Legend of the Book Keeper

by Daniel Blackaby

  Next Poe led them to another large building. “T-t-the Atlantis Stone-Clothing Textile Factory,” announced Poe cheerfully. “Y-y-you both can thank this very center for the clothing you currently don!”

  Cody rubbed his hands along the soft fabric of his tunic. “What do you mean, stone-clothing?”

  Poe once again entered into professor mode. “O-o-one thing you may have noticed is that here in Under-Earth we do not have access to the wide variety of fabrics you do in Upper-Earth. But one thing we do have an abundance of is rock. It was the great Gorgo Tallsin who invented the first rock-tunic. In essence, the process has been going on since the beginning of time in the depths of the oceans, but Tallsin devised a way to speed up the process. By a continual breakdown of the rocks into granites smaller than sand, and by a simultaneous polishing of the granites by water compression of enormous proportions, he was able to produce a material that felt soft to human skin. By welding the tiny granites together, a pain-staking procedure, as you can imagine, our designers are able to produce any article of clothing. Not only is it soft and stylish, but it is also exceedingly more durable and tough than the flimsy, tacky clothing worn by you Surface-Dwellers.”

  As their tour continued they saw other fascinating places. Out of reverence, Poe refused to lead them too close to the Sanctuary of the Orb; but he did point out the Monastery of the Brotherhood nestled at the top of the base below the Sanctuary where Cody was to begin his training

  They were toured through the Pure-Air Plant: a center that, through intense light energy and a complex matrix of shoots and pipes, mimicked photosynthesis and recycled the air, maintaining breathable levels even in the center of the earth.

  They were also shown the Strategizing Center for RoofMining, which organized the mining camps that hung from the ceiling of the cave and harvested the mammoth sky gems. Next, Poe showed the tunnel-phone: an elaborate communication system in which tunnels dug miles beneath the ground stretched from one location to another. Due to the perfect design of the tunnels, they would amplify the sound and carry it great distances to another location. “A-a-although call options are obviously limited, the sound quality is unhindered,” explained Poe. “It is an effective way to communicate between distant cities . . . that is, if you have the patience to wait for a response.”

  The trio came to the last stop on the tour which Poe had obviously saved until the end for dramatic effect: the AREA headquarters. The building looked like a magnificent temple. A row of pillars lined the perimeter of the structure and the roof elevated high, meeting in a sharp point. A big open window framed the large hanging cymbal within. Above the large double front door was a small, wooden plaque that read: Rules Are The Foundation of Worship.

  A large signpost stood next to the building. Written in small print, the sign read: ESSENTIAL RULES OF ORB WORSHIP. Cody read aloud:

  Recite the Orb’s Hymn seven times every 2.5 hours while facing the Sanctuary

  Never under any circumstance enter the Sanctuary of the Orb. To do so is punishable by death

  Walk barefoot on the fifth day of the week in reverence to the Orb

  Never wear a headband when walking within the shadow of the Sanctuary. To do so is to disrespect the Orb

  Never challenge the authority of an AREA Enforcer

  Cody scanned down to the bottom of the list that numbered 232 rules. Poe skipped merrily up beside Cody. “Ss-splendid aren’t they? I can recite each one by heart. All Atlantis citizens can; we are taught to as children.” The mention of children jerked something in Cody’s mind. It suddenly occurred to him that he had yet to see a single child in the entire city. He opened his mouth to inquire about it but a shriek from Poe cut him off, “It’s him!”

  Cody followed the servant’s eyes to a man approaching the building. Like the Enforcers he had witnessed earlier, the man had a dark red sash across his chest. However, instead of a red headband, he wore a large red hat. Cody had to fight to suppress a chuckle at the ridiculousness of the head attire. Poe leaned over and whispered gleefully, “T-tthat man there is Sli Silkian, head of the AREA. Outside of the royal family, he is the most powerful man in Atlantis.”

  The man had a face like a panther and walked with a cool confidence. As he reached the building he gave one quick glance to where Cody and Jade were standing. His beady raven eyes connected with Cody’s. In that brief instant Cody felt as though a wave of disdain was passed into him. He shuddered. The man quickly disappeared through the door and was gone.

  Poe was rambling on excitedly about how Silkian had revolutionized Orb worship, but Cody tuned him out. His contact with the stranger had been brief, but for some reason Cody couldn’t escape the sickening feeling in his stomach that in that one short stare, he had just made a very powerful enemy.

  A Secret Rendezvous

  Her lush, blonde hair flowed across her face as her eyes gazed longingly at Cody. He smiled back, winking and flicking his bangs to the side. The blonde beauty blushed and motioned with her finger for him to approach. Cody smiled confidently as he strutted toward the girl. He slipped his arm firmly around her back and pulled her body into his. She closed her eyes. Slowly Cody lowered his face toward her, his lips almost touching hers . . . just as a hard knock banged against his door.

