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  Charles said, “I had no idea that the metropolis was so enormous. It is more like a country.”

  “Most people do not understand just how large our territory actually is. Even though the Hub appears to be near the eternal border, the view is actually an optical illusion. In fact, the border is far away.”

  “What’s outside the eternal border?”

  “The natural planet. Some areas are similar to the Kingdom of the Last Dragon.”

  Charles ran his fingers along the eternal border boundary. He paused then chose his words very carefully. “What’s here, outside the government’s boundary?”

  Dimitrios said, “The “Unknown” sector. You’ll learn more about that later. If I were you, I wouldn’t get too excited about that particular lesson. Not much that is good happens over there. The best term I can use to describe it is gang warfare.”

  Charles pointed to the natural planet beyond the border. “What’s it like out there? Do any maps exist detailing the area?”

  Dimitrios explained, “Charles, the natural planet is an extremely dangerous and volatile place. The environment there isn’t conducive to exploration for anyone other than those who are approved to cross over. We have strict regulations about going beyond the eternal boundary. Only authorized personnel are allowed to cross the border. A few privileged Sojourner employees are allowed to enter the natural countryside; for instance, miners that mine for precious metals and ores, workers that work on Bridgeiro’s electro-magnetic power stations, military and authority agents. The workers and military personnel must use specialized, armored, electro-magnetic vehicles for their protection against the natural planet when they journey out there.

  “Our scientists have harnessed Bridgeiro’s electro-magnetic field by embedding magnetic power stations within the soil. This technology allows heavy armored vehicles to maximize the drivable range and speed for the vehicles specifications. It also has an added benefit in that the noise that the vehicles produce is ultrasonic, which means the sounds are above human hearing. The airbikes that the authorities use are an exception to being noiseless. Their lightweight frames allow them to travel at high-speeds, and because of their speed they are not noiseless.

  “I know you’ve just recently been to the kingdom and now you are curious. I assure you, that you have seen only a small part of the vast area of land. The sorcerers, who helped develop the Hub, were instrumental in making that land habitable. While the kingdom is magnificent and beautiful, you have a false sense about what is really beyond the border. After seeing it for myself, I can understand your curiosity about what lies in the great beyond. However, you will learn there are places out there that no human should ever attempt to go under any circumstances. There is a whole other treacherous side to Bridgeiro’s natural environment. Even if I tried to explain to you all the dangers that are out there, you wouldn’t be able to comprehend what I’m saying because you don’t have a frame of reference in which to compare.”

  Chapter 2

  When they finished going over the agenda for the day, Dimitrios and Charles walked out of the office. They left the building and rode on their flying disks across the Hub then beyond to the sector where they would meet Anthony. Charles looked down as they flew over the areas he’d never seen before. What he saw intrigued him. He wondered why Paw and Nana had never taken him to these sectors. There was so much more out there for him to explore than what they had shown him.

  As they flew, Dimitrios tapped into Charles’ sound system within the disk’s force field and began pointing things out to him as they flew. Charles was seeing the metropolis as an entirely new image. He felt inspired and awed at the same time. It was absolutely incredible that the places he was observing actually existed on a foreign planet. As Charles watched the moving specks that were people below, he imagined being one of them and exploring the surroundings.

  Once they reached the solid wall that Dimitrios had told Charles about, they lowered their disks to the ground and stepped off. Charles put his disk in his leather backpack. Seconds later Anthony appeared as the gate opened by itself.

  He greeted them and asked Charles, “What are your thoughts on traveling outside the Hub district?”

  Charles answered, “It was fascinating! I can’t wait to explore! I have so many questions after seeing what is out there beyond the Hub.”

  Anthony laughed. “I promise there will be plenty of time for new adventures and discoveries as time goes by. I trust that Dimitrios has already briefed you on your agenda for today.” Charles said he had.

  “Very good.” The prime minister thanked Dimitrios.

  Dimitrios said, “You are welcome. I shall meet you both in the designated area at the agreed upon time.”

  The prime minister nodded. “We’ll be there.” Dimitrios left them.

  Anthony said, “Beyond this wall are amazing things that have been kept a secret for generations. When you learn of their existence you will understand why.”

  He helped Charles program an access code that would allow him to enter the archive.

  Anthony continued, “Today you will get a limited tour of the Prime Ministers’ Archive.”

  A curator met them at the front entrance. Charles could tell she was taken back at how young he was. She seemed to almost question Anthony’s judgment about letting him enter. “Mr. Prime Minister, sir, is access entered into the program for today’s visit?” Anthony assured her it was.

  After scrutinizing Charles’ face, she nodded and led the way through the sterile, white hallways. She waved her hand and the hallway instantly changed to a more masculine décor with paintings and carved wooden details. Charles looked around as they walked.

  Anthony said, “It’s all real but at the same time it’s a simulated version of how I wanted the interior decorated.”

  Charles stopped briefly to examine a small figurine that appeared to be of a different species, moving around in a circle on a table. Anthony and the curator stopped.

