I actually arrived late, and I walked through the gate leisurely as usual greeting everyone I see with a simple nod.. then I went directly to the main hall where the feast was underway.. I handed my coat to the keeper, took my time to look around while I was still at the top of the stairs.. there were a lot of people in the dance floor, while others were gathered around the scattered tables on the other end near the doors to the back gardens .. I saw Wyee talking to some uniformed person attentively near the door I came through and I overheard part of their conversation,

               “they are here..they are already here, they were spotted in the district” the uniform spoke in an anxious voice.

               “Are you sure? Where are they.. did you catch any of them?” She answered sternly.

               “No they disappeared.. I am sure they shall try to do some mischief.. this can undermine all the work done in the past several month.. I am doomed.” He lamented.

               “hold yourself together .. we shall find them and catch them.. this is an audacious step on their part and they shall pay a heavy price.. don’t worry.”

I kept looking for anyone from my group, the card game gang or any other I would care to meet, and slowly climbed down the small flight of stairs.. I made my way through the large crowded room, when I heard the voice of fute shouting,

               “congratulations lousy Hort .. the false hero.” He said laughing aloud..obviously drunk.

I paid no attention to his usual gimmicks.. then Hasatt stopped me,

               “Congratulation Flousty.. you are about to leave us at last.” I could hear a tinge of envy in his voice.

               “Say what?” I was genuinely surprised.

               “Oh, you have not been told yet?” his eyes glowed, and he walked away..

I saw a group of people I knew at a near table so I picked up a drink, made my way towards them and stood there listening to the dirty gossip.. then a strong grip captured my arm and pulled me down to sit at another table.. I looked at my captor and was shocked to see my old friend Freddy,

               “Unbelievable.. Fred .. oh man how long has it been ?” I shouted gleefully.

               “Shush.. I never thought we would meet in a place like this.. but..” he was interrupted by another person sitting at the table.

               “Careful.. they are onto us.. we have to run.”

               “This is Todd..” Freddy said. “how would you like to go out for some fresh air?” He didn’t wait for my answer.. just pulled me by the hand and we made our way through one of the many exits into the garden..

               “It’s very dark here..and very cold.. I don’t have my coat on..” I noted, “But.. anyway, how long are you staying?”

               “Keep walking Harts, We may have to leave tonight.. we understand you are here for an undercover assignment .. and.. we just ..” Freddy started

               “We just want to see that you are all right..” His friend Todd completed his sentence, “and whether you need any help.”

               “I am sorry guys, I don’t understand.. what assignment?.. everything here is very good.. I have not had a care in the world for the past several months or more..” I answered.

               “You don’t miss VV..anymore?” Freddy asked

               “VV..” I repeated as I felt a sudden sharp jolt in my head..

               “How is life here in Abysnos?.. you like it better?” Todd asked in a strange tone of voice.

               “Abysnos?” I repeated deliriously, “sorry guys I am feeling a little dizzy.”

               “Freddy, look.” Todd pointed towards the building .. I turned to see what caught his attention.

I realized that we were walking away from the building, and some unidentified figures appeared at the door.. I turned back to ask if there was something wrong.. but both of them had disappeared into thin air. I was unable to make sense of anything happening around me, and a few minutes later Geetieh was standing next to me,

               “where are they?” he demanded.

               “where is who?.. who are you talking about?” I asked

               “those scoundrels you were talking to..where did they go?” He almost shouted.

I became indignant.. so I snapped at him,

               “Don’t ever talk to me in this manner.. you hear?”

               “I meant no insult, I am just worried about you..” he pulled back.

               “Worried about me? I am not a child waiting for a chaperon..” I did not back down.

A uniform arrived and hesitantly reported,

               “Sir, sorry we cannot find any intruder..”

               “What intruders?” I shouted, then I turned to Geetieh again, “what is going on Mizo?”

               “Mister Hort, some riff raff sneak in such gatherings and cause havoc sometimes.. we got a tip that strangers were lurking among the guests .. your safety had been my top priority and__”

               “I am going back now..” I interrupted and walked back towards the building and everyone followed me in silence.

That night was very difficult for me.. I couldn’t sleep and just kept fretting in bed without changing my clothes, then I had to get up and go to the terrace for fresh air and lay down there on a couch wrapped up in a heavy blanket .. it was a dark and damp night and a storm of thoughts and feelings was tearing me apart. Undercover assignment? What did that mean? And what did they call me? Oh.. damn.. where did I meet Freddy? How do I know him so well, but cannot remember who he was? Why are they being chased by uniformed guards and called riff raff? And well.. what are all these congratulations to me about? .. it had to happen all at once.. everything is confused and intertwined in my head to form a knotted big riddle impossible to unravel..

The same questions kept churning in my mind until I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs.. I had no answers.. no answers at all.. until I fell at last into a fretful sleep, and woke up when the first sun rays hit my face announcing the beginning of a new day.. I was exhausted and drained, so I moved back into my bed and didn’t feel like getting out of it.. yet, as soon as I was about to fall asleep again, a noisy Geetieh rushed into my room and yelled,

               “You are still asleep?” he tried to pull the covers away, “you forgot about the big appointment?”

               “Leave me alone.. what appointment are you talking about?”

               “your appointment to meet the chief.. are you crazy?”

