Knapp 5

KNAPP 5
WRITTEN BY ALFREDO JUILLET FRASCARA.
13.04.2007

Epoch : Year 3602

Characters :

Board of Directors from the Xubal Corporation : Perion Faktubal, Lorenfa Magnin, Gomer Tornaver. Lamar Fewrio (girlfriend to Perion); At Spaceship “ Burion”: Captain Nogan Nieg, Doctor Teciolar,


Chapter 1.

Perion Factukal said :
“In the database of our Federation of Planets there are list of planets with their characteristics, who are uninhabited, so our Corporation would not require more permissions than a simple Custom Office asks.”
“But most of those planets are so far away, that the voyage to and fro would cost a fortune, Mr. Factukal ! I don’t know why you present this motion again !”- Lorenfa Magnin , a beautiful lady, said; she was the owner of the 32 % of the total shares, and so her voice was an important one.
“Certainly, Miss Maguin, that I am insisting again in these matters, but it’s because our Corporation has been having great losses as of late! If we keep on by the usual tracks, lady, I am not sure if our Corporation has a future.” – Perion replied her.
“The name is Magnin, Sir. “- She said, combing her black hair with proud.
“Sorry about that. Well, Sirs, I almost finish my proposition here; only a few words before: With one single cargo spaceship we could earn millions! Now the Brana transportation system is available, we could grab planets with a bucket, and for almost half the price we should pay if traveling here in our own Brana.” – Perion said.
They were silent; the Corporation was in the brink of extinction, but also, they were already millionaires themselves, with all the money they earn as providers for their own projects, or being seated at comfortable chairs at the same Corporation, as managers and directors. Miss Lorenfa Magnin said :” The Brana voyages are dangerous; not a week ago, a whole train of starships were lost in one of that explorations.”
“A risk we could afford, milady, if we want to keep on being seated at our desks here ! All I want is a cargo ship, and we’ll rise the Corporation to a sustainable train of expenses. “- Perion said, and seated himself at the big round table .
After half an hour of discussions, Gomer Tornaver, an old share older and Director of Commerce, said :” We are half certain you are right , Mr. Perion, in one aspect of your speech : the Corporation needs money, and your project seems to be a good safe jacket to everyone of us ! So, I am with you in this project, provided several things.”
“And which they are ?”- Perion asked.
“The spaceship; we better rent a cargo ship, that will be less expensive than to buy one and begin collecting a crew ; also, the whole operation must not take more than three years; a Brana voyage takes little time finding a planet, specially , as you said, the Government had donned for us the exploration . Specifically, we want to know what you are going to bring us back from those far away reaches. “- Gomer coughed along his speech.
“Well, the same we need here to sell our products! Meat and copper! I am sure copper is in three or five planets of that list! And meat, it is where a planet such as ours is found; so we could count with at least a hundred planets for this project to become profitable.”- Perion said.
“Then , you will begin this project as from this moment ! Of course, we will all help you in any way you say.”- Gomer said.
“But I would ask something else, to the honorable members of this meeting!”- Lorenfa Magnin said. They all stared at her, especially Perion.
“And what is that request, Miss Magnin ?” – Perion asked.
“ That you go in that cargo ship, in order to see everything is being donned in the best of the ways possible ! Any mishap, if you are not there, and the whole project will be failing, without the proper guide.”- Lorenfa said, with a glint of cruelty in her green eyes...
“I don’t know if I could go there, Miss Magnin ! I have a personal life to live in this city of Monlau, and I am sure a good executive will do as best as I could .”- Perion said, turning white. He was not in the least wanting to leave the planet, now he has a good Bank account, and five girl friends to attend ...
After some more discussion of the point, the general manager and Director Gomer said :’ We are certain you have studied all the points of your project as best as anyone ! So, if you denied us your presence on this project, it will be not accepted. But if you went in that spaceship, and returns safely with a profit, be sure you will have some more shares at your disposal.”
“You honor me so much ! But give me some days to give you my reply. “- Perion said, and leaves the room; he was with his head in a turmoil; but when he arrives to the parking lot, Lamar Fewrio was waiting him near his turbo - plane, saying :” Oh, darling ! So much I had been here waiting for you ! Are you going to lunch with me, or what ?”
Perion looked at her, with her almost white blond hair, green eyes, and a superb body sheathed on a expensive cloth the longitude of which was no more than fifty centimeters ... The long legs were ending on red high heel shoes.
“Sorry , dear, but we were at a meeting... “_ He said, opening the door for her; she kissed him and seats, with a dazzling show with her legs...
He almost panted to his seat, and soon they were driving to a fancy restaurant...
Unbeknownst to them, a small gadget was inserted near the neck of the suit Mister Perion was using, so everything they did and talk was being recorded and sent to one of the several detectives Miss Lorenfa Magnin had at her disposal. Soon she was looking at the screen, with an abridged version of the whole trip to that Restaurant; a long version of what they did at a bedroom of Hotel Windshield, and a short but interesting conversation of Perion with a friend of him at the Cosmodrome...
“The trip is accepted! You will be hired, together with your cargo junk! “- Perion said by the visophone.
“Really ? You’re a genius! And did you know at which planet I’m going to be sent ?”- The voice of the other person asked.
“You name it ! We need copper and meat, nothing more ! A piece of cake! “- Perion said.
“But , when this will happen ? I need cash, to pay some bills!”- The other person asked.
“Don’t you worry ! It will be soon enough ! The only problem is I must go with the expedition ! And really, I have some friends here that will be very sad, if I ‘m gone.”- Perion said, looking at the beauty that was taking a bath at the next room.
“You are a Don Juan! I’m sure you could kidnap one or two of those beauties for your trip!”- The other person said, laughing.
Perion ends the call, as his girlfriend was coming out of the bathroom.
“With whom was you talking, dear ?”- She asked, rubbing her hair with a white towel.
“With a cargo ship owner! Business, dear. “- He replied. She feigned to be crying, and when he embraced her, she said :”Don’t talk business when I’m near, darling !”
AT the other side of the cable, Miss Lorenfa Magning smiled, and stop being in front of that monitor, thinking Perion was going to suffer during his flight, as she , personally, will forbid any tourist at the spaceship ! She was not going to let the project fail , due to the lewd inclinations of Mr. Perion !

But , three months later, when the “Burion” cargo space-ship deployed from the Cosmodrome, Perion didn’t brought any girl friend to the spaceship, more to the amazement of Miss Lorenfa Magnin , who had several spies on the cargo ship informing her of everything. When the light of the recessing ship blurred in the distance, Miss Lorenfa said, between her lips :”Good luck to you, Perion ! You seems to be a worthy man!”
But she was wrong; the “Burion” release a safe boat in the second orbit around planet Janarvia, in which interior was Mr. Perion laughing!
“Sure I was going to be at that long and bored trip to nowhere! My ladies are waiting me at the beach on Biarrel, one of the luxury vacation cities at Janarvia ! When my friend Nogar Nieg returns, I’ll be at the Cosmodrome, ready to jump in, feigning I never was out of it ! “
Soon his small life saving boat was landing at Biarrel spaceport, with a smiling Perion jumping out of it.

THE ARRIVAL TO PLANET KNAPP.

Captain Nogar Nieg , hovering over Biarrel, saw the tiny craft landing, and said by the intercom :” Be ready for the take off ! We’re leaving the orbit around Janarvia !”
And smiled, happy to see his friend was going to have a great time at one of the most beautiful resorts on the planet; Nogar was 45 years old, and was not egoistic ... Then, he revise the information at the screen; everything the Corporation needs were there, written by his friend’s secretary; copper, meat, quantities and the time he needs to be back, carrying the goods and metal to the Corporation. His wages were high, and he was more than thankful to his friend Perion; it was not the first time Perion gives him a good job.
He looked unto his crew: they were all males, fine young people –except some of them at the engine room - , and they were all single; he didn’t want married people aboard his space ship, as married people tended to be jumpy if the trip takes more than the average; instead, single people didn’t worried about more or less days in the trip, but asked for a good chunk of money; a thing now, thanks to Perion, Captain Nogar has a lot.
Three hours later, and far from the commercial routes, the “Burion” made the jump between the Branas, using the same coordinates one of the exploratory spaceships from the Federation did more than fifteen years ago; once at the “other “side, they all saw, by the screens, a huge red planet, covering the whole horizon in front of them, running as a racing horse against them.
The whole of the alarm systems begin to wail inside the corridors and rooms; the automatic pilot choose the best chance he had to land, and soon they were head – on with the planet; the surface of the fuselage became of a sickly looking red color; pieces of metal dust begin to trail after the cargo ship, and then they were flying over a great chain of mountains; one of them were so high and terrible, that seems to occupy the whole universe by itself; the automatic pilot made a feat of skill, and banged only a side of the cargo ship against a rocky boulder; the vehicle made a jerky movement, and slide down the slope , ending its fast trip against a forest; pieces of wood were sent flying everywhere, and some of them caught fire; the spaceship banged against a thousand tree trunks, and ended it’s crazy path on a rock.
Inside the spaceship, half of the crew banged their bodies against the interior walls; their blood running by the corridors, made the whole place slippery for the rest ; Captain Nogar banged his head against a monitor and died , electrocuted; the first officer, a big man of 30 years, saw his chair jerked from the floor and went flying half the length of the main cabin, but was stopped by the central beam, who made his head a bloody pulp .
The air from the forest went inside the cabin, with a strong smell of leaves; soon also was smell of burning wood – a fiery fire was under way, and the cargo ship was on its way; soon the small fraction of living humans were running as best as they could, to avoid being roasted inside the forest; they found a river, and they jumped right in; they were carried for the current for several kilometers; the current was not as fierce where they went inside the water, but after a curve, the river takes velocity, and they weren’t able to reach the blurred banks ; several of them drowned there; but the rest, eighteen of them, reached a place where the river calmed down; they reach the beach, and rested on the ground for several hours, crying some of them after the terrible moments they were forced to live.
Perion Factubal was injured in his head, so he was terribly dizzy; doctor Teciolar was looking into the injured; when it was his turn, he moves the head, saying :” Lots of concussions of the remnants of the crew and passengers ! I have no scanner here, so I guess all I can do for you it’s to give you some medicine and hope for the better ! “
“But, am I in a serious risk, Doctor ? “- Perion asked, as every time he moves his head , the world seems to spin .
“You must repose, and let the body takes care of the injuries ! I’ll see if we could find some fruits ; water is a – plenty, so we;; be not thirsty !”- The doctor said, while examining his head; seeing not a fracture, he went to the next person lying near by; soon it was dark and cold, and the ones not injured of the group, made a bonfire. Perion Factubal awoke twice that night, due to the cold; but then doctor Teciolar made another bonfire at the opposite side of the first one, with the group in between (certainly , the first fire was receding fast) ; and the heat returns.
At the morning, Perion was able to see and hear perfectly well; the headache was receding but the dizziness continues ; doctor Teciolar approaches him , and after a series of medical questions, he said :” You’ll be resting here, my friend; we are going to provide fruits for everyone in just a moment.”
That, because the people able to walk, was coming from the forest; with handfuls of fruits ; they all begin to chew and eat the fruits; there were very palatable.
One of the crew members, Forior, approaches Perion and said:” Here, eat this apples ! Well, seems like apple, no matter they are brown; see? They are tasty.”
“Oh, my head crumbles ! The movements to eat make me puke!”- Perion said, vomiting everything out. As the stench was great, he was moved from that side to another, and doctor Teciolar said :” Well, it figures ! Your stomach was retaining some blood inside; no great deal , but enough to make you throw ! “- And went away. Perion was feeling weak and said nothing; he was dizzy all day long, and at night, the injured were moved to another place, a shelter between some rocks.
“With just one fire at the entrance of this place, will be enough!”- Doctor Teciolar said to the able men. They were six able men, and the rest were eleven injured people; some were with head concussions, and two were with broken limbs or legs; those were the most seriously injured of all, as Doctor Teciolar sensed there were several bones broken , but he could not use his professionalism unto them, as he was empty handed. Soon one of them was with high fever, and died in the morning; the other died in the afternoon; Teciolar with another person takes the corpses and buried under rocks they brought from the river.
Perion was concerned, but with the dizziness going on, he wasn’t resenting too much those deaths; he wasn’t sure if he was going the next one stepping into the last train to oblivion. He was with the other eight persons lying into that enclosure in the rocks, when he saw a figure looking at him from the entrance; he seems a woman atop a dog, or a dog with a woman’s head ! He was so terrified, he uttered not a word, but looks to the other sick men; they were with their eyes closed at the time. The strange apparition suddenly disappeared.
When doctor Teciolar come back, Perion waits for him to said something about it, but as Teciolar was unaware of those creatures, he also said nothing; he wasn’t going to appear as a loony bin in front of the rest, specially his injured part was his head...
That night they slept with the nice warm feeling provided by the fire at the entrance; little before dawn, Perion awoke suddenly, and looking at the fire, he was sure somebody was throwing more wood unto it, to keep the fire going on; he begin to tremble, as he was afraid he was going out of his mind ...
During the morning, again they were alone at the enclosure, but also with doctor Teciolar, who was worried about Makat, one of the injured – a high fever was declared and the medicines available weren’t enough to stop it.
“Hey, Doctor ! I’m still dizzy!”- Perion told him, when the doctor arrives to his side.
“Well, you cannot be asking for a quick recovery without proper care! The brain is a very delicate organ; surely it was a big shock the one received when we crash on the spaceship. “= He replied.
“Certainly , yes ! I feel it is swimming up there , turning when I move my head sidewise.”- Perion said.
“Don’t move it ! One of the ways to surpass this shock you received, it’s to stay put. “- Teciolar said, seating on a rock.
“We aren’t in a city, Doctor ! Who knows if the rest is going to have patience with us, working to feed us every day ?”- Perion said, knowing the generosity has a limit.
“Don’t you worry about that ! I will go myself, if they don’t want !”- Doctor Teciolar said, smiling.
“I will remember your words, if you don’t !”- Perion smiled back.
But the other castaways were men of honor, and didn’t utter a word about the injured or the work they were doing for the rest. Perion recovered himself after sixty days; in that period of time the enclosure was secured with a wall at the east side, and a door in front (north). The fires were lit next to the west stone wall . A communal house was made with logs and a thatched roof.
The weather was cold, and soon the first snow fall on the site; they were surprised, and doctor Teciolar said :’ The fruits will collapse soon; we should turn ourselves to hunters.”
Rashog, a former mechanic on board of the “Burion”, said:” I was an arc champion at high school; perhaps now it will serve for something the handful of medals I win.”
“Of course ! You only get to made several arcs and don’t forget the arrows !”- Doctor Teciolar said .
That night, the fever takes the life of Rabol , one of the former crew , and they left it outside the house; in the morning, they take it to the woods and try to put as many stones over his rigid body.
“He was like a wood stick.’- Rashog said, while cutting branches to made a bow.
“I guess I broke his right arm, while carrying him .”- Perion said, as he was able now to walk; of course, he couldn’t move his head to the sides as fast as before the crash, or else, he went dizzy for several minutes.
“Don’t you worry about that ! He was already dead.”- Rashog said . Fedion, another of the team, said :” If we fail to trap animals , we’ll be doomed.”-
“Don’t be an alarmist ! We’ll find our target ! I had seen several species around here; animals we could hunt and roast.”- Rashog said; suddenly, Perion remembered the freaky creature he saw the first day at the entrance of the enclosure, and commented it; Rashog scratched his head, saying :” Wow ! I remember some tales – half animal, half human ! Hope you didn’t saw what you saw.”-
“Well, we could shut our eyes, next time.”- Fedion said, laughing. Soon they were armed with bows and arrows; the first kill was made by Rashog: a small rodent the size of a cat; they carried it to the enclosure and roasted it on the night bonfire.
“As the hunter, I will choose the part for me.”- Rashog said, and he eats the chest of the animal – the others eat the legs; but in all, it was a very scant food ; Perion tasted it on his mouth, and he throw it when nobody was looking; he didn’t like the taste, but he was not going to spoil the victorious moment Rashog was having.
“And I kill him with just one arrow!”- He boomed.
In the morning, Fedion saw the hunting party was already gone; Doctor Teciolar was leaning on a sick man.
“Where did they go, Doctor ? I was left Perion said, half ashamed of to be sleeping so much.
“Don’t you worry ! They leave almost dark ! That Rashog was boasting he was going to carry back here a big animal this time !”- Doctor Teciolar said.
“I hadn’t seen big animals in this sector.”- Perion said.
“Well, the guy was energized! Perhaps in his imagination was where he saw a big animal.”- Doctor Teciolar said, looking at a patient .
Perion went out of the enclosure, and closed the door; he rumaged by the woods, searching for fruits while the snow was falling; he find several apple – like fruits, and he was resting near a brook , when he saw again one of those human quadrupeds; he stared without moving, but the “animal?” looked in his way, and was startled, soon it was gone.
“Damn.”- Perion said to himself; he was sure, now , that the strange creature wasn’t a vision. He stayed around there for several hours, but there were no more visits – except for occasional rodents.
When reaching the enclosure, he saw the bonfire already lit, and the hunters boasting of their catches; this time they were more than a dozen rodents roasting over the fire, and Rashog said :” Hey, you were so asleep this morning, that we hadn’t enough heart to awake you.”
“Thanks , but I would be glad you did , next time.”- Perion said, as he wanted to be of use.
“To-morrow ! You’ll be going to-morrow; there are some spectacular landscapes to the north.”- Rashog said.
Again, Perion didn’t eat that meat, and instead, he eats from the fruits recently brought . They didn’t pay attention to his tastes, and they went to bed early, now the enclosure was safe with the wall made of logs and the closed door.
Near dawn, Perion heard sounds near him, and awoke. Doctor Teciolar was moving him, saying :” Hey, wake up ! There is trouble!”
He stand up, looking for some beast, but there was none; he could see fairly well, thanks to the flames of the bonfire ,that lit the place through a small window; the men were twisting in pain on their cots.
“What happens ? The meat made you this ?”- Perion asked of the doctor, who was also with his hands over his stomach.
“Yes ! Must had been the rats ! “- He said.
Perion gives them water, and they drink it fast; Rashog said :” Good ! The water quenched the fires inside my belly !”
But later, they begin to mourn; Fedion said :” I barely could move my arms !”
Doctor Teciolar gives a self –diagnosis, saying :” This is Trichinosis !”
Perion remembered something about it : small animals living inside the muscles, but hourly increasing their numbers, so the host soon die, because of too many of them inside their vital organs... He revise them all; and as everyone eats those rodents, everyone was sick- except himself !
“I will remember to be a vegetarian, in my next life !”- Doctor Teciolar said, at the third day; the rest was already dead when he dies.
Perion set the hut on fire, with all of them inside, and abandon the enclosure for ever; he walked to the north side, to see the landscape Rashog told it was there; but as the snowstorm was increasing, he didn’t see more than 20 meters ahead of him.

