Keeper of the Books (Keeper of the Books, Book 1)

by Jason D. Morrow

  “Clive!” the man from the platform said.

  Clive raised his fists in the air and laughed loudly as the men in the crowd cheered. Joe couldn’t believe his ears. He was sure that he was a dead man.

  “I told you, Joe! I told you!” He called for one of the guards. “Cut our ropes! Get us our guns back!”

  The guard barely even looked at Joe as he slipped his knife between Joe’s wrists and cut the rope. Joe’s arms dangled freely as the guard left and then came back with Joe’s gun belt and pistol. He latched the belt to his waist and checked his gun for bullets. He was set and allowed to leave if he wanted. He could walk away and no one would say a word.

  He looked at Clive and smiled. “The truth shall set you free.”

  “The truth was a gamble,” Clive answered back. “It paid off.”

  “Except you don’t want to be the Warlord.”

  Clive shrugged. “I’ll give it a whirl. If it ain’t my thing, I’ll pass it on to someone else.” He sighed and set a hand on Joe’s shoulder. “You’re a free man. You should get out of here before you get roped into doing too much with the likes of us.”

  “I thought you said you and I were going to be friends,” Joe said with a smirk. “You know, in the future.”

  “And perhaps we will,” Clive said. “But the future is for us to decide.”

  “I’m beginning to think that’s not true.”

  “Well,” Clive said, “if fate brings us together again, then so be it. I’m already glad to call you a friend. You saved my life the other day. For that you will always have my thanks, but I believe I’ve repaid you.”

  “More than,” Joe said. “Thank you, Clive.”

  “Go on, now. I’ve got a victory speech to give. I’ll instruct a guard to prepare a horse for your journey.”

  Joe wasn’t sure what journey Clive was referring to. He knew that for some reason he was meant to look for The Book of Time, but what did that mean, really? Joe had no reason to look for the book now. The only soul he knew in Galamore was making his way to the platform to give another speech.

  A moment ago, walking away would have gotten him killed. Now as he walked, no one gave him a second glance. Most were too excited about their new leader. Others were simply taking in the spectacle of celebration. And more brought out drinks and food.

  Joe figured that Fredrick Merk must have been a sorry leader indeed for such a party to ensue after the news of his demise. Joe approached the guard who had a saddled horse ready for him. The man strapped bedding and packs of food to the saddle, and he looked up and gave Joe a good snarl before handing him the reins.

  Joe mounted the horse and began making his way out of the camp. He was provided with enough supplies to last for a while, but he had no idea how long he would be using them. Joe feared the long road ahead of him, wherever he was going.

  As he rode out, he could hear Clive start talking to the soldiers.

  “This is a great day for the Renegades,” Clive said. “As the Warlord, my first order of business…”

  “Wait!” a voice cried out from the crowd.

  Joe pulled up on the horse and turned his head to see the source of the voice. It came from Clement.

  “You have no right to take this position! You are a murderer and a thief.”

  Clive shrugged and said calmly, “It’s what the men want, Clement. Stand down.”

  “I won’t stand down and let you take over like this,” Clement said. “You’re no different than the tyrant who rules Galamore!”

  Joe pulled on the reins harder and gave the horse a sharp kick. He reached down for his pistol as the horse bounced him up and down.

  “Your atrocities are inexcusable at best,” he said. “I for one am not going to stand for this!”

  No one expected Clement to raise the gun in the air. No one expected him to point the gun at Clive’s face. No one, but Joe.

  From this distance, stopping Clement wouldn’t be easy, but he had to try. Clive had just saved Joe’s life by risking his own. There was no way Joe could allow him to die like this.

  It took less than a second for Joe’s gun to come up and for him to let off a round in Clement’s direction. Firing accurately was Joe’s skill—a natural instinct that almost seemed born into him. Before Clement could squeeze his trigger and let off his assassin’s bullet, a cloud of red mist sprayed into the air, and Clement wore a shocked look on his face. His pistol fell to the platform and the gaping hole in his forehead started drooling. He then fell face forward, and tumbled off the side. Clive was left standing alone with a cocked pistol and pool of blood beside his foot. When he looked up, he saw the crowd staring at a man on his horse, his gun still pointed at the platform.