  Cody screamed. The beautiful blonde girl suddenly transformed into his pillow. He wiped the drool off of it; with a sigh of disappointment he realized he had only been dreaming. He closed his eyes again. The girl from his dreams was real, he had seen her the first time he had entered the Inner-City. Who was she? He was determined to find out. But another loud rap on the door brought him back to reality. Cody groaned and rolled off his bed. His legs were still aching from Poe’s exhaustive tour of the city. Cody didn’t know how long he had been napping, only that it hadn’t been long enough. Groggily staggering to the door he pulled it open. It was Jade.

  “Cody, do you do anything other than sleep? Hurry up, you’re coming with me for a walk through the city.” Cody felt another throb from his aching legs. He opened his mouth to protest but his brain felt like scrambled eggs. Jade smiled. “Great, let’s go.” This girl will be the death of me thought Cody bitterly as he followed Jade out the room.

  As they exited the palace they crossed paths with Princess Eva. She gave a quick smile before looking back down to her toes as they passed her. Cody and Jade exited down the palace stairs. “That Eva is not a girl of many words, is she?” Jade observed.

  “Who can blame her? I’m sure she’s not the only one to feel a little intimidated around the new Book Keeper,” said Cody, puffing up his chest. Jade rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything; some things weren’t worth wasting words on.

  Cody couldn’t help but notice the parallels of their situation. After all the craziness, it energized Cody to be back alone once again with Jade exploring unknown alleyways and streets. Although now instead of the slow-moving, small town of Havenwood, they were exploring the fabled lost city of Atlantis.

  A loud gong rang over the city. Cody fell to his knee robotically and recited the Orb’s Hymn seven times. He could make out the shadows of the Enforcers and knew he was being inspected. Finishing the chant, Cody jumped back up and ran after Jade who had already resumed their hike.

  “Where exactly are we going, Jade?” Cody asked, breathing heavy as he jogged to keep up with her. By way of answer, they reached the gate dividing the Inner-City from the Mid-City. Being only late afternoon, the gate was open. Once inside the Mid-City Jade resumed her brisk pace.

  Cody was wheezing. “Hey, what’s the hurry? I mean, it’s not like . . .” Jade’s hand flung up to his mouth, and Cody was dragged to the ground behind a stack of crates. She held a finger to her lips, and slowly pointed over the boxes. As silently as he could manage, Cody peered over the top. Across the street and down an alleyway a group of men were assembling. Cody squinted; the men looked familiar somehow. Then it hit him. They were the men who had protested for war during their initial journey into t
he city. The big man who had held the sign came into view and it was obvious by the way the men interacted that he was the ring leader.

  Cody felt a hard tug on his tunic; Jade motioned toward the other end of the street. A man with a hood was walking briskly in their direction with his head downcast; Cody couldn’t make out the face. The man reached the alley and turned down it. At the sight of the hooded man, all the protestors froze. The large ring leader gave a slight bow, rose and walked toward the man. A smiled formed on his face and he threw his arms around the hooded man, embracing him in a hug. They exchanged several words and the protestors began filing through a door into one of the buildings. The ring leader held the door open for the hooded man, who gave one quick glance down the alley before disappearing through the entrance.

  That one glance had been enough. For a split second the man’s face had been exposed. There was no mistaking that face. The man in the hood was Prince Kantan.

  Reunion

  Neither Cody nor Jade stopped running until they reached the gate to the Outer-City. When they arrived they collapsed against the wall breathing heavily. “What reason could the heir to the throne possibly have for attending secret meetings with the city’s biggest war mongers?” Cody asked, trying to wrap his brain around the scene they had just seen.

  “Perhaps he was just trying to make peace with them?” Jade offered weakly.

  “Well, then he’s doing a darn good job. He seems awfully cozy with their ring leader.” Jade knew it was true. The situation had a suspicious aura to it.

  Jade pushed herself off the wall, “Well, perhaps it’s nothing. We can ask Dace what he thinks. He’s who I’ve been leading us toward; I have a few questions for him.” The Outer-City was like a ghost town. They were completely alone on the barren streets. “I don’t doubt this is the nocturnal part of the city. Let’s get in and out before it gets crowded.” They began walking in search of Dace. Turning around one corner they collided with a man coming the other way. It was Gelph, the beggar. He flashed his crooked teeth, “Well, well, well! Didn’t scare you off last time I take it. Your pockets any more full with beautiful golden coins this time, eh?”

  Cody laughed. “Only American currency and that won’t get you much down here. We are looking for Dace, have you seen him?”

  The beggar thought for a moment. “As a matter of fact I have. Passed by bout an hour ago. Said he was on the way to Yanci’s pub. Just go down this street and take your second left; you can’t miss it. If you get lost, just follow your ear in the direction of the most ruckus.” They thanked the beggar and followed his directions down the street. As they got closer they heard the sound of music, laughter, and yelling.

  “Must be getting close,” Cody said with a grin. They took the second left and at the end of the street, situated all on its own, was Yanci’s pub. Despite it only being late afternoon, the tavern already was full. As they walked timidly to the front door they heard raised voices and the sound of crashing.

  “Perhaps we should catch Dace at a better time,” suggested Jade as she took two nervous steps backwards. It was good that she did. Moments later the pub door crashed open and a body came hurtling out, crashing face first in the spot where Jade had been only seconds before. With a groan, the man pulled himself off the ground.