ALONE ON THE VALLEY.

Perion Factubal was almost frozen, when he saw the cave; he went inside, and finds a fire was on , inside of one of the ramifications the cave had; when he approached it, several figures come to see him. He was terrified, to see animals with human heads, and said:” Oh, no!”
The creatures looked at him, and one of them said :” He is a human !”
Some other said :” I saw him - twice ! He is one who was living on the rocks !”
Perion understand their language- it was Janarvian ! He said:” Hello, my name is Perion ! How is it that you... talk?”
The bigger one stepped closer, and said :” Come closer to the fire ! There is too much cold near the entrance !”
Perion followed him, fearing they were his final steps in this world, but the creatures packed themselves together, and looked at him with curiosity; the bigger one said :” I am Sarina, one of the daughters Astor the hunter ! This is my daughters and sons: Torio, Saki, Rizka and Mirna. “
“Good to know you.”- Perion said, trembling while seeing that eerie group alive and in front of him.
“We are humans like you; pity we had no hands, but we could manage quite well using our hoofs.”- One of the females said; she had great eyes, and Perion sensed a sexy look on them , that was more reason to tremble.
“I saw you –“- One of the smaller said.
“Oh, you was the one who get close to the brook?”- Perion said, knowing the answer was obvious.
“Of course ! You looked so sad... were you sad?”- The smaller one asked him.
“Well, I had a sense of impending doom, at that moment; and it was a premonition, if that thing exists! Now all my former comrades are dead.”- Perion expressed.
“Why ?”- The one named Sarina asked.
“ Rats. They eat rats from the forest.”- Perion answered. They looked among each others, and The one named Torio said :” You didn’t eat ?”
“No, I wasn’t desiring to eat meat , at the moment- I was eating fruits, best. And that saves my life, I guess.”- Perion replied.
“Don’t guess ! You save your life for sure !”- Torio said.
“We don’t eat meat.”- One of the females said.
“Good ! But as the men were hungry, what other thing was to do? Fruits were scarce, now with the snow , more difficult to find one.”- Perion said.
“We eat mushrooms and roots; some of them could be easily eated.”- Sarina said.
“Do you want some ?”- The elder of the daughters asked of him. She had that look on her eyes; Perion said :” Of course, if you have fruit to spare.”-
“Why to spare? We are going to share it with you, are we not all humans here ?”- Sarion asked.
“Certainly yes; I was only worried you could be starving because of me.”- Perion explained.
The elder soon come back with a basket attached to her right hind leg; inside, several fruits and a large mushroom was to be seen under the light of the fire.
Perion eats of them, sure they were ride of the lethal trichinosis that takes the lives of the remnant crew members from the “Burion” spaceship...
He stayed there for the night, and they all were close together; the warm bodies of those furred half human keeps him delightfully cozy...
At the next morning, after some more fruits for breakfast, Sarina said :” We are going to be out , searching for food and also, to stretch our legs; do you want to come with us, or do you prefer to wait us here ?”
Perion said :” Of course I want to go outside ! Perhaps you could teach me the best way to find fruits and things to eat.”
“Come on with us, then ! We’ll teach you the best parts where food is growing.”- Sarion said.
The whole group was around him, while they were walking, and everyone had a thousand questions to make him : how they lived in the cities, how they could fly on the sky, and things like that.
“By your questions, I realize your antecessor teach you about those marvels”- Perion said, in return.
“Yes ! We are but one family, but we expect to grow and have a share of this planet; we already know, thanks to Grandpa Astor, that there are several sentient species on this planet.”- Rizka, the elder of the daughters from Sarina, said.
“Well, you know more than I ! We were traveling from your granddad Astor’s city, Monlau , searching for Knapp planet, where , they said, there are lots of minerals and animals to sell.” – Perion explained.
“Well, I can tell you are lucky ! This is Knapp.”- Sarina said.
“The spaceship has a problem, and buried the nose on the earth; then we try to survive, and guess we weren’t prepared.”- Perion added.
“For nothing.”- Torio sniffed.
“Now I get to arrive to some human enclosure.”- And seeing their grievous faces, he adds:” ... with chances to send me back.”
Rizka said: “Well, we are just starting, but why don’t you try at the kingdom of Knapp? They were having some commerce with the humans of Janarvia, our Ancestor said.”-
“Of course ! And do you know where that city is located?”- Perion asked, feigning indifference; Sarion pointed to the south, and said :” In that direction- more than a year walking – specially in two legs.”- And the rest laughed.
“Of course, I cannot outpaced you.”- Perion replied, somewhat pissed off.
Rizka approaches, and said :” Don’t get mad, my friend ! We are all your equals here.”
That was the last remark he wishes to hear, but he smiles as it was a fine phrase; he was rejecting the company of people that looks so similar to a dog. Something of this was noticed by Sarina, who said:” Guess our friend wants other company ! Let’s help him, by searching food, so he could carry it while walking to the kingdom of Knapp.”
Two days later, he was in his way to the far kingdom of Knapp; he walked until noon, when he finds a suitable spot to rest and sleep a little; when he awoke, a human face was looking at him, almost touching him.
“What ?”- He said, jumping on his two feet ; Rizka was there, smiling crookedly, and with a smile she said :” I followed you, in order to see you are not going astride. “
“Very kind of you, but really, it’s very easy: just straight to the north, and that’s all!’- He said, very nervous; another night with one of her kind, and he was sure he would be having nightmares the rest of his life...
“I am sure you don’t mind if I accompany you, no ?”- Said she, with a beautiful smile; Perion hadn’t the courage of to shoo her off, so he said :” You can go with me for a short while more, but then you’ll be needing to retrace your steps, and that is not dangerous ?”
She trotted some while ahead, laughing; he noticed her buttocks, like a deer, and smiled for himself; what mad scientist produce such creatures?
The landscape changed; now the terrain was of grass and isolated trees; in front, a chain of mountains were to be seen.
“And are those mountains too high?”- Perion asked her.
“I had never gone that far, so I cannot tell you. But if Mother told you this was a way to arrives to the city of Knapp, surely there is a pass or something.”- Rizka said.
In the afternoon, they found a creek dwindling around bushes, and they drink and rest for an hour; then they keep on going, with Perion asking himself how to get ride of her. When dusk came, she said :”Better we find a shelter to pass the night.”
“Of course.”- Perion said, and soon they found a big tree with lots of branches and there they crept ; he seats with his back to the tree trunk, and said :” It’s damp in here.”
“All the place is damp.”- Rizka said, approaching to him ; her body had more heat than his, so he said nothing. Stars appears, showing through the leaves; and soon Perion was asleep for about four hours, and awake; a noise was approaching, like footsteps; he moved the figure of Rizka, saying :” Wake up ! Something is coming!”
In the darkness, he saw her eyes shine with the light of the stars, and soon she said :” Has four legs, and is big. Must be a Rairl.”
Perion was afraid to ask what was a Rairl, but she added soon :” No danger ! Rairls eats plants.”
“Good to hear that.”- He said, and she sniffed him, saying :’ I smell fear in you.”
“Me, fear ? I’m not afraid !”- Perion said, smiling. She chuckled, and said :” Dear friend, you are smiling ! I can hear your wrinkles.”
“You really had acute senses ! “
“Could be.”- She said, kissing him lightly; soon they were kissing each others in the dark, and then she was making love to him, in a way that he didn’t remember having experienced before – and it was all right.
At dawn, she said :” Guess I’ll be going, if you want.”
“No ! I mean, you can stay , if you want . Only if there is too much trouble for you at the return.”- And in his inner self, he admitted he was very interested in her , now he knows how much pleasure Rizka could gives him.
“I wonder if you are beginning to love me a bit.”- She said.
“Of course ; that’s the cause.”- Perion admitted .
Soon they were searching for breakfast, and she finds lots of small green seeds, that when chewed, were like to eat almond.
The chain of mountains were achieved in four days delay; Perion was more and more found of her, but also, was afraid to present himself with Rizka at the kingdom of Knapp ; people will abhor her and by extension , to himself – kind of degenerated taste. But he had no problems with her, as in the morning of the fifth day, after a really hot night between them, Rizka said :” Now, my darling , I must return with my family; you are going where no creature like me is living; so I must say good bye!”
“And you can go with the certainty that I will return to you, if there is no way to return to my country!”- Perion said, kissing her.
She moved her tail, and trotted back to his family with a smile on her face ... she was thinking how delightful could be to have a pair of arms instead of hind legs, and walk upright as Perion does; but Nature gives and the creature must accept the gift – only she has now the seed of that human in her bossom – she was certain a child will be hatched, after so many nights of passion !

THE KINGDOM OF KNAPP.