  “I thought you were leaving,” Clive managed to say.

  “And where in the world am I supposed to go?” Joe came back. “Besides, somebody needs to protect our new Warlord.”

  Levi

  Autumn, 903 A.O.M.

  Levi wasn’t quite sure he could put up with this little band of trackers much longer. He had made it no secret that he was used to working alone, but apparently Nathaniel Cole had dug himself in a deep hole not a full day into his coming to Galamore. Actually, these men were a lot less worried about Nathaniel Cole as they were this gray elf named Marum. Levi had figured out somewhere along the way that she was sister to some revolutionary named Droman, and that her execution was meant to bring him out into the open. But the sheriff and these Rangers had mucked everything up. However, Levi knew the truth. Levi knew that Nathanial more than likely woke up in some random spot just as Levi had. It just so happened that Levi ended up near Vincent and Nathaniel had been in a jail cell.

  Where he belonged, Levi thought to himself.

  He had no plans to tell anyone about this. Had no need to. It would just confuse them and he didn’t need to explain himself. Not that he would be able to explain it, really. This book he was in was an object of dark magic. He’d never believed in magic before, but he sure did now. But Levi was determined to keep his thoughts focused on Nathaniel. Anytime a thought about being in a brand new world popped into his head, he quickly shoved it aside. Once he got ahold of Nathaniel and killed him, he’d be able to think about where he was and what he needed to do to get back home.

  The party with him totaled four: himself, Sheriff Strand, Ranger Gibbons, and another Ranger named Devlin. It was Devlin who made Levi want to break away from the group. He was injured for one thing. That made the man complain and whine the entire way. But apparently he was some terrific tracker who could spot any track under most conditions. If there was anyone who could find Nathaniel Cole’s trail, it was Devlin.

  Still, if Levi had to hear that Devlin had been beaten up or stabbed in the shoulder one more time, he just might lose it. But even with all of Devlin’s annoyance, Levi couldn’t escape the feeling that the injured Ranger might have been putting on a show in order to be dismissed. But Ranger Gibbons seemed to ignore the man entirely until he had something useful to say about the trail they were on.

  Sheriff Strand stayed quiet most of the way and Levi figured he was more of an extra gun to have in case of a fight. He had a young face and probably hadn’t been the sheriff for too long. Levi had gathered that Nathaniel’s breakout had mostly been blamed on Strand, so the man didn’t want to say much, but eagerly anticipated finding this gray elf. He seemed more afraid of Ranger Gibbons than anything else.

  Ranger Gibbons was the seasoned warrior of the bunch. He wore a hard stare and the way his mustache was cut made it seem like he was always frowning. Of course, it could have just been that Gibbons was always frowning. Either way, the man carried a sense of importance about him, and it didn’t take long for Levi to realize that he was the right-hand man to the president of Galamore. That was enough information for Levi to know that the man would demand respect and to challenge him wouldn’t be in Levi’s best interest. But Levi had no reason to challenge any of them. To him, they were all just tools. Tool
s to help him find the man he’d been trying to kill for a decade.

  Devlin led them to the spot where he’d been beaten up and from there he was able to follow the tracks easily enough.

  “They more than likely avoided the road for a while,” Devlin said, “since they didn’t want to be caught. So, the trail they left should be much easier to follow. If they went by road, though, we might get into some trouble.”

  They traveled for another two hours until the tracks led them to a small cabin in the woods. It was a nice, quaint place, and there was a fire puffing out smoke through the chimney.

  “I know this place,” Gibbons said underneath a scowl. “This is the home of Alban Lang and his daughter, Rachel.” He shook his head slowly. “It makes sense now.”

  “What does?” Strand said worriedly.