  Anthony walked over and picked up the object. “It’s real.” He handed it to Charles, who was puzzled how the curator made something from nothing. He set it down and they walked on through the hallway of endless doors until the prime minister reached an ornate, mahogany door. The curator opened the door and stepped aside. Charles followed Anthony through the doorway.

  Inside, the room was tastefully decorated. Anthony mentioned, “This is my legacy space. I am allowed to retain objects in this room that I believe will be useful to other prime ministers who will follow.”

  The prime minister reached for an object. A display of information appeared in midair, giving a description of what the object was and how to utilize it.

  Charles ran his hands through the lit up, blue writing and thought: Impressive.

  Anthony said, “You also have the option of having a curator accompany you to explain the objects and answer questions.”

  Charles asked, “The doors in the hallway…”

  “Yes. They are all the rooms that contain the previous prime ministers’ legacy artifacts. This archive accommodates unique and priceless resources. When you become prime minister, the expert curator will give you a complete tour of the facility.”

  Anthony encouraged Charles to walk around the room and explore.

  Chapter 3

  Joseph left Nxy’s residence and returned to the compound office. He walked over to the dry bar and poured himself a scotch whisky neat. Joseph sat at his desk and contemplated his discussion with Nxy. What she had said made sense. He needed a right hand man, one just like Non. Joseph pulled out a copy of Stephanos’ file from his desk drawer. He slowly and deliberately read through its contents. When he reached a certain paragraph, Joseph thought: Now how do I approach the issue with Stephanos? How do I turn him into my own personal Non?

  A week later Joseph called Stephanos into his office. Joseph pointed to papers on his desk and said, “I want to discuss a case with you. I believe your work at the previous law firm may be benef
icial in this lawsuit. What do you know about Burkley vs Stanton?”

  Stephanos began slowly pacing around Joseph’s office. He wanted to think carefully before answering his boss’ question. As Stephanos walked, he lightly touched several objects on the bookcase that ran along the north wall. When the he moved a carved, teak mask, he was surprised to find a beautiful crystal. Joseph intently watched Stephanos as he gently picked it up. The crystal began to glow.

  When he saw his law clerk’s reaction to the glowing crystal, Joseph smugly smiled. He thought: With Stephanos, I may have outdone Donovan. I have a Seymore and Non all in one!

  Stephanos turned to look directly at Joseph and said, “You know my secret.”

  Joseph nodded. “We have a lot to discuss.”

  **********

  Donovan stormed into his office and slammed the door. He sat down at his desk, pushed the button on his timer and went to work on a case that would soon be going to trial. The two hardheads involved in the lawsuit refused to agree on a settlement.

  Donovan saw this coming from the very inception of the case. When the client first came to him, he considered turning down the man’s request to bring a lawsuit against the private equity firm. He knew he had to act expeditiously, but before Donovan opened his mouth, the client was adamant that the Greys’ owed a debt to his family. After that declaration, he was then basically blackmailed into submission. From the beginning the man insisted that Donovan Grey, as sole, senior partner of the law firm, handle the lawsuit. It was pretty obvious that a positive outcome would be hard won when the client stated, “A win is expected in regard to this suit, no matter what expense is incurred. Winning is everything.”

  There were other things he’d rather be doing at that particular moment; however the client was very prominent in the community. His only consolation was the billable hours that the case accumulated. Donovan knew that if he didn’t give his full attention to the details, his law firm would come under scrutiny.

  It wasn’t long before a persistent rap at the door interrupted Donovan’s thoughts. He sighed, closed the file, and stopped the timer. He then pushed his chair back from the desk before he gave permission for the door to open.

  Seymore opened the door and asked if he could be of assistance. He brought a large cup of black coffee into the office and set it on a coaster. Donovan thanked him and asked if Joseph had come to the office yet.

  Seymore quietly shut the door and said, “Yes, he’s with Stephanos. The two of them started right to work. I’ll keep my eyes on them, if that’s what you want.”

  Donovan considered the suggestion and said, “That may not be a bad idea.”

  Seymore withdrew a file folder that he had tucked under his arm. He handed it to Donovan. “Here’s the report you requested.”

  Donovan snatched it from his assistant’s hands and quickly began perusing the contents. He waved at the door and said, “That will be all.”

  Seymore left Donovan’s office and returned to his desk. He quietly growled when he saw a file folder on the desk. Without looking at the contents of the folder, he knew it was more of Joseph’s paperwork that Stephanos had set on his desk. An irritated thought crossed his mind: Why am I doing Stephanos’ work? I wonder what the hierarchy is in this office now that the wise guy is here? Am I going to get stuck doing all the work for the three of them?

  **********

  A few hours later Donovan emerged. He barged into Joseph’s office, interrupting the conversation. “Let’s go, now!”

  Joseph scrambled to retrieve his things from the safe. He said to Stephanos, “Follow me.”

  When the two men entered Donovan’s office, Donovan raised his voice, “Just what do you think you are doing?”

  Joseph said, “He’s coming with us.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “No. I’m not.”

  “We didn’t discuss this!”

  “What’s to discuss? He’s my clerk.”