Perion marched steadfastly for nine weeks and three days; then he was in front of the big city of Oredloro; the big walls, the three entrances (big portals with guards looking at the traffic with bored eyes) and the many towers with flags flying in the breeze, makes him smile with wonder; he was with torn clothes, and his boots were mended many times, so he had nothing new on himself, except his ideas.
He followed the carts with vegetables and fruits, that were marching to the city; soon he was passing under the stare of the guards; he wasn’t molested, and soon he finds his way inside the city: he was searching for the Royal palace, in order to make himself known.
The palace had a huge entrance by the front, guarded by many soldiers; but at the sides there were entrances, where he could state his request and waits for an answer; the one who attended him, a bored civil servant, asked him :” What is your name, age and occupation ?”
“Perion, 45 years old, merchant.”- Perion replied, amazed of this questionnaire.
“Very well; I assume you are a foreigner ?”- The red eyes of the officer were keen and alert.
“Yes, I am from outside the city, and I want to talk with the King or perhaps some high ranking officer; I have vital and interesting information for the Kingdom.”- Perion said.
The officer, a fat greasy guy with an apron not white and not clean, said:” Very well, a reunion with His Majesty the King; simple thing, indeed. And what could I tell His Majesty you want to chat with him, or you just want to be mysterious and want to tell him yourself?”- The officer said, much to the amusement of other people that were waiting their turn.
“No, I guess you can know, also ! I am from the stars, and I want to give him, totally free, vital information of how to made hundreds of inventions, cars, planes, computers and electrical ovens , all of it wonders I am sure you don’t possess here.” – Perion said; he wants to give all the information for some help while building a radio transmitter.
“Really, you are very interesting, Mr. Perion ! But also, I cannot say His Majesty will receives you! Perhaps a minor officer would do?”- The man in charge asked him.
“Well, really, I am not sure how to handle this matters! I am a castaway of the Heavens, so to speak! My vessel, a wonderful vessel that travels through the heavens, lie wrecked very far from here, pass the point of repair; so perhaps the King could grant me some craftsmen and materials for to made a radio . Not so expensive, if you consider the great increment in welfare I could grant him.”- Perion said.
Thinking the guy was totally crazy, the officer told him to wait at a corridor, where other people were already seated, and went to tell his superior about the newcomer :” Sergeant Owoerfion : There is a guy who wants to talk with the King, or perhaps some minor officer. He is sure he has knowledge the King would want.”
Owoerfion was barely aware there were some aliens coming and going from the planet, and he instantly was sure this newcomer was a walker of the skies, just as some others claimed to be. And so he went to talk with the man from the stars, just in case he has a case to present to the high ranking officers – perhaps there was a rise for him, if he handled the case the best he could.
“We have a case here, doorman: bring the man here.”
“All right, Sergeant!”- Charifon said, walking back to his post; he call on Perion, and said:” My Sergeant finds you acceptable to make a request; so come with me .”
Perion followed him, and saw a thin man using a red tunic; Owoerfion presents him and departed. Owoerfion said :” From where did you came, Sir ?”
“From Janarvia, another planet in the constellation Pisces. Our spaceship crossed the Branas, and while landing, something went wrong: I wasn’t the pilot, but a merchant on board! So I cannot tell you what, specifically, went wrong. But I can tell you it had been very hard to arrive here, from beyond the mountains of the south.”- Perion explained.
Owoerfion was listening music, instead of words; he was envisioning himself as a new lieutenant or at other higher rank than the present (Sergeant).
“As I must present you in a good form, I will ask of you patience; if I run now to my superior officer with the news , surely you’ll suffer a lot of misdeeds and waste of energy; so I will take you in my care, for this future hours.”
“I am glad you’ll do that effort, Sir, and I will confide in your experience! I am here to offer your King a lot of new inventions I could easily device for his men of science; also, I am skilled in economics, so your Minister of the Finances could easily made more money each financial year.”- Perion said.
“Of course ! I will ask for better judgment than mine, for to present you in a good form; I only ask of you the necessary memory, to not forget me when the King raise you to the place you deserve.”- Owoerfion said.
Soon, Perion was located at a good room on the second Tower; a place where only officers of the King could abide; and with a guard at the door, in case he wants something.
He finds a flask with water and a basin; he clean himself as well as he could with that scant quantity of liquid, and ask the soldier for new clothes; the man said :” I am not entitled to give you that, Sir, but I will ask.”
And closing the door with the lock, he went asking his superiors; soon he come back with a soldier’s underwear and a large robe; he opened the door, saying : “This is what I COULD get, Sir ; perhaps my Sergeant Owoerfion could provide you better, but he is not around now.”
“Of course; and I understand the situation. Thanks you. And please, I want a place where to made my necessities; a bath.”
“Oh, that ! Follow me, Sir.”- The man said, and at a near –by room, he show him several basins, and said :” There you could do what you must do, Sir.”
“Thanks. Oh, and some paper, please.”- He said; that request was strange to the soldier, but he went searching for paper; that was scarce there, and he takes his time finding one; when he returns, Perion was waiting ,already relieved of his necessities ...
“Thanks.”- He said, and cleanse it as well as he could, that wasn’t much . Perion returns to the chamber, and waits ; the night came, and the soldier told him to try and rest , as the Sergeant sent notice all was going swell, but patience was required.
Perion went to bed – a not too good mattress, propped over a wooden frame; by a small window, he heard military orders and steps; the window was close to a staircase made of stone.
Hours passed by, and Perion awoke when somebody opened the door; Owoerfion comes in, together with three other persons, who were civilians; one of them a woman..
“Good morning, Mr. Perion ! This are Rweioned, the Secretary of the Minister of Finances; Geroinde is the second secretary to the First Chambelan, and Lady Goshingerion is the niece of our Empress .He is the one who could get you a date with the Empress herself, only if you answer them several questions first.”- Owoerfion said.
Perion accepted the request, and followed them out of the chamber; they went to the upper offices, five stories high, and at a fine office, seated on armchairs, Perion was really interrogated about several matters, especially in Finances. After the examination, that took two hours, Rweioned said: “Clearly, you know how to improve our financial state ! I will recommend you to the Empress.”
“I will be glad to explain everything to her, again, if necessary.”- Perion proposed.
“Not necessary ! My aunt didn’t comprehend about finances, but she has a special talent to divine who is a competent person.”- Lady Goshingerion said.
“Thanks for the compliment. When could we see her ?”- Perion asked.
“I have a dinner party to-day at the royal palace; I’ll tell her then.”- Lady Goshingerion said.
“Fine; I will wait .”- Perion said; Lady Goshingerion looked at him, and said to Mister Geroinde :” You should carry the gentleman to the Royal Palace now, and give him clothes, a room where to be while waiting, and perhaps some money, if he want to spent in a personal attire.”
“Of course, Lady Goshingerion ! I will be delighted to do so; and our Sergeant Owoerfion will be reward, as he was the one who discover this person who came from Janarvia.”
“Yes, we know about Janarvia, because some of that world had come in the past; since then, no more tourists from that place had come.”- Lady Goshingerion explained to Perion.
“Perhaps it’s due to a big battle in the sky; we were attacked by a race of alien insects, and we lost a lot of spacecraft and personnel. “- Perion said.
“Oh, what a pity it is! We knew nothing of the sort! And good that you told me it! I will have something new to tell my aunt, at the dinner party.”- Lady Goshingerion said.
Perion went with them to the Palace, and Sergeant Owoerfion remained at that tower, thinking that now he was to be rewarded; in the passing days, he received a promotion to lieutenant, and a leave for two months .
But Perion was not called that week; he waited for a month to be called by the Queen Urta; she was at the royal chambers, a place huge and with costly furniture; even the ceilings were richly decorated, and stair cases of delicate design carried the royal family to their bedchambers .
The Queen Urta was a delicate woman of about 24 years old; her face was clear and with big green eyes; her hair was blond and at the time, she was dressed in a golden gown, surrounded by more than forty females who attended her .
“This is Perion the Janarvian, Your Highness. I brought to you as he boasted he could improve our financial state.”- Lady Goshingerion said.
“Come closer.”- Said she, and Perion stands in front of her, smiling.
“Oh, a man from other world ! This is really exciting.”- She said, and all laughed.
“Tell me how you believe our financial system could be improved.”- The Queen said, with flashing eyes.
“First of all, Your Majesty, I had to know how the system works; but in any case, I have studies that could improve any financial state threefold. Also, I could improve every aspect of your kingdom’s organization, as I came from a highly developed country.”- Perion boasted as a politician in campaign...
“ I understand you came from Janarvian, but also a traitor came once ,in the past, from that same place, and betrayed our King ! Of course, not the present time King, but the grandfather of my husband, who is Knapp 25. I expect you are not going to disappoint me, as the previous Janarvian disappoints the former King of Knapp.” – She said, looking at him.
“If your Majesty is as clever as she is beautiful, I am sure you understand that I am an honest man, who only wants to help you.”- Perion said.
“Oh, yes ! To help me, that was a perfect stranger for you before your arrival, I suppose? And what do you want, in exchange for your favors?”- Queen Urta said.
“Well, apart from the delight to be offering help to a beautiful lady, I am interested in some technical improvements, that includes the fabrication of a new and revolutionary way to communicate at a distance: the radio.”- Perion said.
“But we already have radios!”- The Queen Urta said, and everyone laughed.
“Oh, I was unaware of that, Your Majesty! But, could it be that you can communicate through the branas, as I am intend to do ?”- Perion replied.
There was a big silence, as everyone was waiting to hear the Queen Urta answer to that ; she takes her time , and said :” I understand our present technology, that derives from your country, is unable to communicate for more than a hundred kilometers from the point of the emission ! Perhaps you are going to improve that ?”- She asked him.
“Of course, Your Majesty ! Perhaps I will improve it to such an extent, that you would be able to talk with a person in another planetary system !”- Perion said, knowing the Oredlorians (as Oredloro was named that city he was in) has no interplanetary vehicles- nor planes , for that matter !
“I will recommend you to my husband ! He is always trying to improve our financial state ! You could go , now.”- She said, with a wave of her left hand; she detested to be talking politics, and when Perion went out of the chamber, she began talking about other women of the Court, and how she could looks better !
Perion was guided to a better place this time; a huge room, where a bed and a row of armchairs saluted past the door; then, a bathroom with everything it is needed, except running water and a sink; the receptacle for the corporal fluids and other matters were of china.
He seats on the bed, and then four maids come in, smiling.
“I am Ballaria, the first of your maids; this three are here to serves you, and I am the entitled to see everything you want is provided; this are orders from Lady Goshingerion.”- Ballaria said .
“I am most happy to have you near ! Well, first thing first, and I want to take a bath, with warm water and perhaps a soap?”- Perion was not sure if such a thing as a soap was available there.
They laughed, and Ballaria said:” Your orders are very simple, my Lord ! We will bathe you now.”
And they take him to a bathtub and when he was inside the bathtub, they brought warm water, soap and they rubbed him for quite a while; then they dry his body with soft towels, and Ballaria said :” I am sure you want to sleep a while, my Lord ?”
“You bet I want ! But , if someone wants to see me ? I will be in bed!”- He complained.
“NO, my Lord ! It’s four in the afternoon, and nobody works in the afternoon at the Court! Serious matters are attended in the morning, only; the afternoon its to rest and be ready to be called in the late afternoon, if requested to dine with the Emperors or some other occupation here on the Palace.” Ballaria said.
“OH ! And do you know what time is it now? I have no watch, and here, inside this thick walls, lighted by candles, I just cannot know the time of the day.”- Perion explained her.
“It’s three in the afternoon, Sir ! So you could rest four hours, and we will be most happy if you want to be ready , if called ; perhaps you could want to see your wardrobe now ?”- She asked him.
“Of course ! I knew not I was having a wardrobe!”- Perion said, as he was not seeing any closet whatsoever; but the ladies brought several boxes from under the bed, and there he could saw clothes and shoes of several sizes.
“I see they knew not the size of my shoes, so this is why they left so many pairs in here.”- He laughed, looking at the shoes in display.
“Oh, no, my Lord ! You are lodged at the visitor’s quarters; people who spend a week’s time or less, and must be lodged in here, not to waste time if called by the Kings ! So, the Chamberlain leaves here several sizes of shoes and also of clothes ! But, don’t you worry about this trifling matters, my Lord ! We are here to help you.”- Ballaria said.
And so it was; they dressed him from head to toes, and the end result was good.
“Fine ! Now I must take all this clothes, and went to sleep ! I really am tired .”- Perion said, but he was well aware his “ tiredness “ was due only to the mental exhaustion ; as he was very nervous before the interview with the Queen ; a false step, and all his plans would had been crashed in a moment ! But no, that he was in the good path to succeed : the leaving of Knapp planet as soon as he could !
He was caressed while getting asleep, and then they all went out of the chamber, in order to leave him have his sleep.
At nine o’clock, Knappian time, the ladies comes back, and with laughter and caresses, dressed him again; he asked :” Why, is somebody calling for me ?”
“Yes ! We had received orders to present you at the Royal dining room at nine hours thirty minutes! So you must be happy and well awake, when going inside the room! One word of advice: as you are a tourist here, everyone will be looking at you; no matter if you don’t know the protocol, if you commit a grave mistake, you’ll be asked to leave; that is not too grave, but will prevent your future invitations to be produced! So we will be with you at every moment; if they asked you why we are there, you must reply “They are teaching me the ways of the Court”; and that is the standard reply in these cases; don’t worries if someone criticize you about this.”- Ballaria said.
“I see why you are the chief of my group of maids! You have a good knowing how!”- Perion replied.
“My companions here knows as much as me, my Lord! It’s only pure chance that I am your chief servant.”- Ballaria said, smiling; she has beautiful hazel eyes, and she was also tall; the figure Perion could not envisage, as his maids were covered by three different garments, that didn’t tell how was the body under all that clothes!
Soon he was walking with the guard in front, and the maids behind him; the corridors lead upstairs, where the king abodes; the luxury was everywhere; the floor, the walls and the ceilings changes at every twenty meters; where marble and brass were shining, now carpets and paintings were to be seen; then again polished stones decorating the floor and walls, with glass in the ceiling, resembling stars; at last, they enter a big hall, where the throne was under fiery lights; Perion was amazed to see electrical bulbs on every corner; not the usual oil lamps or candles.
Noise of conversations and music was to be heard; the Court was there, standing and in rows of animated conversation; at the dais, the throne, with the king seated in front of a big table; at the right side of the table seats his wife and at the opposite, the sons: three males and two females, heavily dressed and with hats that makes the vision of their faces difficult.
Nobody greets Perion, and nobody told him what to do; he looked at Ballaria, who approaches him and said, in a whisper: “You are the invited and they are looking at you right from the corner of their eyes; if you choose bad, you’ll be with the low section of the Court; if you choose well, you’ll be with the higher section of the Court. It’s your choice, Sir.”
“Well ! And where is the higher side of the Court?”- Perion said, looking at the dresses of everyone; the difference was not showing.
“It’s not for me to decide, Sir. “- Ballaria said :” There are spies, and my future would be very black if I told you what to do , specifically , now.”
“I understand. “- Perion said, and walked as near to the Emperor’s table as he could; then he talked to the group of the right.
“Good evening, Ladies and Lords! I’m Perion the alien, who has come here to teach your administrators how to improve health, economy and agriculture!”-Perion said.
They stared at him with noses on the air, and a young man said:” You are addressing us ? Do you know who we are?”
“I’m well aware you are persons of quality, and as this is some kind of a test, I addressed you , thinking you are the best of the best in kind .”- Perion said.
Then, they smiled, and one of the elder ladies of the group produced a bell made of glass, and hitting it with a small key, she said :” The guests of honor chooses us as his best companions !”
The near-by bystanders cheered her words, and suddenly two sounds were heard: the Great Chamberlain had hit the floor with a big stick, profusely adorned, and said :” Silence, please ! The Royal Spokesperson will address the Guest !”
A man, dressed in green, and with a yellow hat ending on a set of bells, said , from above the dais :” The Emperor of Oredloro and cities around the land , King Knapp XXI, welcomes Mr. Perion from Janarvia planet, and expect him to be at ease so he could enjoy our party.”
Perion said :” I am greatly honored by His Majesty the King Knapp XXI, and I thanks him for his hospitality.”
The people who was addressed first by Perion begin to talk to him , in a very amicable way, mostly making questions about Janarvian civilization; and as it was, the answers come easily to Perion’s lips, being of general knowledge.
For one hour the situation didn’t changed , but then the same First Chamberlain addressed the reunion, saying :” Members of the Court and honorable guests : the dinner is served !”
The King and his royal family had already a table, but Perion saw no table for the guests; soon he saw that the servants brings several long tables, that were positioned against the walls; over the tables, several dishes were served, and the guests begin to migrate to them; as there was too many people, Perion realize that not all the guests will consume food; he decided not to approach those tables, and reminds with the group addressed first; they were very amicable, but they went to the tables to eat, so he wandered around other groups, talking but not staying, until he was in front of a group of military men; they weren’t going to eat, and soon he realize they were of a very high rank; they begin asking about weapons and as he was aware of the weapons they use at Janarvia, he told a lot about them.
“You should visit the Army ! Perhaps we could improve our installations a bit !”- One of them said.
“I will be glad, Sir.”- Perion replied, and the soldier gives him a card, saying :” There is my name and the place you could be going to-morrow, if you have spare time. “
“Very well, General Saiuriobelo. It will be my pleasure to improve the site, if possibly.”- Perion said.
Someone takes his sleeve, and he turn around; it was one of the ladies of the first group; she said :” Please, come with me; we had some food for you, and I must say your servants are waiting there, too."
Perion was oblivion about them, and he went after the lady; and yes, at the table, the group was being served with wine and salads, fowl, and berries; he eats, drink, and was told by Ballaria:” You had donned well, Sir ! Now you must try to approach the Emperor, so if they want to talk to you, they will. But you must be there, showing yourself.”
“And this people? They will be left alone, and perhaps that is going to be an offense !”- Perion said.
“No, no ! You must wait until the last of them has enough food, and eats no more; then, you invite them to approach the Emperor, mind my words, and then if they want to go, you go; but if they refuse, bear in mind the group is one and you are one with the group; you cannot go alone there !”
“Right.”- Perion said; and did as told; soon the eating and drinking dwindled to nothing, and he said :” Why don’t we approach the Emperor’s table ? Perhaps there is someone there who want to talk to us!”- And smiled.
The ladies accepted immediately, and so they posted in front of that table; not that they were alone, as other groups did the same; but if they were not addressed in ten minutes elapsed time, they went from there, and other group positioned there. After fifteen other groups, the one from Perion was posted; of the fifteen previous groups, just only three were addressed, and for a very short time ; one or two phrases from the Queen or the Princes; the King Knapp XXV didn’t address people, but his Spokesperson did for him – and not once they had uttered a word.
Soon the Queen saw Perion looking at their table, and said:” But it is our guest of honor ! Mister Perion, did you enjoy our small party ?”
“Of course, Your Majesty! I am very happy to be here, with new friends and with so many delicious food.”
“Nice of you to say that ! Well, keep on being happy!”- She said, and then she searched for other person to talk to. Ballaria pushed his sleeve, saying :” Enough ! Tell your friends to go dancing or something; the Queen will be addressing other people now, and you must move from here.”
“Please, let’s go dancing now, friends?”- Perion told the rest of the group, who was beaming with pride, as they were in his group, one of the addressed ones, and so they were happy to accept him.
“Fine ! I dance like an Stegosaur, but what the heck! Now we are being merry !”- One of them said.
Perion danced with one of the ladies; they were three in the group, wives to the men in the same group; the dance was very easy: a series of bows and walking around, so the most dumb could be dancing, just looking what the others were doing. The lady said :” I am Shifraria, married with Count Tosho ; are you familiar with our states ?”
“Unfortunately no, Lady Shifraria ! I ‘m new in town, and so I had a lot to learn.”- Perion said, almost missing a step.
“Well, that’s easily mended! I invite you for a tea party; to-morrow at four. Could you attend, I suppose?”- The lady said.
“ I will be there, if the Government didn’t said another thing.”- He promised.
“Not be worried about the Government at the afternoons! They didn’t work in the afternoon; so you have no excuse to give me!”- Lady Shifraria said.
“I will be glad to attend to your invitation, and I am very grateful for your kindness, with a newcomer an alien person such as me.”- Perion said.
“Don’t be too humble with me ! You was addressed by the Queen herself! You are important here; perhaps we confide in you, to modernize our kingdom.”- Said the lady, and then the music stops for a while; they return to the group, and several more questions were asked of him; another dance, and another wife, this time to Duke Seradon ; same invitation, and more questions, this time if he was a bachelor or a married person.
“I am single, Milady ! I traveled here in a trip of business, but as I explained before, my spaceship crashed and it’s beyond repairs. “- Perion said.
“How sad ! But we will be your friends, while you are here ! Don’t let you work too much!”- She said, smiling.
When the dance was over, Ballaria approaches him and in a whisper said :” You are dancing too much ! Stop! To be a dancer is not well appreciated in here ! And when they decide to go, you go with them ! “
“Fine.”- Perion said, and obeyed; three hours later, the King went out with his family, while whistles sounds; then the tables were served again, and the people who didn’t eat in the first round, could eat now; but the members of Lady Shifraria’s group was eager to went out, and so Perion was out of the Royal Dining Place half an hour later after the Emperor went to his quarters at the Palace.
He went to his chambers , with the Guard in front and the servants in the rear; the Guard stayed out of the chambers, and Ballaria closed the door, and said :” Congratulations, Sir ! You did the right thing! Now we are going to bathe you , so you could sleep well.”
Perion smiled, and soon he was again inside the bathtub, while they moped him; after it, he went to bed, and they slept in cushions, around the bed; he was looking for somebody to jump to the bed with him ; Ballaria waits until the rest slept – or feigned to be asleep – and said, approaching her lips to his hear :” What more do you want, Sir ?”
“I need you up here.”- He said, feeling his tongue like a rag. He was breathing hard.
“I see you are in need, Sir, but we aren’t aloud to sleep with guests; different it would be, if you were a member of the Court or with some title; as you haven’t any, guess you must to be chaste by obligation.”- And smiling, she went to sleep at her cushion.