  When they approached the home, each man got off his horse, Devlin groaning and taking his time. They walked forward but stopped in place when the front door swung wide open. There stood a man with a shotgun in his hands. The man didn’t seem too threatening, but cautious. Still, Levi rested his hand on his six-shooter.

  “What do ya’ll want?” the man on the porch yelled.

  Gibbons had his gloved hands in the air and shook his head. “I’m looking for Alban Lang.”

  “Alban ain’t here,” the man said. “You a Ranger?”

  “I am.”

  “Sorry about this,” the man said, nodding to his shotgun. “This whole situation is a bit weird if you ask me.”

  “What situation?” Gibbons asked.

  “Alban told me he’d probably have visitors come looking for him. He didn’t say why.”

  “You’ve spoken with him?” Strand shouted out.

  “I got a post,” the man said. “A hawk, so I knew it was urgent. The thing told me Alban looked nervous while he was writing. I asked it where it flew in from, but it wasn’t at liberty to say.”

  “Excuse me, did you just say you talked to a hawk?” Levi asked.

  The others looked at him strangely for a moment. Finally the man answered. “That’s right. A lot quicker than a standard bird, you know.”

  Levi shook his head and looked toward Gibbons, nodding for the man to continue.

  “Would you mind if I took a look at his note?” Gibbons asked politely.

  The man held firm to his shotgun and squared his jaw defiantly. “I’m watching Mr. Lang’s homestead. I intend to take care of this property and of the privacy of the man himself.”

  “Then I’m afraid I will have to use my authority and demand to see the note,” Gibbons said. “By order of the law, I’m commanding you to give up that letter.”

  “I would,” the man said, “but I threw it into the fire, just as requested.”

  Strand swore, but Gibbons remained stone faced. “Then tell me what it said.”

  “Just that he was taking his daughter and that they were going to be gone for a few months. Said they had some urgent business down south somewhere.”

  “And he didn’t specify where?”

  “Nope.”

  Levi didn’t necessarily believe the man, but they weren’t going to get anything out of him. Considering these men were men of the law, Levi knew he would not be allowed to coerce the man into delivering more information. Gibbons would probably frown upon Levi’s method of interrogation.

  “Did he mention any other traveling companions that were with him?” Gibbons pressed.

  The man shook his head. “Only mentioned himself and his daughter. Can’t imagine what kind of business they would have that would take so long. Especially with winter coming up soon. I sure wouldn’t want to be traveling in the snow. Ya’ll know how bad it can get ’round here.”

  Gibbons dipped his head slightly and mounted his horse and the others did the same. “Come,” he said to the group. “That’s all we’ll get from him.” He motioned for Devlin to lead the group as they continued onward.

  Levi learned that the one good thing about them traveling through these parts was that there was very little traffic on most days. Whatever tracks were there could very well be the company they were after.

  It was Levi, not the master tracker, Devlin, who noticed hoof prints traveling alongside another set of prints within the confines of wagon wheels. When he pointed this out to the group, Devlin’s eyes went wide, and for the first time, he seemed excited.

  “By golly, you’re right,” he exclaimed joyously. “This here would be the cart carrying supplies and passengers. And the tracks next to it is more than likely my own stallion they stole from me.”

  “Nice work, fellas!” Strand said with a smile.

  “How old are the tracks?” Gibbons asked.

  Devlin thought for a while and shook his head. “Hard to tell, but I think we aren’t too far off. If we ride hard enough we might be able to catch up to them the day after tomorrow.”

  “That’ll be cutting it close,” Gibbons said. “They are undoubtedly headed for the southern border of Tel Haven Forest. Once they reach it they will be much harder to follow. More traffic. More tracks. More roads to veer toward. We have to assume that this is their plan, because Marum will need to be out of here as quickly as possible.”

  Levi tried to figure out Nate’s role in all this, but the idea perplexed him. It was possible he was just along for the ride, but if he knew the man at all, he knew he’d be looking for his brother, Joe. Perhaps even the man Tyler Montgomery. In fact, Tyler Montgomery would be a person of interest whenever Levi finished dealing with Nathaniel Cole. According to Amos, Montgomery was the man who wanted the book in the first place. If he knew all about it, then he would know how to get back home. But that was a mystery for another day.

