Legend of the Book Keeper

by Daniel Blackaby

  Kantan’s eyes bulged. “You don’t know what you’re doing boy. This proves nothing . . .”

  Cody gave a smug smile, “Perhaps not . . . but this does.” Cody reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “This is a letter recently written in Kantan’s own handwriting, and contains a signature verifying it as indeed the product of Prince Kantan. Allow me to read it for you:

  You must trust me, the deed has been completed as we had previously discussed. My father has been murdered. I must have your word that this deed is kept secret. Right now, no one has discovered the truth behind his murder. You must keep it this way. I feel deep remorse, for a father to be killed by his own flesh and blood is heartless. Meet me tomorrow. It is time to move to the next phase of our plan.

  Sincerely, Prince Kantan.

  Cody lowered the letter and sneered at the Prince, “How’s that for your proof?”

  He turned to the crowd. “The correspondent of this letter is none other than General Gongore Levenworth. These are the men responsible for the murder of your innocent king! They would have us distracted by punishing the ancient crimes of Randilin while their sinister actions go unnoticed! I ask you, where is the justice?” Like a talented maestro, Cody stepped back to listen to the beauty of the symphony he had conducted. The crowd exploded in rage. “We want justice!” “Blood for blood!” “Send the Prince to the gallows!” Several of the mob begin rushing toward the stage.

  Kantan screamed out, “You don’t know what you’re doing!” His face convulsed into a demented wraith. With a shriek he lunged forward, grabbing Cody around the neck. “You fool!”

  Cody’s vision blurred. Suddenly he felt the pressure around his neck loosen.

  Dace was standing with a knife held to the Prince’s back. “I pronounce both Prince Kantan and General Levenworth under arrest for the suspected murder of King Ishmael,” he proclaimed. His eyes found Cody. The perplexed look on Dace’s face expressed more than a thousand words could ever do: You had better know what you are doing.

  Levenworth grunted, “As usual, Captain Ringstar, your poor judgment disappoints me. This is way out of line. Don’t think I will forget this abomination. Mark my words. Your military career is finished . . .”

  Cody stepped forward. “Gag their mouths! Let us hear no more of their deceitful lies!” Kantan fought to break free from the guard’s grasp, yelling, “Nothing is as it seems! I can explain! It’s not . . .” The rest of his words were muffled by the cloth stuffed into his mouth.

  A legion of soldiers, with Dace at the head, escorted the Prince and the general away to the prison. Cody watched as Wolfrick and Hex removed Randilin from the noose and lifted him away. He tried to make eye contact with Randilin, but the dwarf’s head hung limply toward the ground. Lady Cia and Prince Foz stepped up onto the platform. Cody seized the opportunity to retreat from the spotlight. He rolled off the stage and fell onto the ground, surrounded by the still frenzied mob.

  Immediately Jade’s face hung suspended over his. “Are you insane! What you just did was borderline psychotic. How dare you keep me in the dark! You could have been killed for a stunt like that!” she yelled, clutching his collar.

  The smiling face of Tiana appeared next to hers. “That was amazing! You just stood up against royalty and won! I never knew you were such a rogue!” Each grabbing an arm, the two girls pulled Cody to his feet.

  On the stage Prince Foz raised his hands and spoke, “People, what the boy says is true. The King, my father, is indeed dead.” Cries of panic rose from the crowd again, but Foz silenced them. “This is indeed a dark time in our city and for me personally. I have just learned that my own blood brother is responsible for this dark atrocity. But all is not lost. We will rise up again from the ashes. My father always loved his people and cared about them until the end. I think it’s time he received the honor and respect he earned through his many selfless years as reigning King. Two days from today, I propose that he is given a royal funeral, that we may give to him in death the way he gave to us in life. All hail the good King Ishmael!”

  “All hail the good King Ishmael!” the crowd echoed, bursting into applause and cheering.

  Lady Cia stepped onto the ledge, the light from the Orb shimmering off her white dress like the morning sun off fresh snow. “People of Atlantis. It is truly a dark day. Have my word; my brother’s treachery will not go unpunished! Although it is an honor that I hoped never to have to accept, I present myself to you as heir to my father’s vacant throne—Queen of Atlantis.”