“Well, at least I try.”- Perion said, turning to the other side of the bed...
At dawn, he visited the bathroom, while the women were asleep; he finds the guard sleeping on the threshold of the room; the guy was with full attire, but profoundly asleep; he didn’t disturb his dreams, wondering which dreams could a warrior from Oredloro could envisioned...
At his return, the ladies were already tending the bed; others were going to the bathroom, and they all saluted him as old friends; Ballaria approaches him, and said, in a whisper : ‘Not that I don’t want to do it myself, Sir, but orders are very strict here. Could cost me my job.”
“I understand, Ballaria.”- Perion said, but with an harsh face; he couldn’t believe somebody was looking at them, in a world without TV cameras; but unbeknownst to him, several spies could – and did- look unto every room of the palace, through small orifices on the ceilings; those were paid to do that, and not only that, but also, to hear if somebody talks ill of the Emperor, so they could easily call him in the morning, and punished him .
She was sad the rest of the day, but she knew how dangerous was the Royal Palace to the ones who weren’t from the Court...
Soon a guard come , saying :” Mister Perion, the Minister of the Treasure wants to talk with you. Please come with me.”
Ballaria said :” My liege, I cannot accompany you this time. Forgive me.”
“Of course; this is one thing I can repeat.”- Perion said, looking at her with distaste.
The corridors were busy with people walking briskly this side and that; the guard guided him to the third level, and at a great office, he said :” Inside is our Minister; please step in.”
Perion went inside, looking at an old man with a beard; he also uses a robe; the chair was big and ornamented; the Minister said :” Please forgive my manners, Sir ! I have a serious attack of Gout; please be seated.”
“Of course.”- Perion said.
“They told me you come from that country above us; well, I want to know if you could help me in this matter: I have more outgoing than incoming, if you know what I mean.”- The man said, with a chuckle.
“Really ? That is the eternal problem of every Treasurer I met.”- Perion said, having met none in his entire life... but it sounds good to his hears.
“I have several books I should be revising; but I trust no one! There are people here, and you perhaps will not doubt it, that they only want me to fail, just to occupy my post; a good post, mind you ! I earn half a million sopes every year.”- The old Treasurer said.
“Minister: I will see if I can be of help; also, perhaps His Majesty is expending more of the count ?”- Perion asked him.
“Well, he knows with which rope he tied his shoes! I mean, if he squeeze more of the count, soon there will be no lemons in the Kingdom!”- And the Minister of the Treasure laughed, with a sound very similar to a crow.
The numbers were strange, and looked nothing similar to the ones were in use at Janarvia; so he said:” Sorry, Treasurer, but this signs I didn’t know.”
The old man looked at him as not believing his hears, and then he said, angrily:” But what a mishap! I cannot believe you don’t have the knowledge!”
“My signs differ from these ones.”- Perion raises his shoulders.
“Well, well, my friend from above! You should learn them! Remember: numbers here are only ten ! How many signs do you think they were?”
“Ten ? Same at my kingdom ! Of course, if you teach me the simple meaning of this, I am sure I could revise your books entirely.”- Perion said.
“Good, good ! I don’t like to see heads a-rolling, only because they don’t want to learn !”- The man chuckled again; he had a very strange sense of humor, the one Perion was disliking every second a little more.
The numbers learned, Perion takes the books – that were seven- and begin to study them, in the brink of a chair; the Minister of the Treasure coughed, and taking him by the sleeve, he said :” No, no, my friend from you know where ! Take a seat! Use my desk! Guards!”
Perion was worried about that last call, but when the guards come, the Minister said:” This person here, Mister Perion, will supervise my work for the day; I will be leaving to my house, now, and he will be here all day. “
“Very well, Sir. “- Said the chief of the guard, a huge monster of a man.
“Now, take me to my house!”- The man commanded; but the chief of the Guard didn’t molest himself with that command; he ordered something to his second in command, and the man went out.
“Well, and you could revise it at ease ! If you didn’t finish them to-day, no matter ! I simply give you another day, and so on and so forth ! But of course, I am sure that you, with your superior skill, from above, will finish in no time ! Am I not correct, Mister Perion ?”- And the man surely was enjoying his embarrassment; but also, Perion was not accustomed to be in royal chambers revising books that could sent him to the jail.
Suddenly, an artifact like the ones used in Rome, appears; the Treasurer seats inside, and two men, grabbing the poles that protruded in front and in the rear, walked away.
“The Treasurer is old, and his days are numbered! Well, anything you like, just call me and I will bring it to you; of course, meals will be served here.”- The man said.
“And how is your name, soldier?”- Perion asked, trying to appear as a man accustomed to give orders.
“Pizar, Sir. Lieutenant Pizar. = And he went out.
Perion takes the book near the electric lamp that was seated on the desk, and revised one by one the pages; the first forty of them takes him a lot of time, but soon he was remembering the meaning of the signs, and from then on, he was on wheels; he finds lots of errors, and he searched for a pen and papers, and soon he was scribbling those signs in a hurry; the first book he finished at four in the afternoon, with the annotations he made at the side; he asked for a meal, and the Lieutenant Pizar said :” I’ll see if there is food at the kitchen, Sir ! You order your lunch too late !”
“Condemnation !”- Perion said, in bad humor; he waited seated on an armchair; several maids comes in, with several plates; the lieutenant Pizar was red in the face, and said :” I ordered them to bake you the meal, and I ask your pardon for the delay.”
“Take no heed of my bad humor, Lieutenant ! And thanks for your efforts.”- Perion said.
The man seems to be relieved now, with those words; and went outside. The maids served him until he finished the four dishes with fowl and salads, no wine, but a fine cask with fruit juice. He belched, after the women went away, and takes the second book; this one was worst tended as the first one, and he begin to sweat ; he was thinking what was going to do the Treasurer, when he will be informed the incomes and outcomes had more differences than he knew beforehand...
AT nine o’clock (approximately) of the night, he finished it; numbers were dancing in front of his eyes, and he called for the Lieutenant Pizar.
“Pizar, brings me some more food, a cask of juice, and perhaps my maids could come and attend me.”- He said.
“But, Sir, could you not be better at your own chamber?”- The man said, looking at him as you could look unto a madman. And of course, the office was huge, but there was no bed nor any other furniture where to sleep there; Perion realize the man was forgetting the words uttered by the old Treasurer: to rest there until the work was donned! But he was not going to argue now, that the things were on his favor, and he said:” Of course, silly me! Well, must be the work! I am very tired.”- He said.
“Yes, Sir. I will send you back to your chambers with my men, and of course, those same men will be at your door to-morrow at seven o’clock, in order to bring you back here.” = The officer said.
“Yes, that is good. “- Perion said, and soon he was traversing the long corridors and stairs to his chamber; when he arrives, the maids were smiling, and Ballaria was nowhere in sight.
“Where is Ballaria?”- He asked, looking in all sides.
“She said she was sick, Sir! But I will replace her.”- A blonde said, with big breasts and horse teeth.
“Fine ! Begin your work, scrubbing my back!”- He said, laughing; the bathtub was with warm water, and soon he was being bathed and caressing with soap and sponges...
He asked to be awaken at dawn, and then he went to bed; the maids put their blankets and cushions around his bed, and they all slept under the light of a couple of big candles.
Four days he worked at the office of the Minister of the Treasure; sometimes the Treasurer was at the office, some times he went out and didn’t come back in hours; but at last, the final result was shown: Perion said :” This is the final result, Sir. As you see in this column, your numbers are showing there are four million fifty thousands sopes, and here is the revision, my revision, showing there is a fault in the numbers, and in fact, there is only three hundred thousand and ten sopes in cash.”
This was not an absolute surprise to the Treasurer Gowen, as he has been studying the papers while Perion produced it; and said :” Well, it’s very big the difference; but explains why , while revising the money at the treasure chambers, I found so scant amount of money ; I was wondering if someone could enter and takes the money from the chamber; of course, I and the King had a key, but you know, some others could made copies.”- The man said, looking hard at Perion, as if saying “ The King takes what he wants and didn’t tell me.”
“I understand. But we aren’t at war, are we ? So the money is not needed now; perhaps if economies are made, the future will see your chambers with more money .” = Perion said.
“Of course, this is no big deal; well, Mr. Perion ! Your service has been very precious to me; and I want you to do me another favor.”- Gowen said.
“Of course, Minister! Tell me with confidence.”
“To-morrow, I’ll be out of the office, and some tax collectors will come to deliver some more money from the south of the city of Oredloro; please be here, and receive the bags.”- Gowen said.
“You place a lot of confidence in me, and I am glad you do it; also, I thanks you for this.”- Perion said, as he was seeing it like a demonstration of gratitude for his work well donned.
“Now, you can take the rest of the day, Mr. Perion ! I will revise some more this papers, and of course, I will give you the key of the treasure chamber: here it is ! You take the money they are going to bring you the tax collectors, and you just put the bags in the chamber; later we’ll see if the numbers matched.”- Gowen said.
“Of course, Sir. “- Perion said, taking the big key and putting it in a shoulder bag he was wearing then.
"I had instructed my minions about who are you : my first Assistant ! So act naturally."- Gowen smiled, while Perion looked him with awe.
Later, Perion went out, after the routine of good bye, and walked by the corridor, thinking in what a mess he was being dropped; to be in connivance with a guy who get mixed up and think millions instead of hundreds are at his disposal, must be a serious trouble for anyone in his place.
He enters his chambers, and saw the maids around a woman dressed with luxury; approaching them, he saw it was Lady Goshingerion herself.
“Good afternoon, Perion ! Why, are you out of your master’s chains ?”- Asked her, smiling and presenting his white hand to be kissed.
“Yes, milady! “- He said, kissing the hand, that had scent of perfume in it; “ I will be returning to –morrow.”
“Oh ! You work too hard! Well, I come here to invite you to dine at the Palace ! Could you attend, or are you going to bed early to-day?”- She said, smiling.
“I will attend your invitation, of course! I can sleep afterwards.”- Perion said.
“Of course. Well, be ready at nine o’clock! I will send here some of my guards, in case you forget our invitation.”- She said, and departed, leaving a trail of perfume in her wake.
“What delicious perfume she has ! “- Perion said, seating on a stool; his maids were standing in front of him, and the now First Maid, the blond with big breasts, said :” She has lots of perfumes ! She is famous because of it.”
“Fine; well, what do you think it is best for me: to sleep until nine, or to take a bathtub and be ready to depart after a small nap?”- Perion asked her.
“Of course, you must take a bath, and then rest for the dinning party; remember you’ll be dancing, and your body will exude some odors while doing it; it is our duty you smell as a beautiful morning, Sir.”- She said.
“Fine, then. Take my body, scrub it, and by the way, where is Ballaria?”- He asked; the new chief of maids replied:” OH, but she is out of your service now, Sir ! She complains to the Chamberlain that you... “
“Tell me ! I will be not mad with you, if you tell me!”- Perion said, while a cold shudder run through his spine.
“She told the Chamberlain you asked her to have relations at night, and as she said it was against regulations, you treat her bad at the next morning; so she ask a leave.”- The tall blonde maid said.
“Well, I was not happy about the whole matter! But she should had rested with us ! I was not going to force her in any way !”- Perion said.
“We know you would had not forced her !”- The new maid said.
“Why do you say that ?”- Perion wanted to know.
“Because , if you were a bad man, you would had force some of ours after Ballaria was gone ! “- The maid said.
“Clever girls ! Well, I need your name, to ask you to scrub my shoulders.”- He said, smiling.
“Periana, Sir ! I will scrub you with pleasure; you are a kind person.”- Periana said.
“Thanks you, Periana ! Well, lets finish the bath, and I will be sleeping until nine o’clock!”- Perion said, yawning.
He slept until nine , and then they put his clothes in a hurry; the guards from Lady Goshingerion appears, and Perion went with them; the Royal Palace was brightly lit, as there was a celebration : the elder son of King Knapp was in his birthday ! They all saluted him, and some of them also gives him presents; Perion had none with him, and also, he had no money to buy such a thing; the Prince, whose name was Trator, smiled gently when he told him some nice words, saluting and wishing him good luck.
“Thanks for only your words , Sir .”- The Prince said; he was around the forty years of age, and was clothed in a luxury way. To give him a present, was something people should think it twice; as the present needs to be very costly, or it would be an offense!
Perion retires as far as he could from the Royal family, and searched for his group; he finds it in a corner of the hall, and he saluted the members: General Saiuriobelo, Count Tosho and wife Shifraria, Duke Seradon and wife Olgeria; and Duke Swite, wife Anahi, Chief of Police Jarnoto, Ship owner Lerin.
“We knew you are working hard.”- Swite said.
“Oh, yes ! I am helping old Treasurer Gowen ! But I finished the work he asks of me! To-morrow, I guess, will be my last day at his office.”- Perion said.
“Oh ! But we were thinking you would be placed as his secretary! Pity you don’t , as the wages are superb!”- Lerin said, smiling.
“Well, I will not blame my fortune for it ! Perhaps some other job will sprout soon!”- Perion said, realizing it was not good the end of a job such as Secretary of the Treasurer ! But the man has spoken very clearly; one more duty, and it was over !
The Great Chamberlain stomped on the floor, and the Spokesperson said, with a voice who could be used to rise the dead:” Members of the court and guests! Prince Trator will dance the first piece of this evening! “
And the sounds of a orchestra begin to be heard; the Prince went to the dancing dais, with a beautiful woman by the hand, and then he danced some ten minutes, swirling and bowing all the time; then they all applauded and when the pair was returning to his site at the Royal Table, Perion was very near the border, to see them near; the woman was looking at the floor, but when rising her stare, her eyes meet the eyes of Perion, and both were shocked – something like a current of strange magnetism mesmerize them for five seconds ! Then, she passed, and Perion was without air; he breathed hard, and analyze the sensation; it was like love at first sight! He was thinking about her like he was at a whirlwind!
Someone near him said:” She is beautiful, don’t you think?”
Perion looked and he saw Mistress Shifraria; he said :” Of course ! And her eyes are blue, like the ocean depths !”
Shifraria said :” Dangerous feelings, young Perion ! Did you know who she is ?”
“I have no idea, Mistress Shifraria ! “- Perion replied, looking at the woman at the royal table; she also was looking in his direction, with a red glow in her cheeks!
“She is the second daughter of Lady Marmora! Lady Marmora is, of course, the sister of our Queen !” – Mistress Shifraria said, and then they return to the group; the servants served the tables with fowl and vegetables, wines and beverages; the place was very noisy, and everyone laughed and talked freely; it was a time of celebrations.
Perion was for ever looking at the lady at the table; he crossed the place several times, as if searching for someone, but in fact, to see if she gives him a stare; and she did it all the times he went past the table; soon the music resume his dancing airs, and the lady went to dance , again, with Prince Trator ; they again give way to them, so they danced alone at the dais; but this time, when passing back to the table, she leaned on the prince, and signaled to Perion; he was like in a dream, and didn’t move; the lady then approaches him, saying :” I guess I knew you somewhere else, Sir. Please gives me your name!”
Perion told her his name, and added:” I am now the adjutant to the Treasurer Gowen; and of course, I had seen you – at the best of my dreams, only!”
She blushed once again, and said:” Oh, excuse me, Gentleman ! I was confused.”
“But please, gives me the pleasure of a dance with you! If you didn’t know me in the past, it’s no reason why in the future you did know me!”- Perion said, trembling with the tension, and his voice was sounding several tones lower.
She looked at the Prince Trator, who was now looking at the royal table, and said:” Ask my fiancé ! I cannot resolve this by myself “.
Perion addressed the Prince, saying:” I beg you pardon, Your Majesty, but could you permit your fiancée to dance with me the next dance?”
Trator blushed with pride, and asked her if she wants; she said yes. The Prince returns to the royal table alone, and she rest her right hand on his arm, saying :” Please, let us go soon to the dais !”
He obeyed, and while dancing, he said:” You know my name, but I didn’t know yours !”
“I’m Nigara, daughter to Lady Marmora, sister of the Queen ! But did tell me, from where are you?”= The young woman asked, while the other dancers kept coming to the dais to dance.
“I came from another planet, Milady! I was born where people could fly and visit far places in just minutes! “- Perion said. She looked interested, and said:” My feelings has been not disappointing me in my entire life; and when looking at you, I sensed something strange about your person.”
“Yes ! I can tell you a thousand wonders, if only you accept my company !”- He said, loosing all precaution; she blushed hard, and said :” If you are so interested, went to the Palace Fario to-night ! But mind you , that you go alone. “
And the piece ends, so he escorted her to the dining table; he was going to thanks the Prince Trator, but he turns his back on him, not pleased of the whole situation; for her part, lady Nigara begin a conversation with another female at that table...
Perion returns to his group, and for a few moments, he was being scrutinized by everyone; but then Duke Swite breaks the ice, saying :” Well, Mr. Perion ! How is it to dance with the fiancé to our Prince Trator ?”
Perion smiled, and said :” Delicious ! She had a wonderful voice, and her skin is like the milk.”
“Oh, our friend here is a poet !”- Lady Shifraria said, smiling .
“Some birds fly too high, and then are killed by hawks.”- General Saiuriobelo said, warning with his remark the life of Perion.
“Yes, there are hawks and small sparrows!”- Perion said, and they all smiled; Lady Shifraria said:” You are a newcomer in these parties! See you aren’t fired before your real future begins!”
“Of course, Milady; I beg you pardon if I am being too silly in this hall.”- Perion said.
“Oh, but don’t ask my pardon! I am nobody to pardon you; but the social conventions did exist, you know. Parrots with parrots.”- She said, smiling.
“And hawks with hawks”- The general Saiuriobelo finished the phrase, looking somber...
Four hours elapsed time, the family and his inner circle (included Lady Nigara) leaves the room; the group at which the future of Perion was attached leaves the place soon afterwards, and Perion marched to his place at the Royal Building; he asked not for a bathtub, but closed the door, and told the chief of the maids:” Periana ! I must attend to a date with a lady to-night ! But also, I need to pass inadvertently, specially by the guard at the door.”
“What, Lorion ? He is my brother! If I told him to look to the other side, he will ! So, this problem is out ! What more do you want, Sir ?”- She asked, smiling.
“ I need to be at the Palace Fario before midnight ! She told me to be there, and I guess we are going to talk for a small quantity of time, only; at least, this time.”- Perion informed the maids.
“I can guide you !”- Periana said.
“But you’ll be in trouble, if you must wait for me at the street!”- Perion said.
“Don’t you worry ! I will ask for a coach! And then, I could wait inside; perhaps some of you could go too ?”- Periana asked the rest of the maids. Three of them offered their help immediately.
“Fine ! Then, you wait of me at the coach!”- He said, laughing. Periona went outside, to see the matter of the coach; the rest talked with Perion, in order to appease his nerves, who were tense.
Before midnight, the coach with Perion and the ladies arrives to the corner of the street where the Fario Palace was located; it was a superior building, more than ten stories high, with electrical lights shining through the windows. Perion descended from the coach, and walked to the entrance, that was a huge door with two leaves; a servant, armed with a lance, asked who he was.
“I am Perion; someone is waiting for me inside.”- He said, not knowing if he was forced to say that name publicly . The young porter said :” OH, yes, Sir ! They are waiting for you; Seiro ! Please guide Mr. Perion to the library !”
Another serf appears, and guides him through several corridors, some of them in darkness; the place smelled to moisten beams. The Library was a huge room, with shelves going up the seven meters high to the ceiling, and the smell of papers replaced the smell of moist; but it was another smell, and Perion recognized the perfume the lady was using at the ball; a figure stands up from an armchair; and said:” Welcome to my house, Mr. Perion ! Seiro : go out and wait at the corridor; if someone come, run in here and warns me.”
“Yes, Milady.”- He said, running out.
“Well ! Now we are alone; it is cold in here, so please forgive my attire; this cloak keeps me warm.”- She said, as she was wearing a brown cloak, with a hood. The hood she let fall back, and her blonde hair shines under the only small lamp she had in a near table. Perion understand the whole meeting was not aloud, was a secret and a danger for her reputation, so he said:” Miss Nigara, pardon me, but the real motive of my asking you to dance, was ... I saw so many things at your eyes, when our eyes meet, that the whole universe seems to me was spinning round and round while our eyes meet.”
She blushed, and said , touching her chest :”_Please, gentleman ! “
“Oh, but it is true, Milady ! Me, the most ignored of the habitant of this kingdom, a man born in Janarvia planet, brought here by a team of merchants in a skyrocket, who saw how the ship crashed unto the mountain, and walked day and night until arrives here, just to see you to-night, seemingly, and ...”
She was looking at him with her eyes wide open, her lips parted ... Perion kissed her tenderly, and as she was immobile, he takes her in his arms, and kissed harder; she replied in a clumsy way, so he keeps on kissing her; minutes were passing, and nobody disturbed them; soon Perion could not wait more , could not stand the pressure, and forgetting everything, mounted the woman for several minutes, until she yelled with delight.
He keeps on being with her until dawn appeared; she was asking him to stay, but he said:” Oh, darling ! I cannot stay ! You parents would kill me in the spot!”
“Oh, but you could stay on some of the many secret rooms of this palace! Don’t go!”- She almost screamed.
“I must to attend my duties at the Royal Palace! I must receive money from the tax collectors, and place the bags at the Treasure Chambers! I cannot stay !”- He said, half in despair.
‘THEN go ! But promise me you are going to be here to-night !”- Lady Nigara asked of him.
“Of course, my love ! “- He said, kissing her again; she moaned, and then he run out of the house; the coach was at the corner, with all the people there sleeping – including the driver ! He said to him :” Wake up, and fly to the Royal Palace !”
The man started the horses, and the coach rumbled over the cobbled streets, that were awakening to the daily traffic; the group descended from the vehicle, and almost run to his quarters; Periana said: ‘You can bathe and have a nice breakfast, Sir ! It is early, still!”
“Yes, but to sleep, there is no time for it!”- He said, and so he takes a brief bath, and a change of clothes; Periana was helping with the shoes, when a guard come in, saying :” Ready to work, Sir ? It’s nine o’clock!”
“Yes, I’m coming.”- He said; soon he was walking briskly along the corridor, and arrives to the Treasure Office in time, soon the tax officers arrives with the bags; he counted the sopes on a table, and dispatched the men ; he ask the guards to help him carry the bags to the Treasure Chamber; he enters the chamber opening with the big key; inside, it was like a dungeon, but instead of imprisoned people, bags and tables were full of objects ; he said to the guards: “You waits outside, and to anyone who wants to get inside, you forbids it ! “
“And if it is the King Knapp XXV?”- One of them asked him.
“Well, I will do an exception with him, if he comes.”- Perion smiled.
He shut the door , set the lock in place, and under two big electrical lamps, revise the whole place; there were several big objects made of brass, small objects in silver and gold (more silver than gold) and the bags containing coins; apart from the seven they brought him that morning, another forty two were present; some of them weren’t weighing much; he opened it, and finds a lot of paper, where coins should be existing; he felt his feet like in cold water; surely, the Treasurer was in deep trouble, not only with numbers, but also, with reality !
