was now dead. If true, the irony gave Cody grim satisfaction; his father had abandoned his mother and him in search of life, and instead found death.
But now the abstract idea of death had materialized into a tangible reality. His friend, in some distorted sense of the word, was to be put to death. Randilin. Cody had never learned so much about a man while knowing so little. The man had gone from villain, to guide, to captive, to friend, to convicted mass murderer in the time-span of just over a week.
“What are we going to do? We can’t let this happen. Kantan rigged the trial from the beginning. Surely somebody must believe us!” pleaded Jade desperately. She was right; Cody only wished he had realized Kantan’s strategy sooner. But whom could they trust? Prince Foz? The brotherly relationship with Kantan made him less than ideal. Dace? Perhaps, but did he hold enough power in InnerCity politics to help them? Sally? Too emotionally compromised. They were alone.
Suddenly Cody’s eyebrows drifted up. “There is perhaps one person who has the power to overturn Kantan’s villainy,” he whispered mischievously.
“And, who would that be? Dace?” questioned Jade.
Cody grinned, determination taking full control of his thoughts. “Even better . . . don’t you think it’s time a certain King came out from his hibernation?” he uttered slowly.
Jade staggered backwards. “Oh, Cody, you can’t be serious? Do you expect to just barge into his chambers unannounced?”
Cody’s smile widened.
“Oh, my. You’re actually serious about this?”
Cody nodded. “The King may disdain conflict, but his city seemingly doesn’t. It’s time he faced up to things and started acting like a real king. Follow me.” Without waiting for a reply, Cody took off running down the streets. Jade caught up to him and their strides fell into sync. For a few moments only the pattering of their soft footsteps filled the void of awkward silence.
After a few speechless blocks Jade cleared her throat, “It seems as though we hardly see each other anymore with all your training,” she said meekly. “What’s new with you?” Before Cody could answer they reached the palace steps. Cody almost tripped. Looking down he saw his stone heart, blackened by the flames. “Oh, yes. How could I forget?” added Jade coldly. Cody quickly shuffled the still glowing stone aside with his foot and flashed Jade an apologetic look. Jade rolled her eyes, “Forget I asked.”
They reached the palace entrance and passed through the large wood doors. Without stopping, they ran up the winding flight of stairs to the royal living quarters. Reaching the top, they saw the King’s chamber door at the end of the hall, flanked by two guards. “Well, well. This is an
unexpected surprise.” Cia circled in front of them. She was wearing a glittery blue dress made of soft blue pearls that mimicked rolling waves as it swayed back and forth. “What brings you two up here in such a hurry?” she asked, eyeing them curiously; her voice flustered and short of breath.
“We . . . we’re supposed to meet Prince Foz in his chambers. Which ones are his?” Cody lied.
Cia examined him as though trying to determine between truth and bluff.
“His chambers are two from the end. But, unfortunately, Foz is out of Atlantis right now on diplomatic duties. I shall tell him you stopped by.”
Cody grabbed Jade’s sleeve as he took slow steps down the hall. “Cody, I said Foz is not here. I order you to leave the royal chambers at once.”
Cody pointed toward Cia, “Speak of the devil, there’s Foz right there!” Cia spun around to find an empty hall behind her. She grinded her teeth; by the time she spun back around Cody and Jade were already halfway down the hall, running for the door.
“Guards, seize them!” demanded Cia.
Jade gave Cody a desperate look as two guards carrying large axes sprinted toward them. Cody looked to the floor in front of them. “Bauciv!” Suddenly a pile of sticks appeared, catching the lead guard unprepared. Stepping on the sticks, his feet slipped out behind him and he flew into the air. There was a loud thud as he landed on his face. The second guard leaped over the sticks and raised his pike.
“Byrae!” shouted Cody.
The sentry cried out as a jolt of wind caught him from behind and sent him soaring down the hall and crashing against the far wall. Cody turned back to see Cia and the first guard back on his feet, running toward them.
“Fraymour!” Cody shouted next as a wave of heat burst the sticks into flame, forming a blazing barrier.
“Gai di gasme,” Cody whispered, feeling slightly dizzy and lightheaded.
“Stop now, Cody! If you take one more step, it will be treason” yelled Cia angrily through the fire. Cody approached the King’s chambers which were now unguarded. There’s no going back. With a deep breath, he pulled the doors open. A sickening smell attacked him as soon as he did. The horrendous stench brought vomit to Cody’s throat.
He pulled up the front of his shirt and covered his nose. The room was not at all what he had expected. It was a simple, modestly sized, stone walled room with only a few lit torches providing light. Cody saw shadows moving in the corner, “King Ishmael? Is that you? I am the Book Keeper of The Code. I request an audience with you,” he called into the shadows.
“Cody? What are you doing here?” came a familiar voice from the shadows. Stepping into the light was Prince Foz, “What is the meaning of this? How did you manage to get in here? You must leave immediately!”
“Let them stay. Perhaps it’s time they knew the truth,” came another voice. Prince Kantan stepped into the light. “You want your audience, Cody? Our father is just over there,” he said pointing into the shadows.
Cody took a timid step forward. Something didn’t feel right. The ghastly smell was making his stomach turn, but he knew there was no turning back. The silhouette of a bed came into view. A figure was kneeling beside it. Eva. Her eyes were swollen. Mustering up all the resolve he could find, Cody took a final step toward the bed. Lying in the bed was King Ishmael. He was dead.