  “Hail, Queen Cia! Hail, Queen Cia!” the crowd chanted. Cody couldn’t help but smile, he felt relieved. For the time being at least, Randilin was safe and Kantan was behind bars. Things finally seemed to be falling into place. He felt a squeeze on his hand. He looked up to see Tiana smiling at him. She kissed the air softly with her ruby red lips. Cody felt a jolt of adrenaline pulse through him. He leaned forward . . .

  . . . and felt another squeeze on his shoulder. Jade, you really know how to ruin a moment! He spun around, “What?” he spat in irritation. But it was not Jade who demanded his attention, it was Dace,

  “Cody. I need you to meet in the war room immediately. We have just received another report from the borderlands. The news is not good.”

  Preparations

  The rumors are true: The Impaler has been sighted outside of Flore Gub.” The captain of the Mid-City guards, Eli Eagleton, paced before the crowded war-room, uncertainty and exhaustion evident in his every step. “El Dorado’s high general has not been sighted in the field since the Great War. His sudden appearance is troubling. I fear the worst.”

  Dace stood from his seat. “I agree. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the borderland. The Golden King has his mind set on The Code; it is no longer a matter of if—but of when. It won’t be long until word reaches El Dorado of the good King’s death and our weakened state.”

  Cia’s melodic voice cut through the conversation. “I agree. However, we cannot spare troops from the city to aid the borderlands. With my father’s royal funeral in two days, thousands of citizens will flock to Atlantis; our troops will be needed here to maintain order.”

  The panther-faced Silkian scratched his long, boney fingers across the table as though petting a cat. When he spoke, his beady eyes remained focused on the table. “Cancel the funeral. The King has already died; our citizens on the borderlands have not. When did the honor of one become more significant than the lives of many?”

  At this, Prince Foz slammed his fist on the table. “This decision goes deeper than honor—the morale of the city has all but been demolished. In a single day they have learned that their beloved, immortal King has been assassinated by his own son. Moreover, that the treasonous Prince appears to have been in partnership with a well-respected general. Add this to an impending invasion—these people need the funeral. Preparations have already begun.”

  Cody timidly watched the scene play out. Just when things had been looking up again, they had, just as quickly, come crashing down. Cody was no politician, but even he could feel the tension building in the room. The two most influential positions in the entire empire had just been vacated. At a time when unity was needed, Cody hoped ambition could be set aside.

  “Why don’t we do both?” he said before he could stop himself.

  Every eye in the room turned to him. “What do you propose, Book Keeper?” asked Eagleton attentively.

  Silkian’s black, marble eyes finally rose from the table. “Yes, indeed. Continue.”

  Cody’s mind searched for an appropriate answer as the room waited for his response. “Well, perhaps either Dace or Eagleton could take the majority of the troops to aid Flore Gub and Lilley, while the other stays here to oversee the funeral processions.”

  Cia stroked her long hair as she sat unblinking. “The Book Keeper has spoken wisely.”

  The bald-headed Eagleton stood upright and saluted Cia. “I pledge my services to the Queen. If you deem me wort
hy, I offer my services to lead my troops, as well as Levenworth’s legions, to the borderlands to aid their defense. Captain Dace will remain here with his Outer-City troop to oversee the funeral events.”

  Cia turned toward Dace with a raised eyebrow. “No disrespect intended, and I by no means wish to call into question the competency of your troops, but there will be thousands arriving here from the four corners of UnderEarth. It would be understandable if the sheer mass of people proved too large to . . .”

  “I trust my men with my life. They will be more than able to fulfill this task,” Dace cut in assertively. “In my military opinion, we cannot leave any more troops in the city than absolutely necessary. What is your final verdict, Lady . . . pardon me, Queen Cia?”

  Although Cia’s face showed no signs of stress or worry, Cody couldn’t help but pity the beautiful Queen. She had begun her reign by being cast straight into the furnace.