He grabbed ten coins of gold, and stuffed on his jacket; he was not going to be poor, while walking among bags full of gold ! He went outside, locks the door, and returns to the office with the guards; other guards were there, and they looked in distress.
“What is going on ?”- He asked, while an officer approaches him.
“Sir, are you Perion the assistant to the Treasurer Gowen ??”- The man asked.
“Err... yes, of course! What happens to him ? Is he ... ill?”- Perion didn’t want to ask if he was in trouble, as he (the Treasurer) was in deep waters himself...
“Please, accompany us to his place! There is something there you should see.”- The senior officer asked. He went with them, and to his surprise, the Treasurer didn’t lives at the Royal Palace, but at a building fourteen blocks away; at the second floor, with ten rooms at his disposal. A flock of old women were wailing at the door, and paying no heed to them, the senior officer with his men, guided Perion to the inner parts; in a dark room, a person was hanging from a beam.
“Here is the Treasurer !”- The senior officer announced; Perion saw the face of the old man from a distance of five meters; the eyes were popping out, a large dark tongue was protruding from his mouth, and a stench was in the air.
“He went off, if you know what I mean.”- The senior officer said.
“Perfect ! Call the police – better still, call the chief of police! This is ...”= But Perion couldn’t speak more, as the senior officer said:” No, Sir ! Nobody must know about this, except the royal family! It is a tradition of secrecy ! The Treasurer must not be exposed, if dying in an unnatural way ! Perhaps you could see about this matters, or should I ask for some other person to made the final arrangements to the Treasurer?”- The senior officer asked him.
“Well, you are saying I could bury the corpse, and said to the world our Treasurer is on vacations, or something? Impossible!”- Perion said.
The senior officer takes him to a corner, and said:’ I am Maleko; lieutenant of the guards, now for fifteen years without a rise on my career! I forget to have faith in the future ! But this occasion is a golden one, Sir! You are like the successor to the Treasurer! You worked with him; you could ask to be his replacement to the King himself! I will back you up in all your movements!”- Maleko said.
“Fine, Maleko ! Perhaps we will end like our friend up there, hanging on a rope !”- Perion said.
“No, no ! You are thinking bad! You could end by being the new Treasurer! This is what I suggest: bury the man; close this house; perhaps you could inherit it , if nobody appears- well, if someone appears, let me handle him ! I am sure he will be not asking for anything more in this world ! And then, you present yourself to the King; there are ways to do that, and I could be of service in it; then, you told the King you was the only help old Gowen had in this world, that you know all the intricacies of the post, and that he must appoint you as the new Treasurer! “- Lieutenant Maleko suggested him.
“All right ! I’ll do it! I have nothing to loose, except my hide!”- Perion said, moving his head sideways.
“That’s my man ! Now, Sir, went back to the office; I will see here this man have a proper burial ! I will be there soon , and we will ends this day with a big triumph, for both of us !”- Maleko said.
“What are you going to ask for your help, Maleko ?”- Perion asked him
“Nothing much, Sir ! Just one of the bags old Gowen has in his den! And I assure you, I will be your faithful dog the rest of your life !”- Maleko said, laughing – his voice resounded like coming out of a cavern!
Perion moved his head, not knowing if the guy was asking really to be a thief.
At the office of the deceased Treasurer, the guards looks unto him , uncertain if he was the new Treasurer or not; Perion was sure he was not going to loose the opportunity to see all the secrets the deceased one had in there, so he said :” Men, here in front of you is the new Treasurer ! While the King awakes in his palace and decides to call me and give me the title, I already know he is certain there is nobody in the whole kingdom more suitable as me! One of the things I’ll do, it’s to raise your salaries! But give me time, and I will do it for you!”-
They all changed their worried faces, for happy ones; and they were very amiable unto him from then on.
Perion closed the door of the office, and begin a thoroughly search of the place; there were several furniture of old, some new ones, and everything was locked; he searched for the keys, and when he found them, under the rug, he begin unlocking every drawer on the place. Mostly papers, some of them were signed by counts and dukes; they were debtors to the Crown, and the numbers were in six figures, so he whistled softly; there was more money there than in the Treasure Chamber, whose key was in his bag.
But also, golden articles such as pens, lenses, canes, silverware , small fortunes in precious stones; all of them NOT listed as it should be; and Perion begun to suspect somebody in those lists fastened the voyage to the Unknown of Gowen the Treasurer man ...
Some knockings on the door, and he opened it; the ugly face of Maleko appeared, and he let him come inside; he also closed the door.
“Well?”- Perion asked the military man.
“All set and going! We could go for step Two , now ! I already told General Sariuriobelo , and he told me he know you from the Court; he will ask the Great Chamberlain to help you in all he could; they are going to call on you the moment the King Knapp realize his purse is in your hands...” - Lieutenant Maleko said.
“Sounds funny; well, guess I must have some kind of affidavit, of course; I must to invent something.”- Perion said.
“Don’t worry ! You have good stepfathers at the Court !”- Lieutenant Maleko said, and asked for a drink.
“No, Lieutenant Maleko ! There is not an ounce of liquor in here ! The old Treasurer was an abstemious!’- Perion explained.
“I abhor of everyone who takes things to the extreme! A glass of liquor once in a while is a good thing; specially if you don’t know if the future has an axe waiting for your neck!”- Maleko said, looking the place in distaste.
“It’s going to be a long afternoon; could you sent me a decent meal , here inside ?”- Perion asked him.
“Of course ! Sorry I will be not here; I must attend some personal affairs; but don’t worry: I’ll be back.”- Maleko said, departing ; half an hour later, a big meal arrives, with several bottles of red wine; seated on the big desk, Perion eats alone but happy to be there.
At seven o’clock, a messenger from the King appears, dressed in green and gold, saying :” Mister Perion, the King needs you now !”
“Of course; lead the way .”- Perion said, jumping from the armchair; soon they were walking by the long corridors; at the Royal Chambers, the King was taking a bath, behind a richly decorated curtain; the voice was muffled by the distance and because the king spoke in ushered voice; but the spokesperson was there all right, and he was the one who addressed him .
“You are the last aid the Treasurer Gowen had ! Is it true?”- The Spokesperson said, but it was, of course, a question the King was making, to be certain.
“Yes, Your Honor. I was helping him with the numbers, as he was too old to arrive to the correct end results.”- Perion said.
“And is it certain that you have the keys of the Treasure Chamber?”- The Spokesperson asked.
“Of course, Sir; and also, the keys from his office; you see, the Treasurer himself gives me the keys, as he was confiding in me for the major part of his works.”- Perion said, now there was nobody to say no to his remarks.
“The King has received good commentaries about you; and they say you are willing to be replacing Gowen the Treasurer in his post. Is that true?”- The Spokesperson asked.
“Yes, Your Honor. I am greatly impressed the old man has died, but the world keeps on, and Your Majesty deserves the best men in the important places , to also receives the best in every aspect. Me, a person with skills obtained in another civilization, but also a most evaluated civilization, knows how to handle the post in the best of the ways.”- Perion said, and waits until the King Knapp decides; the man went out of the bathtub, and while he was being dried by his attendants, he said something ; the Spokesperson said :” The King Knapp declares you the next Treasurer of the Kingdom ! Bow in front of him, as he is going to touch your shoulder in the accustomed way.”
And the King, using the towel as a kilt, approaches Perion , who was kneeled and looking to the ground, and touch his right shoulder with a sword; then he went behind the curtains, to let the assistants dress him up.
Perion retires himself from there, with bells in his hears, and cotton under his soles; he was thinking the crash of the spaceship and all the hardness of the trip to this kingdom was worthwhile! He arrives to the Office, and seats on the armchair, now feeling it was his own...
In her head, the voice of the spokesperson resounded as a bell; he was the Treasurer man now, the Minister of The Treasure , the big guy ! It was incredible, but all was due to the efforts of lieutenant Maleko; the guy was like a spider, waiting on the time-web; for a chance; he get the chance, and acted as fast as he could . The guy will ask me something big, was the thought running like a rat inside Perion’s skull; he was going to pay to several real persons, and possibly to some unreal ones; all will depends on what Maleko says; and he will comply, as Maleko was good as a friend, but possibly very bad as an enemy...
At nine thirty hours, some rumor was going on outside the office; Perion wakes up from his reveries, and opened the door; Periana was outside, escorted by the guards.
“Sir! We are waiting for you at the chambers! Are you not going home to-day, Sir?”- Periana asked.
Perion let her in, and shut the door with the lock; always he put a lock, as nobody must saw him working or staring at the jewels...
“Periana ! Good woman, you come here to see me ? I ‘m glad of it! I was appointed as the new Treasurer!”- He said, taking her by an arm, and smiling broadly. The woman opened her eyes a quite bit, and said:” Oh, really , Sir ? This is fantastic! You’ll be a millionaire from now on! “
“Really, yes ! “- He said, embracing her; she was blushing and said:” I am happy for you, Sir ! The other maids will be happy, too! Now you could have a bigger place, and more servants, if you like! I expect you didn’t fire us, now you are the Minister!”- The woman said, smiling.
“Of course not! I will maintain you at my service; you are going to be my secret Army! “ Perion said, embracing her. She also embrace him, so then it was an arousing of feelings between them; he kissed her mouth, and she replied with passion; soon they were stumbling unto the softness of the rugs, and they made love for quite a while; then, she stands up and said :” First things first, Sir ! I must take you home, to take a bath, and a good sleep! You had been resisting serious tense moments during this day! “
“All right!”- He said, happy now he had delivered his love unto a woman, so to speak. He takes a bag of coins, and delivered unto her bosom fifteen of them; the gold was shining on her lap.
“What is this, Sir ?”- Periana asked, spellbound.
“The future is here, Periana! You and your friends at home could buy clothes and perfumes with it, or waste however you like most! “- Perion said, feeling the generosity pour by every one of his pores.
“Thanks you, Sir ! The other maids will be very happy!”- She said, embracing him and giving a big kiss; he was blushed when he closed the door.
“We are going to escort you wherever you go, Sir ! “- The second chief of his guard said.
“Of course ! I will move my things to a house, to-morrow morning! So you’ll sleep at my house.”- He said to the soldiers... He walked his way home, surrounded by the warriors; people was staring at him with curiosity, and the soldiers themselves were saying : ‘ He is Perion the new Treasurer ! “ And it was like a sing-song, that ends at his door.
“With five of you at the entrance will suffice; the rest could go.”- Perion said to the second officer, who said :” I beg of you not to be angry with me, but I prefer to study the situation, Sir, and do as my knowledge and studies tell ! “
“Well, you know more of this things as me ! Do as it must be donned.”- Perion said, rising his shoulders, and went inside the chambers, closing the door; Laklaberte, the second officer, chuckled for himself, and turning round to see his men, he said :” The new Treasurer has a home of his own, that will serves us as a caserne ; this was going to happen to-morrow ! But now, we must be here, serving him and not allowing everybody to enter the place; or even bumped on his door; so we are going to sleep in here, at the corridor! Three of us on the lookout! Peret ! Go to the barracks and bring us food and blankets!”
Peret went with two others, and officer Laklaberte stayed there, guarding the door.
Inside, Perion was bathed and scrubbed, clothed and bedded ; soon he was asleep, and Periona was looking for a place where to speak in low voice; they all surrounded her, and she said :” The man is now the Treasurer of the Kingdom !”
They all cried in surprise, and she said ; “ But, silence, by the sake of your dear parents ! You must stay put ! And now, the good part: he had given us the assurance we are not going to be fired ! He seems not to be a proud man, but of course, that will change in the future! Now it’s our turn to be gentle with him!”
“And you are being already gentle with him?”- A maid, named Wona, said, smiling with intention. Periona assented , and added : “ The lover for a man is a good mannered woman, a generous woman and a woman who gives; never a woman who is ill mannered, egotist and that denies her attributes four of five times because of this and that ! “
“Of course.” – Wona said, smiling.
“And here I have some gold coins for everyone!”- Periona said, and they all cried in surprise – again; and she said :” But are you mad ? No more yelping in here !”And she gives a coin of gold for everyone; of course, fifteen of them were for herself , in that way; but she was thinking her efforts at his office was something very valuable ...
They talked until late, thinking in which shops they were going to spend the gold coin; a gold coin was something that didn’t grow in any tree, and they could very well buy three good quality dresses with it , if they choose .
At dawn, they bathe and feed the man, and Periona said :” Better you are soon at the office, Sir ! We don’t want to know some or other gets inside and try to rob you of something !”
“But they are guards out there, too !”- Perion said.
“Oh, my liege! You are so innocent ! In this kingdom, a duke or a Count could very well gets inside of every house or office, and takes whatever he fancies! He is only responsible before the King, and I’m not a big mouthed, but seldom are they made to pay their misdeeds.” = Periona said.
“Thanks for your advice! I will put order in that office; perhaps I will bring here all the valuable things.”- Perion said, and they looked at each others, in alarm; he was not so clever as he looked like ! Anyone of them could very well rob him under his very nose !
Perion hastened to the office, and closed the door after his arrival; he ordered things , sending the most valuable things to the hidden places he already discovered there; and then there were knockings at the door; he opened it, and it was Prince Trator with lady Nigara and five high grade officers of the Royal Guard.
“Come in, Your Majesty ! Lady Nigara, good morning.”- Perion said, bowing. The Prince walks in and seating at the desk, said :’ Well, surely you climb up fast ! First a dancer of my fiancée, and now the new Treasurer of the Kingdom ! How is that?”- And in his face there wasn’t an ounce of amity for the future.
“Things the future develops while walking by life, Your Majesty ! And of course, I don’t know if you are aware I was born in another planet, whose civilization is far advanced than this we are in, and of course, all this matters are for me, child’s play.” – And he looked at lady Nigara, who was blushing :”Please, milady, takes a seat !”- He said, offering an armchair. She smiled and seats, saying :’ Oh, I had never been here before; it’s kind of comfortable; but of course, you should be working and didn’t notice things like that.”- She said, looking at her with intention.
“I want a full report of what is in our Treasure Chambers! You surely finds some errors in the previous Treasurer’s report ?”- Prince Trator asked him.
“Of course, Your Majesty. There were errors in the books, but once Treasurer Gowen fix them, he died; and I haven’t counted the money yet.”- Perion replied.
“And what are you waiting? Surely it’s about time you did ! And the moment you finish your work, send me a report; I am very interested in the increasing wealth of the Kingdom, and sometimes to increase wealth it is needed to expend first.”- He said, proudly.
“Of course, Your Majesty; I will work in that direction immediately.”- Perion said.
“Well ! Now I ask you that, I’m going; and you, dear, are you satisfied of your curiosity ?”- He asked the lady; she smiled, looking at Perion with sparkling eyes, and said :” Of course ! I find this very interesting, and I am sure Mr. Perion ... oh, I’m sorry, the new Treasurer Perion, will make a good work in here.”
“Yes.”- The Prince Trator said, walking out ; she follows, blinking an eye to Perion, who just realized how beautiful she looks in that pale green dress with decorations in yellow...
Once they went out, he sniffed the armchair, and yes, there was a faint smell of the perfume she used , in it.
Another knock at the door, and when opened it, Lieutenant Maleko saluted him from the corridor :’ Good morning, Minister of the Treasure !” – He was carrying a horse bag, made of leather.
“ Come in, Lieutenant Maleko ! “- Perion said, opening some more the thick door; once inside , he closed with the lock, and said:” Take a seat, Maleko ! You had donned a good job !”
Maleko seats, and crossing his legs, he said :” Well, didn’t I tell you? Confidence and relations are gold at life ! You seats here, in the chamber of the money ! And of course, you must pay a lot ,now you are installed properly.”
“How is it ?”- Perion asked, mildly, while he seats behind the oak bench.
“Yes, of course, people of importance needs money, and gives favors for money; I had a list of people who is waiting the payment.”- Maleko said.
“I expect I could pay; did you knew the Prince has come in here, not ten minutes away ?”- He asked.
“And with Lady Nigara and some soldiers of his father’s Guard; and may I ask what did he wants ?”- Maleko asked .
“He wants a full report of how many money we get in here, and he wants it fast; also, he spoke about expenses to be had, in order to gain more money.”- Perion said.
“Bad omen ! Prince Trator will be the next king, or so they say, and then if you didn’t gives him what he could ask, surely he will remove you from office, with any excuse ! If you give him all he wants, surely the King Knapp will notice his Treasure Chamber will be devoid of money and full of debts ! “- Maleko said.
“And what do you suggest I could do ?”- Perion asked him, and the soldier rise his shoulders, saying :” How could I know ? I am not the Treasurer ! Ask me about warfare, to kill a man with bare hands, to poison or to attack a tower packed with enemies ! But don’t ask me how to deter a greedy son of a powerful man.”
“Right.”- Perion said, in a whisper; and he asked Maleko about how many money he wants.
“For me, a bag of coins . Gold coins, as I told you in the first place; and another one, to pay every one at the list. “- Maleko replied.
“And may I see that list ?”- Perion asked, while thinking two bags full of gold were too much .
“You cannot, Treasurer man ! It’s in my head; or do you think I’m so dumb I will have a paper list on my pockets ?”- The soldier was seriously worried about the intelligence of this alien in particular .
“All right ! I’ll deliver it later; now I am going to be at the Treasure Chamber. “- Perion said.
“Counting the money ?”- Maleko asked him.
“Yes, counting it ! As the Prince Trator asked me in black and white !”- Perion replied.
“Too much work for a man ! Let me help you; also, I will wear my sword , in case some other pest comes your way.”- Maleko offered himself ; Perion laughed, and said :” Of course, I can use another pair of hands.”- And they went to the Treasure Chamber; there, they place the coins in a table, and Perion said :” There are bags with forty coins, others with just twenty two coins; why is that ?”
Maleko laughed, and said : “Bags contains forty coins each; at least in this kingdom; if you found less than forty, it’s just simply because someone takes some coins and didn’t worry about the reimburse afterwards.”
“The ones they brought to me yesterday were with forty coins each; but the ones in here, almost everyone has less than it must be.”- Perion said.
“I guess the old Treasurer just takes the coins and leaves the bags in there, to show anyone who gets in, that a great number of bags mean a great number of coins.”- Maleko said, patting one of them.
“Well, now it’s already counted everything, except those fifteen there, I will give you two bags; eighty coins less to the king. Are you not sorry of him?”- Perion asked the soldier; Maleko laughed again, grabbing the bags, and said:” I am only pity of myself ! So many years expended in open corridors, fighting sometimes the enemy with wasted shoes; a bread as a whole day ‘s meal while on battle ! Now it’s my turn to robe me with silk!”
“Guess you’re right, but remember not to boast too much, or people will begin to suspect you; a soldier didn’t earn too much.”- Perion said.
“Don’t worry, Sir! I will leave the town while using my robe !”- And he went out of the chamber laughing; the bags he was carrying on the horse bag he had previously brought...
Perion counted the bags, and also the fifteen coins of gold; then, he confronted it with the numbers at the books. There was a real difference; in fact, he has only three hundred and ten thousands with two hundred twenty five coins (or sopes ). That means something like fifteen five hundred eleven millions two thousand and fifty thousands pesos, if they were at Janarvia planet ...
As they were at Knapp planet, it means three hundred ten thousands with two hundred and twenty five sopes ( or gold coins.)
The currency at Oredloro was like this : there were four types of coins; each one of them made of different metals ; a sope was made of gold, a shield was made of silver, a Brown was made of copper and a Lead was made of ... lead. The sope was equivalent to ten shields, a shield was equivalent to ten Browns, and a Brown was equivalent to five Leads. People usually had browns and Leads inside their pockets; big merchants and people of the court had sopes and shields on their purses.
Perion was looking at the bags, thinking how that small lot would look, if the books were right; the amount would really looks impressive; while now, it was sad to look at!
He takes the hidden coins out of their secret places, and count them too; five more bags were there to put on the lot, and forty more coins of gold to the fifteen coins of previous gold coins.
He counted it again; he made columns, and the way he puts it, a whole Black Hole appeared on the center of his bench.
200 plus the previous 310.225 means 310.425 coins available ; no way to transform it in the four millions and fifty thousands coins the books proclaimed; Perion could not find the reason why the expenses didn’t show so great a gap.
How he could give such a report to the Prince? He shut the door, and walked to the Royal Hall; there was the King with the court, listening to a opera; he walked to the Prime Chamberlain, and said :” Good evening, Sir; I am the new Treasurer.”
The man was an old man with a dark green cloak; he has three guards, robbed in green also, but devoid of helmets or other military paraphernalia; just a simple dagger at their belt.
“Good for you! We needed a good Treasurer.”- The man said, smiling non concomitantly.
“But there is more, Lord Chamberlain! I need to talk with the Emperor, about his son, Prince Trator!”- Perion said, and the Chamberlain looked at the King , who was dozing while the Opera singer was busy doing his part; he said :” He is very occupied right now . I could not go there to talk to him; and most sure thing it’s he’s going to be very irritable the rest of the day; he ... likes Opera but he also has many problems.”-
“I understand. Could I talk with you, for a future date ?”- Perion asked the Chamberlain.
“Look: I am not a Minister; I am just the humble person who made the impossibly to dress and undress His Majesty the King ! Of course, I could talk with him, but not really about political problems; but there is one thing I could do.”- The Chamberlain said.
“What thing, noble Chamberlain ?”-Perion asked, seeing it was difficult to talk to the King.
“Give you an advise: you are new here, so you ignore a lot of things; so here is my advise: don’t pay attention to the ones that are not related directly with your post .”- The Chamberlain said, in a murmur.
“I understand. The one who appointed me has the right to give me orders; every other person has not.”- Perion summarizes.
“Correct; of course, there are important persons here, with great power; so you could not stay with closed doors on that office, Treasurer; you must have a great guard round your person; don’t be like the fragile predecessor of yours, who just say yes to every royal individual that goes to his office.”- The Chamberlain said.
“Oh ! I must arm myself, have a guard; and do you think that will refrain royal princes to go and ask me about my work?”- Perion asked the man. He was glued to his lap.
“Royal princes could ask all the things they want, but never take a coin out of those vaults. They say we are a powerful kingdom, with an empty bag.”- The Chamberlain looked at him in the eye, while saying that.
“You are right! You don’t know how right you are!”- Perion said, and the Chamberlain smiled enigmatically, and said :” I know more than you think ! Sometimes I also stay late into the night, and saw things you will be surprised to know. “-
Perion wasn’t sure if the Chamberlain was referring to his night rides to the Palace Fario . But the great man was looking at the orchestra, apparently oblivious of him; Perion sneaked out of the hall, and went to his chambers; there, he saw Lieutenant Maleko waiting at the corridor...

