by Sid K
“Have you been here before, Slyntya?” Sayett asked as they waited for a couple of cars ahead of them to clear.
“Sthykar brought me here on a drive to show me the House of Justice,” she said.
“Card please,” a policeman asked leaning over.
“Official SPASI business,” Sayett showed his chief detective badge. The police read the name, number, signature and looked at the photo. Then he returned it. “You should hurry, detective; courts close in ten minutes.”
Sayett nodded. He hit the accelerator as soon as they were inside the gate. Multiple, independent buildings lined each side of the street in exact intervals from each other in a well ordered pattern. There was a circle in front of them that had the tallest building in the center of it. Beyond it were again different courts as well as to the left and right. Three rows of courts on each of the four sides. Each building was one particular court. These were Capital courts; they dealt with complex, specialized matters. There was a court for railroads, a court for mines, for army, for dams, for aviation, for shipping and such fields that a town court would not have the expertise or resources to handle. Most of the litigation here happened on behalf of the companies and the state institutions. There were more than fifty of these Capital courts here.
Sayett’s car came to the circle in the exact center of this complex. A circular green lawn contained the tallest building of the complex at its center. The five story building had intricate decorations and bright colors, and was the location of the House of Justice—the top court of the Starfire Nation. Slyntya studied the building. Architecturally it was the most beautiful building of the complex. It was also guarded by the Royal Cavalry armed with automatic rifles. The other courts were protected by policemen with repeating rifles, but the head of the House of Justice was the King himself and hence much higher level of protection.
Guards stood outside the doors of the building as well as on the balconies and the rooftop. Slyntya thought that they were pleasing to look at with their masculine strong, striking features very similar to her husband’s. Royal Cavalrymen were ruggedly handsome especially in their dress uniform of King’s Red shirts and hats with black pants, boots and belts. They were the only army unit whose dress uniform was always the same as their battle uniform.
Sayett navigated the circle and continued out the road, making a right turn after passing a few court buildings. He drove on to the third building with a ‘Land Court’ sign outside, where he parked his car along the curb. Regular parking was behind and underground but he had no time to waste and as a detective he could park anywhere, just like the police.
Sayett and Slyntya rushed up the stairs. A policeman was standing outside and Sayett quickly showed his badge and they skipped the queue to their side. As they entered there was a semi-circular desk with multiple secretaries attending to the people. Sayett walked up to the women who didn’t have anyone at her desk.
“Madam,” Sayett said, “I have an appointment with a land judge.”
“What is the judge’s name?” she asked and looked through the planner.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I am Sayett from SPASI. My office called to schedule me.”
“Let me check,” she looked for his name and then looked up, “Yes, they called us. Judge Damftar is awaiting you on the third floor—room ten.”
“Grateful,” he said and hurried up the stairs with Slyntya to the third floor. The room was just to their right and he knocked on the door that was half open.
“Just me and a couple others remaining,” came a voice from inside. “They said it was important enough that it could not wait till tomorrow.” The judge was a big, broad shouldered man in his late fifties with hair that had become fluffy; he wore large rectangular eye glasses that enlarged his eyes. He was dressed in King’s Red suit and black pants. He was arranging some files in his cabinet and turned around to face them.
“I am chief detective Sayett and this is Constellar Slyntya from the House of Banks,” Sayett introduced them.
“Constellar, then it must definitely be important. Have a seat please.” He took off his glasses and put them on the table while picking up a pen and a standard Letter of Search from a folder.
“Recent bank robberies,” Sayett said, “Hear about them?”
“I read about a couple of them in the newspapers,” Judge Damftar said relaxing back. “But this a land court. Are you sure you came to the right place and not to the Court of Banks?”
“Actually it’s a lumber company we want to search,” Slyntya said. “Do you cover that too?”
“Indeed, madam,” Damftar said. “Lumber is considered part of the land and we have jurisdiction over the lumber companies. But how are they mixed up with the bank robberies?”
Sayett patiently explained to Damftar all the details of his investigation over the next half an hour. Damftar leaned back on his chair, fiddled with his pen and listened. Finally when Sayett was finished speaking, he leaned forward.
“The evidence that you have, connecting the bank robberies to this lumber company, is indirect,” Damftar said. “You don’t have evidence of a direct connection. Now, I have heard about your reputation, Sayett, and the great detective work you have done in the past. I would not deny you the Letter of Search, but know this, it would be based on your reputation rather than on what you have brought before me today.”
Sayett smiled. “I have more,” he said, “This company has neither gotten an investigation report from the SPASI nor the trade report from trade control board. Every foreign company needs to have both of these reports completed to start operations. That is a law breaker and justifies a letter.”
“That is certainly justifiable reason,” Damftar said. “Not getting the reports only carries fines, no other punishments, but combined with what you have told me, I will give the go ahead.” After signing the letter, he stamped it with the court mark, folded it, put a seal on it and gave it to Sayett.
“Grateful,” Sayett said. He and Slyntya left.
They were quickly back on the Capital roads driving hastily to the SPASI headquarters.