  “It shall be as you suggest. Captain Eagleton, in the absence of General Levenworth, I entrust you with full command over the defensive effort. You are to depart tonight. Ready the legions. Captain Dace, you will gather your troops and begin security preparations for the funeral. Dismissed.”

  Although no words were spoken, Cody felt the weight of Jade’s presence as they stood together on the wall, overlooking the city. Not that long had passed since their unassuming, routine trip to Wesley’s Rare and Amazing Book Store, but it seemed to Cody that everything had changed. For the first time in their long friendship, Cody felt awkward around Jade. He searched the depths of his brain for a conversation starter but found nothing. Jade seemed unaffected as she gazed at the city. Or was she feeling as uncomfortable as he was?

  Jade had always had a competitive side to her. Was it jealousy over his new position and power as the Book Keeper that caused the tension in their friendship? Cody risked a glance at his friend who continued to look out at the city, obliviously. Cody wasn’t sure how it had happened, but a vast crevasse had formed between them. He hated it. He missed having his best friend. Jade was one of the few people who truly understood him, weaknesses and all. When he was with Tiana he felt exhilarated, but he found himself unable to talk about anything important. It suddenly struck Cody just how much he needed Jade. He had been trying to hold down the mounting pressure. With the war to break any day, Atlantis was going to look to him as the Book Keeper to lead the way. Could he do it? Was he ready? Or was it all just another glorified amplification of Starky’s classroom where he needed Jade to bail him out, over and over? Only time would tell—but, unfortunately, that the time was approaching swiftly as a summer breeze.

  The transformation of the city in a single night was shocking. The front courtyard of the palace billowed with extravagant flowers of every color. Green vines crawled up the side of the building and radiating balls of light hung suspended in the air like little stars. Focused on the floating lights, Cody’s foot caught a leafy vine. He tumbled forward and collided with something. That something was Xerx.

  “I guess the great Book Keeper has far more important matters to attend to rather than acting as a lowly gardener. Or perhaps you’re too busy running after more flighty blondes? Glad to know you’re staying so focused on your responsibilities as Book Keeper.” Xerx spit on the ground in front of Cody. “Now get out of my sight before I have these vines carry you up the wall with them.”

  Cody saw that several of the other Brotherhood Monks were moving around the courtyard creating greenery and decorations out of nothing.

  As Cody exited the garden he muttered under his breath, “Gadour. Gai di gasme.” Seconds later there was a scream followed by a curse, “Ouch! My toe!” yelled Xerx. Cody snickered as he walked away.

  When the AREA gong rang, everyone routinely fell to their knees and began reciting the Orb’s Hymn. Perhaps Cody just felt paranoid, but it seemed to him that the people were reciting the hymn with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. Were people losing faith in the Orb?

  Saying “Amen,” Cody stood and continued on his way. It didn’t take long for him to notice that already people were filing in from the outskirts of Under-Earth. The streets were packed. All in hooded black robes, the mourners had begun their grieving even though the funeral wasn’t until the next day.

  Up on the walls, Cody saw several soldiers watching over the crowd. Cody recognized Sheets and Hex as well as a few others from Yanci’s pub. Cody was sure Dace was around somewhere watching over as well. Lowering his head, Cody weaved through the crowd toward the Monastery.

  “Master Stalkton, I’m not ready!” Cody paced back and forth before his teacher, Lamgorious Stalkton, who was seated calmly on the ground. “These people are trusting in me to protect them in war. I don’t even know if I can protect myself!” Cody rested his forehead against the stone wall, the coolness of the stone felt good against his sweatsoaked skin. “The training we have done. It is wonderful to be able to control elements and such, but what am I going to do against a trained army? I don’t want to do this anymore.”

  Stalkton chuckled. “Oh, son, don’t feel so singled out . . . I’m sure there are a great many people who don’t want you to do this anymore. It’s not illogical, you’ve been nothing but trouble since the moment you touched the Book. A bit of a disaster,” the old teacher said conversationally.

  “Thanks for the pick-me-up,” Cody muttered.

  Stalkton suddenly pulled his bony foot onto his lap and began picking his toenails.