THE MANSION

“Sir ! I need to talk to you.”- Lt. Maleko said, and when he was admitted to a room inside, he said :” I beg you pardon, Sir , but I need to hasten you ! There is that house, of the previous Treasurer!”
“Of course, I remember.”- Perion said, worried.
“Well, I put a dozen soldiers there, and in the afternoon they called me, as Duke Welirtog appears there, to seize the mansion! My men fought, and the Duke retires , but they are saying he is preparing a manslaughter ! So I beg of you to call all the men you can dispose, and carry all your belongings there, specially your own person! I will be with you all the way !”- Maleko said.
“I see; it’s a problem all right; I’ll call on my servants, to be ready to depart , and your soldiers will carry my belongings, that are really scant; but about my men, I just ignore how many I have ! I was thinking you and your handful of men it’s all I get !"” Perion said.
Maleko moved sideways his helmeted head, saying :” No, no ! You have forty soldiers and some others that could be armed! Did I call on them right now ?”
“Of course ! Do it ! All the men to my mansion!”- Perion said, and walked to the chief of the maids, and said :” Periona, take all you can from here, and follow me ! We are going to live at the deceased Gowen’s mansion !”
“Yes, Sir ! “- Periona said, and soon the maids were giving bags with clothes to the soldiers; soon they were all marching through the streets, until they arrives to the mansion ; the soldiers inside the house recognized Lieutenant Maleko, and opened the doors.
“Show the Treasurer his chambers ! Secure the doors ! I will come back with more personnel !”- Maleko said, with a booming voice; soon he was out with four other members of the small guard, in search of the rest .
Perion was looking at his bed chamber, who was impressive ; furniture made of oak, big and thick; all very well preserved, shining with varnish.
At a corner , he saw three old men, looking at him, and he went there, asking :” Who are you and what do you do here ? “
One of them, with a strange hair cut (he shaved the under part of his head, while the upper part was looking like a palm tree) said:” I am Moe, the former servant to the old Minister; this two are also members of the small staff the old Minister had in here; with four other maids, that were fired by the soldiers! “
“Bad thing, to be firing at people!”- Perion said, turning to look to the soldiers.
“No, Sir ! You get me wrong! They didn’t fire their weapons unto them; they sent them away!”- The bald man said.
“Oh, I understand! Well, what do you want of me?”- Perion asked, somewhat pissed him off.
“Little thing, my liege! Just to remain in our posts! We have small rooms, at the end of the corridor, and some objects that would spoil if we are fired to the street.”- Moe said.
“I’ll see you remain in here .”- Perion said.
“Oh, thanks you, Sir ! Their names are Larry and the bald is Curly ; we are also relatives.”- Moe said.
“Fine; tell the maids where is the kitchen, and the whereabouts of this mansion; pity it’s dark already.”- Perion said.
“Yes, there are a shortage of candles, too ! “- Moe said.
Perion went to the bed, and rested in there; at ten o’clock, Lieutenant Maleko returns, and with him forty others ; he said :” I was lucky, Sir ! I called on every soldier who wants to shift fidelities, and see what I get : more than a dozen new soldiers ! But of course, this is going to cost you money!”-
“Money! You are like a grinder!”- Perion said.
“Oh, no, Sir ! I will pay them with the rest of the money I didn’t use in briberies!”- Maleko said, smiling.
“See if they had enough weapons!”- Perion recommended.
“Of course, Sir ! I will post everyone outside, at the frontispiece ! Everyone passing by, or spies from the Duke Welirtog , will know you have a real Army in here !”- Maleko said, departing outside.
The maids comes in, with smiles; the chief of them, Periona, said:” Good news , Sir ! There are a lot of food in the kitchen ! Do you want to eat some chicken ?”
“Yes, bring me a soup with some of it ! Also, a bread!”- Perion asked.
“Perhaps you want to take your bath ? There is a bathtub in one of the baths; we could heat water and you could be ready before midnight.”- Periona said, smiling.
“Oh, that ! I was forgetting about that encounter ! “- Perion said, remembering his love affair for a second ...

MIDNIGHT LOVE

At midnight, and in the same coach, he went to the Fario palace, and went inside like a shadow in the night; soon he had beautiful Nigara in his arms; she was trembling.
“What happens to you, dear ?”- Perion said, after kissing him . She said:” Oh, I was so worried about you ! I heard strange commentaries ! Things they are going to do to you, and I was so scared !”- Nigara said, in a whisper.
“Who takes in account the gossips of a great city ?”- Perion asked, with a grandiose intonation; he was very proud of his skills as a lover...
“Prince Trator is decided to ask you for a million sopes ! He is so sure you are going to give him what he asks, that he already is making deals to buy a big property ,outside the walls !”- Nigara said.
“Oh, that ! Well, guess he cannot takes what is of his father !”- Perion said.
“Oh, my darling ! I am so scared for you !” – Nigara said, kissing him with passion; soon he was loving her , and then they rested. He said :” I am sure he is not going to take the money by force !”
“Oh, don’t be so sure, darling ! He have so many soldiers at his command ! “- She said, turning to him and kissing his cheek.
“Oh, yes ? How many ? I also had some soldiers , too !”- Perion said. Nigara stared at him, incredulous, and said “My love ! I am very proud of you, to have a Ministry under your command, not two days before I met you !”
“Yes, I had luck in that appointment; but as fast as I get the nomination, I could loose it ! “- Perion said.
“Why do you say that, darling ?”- She asked, embracing him.
“Because the King could call on me, and said :” Now I have a replacement ! Take your suitcase and go !”
Nigara laughed , and said :” Oh, darling ! You don’t know about our customs and ways ! Once the King appoints you a Minister of the Kingdom, he didn’t changes his mind , ever ! It would be a most dishonorable thing to do !”
Perion was happy about that tradition, and out of joy, enjoyed once more the beautiful woman, who was loosing his virginity at his hands . After the love, he said :”Well, I must depart, my love !”
“Why the rush, darling ? Are you not loving me any more ?”- And Nigara was smiling. Perion said :” I said it because your fathers could rise from their beds, and walk here ! Or do you think they cannot ?”
She kissed him lightly, and said: “ I am very clever, my darling ! I give them some elixir , who makes them sleep like a rock until the sun shines in the morning ! They didn’t suspect about this! “
Perion was astonished, and then, worried ; so he said :” But , my love ! They could get sick !”
“No, they will not ! I argue with the local witch, and she told me that it is totally harmless !”- And Nigara laughed.
They embrace each other, and resting on the rug, clothed with blankets, talked and made love until dawn; Perion went out, with the promise she will be waiting for him at midnight again...

That morning, great King Knapp XXV asks for a hundred sopes; an officer of his personal Guard was present; Perion said :” I will deliver it personally.”
“As you wish, Treasurer.”- The man said; and he went with the guard to the place His Majesty was; and he was at a garden with many flowers and women dancing while a small orchestra played a delicate tune. Knapp look at him, and rise a finger; Perion approaches, and said :” Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I prefer to handle the money in person.”
Knapp XXV told something to his spokesperson, and he said :’ Wise are you, but when His Majesty sent this particular officer, you had nothing to fear .”
“Very well, Your Majesty. I’m sorry.”- And Perion gives the money to the officer, who smiled with pride; he was a tall and handsome man, now in his forties; his gray eyes were cold as ice.
While Perion was walking to the Treasure office, he saw Lady Nigara on a big adjacent room, surrounded of people from the Court, and crying; he approaches and they were saying somebody poisoned her parents the passed night. He was stunned, and he was going to talk to her, but some maids takes her to an inner room; he couldn’t walk in there, or the risk to be discovered in his romance; so he went out, with his heart pounding heavily; he was sure the “elixir” was not made to make them sleep profoundly , but to kill them.
He enters his office, and worked doing figures; also, counting the valuables, in order to make money; he called at the guard, and said :” Who is the mint man in the palace ?”
“Oh, he is not in the palace, Sir ! But in the street; his name is Collin ! Did I sent for him, Sir ?”- The soldier, Lorion, offered .
“Of course ! I want to make some coins out of the things the old Treasurer has in here ! “- Perion said, nervously.
Soon the man was in his presence; he was wearing a leather apron, and with marks of charcoal in one of his cheeks; he said :” I come as soon as I could, Sir ! Pardon I use my apron in front of you.”
“You are Collin, and they told me you are an able mint man !”- Perion said.
“Of course, Sir ! I am the best ! I did 3.000 coins the last time they employed my skill in here ! Old Treasurer Gowen asks me that job, some four years ago.”- Collin said; he was strongly built, with big hands, and with a decided grin.
“Very well; I assume you know ,by now, how secret all this works should be !”- Perion recommended him.
“Of course, Sir ! I know lots of secrets, but if I told one of them now, sure I would not live to tell the tale to-morrow !”- The man said.
“Very well ! I have in here a lot of golden objects; I have no use for them; I don’t know why they didn’t melted them , to make coins !”- Perion said.
“Perhaps I could ask that, Sir ! I was in here when some of those objects were brought ; they belonged to the old mother of the King ! So he sent them in here, not to loose it .”- Collin said.
Perion saw the door to richness closed in front of him, and he seats at his armchair, giving a sigh; but the craftsman said :” Pardon me, Sir ,but I guess you was willing to made coins, and now you think you couldn’t ! But I have a solution.”- Collin said.
“Tell me the solution, and you can call me Perion.”- He said.
“Very well, Sir : I could made cauldrons and objects such as you are looking here, but with a faint varnish of gold ! The object would be, of course, made of a bass metal ! But for the people, it would be the old artifacts of the deceased Empress ! What do you decide ?”- Collin asked him.
“Melt the whole lot ! Make objects with the metal you like ,and give them the bath of gold they need ! And of course, the rest of the gold, transform it on solid Sopes ! And of course, as soon as you could.”- Perion said.
“Very well, Sir ! I will do my best; of course, I cannot take the objects and walk away with them; so you must sent them in pairs to my workshop ! “- Collin said.
“I must take precautions, Collin; I don’t know you personally; so I will sent there one of my men, disguised as one of your workers; he will be there until you return the coins in here, together with the goblets and other things ... made in bass metal."” Perion said.
“All set and done, Sir ! But we hadn’t talked about a trifling matter for you, but a serious matter for me.”- Collin said.
“Your wages.”- Perion remembered.
“Of course ! I must have in mind how many money I will take for my purse ! I must be happy with the work in hand ! And that could only came from the earnings I’ll get !”- Collin explained.
“And how much do you want for your work ?”- Perion asked him.
“I will weigh the gold; your man will saw how much it weighs, and then I will take the five per cent of it all.”- Collin said.
Perion was seeing the amount wasn’t despicable, but also, there was nobody in town that he could trust, with the same expertise the engraver shows at the last work . So he accepted, and said :” Take heed we are doing a secret labor here ! Nobody must know a word ! If you suspect there are spies at your place, tell my men to dispose of him the best way they could.”
“I will personally cut in pieces the one who dears to betrays me ! “- Collin said, with a fiendish expression, that startled the guts out of Perion...
Later, he asks Lorion to take a bag with gold, and he explains the plot ; Lorion said :” Collin is a good worker, and you can trust on him; he could be fried in oil, but his mouth will not utter a word , if necessary.”- Lorion said.
“You are very sure of him.”- Perion said, smiling.
“Of course, Sir ! He is my uncle !”- Lorion said, simply...
In the afternoon, lieutenant Maleko arrives, in new clothes; he smiled when he heard about the gold and the minting of coins.
“It is a clever idea, Sir ! Collin is a good engraver ! He’ll do a fine job; nobody will see the difference.”- Maleko said.
“And there is another thing: I saw Lady Nigara crying at the Palace ! They told me his parents were poisoned last night.”- Perion said.
“Very delicate situation, Sir ! You must stay away from certain places, specially at night.”- Maleko said.
“What ? Do you know something about that ?”- Perion asked , surprised.
“Of course, Sir ! I knew you was... talking to the lady , by several days ! Sorry to say, Sir, that there are some others who know as much as I ! You wasn’t too discreet, of course; using the same coach... well, there are many secrets running around the city; yours its only one more of them.”- Maleko said, smiling.
“Well, if you knew it, all right, you could know more : she told me we mustn’t be worried at nights, as she was sedating her parents with a mild elixir !”- Perion said.
Maleko seats at a chair, astonished, and said :” Sorry, Sir, but I must seat for a while ! Bad news, of course ! You could be in the row of suspects ! But , forget that ! You must deny all connection with the lady, if they take you for an investigative session ! “
“I see no point to be worried ! I was with her all the time I was there.”- Perion said.
“Of course, Sir, but that between us two could be believed without witnesses ! You cannot say that in public, or your head will be not worth a single lead !”- Maleko said. “I would be surprised you could be not sliced by the Prince Trator himself !”
“I see you have a good imagination ! But I want more information, and so please get it for me ! See if you could send Lady Nigara a message... I want to meet her, but of course, not at her house !”- Perion said.
“I’ll do my best, Sir; of course, the lady is now more secure than His Majesty’s sopes !”- Maleko smiled, and departed immediately ...
Perion wasn’t worried; the ones who knew about his voyages to that mansion, could not speak openly; the facts were already in the past; no proof could be shown .
Collin receives half the whole lot of objects that same day; until late, they were carrying the objects in disguise; Collin , by his part, was preparing the cauldrons to melt the gold; at his workshop, everything was action.
Perion went to his house, and rested there, attended by the maids; late that night, Periona went between his sheets, saying :” You are too worried, Sir ! Permit me to sleep with you, if you please. My body will keep your body warm.”
“Thanks you, Periona.”- He said, but soon he couldn’t resist the curves of her body, and they make love for a while; then, she said :” See? You are smiling .”- And she said that, as she was with her cheek close to his cheek; later, he went asleep, and Periona went to wash herself, and robbed ,she slept at the foot of the bed, again; the other maids were asleep, or so they seemed to be .

A new day at the city of Oredloro.

