Knights of Alcea Read online

  "The Knights of Alcea are involved in protecting Alcea," corrected Bin-lu. "At times that may mean protecting King Arik, but there are always other dangers as well. I want you to halt the investigation. It is too dangerous now. I will proceed on my own."

  "You cannot portray a junior officer and gain access to confidential military records at the same time," Rut-ki pointed out. "You will need help."

  "When I need further help," stated Bin-lu, "I will ask for it. Stay safe."

  The junior officer turned and exited the training room.

  * * *

  The Vault of Records in the Imperial Palace was like a fortress within a fortress. The large room sat at the end of a long corridor with no other doors lining it. There was no excuse for being in that section of the palace other than to request records. Inside the large room were rows of shelves that rose from floor to ceiling and spread almost wall to wall. Only small walkways at the ends of the shelves allowed passage from one row to the next. Just inside the door of the large room was a desk that was constantly manned by two soldiers, and another two soldiers stood guard in the corridor outside the room. The names of all visitors were recorded in a ledger along with the date and time of the visit and a description of the records requested. The procedures required both guards to initial the entries in the ledger to avoid any single soldier disobeying the rules for personal gain.

  At the rear of the large room was a smaller room with a barred door. Two more soldiers sat outside that door, and their task was to escort people into the Special Records section. Entry to the Special Records section required approval from the Governor or the head of intelligence and even then the visitor would not be permitted into the small room without an escort. The Lanoirians took their record keeping seriously, and Bin-lu knew that while he could use his status as a Knight of Alcea to gain entrance to the Special Records section, he could not do so anonymously as the current case required.

  There was one chink in the armor of the Imperial Palace, however. The small room that housed the Special Records had a small window high on the wall. The window was barred and considered inaccessible. The roof of the palace was constantly manned, as were the grounds, which left only one method of access.

  Bin-lu sat by the window of his small room in the junior officer section of the Imperial Palace. He occasionally glanced out the window to gauge the progress of the moon across the night sky. As he waited for the moon to set, Bin-lu packed the tools he would need to remove the bars from the window. When he was done packing, Bin-lu sat and gazed at his gloved hands.

  Bin-lu had been the unfortunate victim of a magical attack during the drive to complete the Ancient Prophecy. His hands and feet had been severely burned by fireballs. To make matters worse, a young, inexperienced mage had instructed deadly spiders to bite his hands and feet in an attempt to heal him. It was fortunate that Master Khatama was present at the time. The Mage had quickly ordered the dwarves to take Bin-lu to the elven healers of Sorelderal. The elven healers were able to restore Bin-lu's burnt flesh and save his life from the poisonous spider bites, but the episode left Bin-lu with a peculiar disability. His hands and feet stuck to anything he touched.

  While Bin-lu contemplated suicide because his warrior days were over, Master Khatama convinced the young Lanoirian that his life had just begun. He had the elves fashion special gloves and boots, and he instructed Bin-lu in how to use his disability to his advantage. Over the years, Bin-lu had come to accept his condition as a blessing.

  Seeing that the moon had set, Bin-lu stripped off his special gloves and boots. He hoisted the pack onto his back and slipped out the window. Bin-lu halted outside the window and gazed around. The guards on the roof were not visible from his position on the wall of the building, but the ground level guards were. He watched them for a few seconds before starting to move towards the rear corner of the building.

  Bin-lu had to cup each hand and foot to unstick them from the building. The process was exhausting, but Bin-lu was well practiced in using his gift. Within moments he was at the rear corner of the building, and he hesitated to view the guards below. When he was satisfied that none of them were stargazing, Bin-lu turned the corner and continued his journey.

  The window that Bin-lu sought was on the fourth level of the building, and he stopped outside it to examine the bars that covered it. When he was satisfied that he could remove the bars, Bin-lu maneuvered himself so that his head was facing downward. He moved his feet so that they stuck to the top of the window enclosure, allowing him two free hands to work with.

  The bars were old and rusty from the constant exposure to the salt-laden air. Flakes of rust drifted downward as Bin-lu worked on the bolts, and he had to time his attack of the bars so that the passing patrols below would not be alerted by falling debris. It took half an hour before Bin-lu managed to get the two lower bolts out of the window, and he was feeling light-headed from being upside down for so long. The Knight of Alcea righted himself and examined the upper two bolts.

  After a careful inspection of the bars, Bin-lu decided to try to bend the weak bars rather than unbolt them. He only needed enough room to squeeze through the bars, and he was able to bend them enough to accomplish his entry as long as he removed his pack. Bin-lu removed the pack and hung it on the bars. He moved under the bent bars and tried to peer through the dirty window. He could see nothing inside.

  The Knight of Alcea tried to slide the window open, but it was stuck with age. He removed a knife from his belt and went to work on the edges of the window. Another half hour was wasted getting the window open, and Bin-lu began to fear that the rising sun might make his escape impossible. He slid through the window and worked his way down the wall inside the Special Records room.

  The heavy door to the small room had no window in it, but the crack at the bottom was large enough to let light out. Bin-lu stripped off his tunic and used it to block the crack at the bottom of the door. When he was sure that no light would escape the room, he lit a candle and began looking at the shelves of papers.