“What is next?” Slyntya asked excitedly.
“Now we raid them,” Sayett asked. “And I am not going to delay it any longer. I will fly out tomorrow to Southstar, pick up a car from the local SPASI office there and drive down to Coldwoods.”
“What time is our flight?” she asked. “Are we taking a SPASI airplane?”
“Not ‘ours’, just mine,” Sayett said. “I am not taking any detectives with me. I want our role to be low key. Bank robberies are not typically our jurisdiction, but by calling it a syndicate scheme, we have made it ours and stretched the law. For the raid I want the Coldwoods town police to carry it out. Let them take the credit and fill the newspaper pages. We will portray ourselves as having played behind the scenes helping role. “
“But I am coming, aren’t I?” she asked.
“Constellation would flip out if I risked taking you on a field operation,” Sayett said. “But that would be nothing compared to Colonel Sthykar’s wrath.”
“Last you told me I was the political boss,” Slyntya said. “So I am just ordering myself into going.”
“Slyntya, forget that. What would I tell Sthykar?” he said. “He is a great friend and I can’t expose his wife to any dangers.”
“You know Sthykar goes around running everywhere having these great adventures,” she laughed. “It is about time I go on an adventure of my own as well. I will tell him that it was my desire.”
“Alright,” Sayett said. “I can’t say no to you. But you have to stay at the town’s police station and follow the raid on the radio. I will absolutely not take you on the actual raid. I doubt they will fire on the police when their headquarters is exposed. But if a shootout occurs, there will be stray bullets hitting everywhere.”
“Alright, I will stay at the police station,” she said and sighed.
“I am going to drop you off then go back to the
headquarters to tell my team about my plans and get an airplane prepared.” he said,
He dropped her off at her home and then went back to the SPASI headquarters where he told the team about the raid he had planned, ordered himself an airplane and four SPASI guards and called ahead to the Southstar office to let them know about his expected arrival. After wrapping it up he went off home and quickly went to the bed to get up in time for the early morning flight.
chapter 12 – the hunt
“Look who it is? It’s the Colonel,” Relkyett Wuryt said with a big grin as a car pulled up on the grass in front of his wooden cabin. Land salesman Belvyk was driving the car and Sthykar was sitting beside him.
“Howdy, friends,” Sthykar said. He got out as the car slowed down and then took out his bag and suitcase when it had stopped. “Grateful to you, Mr. Belvyk for giving me a ride.”
“Glad to do so,” Belvyk said. “You gave me a big sale today.”
“Mr. Belvyk, would you like some ale and meat now that you have come along?” Relkyett asked.
“Thank you, but not now; I will get going.” Belvyk put his car in reverse, turned around and drove off.
Sthykar saw a large piece of meat roasting on the open pit fire outside of the cabin. “What do you have cooking there?” he asked. “You fellas started hunting before I arrived?”
“That’s an antelope I shot a couple days ago,” Relkyett said as he went to the pit, “I figure nobody wants to go hunting on an empty stomach.”
“You figure right,” a short, stout man standing near the pit said. “I drove all night yesterday and haven’t had dinner either.”
“How are you doing, Carvyk?” Sthykar asked.
“Great, Colonel,” he said.
Two others walked over to the pit from the cabin door, holding bottles of ale. One of them was Dentar, an ex-capitan in the Mountain Army—a tall man with large whiskers; the other was Evyk, a balding man of medium height and stature.
“Who else has arrived?” Sthykar asked Relkyett as the man was sticking a poker into the meat to gauge its tenderness.
“There is Felptar, Hayett, Colonel Jontvyk and Karyett inside the house,” Relkyett said. “They are playing a game of cards.”
“What’s wrong with your cabin?” Sthykar looked at the cabin. He saw two rooms that had been made with wood and were fully finished. However a smaller room to the side had only been half completed, while an even smaller room to the far left just had logs and tools lying around. Work had barely begun on that.
“He has left it unfinished deliberately,” Carvyk said, “so he can get us to work on it.”
“We aren’t going to be hunting the whole day after all,” Relkyett chuckled. “You folks might as well give me a hand. Right, Evyk? You are practically a carpenter.”
“Practically!” Evyk laughed. “I am an accountant at a furniture company, not a carpenter. I know no more about carpentry than picking up a saw and cutting a log.”
“Howdy, Colonel?” A man walked out of the house. He was completely bald, holding a small whiskey bottle in his hand.
“Colonel Jontvyk,” Sthykar nodded his head.
“I just lost the damn game,” he said after taking a swill from his whiskey. “First one out, bad luck in every hand.”
“Relkyett, who else is coming?” Sthykar asked.
“There will be fifteen of us, counting me,” Relkyett said. “Kartar, Muftar, Nyk and Pelyett are driving together; and so are Symptar and Tulkar. They should reach here by the time this antelope is ready.”
“Hope so,” Jontvyk said. “I want to get in at least one hunt today. Those of us still in the army don’t get long vacations, right, Colonel?” he looked at Sthykar.