At the next morning, Perion awakened while being washed; he went to the bathtub and they end the morning bathe ,laughing and being merry.
“I’ll give you three sopes ! Make a good meal !”- He told Periona.
“Very well, Sir ! Are you coming for lunch ?”-
“Yes ! I will be not staying too long at the office; life is short , and work never ends.”
“You are certainly right, Sir.”- Periona said.
At the office, he attends Rweioned, Secretary of the Ministry of Finances. The man gives him a paper, where the expenses for the next month were detailed.
“Hope you could afford this items, Sir ! In the past, old Treasurer Gowen was very generous to us.”- The Secretary said ; he was using a green robe over brown pants and a black sweater. From his neck, a metal and glass collar was hanging.
“Let’s see... this items are known to the King Knapp XXV ?”-
“Of course not , Sir Treasurer ! This things aren’t enough important to him ! “- The startled Secretary of the Ministry of Finances said.
“Very well . Leave the document in my hands.”- Perion said.
“But.... when are we able to receive the money , Sir Treasurer ? We are in a big hurry, in some of those items ! Every day counts.”- The Secretary of the M. Of Finances said.
“Of course I understand your worries ! But give me some days to see it properly.” – Perion said ; after some more talk, the Secretary of the M. Of Finances departed with a bow.
“Maleko !”- Perion protruded his head out of the room, calling for the chief of his Guards.
“Yes, Sir ? What is wrong ?”- Maleko replied, stepping in.
“Did tell me : have you enough experience to tell me if requirements from the Financial Secretary are donned in the past ?”- Perion asked him.
“Sir, of course ! Money were for ever required from that sector of the government ! Old Gowen was forever complaining of that.”- Maleko informed him.
“What a pity ! Seems everyone wants money, from here !”- Perion sighed out.
“Of course they did , Sir ! From where else could they require money ? Even the great King Knapp XXV needs to ask money from you.”- Maleko said.
“Let us put this straight ! All the money in here its belonging to King Knapp ! I’m merely his secretary , in this matters. I’ll study the items, and if I could refuse one or two items, I’ll talk with the Emperor first.”- Perion said.
“Do you what , Sir ?”- Maleko asked, mildly surprised.
“Well, you understand my statement ! The King Knapp 21 just didn’t address me at all ! But just the same, I talk with the Spokesman, and the spokesperson talks with him. “- Perion explained.
“Very well, Sir ! I applaud you ; in that way, you show yourself at the Royal Palace once more in this year !”- Maleko said.
" What ? Did the old Treasurer didn’t showed up in his days ?”- Perion asked the Chief of his guards.
“Of course not, sir ! I guess King Knapp didn’t remember his face ! He almost never went there, after he was chosen for the work.”- Maleko said.
“See if I could be presented to him ! Talk with the one in charge, guess it’s the Chamberlain.”- Perion said.
“Wrong, Sir ! He has a couple of Secretaries of the Protocol and they did the agenda for the day ! I am informed he has his time compromised in advance for fifteen weeks !”- Maleko said.
“Well, no wonder this Knappian kingdom is receeding into the past and oblivion ! “- Perion said, seating at his chair and taking his head with both hands.
“Forget about him, Sir ! He will react when asking for money and money has gone away ! So you could do whatever your fancy, to replenish the Treasure chambers, and he will not rise a finger against you ! But at the contrary... beware you have no money in there ! “- Maleko said.
“What, they are going to beheaded me or something ?”- Perion said, touching his tender throat.
“No, but they will send you as a tax collector next time they ask for more money ! Once a year, of course. And of course, you’ll be the Treasurer just the same, but instead of to ... and pardon my words for this , Sir , being idle in here, you’ll be out of time even to take a cold shower . ”- Lieutnant Maleko prophetised .
“Well, I wonder how Gowen gets old in the office.”- Perion said.
“I will blush if I told you everything he did !”- Maleko said, and he was not a man who blushed more than a couple of times each thirty years.
“Tell me what do you find about my troubles with Lady Nigara.”- Perion asked.
“She is near the Empress, at a nice room; the Police in full is searching for the whereabouts of the daring murderous person who puts the poison on the night glasses ! Some of the maids are being interrogated at the dungeons; the place is full of cries and orine . ”- Maleko said, twisting his nose .
“Sorry to hear that, but Lady Nigara must come out of this murder as white as a lily.”- He said.
“A lily, sir ?”- There were no flowers such as those in Knapp.
“Oh, forget it. Well, and did she knew I am worried for her?”- He asked.
“I couldn’t approach her with my people; but she is doing well; she has that bedroom for herself alone, and she is very well treated.”- Maleko said.
“Wish I could go there !”- Perion said.
“That would be a suicide ! Wait, Sir. She will go out and possibly you’ll be arriving to her home again in your accustomed way .”- Maleko said .
“Possibly. “- Perion said, with a pain on his stomach; he was very disappointed with the death of her parents ; what was a nice pink game, turns out now to be a deadly gamble .
He dismiss the officer, and went to the Treasure chamber; there, he count the money for the Secretary of the Ministry of Finances, and sighed; he was wishing the engraver was more quick on his job.
At noon, he went home and lunched, drinking a lot of wine; the wine there was superb .
“I bought the best wine in town, Sir ! Do you liked it ?”- Periona asked him, after lunch.
“Of course ! The very best ! Sorry I drink some more than the count ! “- Perion said, smiling drowsily.
“Never mind, Sir ! You have time to recover, if you want to be at the office soon; I made an infusion that could recover you in no time.”- Periona said, and so she produced, soon afterwards, a fine beverage; Perion realize he had his head cleared from the fumes of alcohol, and returns to the office in time to see Prince Trator coming out from a corridor.
“Your Majesty !”- He said, bowing miserably in front of the noble man .
“At ease, Treasurer !I am bored to be waiting for your information ! Did tell me how many money my father has at the Treasure chamber !”- He said, with a booming voice.
Perion shows him the real numbers, and said :” There is no more money in the Treasure Chamber, Sir ! Sorry to say that, but the old Treasurer was not too good with Arithmetic .”
The face of Prince Trator turns to the color of the ashes, and said :” But this is not possible ! You must have committed a terrible mistake, somewhere !”
“There is no mistake while counting the money, Sir ! We can produce a lot of papers with signs on it, but none the less, the coins will be not increasing at the Treasure Chamber because of it.”- Perion said.
“Don’t patronize me , please ! I know when there is a serious problem, and I am sure you have one in your hands ! I was going to require of you a couple of millions, to some expedition I was going to made ; but with this terrible news, I wonder if I could stay in my place !”- Prince Trator said; then he asked to see the Treasure Chamber, and when looking at the few bags with gold coins, he said :” There is something queer in all of this ! Else, you lie and have the gold storaged in some other place, or really the old Minister of the Treasure was a thief, and if I could be sure of it, I will take him from his grave and made him be hanged for a week on the hightest tower , for this !”
“You’ll be killing a dead body, Your Majesty.”- Perion said officiously. “Don’t be brilliant with me, Treasurer !I will inform the King about this, and I am sure he will take measures you will regret !”- Prince Trator said, departing; Maleko went inside the Treasure chamber, saying :” Did he beats you, Sir ?”
“No, he just ... was being mad; of course, he is going now to tell the King all about the lack of money. What will I do ?”- Perion asked.
“Nothing at all, Sir ! You are in their hands ! But I’ll tell you something : King Knapp is old, and didn’t believe what they told him ! So he will take all what his son could said, but he will not take measures before coming here.”- Maleko said.
“Send some of your Guards, to know minute after minute what is going on at the Royal Chambers ! I need to be prepared.”- Perion said, taking his head with both his hands...
AT seven hours in the afternoon, Maleko went inside the Chamber of the Treasure, and said :” Not worry about the problem until tomorrow, Sir ! The King is very ... sick, and he will be not well until tomorrow; too much cider under his throat ! So you could sleep another night at your cozy house.”
“Don’t tell me that ! It’s no use, knowing to-morrow I could be hanged !”- Perion said.
“Did I went to the workshop and ask if there is something ready there ? Could help to have a pair of more bags in here.”- Maleko said.
“Yes, do it ! And of course, to have the whole lot melted into coins, would be better !”- Perion said, perspiring while it was very cold in the stone cellar named Chamber of the Treasure...
He went to his house, and after a bath, he get to bed; in there, he was told someone was at the door, asking for him; he said :” Let the person come in; I will not leave the bed, thinking tomorrow I could be in trouble.”
A robed person gets in, and when seeing the doors were shut, the hood was retired by a gloved hand; and Perion saw Lady Nigara in front of him !
“My love !’ – He said, jumping out of the bed- fortunately, he was using a silk robe himself.
“I could not resist to be without you !”- The woman said, embracing him; the maids were all inside the room, but as still as statues of salt.
“Me neither ! I am so sorry about your parents ! Their departure must had been terrible to you !- He said; while she was taking out her cloak.
“Yes ! But could we talk while in bed ? I am seeing you with that silk outfit, and you can catch a cold !”- She said, notwithstanding the fact there were two stoves with charcoal burning at the room.
They went inside the bed, and soon she was kissing him like mad; they loved each other, and while the maids cleansed their bodies, she said :” I was not sure about the resistance in them ! But now there is nothing to do about it ! I must shut my eyes to the fact they are not going to be patronizing me any more !”- She said, sadly.
“Of course; and that leaves only the problem we had, dear.”- Perion said.
“What problem ? Ah, Prince Trantor ? I’ll manage that situation myself, darling ! They were my parents, the ones who engaged me with him; but now I don’t want him ! I want only you !”- She said, and soon she was needing more love.
At midnight, Lady Nigara said :” Guess I must leave now.”
“They could miss you at the Royal Palace ! You better get going.”- Perion said.
“I don’t think it’s too dangerous ! They are not able to see in front of themselves ! They drink too much at lunch, and they are profoundly asleep; if they wake at the morning, thing I desire, they will have a hangover the size of the castle.”- And she didn’t laugh, as the memory of her deceased parents forbids .
The maids puts out some candlelight , and they could be sleeping in each other’s arms, until dawn; then, she went to the Royal Palace , escorted by the Treasurer’s guards. As she said, the Royal Chambers were a place where nobody was going to made noise, in order to let the royal family sleep tight their excesses .

A day of happy conclusions.

Perion awaked when Maleko said: ‘ The gold is here, Sir !”
He opened one eye, and saw several bags lying around his bed; he counted them, and they were five; he was happy.
“Carry them now to the Treasure Chamber !”- He asked, while he went to take his daily bath at the bathtub. His maids cleansed him, while laughing and making jokes; Perion was thinking those maids could make him feel good , even while he was stepping the ladder to the scaffold.
At his place, in the office, he receives the visit of the Chamberlain Drundraton, who asked him to close the door , in order to speak freely.
Perion did has he was told, and listened to the old man, who seats on a creaky chair.
“I am sure you are in despair, Mr. The Treasurer ! Sorry about that, but I heard Prince Trantor boasting about what he was going to do with your body, once his father the King Knapp allows him .”
“Yes, First Chamberlain of the Kingdom ! My assignment here was a short one ! And I was kind of liking the job, you know ? A job without fixed hours, nobody to patronize me, scant things to do ! But now, this ! I am not guilty of the misdeeds the previous Treasurer did in here ! “- Perion explained, quite unnecessarily, to the Chamberlain, who was hearing him with a tilted head.
“I know, Mr. Perion ! But that is a thing I was going to forbid: to deprive a head to that body of yours ! I will lend you some more money; but you must swear to me you are going to reimburse the whole lot, once the King comes in here, and revise there is money where his son said it was none.”- Chamberlain Drundraton said.
“And why are you going to do that for me, Sir ? Am I somewhat alike to some of your sons, or something ?”= Perion asked , not believing his good star.
Chamberlain coughed, and said : “Nothing of the sort, Mr. Perion ! But you must survive this ordeal ! It’s for the best of the crown ! You see, from ancient times, the Prince Trantor has being harassing me, because he hates me from his childhood ! Now it’s the time to give him some of his own medicine ! You know, a simple mortal couldn’t compete with the son of a god !”
Perion was well aware that at Oredloro, as in other parts of the civilized world of ancient times, the religion puts a halo around the chosen ones, so they could govern for generations without being touched by the populace, under the spell of the religions, who were saying they were put in place by god (or goddesses )themselves.
“So, you are thinking the king will believe his son is acting in a traitorous way ? Saying there is no money to move the Empire to better positions in the world?”- Perion said.
“Something like that, Mr. Perion; but now you must answer me soon, as we had not all day for this kind of action.”- Chamberlain Drundraton said.
“Very well ! I accept ! I feel like doing a pact with some obscure dragon we believe in, but what the heck ! Couldn’t be worst than to be beheaded at dawn!”- He said.
“You are wrong ! We don’t behead at dawn in here.”- Chamberlain Drundraton replied, while standing from that old chair.
“Oh , yeah ? I was afraid you did.”- Perion said, sighing with relief.
“No, we didn’t behead people in the morning; that spoils all day long ! We behead people at night.”- Drundraton said, marching out; soon several black robbed guards, the guards from the Chamberlain, come in, bringing forth a lot of bags full of gold; Perion sent them to pile them high at a corner, not to mix it with the rest, who was on an old oak shelve .
He dozed until noon, and then he heard the sound of clarinets ;that means someone with great power was coming down the road; and yes, it was the King Knapp The Twenty One himself, being carried in a small armchair, by four robust guards. He told something to the Spokesperson, and the man said :” Good morning, Treasurer ! The King wants to see his gold bags personally ! Show him around !”
Perion hastened while doing so, bowing in His Direction every time he opened a bag with gold coins ; the amount of gold was impressive, even to the old King ; his face turns red , and said something unintelligible to his Spokesperson , and the whole retinue went out ; afterwards , Perion knew he was so enraged with his son the Prince Trantor , that he sent him to administrate a far away town , with orders not to return until he personally calls him .
Prince Trantor leaves town the next morning , and carrying lots of carriages and servants , that many people thought it was the King himself that was leaving town . But that was a benediction for Perion , as the King , when knowing his son was so proud , he swear not to call him back until a pair of years has gone by .
Perion was happy, and stays in the bathtub double time that night ; he also sleeps alone , as the Prince was making such an havoc at the Royal Palace , everyone didn’t sleep with the noise that night ; and Lady Nigara didn’t risk her position going to see Perion , no matter her strong desire .
But she appears at noon of the next day, at his home, while he was eating at a table; she said :” Dear Perion, all is solved ! I talked with the Queen Urta , asking her to forget me as her future daughter in law ! She accepted, in view of the expulsion of his son for two years; and I didn’t tell you was my love, as they could believe all what it happens was due to a plot .”
“Don’t tell me that ! Have you something to do with the visit of...”- But Perion was interrupted by Nigara , who said : “My great uncle
Drundraton ? Oh, he is such a wonderful guy !” – And she kissed him, dearly.
Perion was dizzy with the surprise; he decided his good fortune begins when that starship crashes on the soil of Knapp planet !
At his office, the next day, Collin the engraver ask to be received to the Guard; he aloud him to enter ; the man was smiling.
“Good morning, Minister of the Treasure ! Glad you are here and as you permit me to enter, you must be satisfied with my work ! “ – Collin said.
“Of course I was ! Pity, there is a huge deficit around here, not solved with four bags of coins ! “- Perion said.
“I see; well, you get to rise the contributions, and ask the contributors not to hide the real earnings they get yearly ! But it was not about the money I had come here ! I want you to be at my wedding day ! It’s to-morrow, at the house of my bride.”- Collin said, looking happy.
“Well, I congratulate you !”- Perion said, smiling. ”I’ll be glad to attend.”
“And if you have a fiancée, or girlfriend, you can carry her too ! It will be a family reunion, nothing ostentatious.”- Collin said.
“I understand; an intimate reunion; I’ll be there, at what hour ?”
“At twenty hours, Sir; but you could be early, if you want. I’ll send someone to guide you; a youngster.”
“Of course; glad to attend.”- Perion said, and the man went out; it was a strange invitation, as he had just once or twice talked with the man; perhaps , Perion mused, was that he was thankful.
That night, Perion seats with Nigara looking at the dancing flames of the stove, and he said : “There is an acquaintance that invites me to his wedding party; could you attend ... with me ?”
She laughed, and said :” Of course ! What woman could not love to see a pair of lovers made a contract to live happy ever after ? ” –
“Of course; the man is going to my office at twenty hours , to pick me up; I beg of you to do the same; so we could depart from there.”- Perion asked her.
“Well... I don’t like too much your office, but I’ll be there, waiting at a carriage.”- She said.
“Thanks.”- Perion said, kissing her dearly...; afterwards, they went to bed , as he was already living with her at the mansion .

Royal meeting.