  Cody cringed.

  “Unfortunately, unless you plan on dying, the responsibility for the Book is yours. We don’t always choose our circumstances, but we always choose our actions. Therefore, let us move past what you don’t want to do and focus on what you need to do.”

  Cody felt something flick onto his face and stick to his lip. He frantically brushed it off, exceedingly thankful to be in a dark room and unable to confirm his suspicion that he had been struck by a leaping toenail shard.

  “So, what am I going to do? Learn more words?” Cody asked, still rubbing his now raw lip with his sleeve.

  “Oh, words, words, words. Learning the words is not the issue. You want more words; the creation word for earth, or more specifically for dust, is dastanda. Another useful word is sellunga, which is the creation word for metal. The kind of metal depends on what specific elements you conjure up in your mind. Go ahead and memorize these words, but keep in mind that the paint is only as good as the painter using it.”

  “And, what do you mean by that? I thought the whole point of our training was to learn the High Language?” Cody asked confused.

  Stalkton smiled. “That is because you are not particularly bright. Pity Wesley didn’t pass the Book down to your green-eyed lady friend instead. No matter; to answer your question, my job is not to teach you to know the words; it’s to teach you how to use the words. You are not special because you know some of the High Language. This Monastery has several knowledgeable in the language. Indeed, Xerx’s depth of the language makes your sparse lexicon look like baby-talk.”

  “I know already. So why am I special then?” Cody asked, his irritation level ready to flood.

  “Because the Book gives you the ability to use the words in a way that the rest of us can hardly dream. After hundreds of years, Xerx can create a boulder—after several weeks you could create a mountain! The problem is that you are still thinking too small. You still don’t believe in yourself. That is how you will protect Atlantis; not by an excessive knowledge of the words, but by opening your mind and being able to use the words. When you reach that point, Cody, you will be virtually invincible.”

  The Swan and the Duck

  The coast was clear. She would have to be swift if she was going to make it in and out without being seen. With a quick glance behind, she tucked her chin to her chest and scurried across the clearing. Reaching the other side, she pressed herself against the wall. So far, so good. From across the way she could see her destination, the building seemed empty—she knew she was c
lose. She took a deep breath and pushed herself off the wall—directly into Fincher Tople.

  “Oooff!” cried the gangly man as the papers in his hands flew like confetti into the air. “Watch where you’re . . . Madam Jade? Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise. A very pleasant surprise, indeed. And, alone I see?” he said smoothly, his hungry eyes devouring her.

  “Just stay out of my way, Finch. I’m busy,” snapped Jade, pushing Tople away.

  The toad-faced man grinned. “Feisty, aren’t you? Here, take one, as a token of my admiration.” He handed Jade one of the papers, pressing his hands around hers as he did so. Jade shook him off and briskly set off toward her destination; her advantage of stealth had been compromised, but there was still time. She brought the paper up to cover her face. The front page had a picture of Prince Kantan and the headline: “BETRAYAL! THE SHOCKING TRUTH BEHIND OUR BELOVED PRINCE’S SINISTER ACTIONS! WHAT MORE ABOUT OUR ROYAL FAMILY DO WE NOT KNOW?” Jade flipped through the rest and saw that the King’s funeral occupied much of the pages as did El Dorado’s imminent attack. She flipped another page and flushed; the headline read: “UNDER-EARTH’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR—TAKEN?”

  “Several evenings ago Atlantis was treated to the touching birth of romance. Newly proclaimed Book Keeper, Cody Clemenson, was spotted wooing the lovely Tiana Hubrisa. Why can’t these two lovebirds keep their lips apart? Read more juicy details on the next page . . .”

  Jade crumbled the paper into a ball and flung it away. It’s just silly gossip anyways, right? Jade reached the end of the clearing and stopped. She stood staring into the open door of the building in front of her. This is stupid. I should turn back. She glanced around again to make sure no one was looking. It was now or never. She stepped into the building. The minute she did so she felt exceedingly out of place. What are you doing? Who are you fooling? Just as she was turning to leave, a smiling young lady came around the corner.