“Definitely want to get in one hunt before tonight,” Sthykar said.
They talked over the roasting meat while Relkyett poked it with the poker a few times. After half an hour he announced that it was sufficiently cooked. He picked up a big hunting knife and carved off pieces for each of them. As they were chomping down on the succulent meat, Relkyett put a few pieces on a plate and took them inside the house for the three friends playing cards.
He and Karyett walked out carrying their hunting rifles. Karyett was a capitan in the Regular Army, under Colonel Jontvyk’s command. He was a man with a rough shaven beard and a natural smile that seemed to always hang on his face.
“You got cut, too ?” Jontvyk asked.
“Almost,” Karyett replied biting on a bone. “I called it quits; been getting nothing but bad hands; wouldn’t have lasted more than ten minutes.”
They finished their food. Relkyett wrapped the remaining antelope in an old newspaper and took it inside.
“Where did these people get lost?” Sthykar asked about the six of their friends who still had not arrived.
“I say let’s get on with the hunting ourselves,” Dentar said. “If they miss one hunt, so what, didn’t miss much.”
“Agreed,” Jontvyk said. “I have been holed up on the army base too long signing off on soldiers’ papers like a clerk. Can’t wait to get out there and fire off.”
“Felptar and Hayett are going to finish their card game,” Relkyett said as he came out of the house. “They said they rather go when everyone is here, and we need someone to wait on the arrival of the others.”
“Leave them,” Carvyk said. “They will be playing cards even when we return.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Sthykar said, “Relkyett lead the way.”
Relkyett slung his rifle over his shoulder and started walking away from the house and Sthykar, Jontvyk, Karyett, Carvyk, Dentar and Evyk followed him, each with his own rifle.
* * *
Sthykar knelt down over the dead carcass of the deer he had shot just a minute ago. He put his rifle besides the dead deer and then took out his long hunting knife. The rest of his friends were walking nearby trying to find their own hunt. Jontvyk had shot a rabbit earlier, which he had bagged; Carvyk managed to get a raccoon, which he was carrying in his hand. Now Sthykar had his game, but the rest were still wandering around looking. This place was wonderful for hunting, Sthykar thought. He started carving the deer body into pieces to transport back to the cabin. This will be the feast tonight. There was so much game present here, Sthykar was delighted. His own land plot was five times larger than Relkyett’s and would be bristling with even more game.
Sthykar was an avid hunter, but he was a decent cook as well. He thought about making some dish out of this deer for his friends tonight. Perhaps a stew? He took out a thick plastic sheet from his bag and a cigarette from his pocket. While puffing on his cigarette, he neatly wrapped the deer meat and placed it in his hunting bag. He walked over to his friends; Jontvyk was sitting under a tree taking another gulp from his whiskey bottle. The rest of them arrived within a few minutes.
“Sthykar got a deer,” Relkyett said. “That could do for us tonight.”
“Might be enough for stomach, but I would prefer more variety,” Carvyk said.
“Let’s go further on, mayhaps we come upon another animal,” Karyett said.
Relkyett led the way and all of them walked together behind him with their rifles on their shoulders or carried across their hands.
“I have to admit,” Relkyett said, “I have been here for a while, but haven’t really explored my property. Don’t really know where the game animals are.”
“More fun this way,” Jontvyk said, “searching them out, rather than just going to a place with a big herd and taking can’t-miss shots.”
Relkyett had spent much of his time while here mostly working on constructing his cabin and he had hunted only a few acres around that. He hadn’t had any chance to explore his larger surroundings or to make himself familiar with this area. His own property now seemed like a strange and foreign land to him. As they walked further on they found themselves standing at the foot of a densely wooded hill.
They heard a loud thunder crack across the sky. Dark clouds had started to g
ather and it started drizzling.
“Looks like it’s going to pour.” Evyk said. “You want to turn back?”
“Regardless, we are going to get soaked,” Dentar said, “even if we turn back now, it will be a long walk back to the cabin.”
“Hope that cabin doesn’t leak,” Carvyk said and everyone laughed.
“Let’s get at least one more big one,” Jontvyk said and they continued walking along the path.
Sthykar flicked away his cigarette butt and took out another one. He liked hiking along as they were on lush grass now with a few occasional brushes, a sharp contrast to a hill some distance in front of them that was like a carpet of trees. They walked through the trees, their boots crushing the weeds; they parted branches with their rifles. They climbed the hill and stopped to take in the view from the top.
Majestic scenery opened up right before their eyes. From where they had come from was a lush carpet of grass and bushes interspersed with random trees, but in front of them lay a thick forest. There was a creek behind them, albeit to the side, that they had missed on their way here.
“Let’s rest for a while,” Dentar said. “We have walked a lot today and some of us drove long distances before that.”
They agreed on that and sat down on the top of the hill. Some lay back and looked up at the sky. Relaxing themselves, puffing cigarettes and cigars, taking gulps from whiskey bottles they looked at the darkening sky, occasionally wiping away the drizzle bouncing off their faces.