The King Knapp was seated at the table, with Minister of Finances, the Chamberlain, Lord Charkan, Duke Swife, and the Queen Urta.
“And there’s the Minister of the Treasure. An able man, recently in charge; I personally interviewed him – honest and capable. Works in the mornings at the office, and by the afternoon, he could be seen at the Treasure Chamber .”= The Chamberlain said.
“If you permit me, Your Majesty, I can tell something more about the Minister of the treasure ! – The Minister of Finances said.
“Speak.”_ The spokesperson said, at a sign of this Majesty.
“He is recently at good terms with Lady Nigara , who saw the decease of her parents , that were poisoned by a mysterious killer. As she was the former Prince Trantos’s promise bride, I cannot see this coincidence as fortuitous; I’m suspecting the affair started before the breaking of the promise to the Prince.
“It’s very serious what you are exposing, but had you probe of this affirmation ?- Chamberlain Drundraton asked.
“Not at this instant . But I’m sure the case could be investigated by the secret police.”- The Minister of Finances said.
“The king spoke something to the spokesperson, and he said:” Preposterous ! Request is denied.”
The Chamberlain was sure the King Knapp XXI also sense the sudden romance as something suspicious, but to act openly would only brought blame and discredit on the head of his son.
Later, the Chamberlain sends notice of this to Perion, with a note. He reads it at his desk, in the Treasure Chamber.
“Minister of the Treasure : Beware of the Minister of Finances ; he try to make you be spied by the R.I.P. (Royal Interior Police ) ; the motive is that he think it’s suspicious that Lady Nigara finds a boyfriend in you, just hours after the end of her engagement to Prince Trantor . Signed, Your friend .”
Perion knew who that friend was , by the uniform the messenger was using , so he gives some leads to the man , and burned the letter .
“The Minister of Finances tried to indispose us with the King Knapp to-day.”- Perion said to his lover ; Lady Nigara moves closer to him , while in bed, saying :” I’m sure my uncle stops him in his tracks . ”
“Perhaps, but it was the king himself who denies further investigations . ”He said.
“Well, I have no fear, dear love ! I had not committed an illegal act, while... being in love with you !”- She said , kissing him gentle .
Perion takes her in his arms, saying: ”You really are superb !”
Next day, he sent the millions back to the Chamberlain ; he received a note from that gentleman, that reads “ Your credit is always open, you debt me 6.232 sopes, to be paid in forty days , counting from the reception of this note . Signed : M .”
Perion went to the guard, and said to him :” Tell my friend I’ll be asking him more help , if necessary , in the future .”
“Very well, Sir. ”= The messenger said, departing promptly.
Lieutenant Maleko was called, and Perion told him :” I want some money ! I need to replenish this vaults with gold !”
Maleko smiled, and said :” The tax collectors brought you all they could get ! But perhaps not everyone contributed with the King ! Perhaps there are some who prefers to pay the tax collectors, and not to the King ! “
“Good thing ! I guess we could send someone to revise the books, revisit the landowners, and so we could get some more sopes !”- Perion said.
“Don’t look at me ! I have no patience to deal with people that doesn’t want to pay ! “ Maleko said.
“Not even for a three per cent ?”- Perion asked the man. Maleko thought it over, and said :” Perhaps for a five per cent could I be risking my neck and lungs on a trip around the country “.
“Donned ! You are the new Reviser General ! An impressive title, don’t you think?”- Perion asked him
“Could I devise some comfortable uniform, Sir ? I don’t want to ride for days on end while entombed in a very tight jacket.”- Maleko asked.
“Of course, do what you want ! But bring me the yellow metal !”- Perion asked him.
“I’ll be needing some guards; not that I am afraid a bunch of landowners could do great harm on me, but if they saw a lot of soldiers, they will think twice at the hour of the lying . “- Maleko said.
“Psychological effect; guess you’re right; but also, I’ll be with less people around here.”- Perion worries about those things, since there were people wanting to rob his house.
“Of course, Sir ! I will recruit some more soldiers ! There is always people wishing to get into the Army; it’s a fine career we had here.”- Maleko mused.
“Fine; take heed : I want that money as fast as you could say “good bye.”- Perion said.
“All is well for me, Sir ! But I’ll be needing some money to begin with ! Money to feed the animals while on the road, and also food for the men; with fifteen sopes I guess it’ll suffice.”- Maleko said.
Perion gives him the money, saying :” I’m investing in this project, not knowing if it will work.”
“I’m sure it’ll work, Sir ! I am decided to take the taxes from those greedy farmers, no matter if I must to twist their necks one by one!”- Maleko said.
“Yes, that’s good for me: diplomatic means.”- Perion said, laughing; his laugh was more high pitched than habitual; he takes note, to not repeat it again; he was showing he was stark afraid of the post he was in.

A trip to collect taxes.

Lieutenant Maleko choose twenty men , with full gear, and after put some order on the Barracks , he departed from Oredloro, in a cold and grisly morning. He had with him all the data Perion and the previous team of tax collectors had collected .
The road out of Oredloro was muddy in this time of the year; rains were often sweeping the land; and before noon, the rain was falling again; the wheels of the only cart were thick with mud; the rest of the men rides on horses. Maleko arrives at sixteen hours to the first suspected of to had lied about the amount of money he did earns that last year. When he presents himself to the man, a guy with a beard and about sixty years, he said :” I’m Maleko, Treasurer’s tax collector. Recently, you was visited by one other Tax collector, Mister Dlog, who I am sure you remember.”
The man smiled, and said :” I am sure you can’t believe yourself are a tax collector ! Two tax collector knocking on my door at the same year and not sixty days elapsed time ? “
“I am sure you will understand my presence here, when I ‘ll tell you about : I am here to see you really said truth to the precedent tax collector ; the Treasurer believes you are cheating money to the Kingdom.”- Maleko assured the man.
“Oh, yes, this is a good tale ! But I cannot say I earn more than I really earn; not my habit to lie in this serious matters ! But come in, and seat; my servants will take care of the horses, and perhaps your retinue could cover from the rain , by going directly to the kitchen, where I am sure they could use a cup of brew.”- Mister Dlog said.
Maleko authorized it all, as he was sick and tired to ride all day long under the rain.
The place was warm with a big fireplace; several women brought hot tea-like drinks, and some bread. Maleko eats and said :” Thanks for this meals; I am sure we are going to understand ourselves.”
“Of course ! I had nothing to hide ; perhaps you could visit my fields; I have eighty cows and several horses, and the amount of meat and milk I sold last year is written on a book; you can revise it, if you want, and then went out and count the cows for yourself ! “- Mr. Dlog said, sipping at his cup of tea-like liquid.
“You are married... let’s see.. in here you have six daughters and one son. It’s that correct?”- Maleko asked him.
“Of course, Sir ! Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen , nineteen the age of my daughters, and twenty years my son had. “- Mr. Dlog said.
“Fine group you have in here ! Could I see them, please ?”- Maleko asked him.
“What for, Sir ? They will be worried, if I called them now, perhaps you will accept an invitation to dine, and afterwards, at the table, I could kind of present them to you .”- Mr. Dlog said, worried.
“Of course ! Fine solution; but perhaps my presence here disturbs you, in an economical way ?”- Maleko asked him.
“Not a bit ! You can stay for several days, if you want ! “- Mr. Dlog said, smiling .
The night was soon over the fields, and the host invited them to sleep ; to the Tax collector, a bedroom for guests, and for the rest, mattresses on the worker’s section; big rooms with rows of beds, with women separated from men by a wood wall, and connected with a door, that was shut and locked by night. Forty peasants sleep there, between women and men, plus the guests .
Maleko finds a locker with some books, and he reads on them by the light of a candlestick; magic was the word. He doesn’t believe in magic, and all he was reading was about mixtures and boiled plants; some insects and frogs in between . He mused about how many of those drinks could get people really sick, finding the road that the witch wants: to make evil against someone.
In the morning, Mr. Dlog gives them a hearty breakfast, and said :” Now,
Mr. Taxman, I’ll show you the list of animals and groceries that the other taxman receives.”
And it was the same Maleko had; so he said :” It’s the same paper; but now we’ll like to see in the field what this numbers are saying.”-
“Of course; if you like, I’ll give you guides to see the whole field under my property; or else, you go by yourself; in any case, I expect you all to dine.”- Mr. Dlog said.
Maleko smiled, and went out; on horses, they ride through fields and swamps, mountains and valleys; each animal was numbered and the counting was made; they return at night, fully tired.
“The numbers match.”- Maleko told the owner of the ranch ; Mr. Dlog said :” Well, make the best of it ! Stay here for some days ! “
“Thanks you, but I will accept tonight’s only ! I had a big work, revising everything the other taxmen did !”- Maleko said.
“Well, guess I cannot convince you; but permit me to show you the books of my Library ! I saw one of my books at your night table... The Witchcraft and their consequences.”
“Oh, that ! I really believe magic only is related with us through poisoning .”- Maleko said.
Mr. Dlog smiled, and said:” I guess you’re right, but also, there is more to it . I’ll show you some specimens I could collect, using the magic potions.”
“That would be good.”- Maleko said, thinking the guy was going to show him some pink cows or something simple like that. But he was wrong; Mr. Dlog guides him to a locked room, and while he was unlocking the door, he said:” I lock the door not for the ones outside, but for the ones inside; they are rather small.”
Maleko decided, in his inner self, that he was not going to see cows ...
The interior was dark, now the night was on, but Mr. Dlog has a candlestick with five candles on a table, that he was lighting one by one; when he finished it, Maleko saw several rows of cages; inside them, things were moving.
“See ? Magic could produce this unique specimens.”- Mr. Dlog said. And he was right; Maleko was looking at the creatures, now at hand’s reach, with awe.
“But they seems...”- He was saying, and Mr. Dlog interrupted him, by saying :” Men and women ! Yes, Mr. Taxman, you are seeing the produce of magic !”
Men and women not taller than twenty centimeters long ! He also begin to see smaller ones... child ! They were caged, but they weren’t treated as animals; they had cabins and places where to walk and seat; tables near wired doors , so the feeder could feed them from the outside, without needing to open a door.
He sense some noise; he approaches his head to the first cage, and he heard sounds like people talking !
“But this beings ... talks !”- He said, turning to Mr. Dlog.
“Of course ! They talk and they think; they are just like you and I, except they are so small – outside, a rat, a cat, a bird would be a dangerous threat to them all ; but inside this room, and inside those cages, they could live peacefully.”- Mr. Dlog said, proudly.
“And since when did you have this ... people here, Sir ?”- Maleko said, including now the word “Sir “ to address the man – because now he sense the man was more than a simple farm owner !
He observed the cages were connected between them; people were also moving with small carts; the cabins seems to have light of his own.
“Yes, Mr. Taxman ! They know the art to do candles, and they light the houses with them; pity, they cannot grow many vegetables; and so I must provide them with it. “
“But, how this people come to life ? A magical art, produced by what ?”- Maleko said.
“To produce something you must give something in return; blood and flesh from men and women was provided; this people lives because some human volunteers from this reign gives them their some of their blood and some of their flesh ; perhaps here we are looking the future of mankind ! “- Mr. Dlog said.
“All is possibly.”- Maleko said, thinking in how many were killed ,to produce this midgets .
After a while, they went out, and Maleko felt as he was awakening from a bad dream; afterwards he think in those creatures, living in a cellar, depending from the food a man could provide them !
“Well, Mr. Dlog, my visit here is ended; I am grateful for your good hospitality, and I leave the place knowing you are a honorable person.”
“Thanks you, Mr. Taxman.”- The man said, going inside the house.
The next visit was close : just ten kilometers along the road; Vernio was another member of his team, and he told him :” This farmer is an honest man; wish they all were !”
“As we are not tax collectors from old, this is our first essay!”- The man said.
“At least they give us shelter !”- Maleko said.
“And he provides us with groceries !”= Another member of the team, Isarkod , said.
Soon they were looking at the green pastures and grapevines of the next in the list; as the time for grapes was due, the fields looked rather gloomy.
AT the entrance to the buildings, a couple of cow-boys approached, dressed in leather; one of them was big like a ox, and said :” I’m Lornad, the owner here; what do you want ? You are trespassing
My land.”
“I’m a taxman and I want to revise the numbers here; we suspect you have more animals than stated in this paper.”- Maleko said.
The man said :” I’ll be now allowing no taxman more in this year ! So you can turn around and went in the same direction you came.”- And the other one, a man with a moustache, laughed .
“Guess you don’t understand the situation ! If we are shunned from here, a major troop will come, and I ‘m sure you’ll not like it.”- Maleko said, musing , in his inner self, if such a thing was possible.
“Oh, pardon me, Sir ! What a dumb ass I was ! “- The great man said, and they dismounted; he invites them to a large table, saying :” I’m sure you are starving, too ? I can offer you a humble coffee; if you like.”
“Of course ! After the cup of coffee, we’ll talk about numbers.”- Maleko said, with a profound voice.
“Yes, Sir !”- The man said. Soon a cook come, and said :” Just a minute , Sirs ! The milk is being heating !”
“You take your time, good cook.”- Somebody said, and they all laughed; suddenly, the owner come in with thirty other members of his staff, and begin fighting the Maleko’s retinue; the attackers were using big sticks, and the men at Maleko’s service a couple of knives; soon they were all sprawled around the room, beaten up by the gang.
“Good lot ! They ‘ll have dinner, to-night!”- The owner of the farm said, and they carried the bodies to a near ravine; they tied them and throw them to the bottom, a hundred meters below. Some of them were lucky and landed on bushes, but others weren’t so lucky, and banged all the way down, against black stones.
“Guess the guy will never come back again.”- The owner, Mr. Sandero, said.
“And if they come back, we know how to receive them !”- Another man said, amid laughter ...
At dawn, Maleko was able to untied himself, and in the mid light he begin the search for the rest; he find that the most of them were in bad shape or dead; only two of them ( Isarkod and Rebag) were in good health, but with pains.
“They want us to die !”- Isarkod said, standing with difficulty ; he was rubbing his chest, while he was thinking he has a pair of broken ribs.
“They sure does ! Look unto the rest ! They are dying or dead already; what are we going to do, Sir ?”- Rebag , a fat man with black eyes ,said.
“ We are going to dig holes for them ! “- Maleko said, but then they weren’t having a shovel, so they just put rocks over their bodies; then, they marched to the next site, forty kilometers to the west.
“This time we are going to be more humble ! This guys just kill the ones who asks them for a revision!”- Rebag recommended, and while Maleko didn’t utter a word, he was certain that was the only way out to arrives back to the city in one piece.
Four days they walked through bushes and arid places; then they were near hills.
“This place is not able to sustain much animals, Sir ! They are only surviving here !”- Isarkod said.
“Just the same, our orders are to interview and revise everything !”- Maleko said, walking with care, as his boots were already in bad shape; he was for ever devising ways to revenge, but he utters not a word in that direction to his subordinates.
At last, they saw a big house, and several people around an enclosure with animals; they were marking the calves. When they saw them, a pair of men come to their encounter.
“Who are you and what do you want here ?”- The older said, with a big stick on his right hand.
“I am the taxman of the kingdom, and this two persons here are the rest of a big retinue I had at the beginning of my mission.”- Maleko said.
The man laughed, looking at the other one, and turning to them, he said :” Well, I bet you had a bad time at the neighbor’s house ! Don’t tell me he was very mean with you !”
“You are right, Sir ! Are you the one named Maribodio ?”- Maleko said, after looking at his copybook.
“Yes, that’s me ! But I warn you : there was another taxman in here, not too many time ago, and we paid them as he sees fit ! We are not going to pay again !”- Maribodio said, wrinkling his eyes with the setting sun.
“That will be decided by our revision !If the revision says you paid what you should, there will be no problem.”- Maleko said.
“In that case, you can revise ! Seriog ! Take this man to the fields, and begin counting the oxes !”- Maribodio.
Maleko saw a couple of men who were saddling a couple of horses ; soon they were in the fields, looking for the oxen .Isarkod said :” Lieutenant, this guys has 390 oxen and several hundred rams; are you going to count them all ??”
“It’s my duty ! Now, lets see ... one, two...”
And the oxen were counted; the numbers matched; darkness were over them, so one of the peasant said :” Let’s return to the house ! The rams will be counted tomorrow ! “
Soon they were inside the house, in front of the owner; he said :” Well, Mr. Taxman ? All in order ?”
“Yes, Sir. The oxen are there in the same number our last taxman said; but the rams must be counted, too.”- Maleko said.
“Fine ! But now you must rest !”- The big man said, and sent them to sleep at a barn; there, among not so good smells, they slept ; at the morning, with aching bones, they were awakened by the same peasant, who said  “Our master sent me to help you with the counting !”
“All right, men ! Let’s see if we could earn our wages today !”- Maleko said, and they all ride the rest of the day, counting the herd of rams; at night, they were all counted; the numbers matches not.
“A hundred and fifty more rams ! Well, that means you must pay a lot more contributions, sir.”- Maleko told the owner; the man get furious and said :” You counted not as it must be counted ! The calves never are counting , as they could easily die during the winter !”-
“A ram is a ram.”- Maleko said, looking him on the eye.
“And a calf is a calf ! You don’t understand !”- The owner said, and as they keep on debating, Maleko said :” I’ll be informing of this to the government ! No need to yell anymore !”
And they went away from that field ; they slept while on the road, and Maleko was very disappointed, as he had not collected a single sope out of the whole trip.
Soon it was raining, and the water was dripping on them; a peasant arrives on foot, saying :” Owner Jakar knows you are here, and he begs you to follow me; he is offering shelter for the night.”
The man was thin and very wet; Maleko said :” Take us to your master ! The rain is heavy and the night is cold !”
So they follow the man, who was running in the darkness before them, fast as a horse, swift as a bird; a place with big trees and a cabin was seen by the light of some torches; they dismounted, and the servants takes the horses to the stable.
“Treat them well ! We had those only!”- Maleko yelled to the men; and the one who spoke to them, said:” Please, come into my master’s home !”
The place was huge but very old; some creaks on the ceiling permits the rain to fall down on the tiles of the floor; a man robed in a dark costume approaches, and with a strong voice he said :” Welcome to the house of Jakar ! Please, take your cloaks and approach to the fire !”
And they saw the fireplace was lit, with a good warm feeling they approached.
“I am Jakar, the landowner ! But this year my vines were not good to produce wine ! They rot in the chill of the night, and now their arms begged to the heavens for mercy!”- Jakar said.
“Strange a man doesn’t protect their vineyards !”- Maleko said.” I’m Maleko , the Taxman !”
Jakar has a very queer pair of eyes ; they were covered by a fine layer of white substance, but beyond the veil, Maleko saw the darkness of the night looking at him in the night.
“Yes, the Taxman ! I know all about you ! A valiant warrior, sent to collect more money for the King ! Pitifully, only rains and beating he has received... until now!"-”Jakar said.
“What ? Are you a friend of Sandero?”- Maleko asked him.
“Of course not ! He is a killer ! And I only kill for necessity!”- The man said, producing a smile where large fangs were to be seen. Maleko takes his sword out of the scabbard, but the fangs were now on his throat, ripping cords and severing veins; soon he was loosing the conscience, while his subordinates were beaten to death by the servants of Jakar, who was now drinking hot pure blood, from the body just killed.
The rest of the peasants leaves the room; they were rude people, but they always were shocked to see the owner drinks until the victims became flaccid bags of leather...

At his home in the city of Oredloro, Perion keeps on waiting for the return of Lieutenant Maleko, but when five months were elapsed, his now wife Lady Nigara said :” The poor man must had died , my husband ! Surely he finds death at the hands of the landowners ! There are some of them very mean !”
“Do you think so ? He is full of life and determination ! And he also has twenty men with him !”- Perion said, while he was thinking what will became of himself, deprived now of one of the best man at his charge.
“Twenty men, forty men, out there means just little thing, my husband ! There are terribly tales to be heard, about our landowners and also of some beasts nobody wants to describe. “- His wife Nigara said.
“Of course, you know the country ! I adhere to your ideas, as you know. Well ! Let’s suppose he is dead, and there will be no more money coming this year !”- Perion said.
“Don’t worry too much about money, dear ! My aunt, the Chamberlain, will provide you with what could be necessary ! And next year, more money will come from the fields ! And also from the different trades, here on the city ! Everyone must pay ! So you’ll be with enough money, to make the King Knapp happy !”- Nigara said, who never saw difficulties in life; only delays...

The end.
5/6/2007 12:21 AJF.