  “Wolfrick?” The surprised, bulky guard looked down at Cody. A large bruise encircled his left eye and blood streamed from his nose.

  “Hey’o! If it ain’t Under-Earth’s latest unwanted intruder! How’s life as a fugitive, son?” The smell of ale reeked on his breath. An angry yell came from within the bar, “Get back in here Wolfrick, you lousy, no-good, two-timing, cheat! These are loaded dice! I want my money back!” Wolfrick opened his mouth to respond, but instead of words a loud belch came out. He staggered to his feet. “Well, it was good seeing you again Jody and Cade!” He stumbled back up the steps and through the door. The sound of crashing and yelling promptly resumed once again.

  Cody let out a huge sigh of relief when Dace came strolling through the front door and approached them. He was smiling.

  “Yanci’s isn’t exactly kid friendly. I saw you two from the window. What brings you to these parts?” Cody quickly recapped the mysterious episode they had just witnessed with Prince Kantan. Dace listened carefully. When Cody finished, Dace shook his head. “I won’t pretend like that doesn’t sound fishy. But let me assure you, Kantan may be cold as morning ice, but one thing is for sure. He is not a traitor. He is cut from the same cloth as his father, the good King Ishmael.”

  “Well, if you ask me, that’s some pretty cheap cloth,” Cody proclaimed. “We’ve been here all day and your noble King has yet to show his face. I’m the Book Keeper for heaven’s sake, think he might want to meet me of all people.”

  Dace gave him a serious glance. “That is not a fact that you would be wise to spout off in public, boy. It is not something that should become common knowledge; at least not yet. Fortunately for you, I am already aware of your position and its implications. Secondly, don’t undervalue the King. He is a remarkably great man. If he has decided not to show his face, then he has good reason for it. As for Kantan, I trust him, and so should you.”

  “Ahhh!” Jade screamed, “What happened to your back?! There’s blood soaking through your shirt!” Dace gave a cocky smirk and turned around, lifting up his shirt to reveal five deep whip wounds. The scars were black and clumpy as mashed potatoes where the blood had clotted.

  “Yeah, General Levenworth wasn’t too pleased with my extra rest day on the way here. Was actually only supposed to be three lashes. Word of advice, if you ever find yourself on the whipping pole, don’t insult the torturer’s grandma.” He gave a wink and Cody and Jade laughed. “Was there anything else you two trouble makers needed?” Jade leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Dace frowned, but whispered something back.

  “What was that all about?” asked Cody as he followed Jade away from the pub having said farewell to Dace.

  “Just wait. I’ll show you.” Cody opened his mouth to protest but Jade stopped him. “And don’t you dare pull the ‘but I’m the Book Keeper’ card on me.” Cody closed his mouth; point taken.

  Crossing through the Mid-City they paused by the alleyway where they had seen Kantan with the rioters. There was no light coming from the building. With Jade leading the way, they returned to the Inner-City. They came upon the palace, but instead of entering the front doors, Jade led Cody around to the back. “Where are we going?” asked a surprised Cody.

  “Shush, just keep up,” spouted Jade as they circled the palace. Slipping through a back door they found themselves in the royal kitchen. They made their way through the crowded room swiftly and without being noticed by the focused cooks. Exiting the kitchen, they reached a staircase and began to descend. Down six stories they ran into a barricade blocking their access to the next level. A sign there stated: RESTRICTED. MILITARY PERSONNEL ONLY. Jade hopped over it without hesitation and continued down the stairs. Cody sighed. They seemed to be making a habit of breaking into restricted sections. He jumped over the barrier and followed after her.

  They reached the basement. It was a small room with only one solid steel door that was bolted three times and braced with a horizontal iron bar. Two armed guards stood blocking the door. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing down here? This is a restricted area. Leave at once!” ordered one of the soldiers as he sprang forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

  Jade took a step back. “Dace sent us, and we just want a quick visit. Please.” The guard grunted, “Dace has no authority here. Get out.”

  Suddenly there was a knock from the other side of the door. The second guard grunted, unfastened the bolts and removed the latch. The door swung open and Prince Foz stepped out. Seeing Cody and Jade he stumbled over his feet, bumping into the guard.

  “Oh my! What are you two doing down here?” he asked, regaining his balance and adjusting his mop-like hair.

  “We just want a
quick visit, Foz. Please.” Jade pleaded. Foz looked hesitantly at the door, and then back at Jade. “Make it quick.”

  The guard, clearly displeased, held open the door. As Cody passed he couldn’t contain himself, out the side of his mouth he whispered, “How’s that for authority.” Once inside the room the door closed with a crash behind them and Cody heard the locks being fastened. “Jade, what are we doing. Where are we?”

  “We are doing what we should be doing if your head wasn’t so ballooned about being the all-mighty and powerful Book Keeper.”

  Jade’s words stung. “Jealousy doesn’t work for you, Jade. Just because the Book chose me and not you doesn’t mean you have to take out your envy on me.”

  “Envy!?” cried Jade, “Is that what you think this is about? You heard Kantan, the Book didn’t choose you at all. By stupid luck your useless hand touched the Book first after you got Wesley killed. So cut the chosen-one talk.”