  “You idiot. We’re not going to trial. We’re going over.”

  “I know and so is he.”

  Donovan pointed at Stephanos. “How do I know I can trust him?”

  “If we can’t, we’ll eliminate him.”

  Stephanos stood still while Donovan assessed him. Then he said to Joseph, “You’re an idiot son,” before he crossed over to the other side. The other two followed.

  Seymore heard voices arguing then complete silence. He stood and walked over to Donovan’s door. He opened it and looked around the empty office. The file he had given Donovan earlier was nowhere to be seen.

  Seymore closed the door and walked back to his desk. He began typing up the letters that he’d been given. While Seymore typed, he mumbled, “Why does he get to go? They’ve never taken me in all the years I’ve been here. Stephanos is nothing but trouble. Donovan, you’ve got your hands full with those two. I heard what they were discussing in there and you’re not going to like what I have to say.” Then he thought: Serves you right for letting your guard down and not watching what is going on around here.

  The law office door opened and a man walked into the lobby. He didn’t say anything to Seymore. They were familiar with each other and had worked together for years. The man handed Seymore a manila envelope. “Do what you want with this,” was all the man said before he walked away.

  Seymore opened the brad and peered inside at the photos. He set the envelope on the desk and rubbed his eyes. He moaned then thought: Why’d she do it? She’s been warned. If I don’t give this to the boss and he finds out, he won’t trust me. I won’t be able to help her then.

  Seymore finished up the paperwork. He leaned back in the chair and considered his options. He put the typed letters on Joseph’s desk as Stephanos had requested. Then he picked up the phone. When she answered, all he said was, “He knows.”

  Seymore heard a click as she disconnected. He placed the phone on the cradle then stared out the glass doors and watched as cars sporadically drove by. He had a daymare about the dreadful things that would follow once he placed the photographs in Donovan’s hands. He resigned himself to the fact there was nothing more he could do. Seymore licked and sealed the envelope so Donovan wouldn’t know he’d seen the evidence. That was the expected protocol but Norvigt always let Seymore have the choice of viewing the contents, especially if it was deleterious evidence.

  Chapter 4

  On the day before the kingdom festival, the women were busy in their kitchens baking for the large turnout that was expected to attend the major event. All the men were hunting, with the exception of Virgil, who needed to remain near the festival area to help orchestrate the behind-the-scenes planning. He knew that the queen’s advisor would send the necessary supplies, and the workers to make sure the detailed plans were followed. While Virgil waited for the workers to arrive, he decided to bake an old, favorite treat. He began the process of baking his specialty cookies for the celebration.

  Earlier that mid-morning, Virgil had stopped by each of the cabins, checking to make sure everyone had what was needed and that everything was going according to plan. He had earlier mentioned to Becki that since she was preparing a large number of the desserts, when she finished a manageable amount of the edibles, the items should be brought to his cottage. Since she had the youngest children of the community, this would allow her more working space in her kitchen and less to worry about on the morrow. He would then carry her desserts to the festival. Becki gratefully agreed with his suggestion.

  Later, when Becki finished baking, she gathered the desserts she had planned on taking to Virgil’s. She asked Stella to carry a bag of tarts. In one hand Becki carried a cake, and in the other arm she held her toddler, Christopher. It proved to be quite a task getting from one cottage to another but they managed. Virgil’s door was already open, which was a relief to Becki whose arms were hurting from carrying the precious items. She called out to Virgil, who came immediately and helped her. Virgil greeted the family then quickly too
k the cake from Becki and placed it on the kitchen counter. He returned, took the bag of tarts from Stella and placed them next to the cake.

  Becki realized Christopher needed to be changed. Virgil pointed to the room she could use. Becki took her son into the room to be tended to, leaving Virgil and Stella in the front room. Virgil got down on Stella’s eye level and asked how she liked cooking for so many people. Stella immediately began with a wild story about the day’s events in cooking, making Virgil laugh at her dramatization. He ruffled her light brown hair.

  He asked, “Would you like to try one of my cookies for being such a good sport?” Stella smiled and nodded.

  Virgil said, “Follow me.” They went into the kitchen and he handed her a cookie from a plate on the counter top.

  Stella took a bite and whispered, “Mmm, these are good. I’ve never had these before.”

  Virgil smiled and then whispered back, “It’s a secret family recipe, hundreds of years old.”

  She looked at the cookie and frowned. “The cookie doesn’t taste like it is a hundred years old.”

  Virgil couldn’t help but laugh. “The cookie is not a hundred years old; the recipe I used to make it is. I’ll be happy to give it to you someday.”

  She winked at him and with a mouthful of cookie said, “It’s a deal.”

  Virgil straightened up and held his back. “I’m afraid my back isn’t what it used to be.”

  Stella nodded and held her back, mirroring Virgil. “I know what you mean. I get a crick sometimes too, but I’m brave. I have to be. I have a baby brother to keep in line.”

  She gave him a dimpled smile, which revealed a crumb on her cheek. Virgil pointed. She picked off the crumb and popped it in her mouth, licking her lips.