               “What are you talking about? Nobody told me about such an appointment?” I sat up in bed and he noticed that I was still wearing my clothes of the night before, “you didn’t tell me about this before.. all you kept blabbering about was some .. something or.. some people back at Ozot..”

We had a big row about this new problem until Wyee arrived, and forced an end to the argument.. I took my time to get ready for the expected trip to the Palace.. and when I finally threw my tired body into the luxurious carriage sent to take me to my meeting, I found myself seated across from Wyee who didn’t stop talking since she appeared in my room.

I was not listening.. I didn’t hear anything she said .. I may have even dozed a little.. she kicked me and yelled.

               “You are going to lose a lot of your prestige and damage your image if you meet the chief like this.”

               “I cannot help it.. I didn’t sleep at all last night.” I murmured.

               “Ok, let us stop for some refreshments in the way.”  

We Stopped in a large rest area serving food and lodging for travelers.. and when a strong bitter drink was ordered for me, I was literally forced to gulp it up,

               “OK now, tell me what is troubling you?” she spoke like an inquisitor.

               “I don’t know where to start.. but.. anyway, how is it I was not told about this meeting except today.. this morning?” I glared at her angrily, “this is insane.”

               “Did you see Isis?” she asked in what seemed like a shock.

               “Isis.. Is.. Oh, Yeah, I saw her almost a week ago. What’s that got to do with anything”

               “Isis was acting as an emissary to inform Geetieh about this meeting.”

               “So he knew about it for a whole week.. and didn’t bother to tell me.” I was furious.

               “something is very irregular here .. I wonder.” She appeared to be puzzled.

               “I am sure he is going to claim to have told me and blame me for forgetting it.. that is the way he always does it..” I clenched my teeth and my fist.

               “Anyway, here we are, you need to be in perfect form to meet the chief.. after all you have to convince him you are worth the promotion he is giving you.” She tried to ease the situation.

               “That promotion too.. what promotion? Everybody is talking about it.. everyone knows about it, except me.. isn’t this insane.” I was not able to cool down.

               “I wonder who leaked this information.. it was supposed to be a surprise during the meeting. But anyway, now that it is out, all I can tell you is, that as high a rank as you held before your .. cha.. injury .. Deemeon .. that is the supreme chief has decided to grant you an even higher rank.. this is a promotion others would kill to obtain..”

               “What rank..” I shouted.

               “I cannot tell you that. He shall tell you himself.” She said with a smile and wink, “Now let us go for we are late already.”

As tired as I was, I watched the carriage run through several castles and districts which were unfamiliar to me.. some were dark, very quiet and gloomy and others were riotous and very crowded.. Wyee volunteered some explanations from time to time, but I was not listening. My mind was preoccupied by the expected meeting and the new assignment, though last night’s encounters were still lingering at the back of my mind as well.. until we finally arrived at the UKC..                 

               “Wow, there are a lot of vast green spaces,” I observed.

               “Yeah, and notice all those small buildings scattered at various distances”

               “What are those?”

               “you don’t know?” she looked at me seemingly surprised.

               “How do I know?”

               “What were you doing all this time with Geetieh at BSC?” she asked again, “Oh, well he shall say you forgot.. one of you guys needs to give a straight answer.. there.. this is the gate to the Palace.”

There was no fence or a barrier.. yet there was indeed a huge open gate indicating the boundary of the palace grounds. The palace at a distance seemed to grow bigger and bigger as we approached. The coach stopped at the foot of the large staircase. When we dismounted, we were greeted by a group of guards who led us upstairs and into the opulent front room… and asked us to wait there. Gradually, an image began to creep into my head.. vague and unclear.. I have been here before.. Haven’t I? when.. and how..? I couldn’t remember. I kept looking around.. trying to regain the lost memory in vain. Wyee left me there and went into one of the many wide corridors and disappeared.. I was standing alone when a new guard appeared and ushered me to follow him through a myriad of lavish rooms and passages.. till we reached a huge closed door inlaid with gold and strange symbols.. I was supposed to wait there..

Before long the big door opened and three people walked out in a very happy demeanor,

               “we got it.. we got it.. at last.. thank you Blake.” an elated offle whispered.

They didn’t immediately notice my presence, and I vaguely remembered their names and faces, though I couldn’t remember where I saw them before.

               “Well. Hello there .. you are here at last.. and on your feet.” Blake came to shake my hand.

I barely reached out to touch his outstretched hand without saying anything, while Wooly gazed at me closely and just before they moved to leave he shook his head saying,

               “The chief has a very high regard for you.. hope you don’t let him down.”

Then the guard came to me and ushered me into the central Hall of the Palace.

I walked into the vast hall in amazement.. it was bathed in a low red light with endless shadows around the numerous fantastic works of art.. high windows with strange figures of stained glass allowing the outside light to seep through and blend with the red light inside to form a tantalizing  environment. There was a wide platform at the far end with several ornate chair and at the center there was what appeared to look like a Marble throne atop another small step. I didn’t see anybody around, so I walked gingerly towards the center looking around uncomfortably.. and when I stopped, I heard his voice ..

Deemeon..

Oh.. I heard this voice before.. impossible to remember where or when.. but I certainly heard it before.. it was peculiar.. yes.. unique..

               “You like my house?” He said as I looked around and couldn’t see him.

I didn’t answer so he repeated the question which he put as a matter of fact. Then I replied softly,

               “It is interesting..” He burst up laughing loudly and I suddenly found him standing a few feet away..