  They traveled on and on and finally decided that the tracks were too difficult to spot as the sky grew darker. They made a quick fire to stave off the evening chill, each man quietly chewing the little amount of food he had brought with him. Thankfully, Gibbons had been thoughtful enough to give Levi some dried meat and bread before they started their journey into the woods. He’d separated his rations and figured he had enough for a couple of days if he ate sparingly. He supposed the others were in about the same shape.

  “Good thing is,” Devlin said after almost an hour of silence among the men, “the tracks are looking fresher, if even only a little bit. That means we’re catching up to them.”

  “Well, if we don’t get ’em soon, we’ll need to start huntin’,” Strand said irritably. He rubbed at his shoulders and puffs of white vapor escaped his lips when he spoke. “And I didn’t bring my rifle.”

  “That man stole my rifle,” Devlin said. “Nicest thing I ever owned.” He lifted a rifle into the air with his uninjured arm. “I brought this standard issue, but it ain’t nothing to what they stole.”

  “Well, if the time arises and we need a rifle,” Gibbons said, “the standard issue will do. It’s still a fine gun.”

  “Well, you ain’t ever fired what I had,” Devlin came back. But his eyebrows shot up and he sat straighter when he realized his error. “Sir!” he added quickly.

  Gibbons waved him off. “At ease, Devlin. Take your boots off. Warm your toes. You can call me sir when we start back in the morning.”

  Devlin didn’t answer, but he seemed relieved and slumped back down as he stared into the orange flames in front of them.

  The wood they had found lying around the forest floor crackled and whistled as steam and smoke blew upward and the flames crumbled it slowly into fine, burning ash. Levi remained quiet through the night. He lit his final cigar and smoked it quietly, sad that he didn’t have any left. There were a few conversations interspersed throughout the evening but he didn’t participate. He didn’t feel the need to. This wasn’t his land. These weren’t his people. He didn’t want to confuse them with how he had come to be here. He would be with them for a short time, and then he would be on his way.

  Inevitably, however, since the others weren’t overly keen on each other, Levi was asked
a lot of questions about Nathaniel Cole. There wasn’t much for him to say. He didn’t want to get personal. The real story was none of their business. Levi left it at, “Where I’m from, he’s a highly sought after individual.”

  “So, do you think he was hired by Marum’s brother to break him out?” Strand asked.

  Levi nodded his head, knowing the truth, but withholding it. “I suppose it’s possible, but I’m not so sure. I think it’s more likely that he got into the jail to create a distraction.”

  “But there would have been no way for him to get in there without me seeing,” Strand said, looking from Levi to Gibbons, back and forth.

  Levi shrugged. “And yet, he was there. Seems to me like you might have been sleeping on the job.”

  If looks could kill, Levi would be a corpse. Strand scowled at him so badly, his eyes were just slits and his teeth showed like an angry mutt.

  “Listen,” Levi said, trying to diffuse the situation. “To your credit, Nathaniel Cole is a slippery son of a gun. If anyone could get in without you noticing, it’s him.”

  “Still,” Gibbons offered, “seems awfully far fetched that he’d go into a jail just to start a distraction.”

  Levi knew it was far fetched. If he knew anything about Nathaniel Cole it was that he’d stay clear of the law as best he could. He’d never step foot in a jail, probably not even to save his own brother.

  He shrugged again and tossed a piece of grass into the fire. “I never said I knew why he was there. Your theory about being hired to get Marum out might be a good one. Good as any, I guess. I’ve just been chasing him pretty close for a while now. Don’t really see how he could have gotten a new job without me learning about it.”

  “Where’d you chase him out of?” Devlin asked.

  “A little place called Texas,” Levi answered. He almost grinned at himself when he said this. None of them replied. None said they had or hadn’t heard of it. Levi figured none of them wanted to admit that they didn’t know where Texas was.

  “What’d he do?” Devlin asked.