The Lie
King Ishmael was dead. There was absolutely no doubt. The wrinkled skin on his face was course and blotchy like molded cheese. His lifeless eyes had sunk into the back of his head and his mouth was gaping open as though his final breath of life had been devoted to a fearful scream of agony. Both his teeth and his lips had turned a flaky black color and white larva had laid claim to his rotting body. Yes, King Ishmael was very much dead.
“You lied to us. Why?” asked Cody looking away from the wraithlike body.
“There was no other choice. It was the only way we could keep Atlantis safe,” answered Cia softly as she entered the room, shutting the doors firmly behind her.
“How did he die?” asked Jade somberly, sticking her head out the open window and welcoming the fresh air into her lungs.
Kantan joined her by the window. “He died a rare death. One so rare that never before has anybody in Under-Earth ever experienced it.”
“And which way was that?” asked Cody gravely.
Kantan paused for a moment, looking back to his siblings for confirmation, before turning to face Cody. “Our father has died . . . from old age.”
The revelation was shocking to Cody. “But, I thought that was impossible? I mean, you guys live forever. The Orb, it makes it so. I saw the picture in Wesley’s house; he should have died centuries ago, but he didn’t. So everything you’ve told us has been a lie? Some elaborate conspiracy?” Cody demanded, feeling anger consume his body.
It was Foz who answered next. “Oh, no, no, no. We have never meant to deceive you. We do live forever. Sure, men and women died by the scores during the Great War and there is the odd case of unfortunate events resulting in sporadic death from time to time, but none of our kind has ever died of natural old age before. At least—not until our father,” he finished painfully.
Jade looked back to the horrifying scene of the decaying King. “Why have you kept this secret? If your father is half as good as we’ve heard, then he deserves better than this. He deserves a royal funeral instead of having his undignified body decompose slowly.”
“We agree. He was every bit the man you’ve heard. But it’s not as simple as that,” said Cia, “You see, by dying of old age, the power of the Orb is proven to have lost its strength somehow . . .”
“Or proven to have never had any divine power to begin with,” cut in Jade. “Perhaps the Orb really is nothing more than an energy build-up. Isn’t it perfectly logical to accept that you have all lived so long simply because you live under the earth, several thousand miles worth of dirt and rock separating you from any human diseases? Maybe your life has merely been prolonged and Ishmael, being the oldest, is the first to reach the end of the rope?”
“Blasphemy!” yelled Cia. “How dare you shame the Orb’s power by trying to force it into your childish box of rationality! You disgrace our father by . . .”
Kantan held up his hand to calm his sister, “Quiet sister. The girl speaks reason . . .” Cia’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“But . . .” continued Kantan, “If I may, allow me to point out that Wesley managed to live quite comfortably up on the earth’s surface. How does your logic deal with that fact? Or that your friend Cody here has been able to form objects out of nothing and control the elements with only a few words and a tattered Book?”
“I . . . don’t know. But there is obviously an explanation. I’m sure, if you would just give me some more time to work it out I could . . .” Jade mumbled.
“STOP! The one thing we don’t have in all of this is time!” yelled Cody over the crowd. “Regardless of whether or not the Orb is a divine essence or merely a scientific energy; we still have a rotting corpse lying on this bed that needs to be buried. What are we going to do about it?”
Cia brought her face down an inch from Cody’s, “We will do absolutely nothing. As we have said, people don’t die here; we don’t exactly have many burial options. Our only cemetery is in tribute to the Great War, and I’m not about to defile my father’s life by burying him like a common solider. Nor will I allow the faith of our city to be broken by the announcement of his death.”
“You kids must understand,” continued Kantan, “Atlantis is on the brink of war. If our people were to think that the power of the Orb was fading or even non-existent, as fabricated a thought as it might be, then we would not stand a chance against El Dorado. There no longer would be the need to keep the Orb’s power sacred. People would flood toward El Dorado like cattle, free to use the power as they desire. Don’t you understand, the truth of our father’s death would be disastrous! We will continue to operate as we have. The lie must not be broken.”
Kantan gave an arrogant smirk. “I am glad we can all agree. Now, I think it’s about time we gave our father some privacy.”
Cia opened the door for Jade to exit before filing out behind her. Kantan stood unmoving, staring at Cody. Cody reluctantly turned and moved toward the door. As he exited he took one last glance at the dead King’s agonizing slumber. For the first time something caught his eye. In the King’s gaping mouth Cody thought he saw something illuminating in the light. Something he had seen before. He squinted to make out what it was but Kantan’s body pushed against him, forcing him out of the room. The door closed with a slam, leaving the good King Ishmael to lie alone in his stone-walled tomb once again.
“I can’t believe the guards wouldn’t let us see Randilin. His execution is in two days! We need to tell him about Ishmael. There’s got to be a way to overturn the ruling,” spouted Jade as they returned to the palace. “You know what? I’m starting to think that maybe we’re on the wrong side. Maybe El Dorado is the good guys. I mean, look at how corrupt and manipulating these people are.”
Cody stopped at the door to his chamber. “I don’t know, Jade. They aren’t all bad. Let’s not give up hope on Randilin. Tomorrow we will come up with a plan. But we’re going to need our sleep.” A deep yawn from Jade added the exclamation point to his statement.
She took a slight step forward, her arms reaching hesitantly toward Cody. But then, as quickly as the motion had begun, it was abandoned, and Jade scurried awkwardly into her chamber. Cody suddenly found himself standing alone in the corridor. He shrugged. Women.
Legend of the Book Keeper Page 22