  Bin-lu first looked at the files for the Transport section. The files were thin and held no information regarding Wei-ra. This did not surprise the Knight of Alcea, as the records in this room were secret records. Only matters and personnel that were required to be closely guarded would be stored in the Special Records section. If Wei-ra were truly what he portrayed himself to be, his records would be in the larger room where most personnel files were kept. In fact, Bin-lu was sure that those records existed as Rut-ki had already looked at them. They were not what Bin-lu was after.

  Bin-lu next searched the Intelligence Section. These files held the records of all spies, Intelligence officers, and investigations into suspect spies. Bin-lu swallowed hard as he saw a file with his name on it. He quickly scanned the papers to see why they were there as he had specifically asked Za-chan not to record his position. The information in the file was sparse. It copied most of the false data that he had just had inserted into the record as cover for his new junior officer status. Bin-lu looked at the name of the investigating officer and nearly gasped. The file had been started by Intelligence Officer Wei-ra.

  Bin-lu put his file back in place and quickly moved to the Intelligence Section personnel files. He found the personnel file for Wei-ra and scanned it. The file was thick and Bin-lu noticed that the dawn was fast approaching. Still, there was one more thing he needed to check before he left. Working on a hunch, Bin-lu scanned the personnel files for Mu-chen and found that he too was an Intelligence Officer. Bin-lu took both sets of files and set them aside. Glancing up at the window he saw the sky was quickly lightening. He blew out the candle and retrieved his tunic from the floor.

  Bin-lu put on his tunic and shoved the two personnel files under it. He scampered up the wall and peered out the window. Seeing that the guards below were still marching their normal patterns, he slid out the window and retrieved his pack. He shoved the two files into the pack and attached the pack to his back. He car
efully bent the bars back into position, making sure to do so when no one was underneath him.

  He quickly restored the bolts so that the loose bars would not vibrate in a storm and give away the knowledge that the Special Records room had been entered. He scampered along the wall to the corner of the building and peeked around the corner. Seeing no danger from the guards below, Bin-lu moved along the wall to the window to his small room. He slid into the room and closed his window. Only after he had put his gloves and boots back on did Bin-lu light a candle and take the time to read the files in earnest.

  Both Mu-chen and Wei-ra had exemplary careers, but they had never served together. While the files listed past operations for both men, their current assignments were missing. At the end of each file was simply a number of the case that they were currently working on. The two numbers were different, and there were no further clues as to why Mu-chen would have been murdered.

  Bin-lu sighed as he put the files down. His visit to the Special Records section had not been long enough. He would have to return to the vault to find the files that related to their current cases, but that would have to wait for another night. Bin-lu blew out his candle and prepared to catch some sleep before the new day began.

  Bin-lu woke several hours later and prepared for the new day. His first stop was to see Za-hong, Supreme General of the Army of Lanoir and brother to Governor Za-chan. When he stepped into the waiting area, he heard loud voices coming from the general's office. The soldier on duty looked up at Bin-lu expectantly.

  "I will come back," Bin-lu smiled meekly as he moved back into the corridor.

  Bin-lu moved away from the general's office and waited. He wanted to warn the general that maintaining his cover was important over the next few days. Seeing his new file in the Special Records section had disturbed him. When he finally saw an officer leave the office, Bin-lu once again entered the waiting area. The soldier looked up upon his arrival.

  "I need a few moments of the general's time," smiled Bin-lu.

  "Your name?" demanded the soldier.

  General Za-hong's door was still open and the general looked out and saw Bin-lu. He walked to the open door and waved Bin-lu inside and closed the door.

  "I hope this is not a bad time?" Bin-lu asked.

  "Is there ever a good time, Bin-lu?" sighed the general. "Some fool is claiming that the Special Records section was entered last night without a log entry. He is demanding that the guards be punished."

  Bin-lu frowned heavily and asked, "If there were no log entries, how would anyone know if there had been an unauthorized entry?"

  "One of his men swears that he was the last man into that room last night," explained Za-hong, "and that the candle was considerably shorter this morning. Does he really expect me to discipline guards because of his man's memory of the length of a candle?"

  "I would merely rotate the guards," shrugged Bin-lu. "Who is the man with such a good memory?"

  "Wei-ra," answered the general. "The man has an impeccable record, but I can't believe that spirits entered the room and burned a candle on his say so. What did you want?"

  "I wanted to get word to Za-chan about my new cover," Bin-lu said softly. "I did not feel comfortable being seen near him as a junior officer. Even coming here has risks for me. Can you ensure that no information on me is given out?"

  "What are you investigating that requires secrecy from the Imperial Palace staff?" questioned the general.

  "It is too early to speak of," smiled Bin-lu. "It is possible that you have rebels within these walls. I must be careful."

  "You have free reign in Lanoir," replied Za-hong. "Neither I nor my brother would interfere with a Knight of Alcea. I will make sure that Za-chan is informed of your wishes, but I would like to know what is going on as soon as possible."

  "You shall be the first to know," promised Bin-lu, "but I will not spread fears and assumptions without proof."

  "I understand," nodded the general. "Anything that you need will be given."

  Bin-lu bowed respectfully and exited the office.

  Chapter 3

  Bin-lu the Spy

  Bin-lu moved slowly through the corridors of the Imperial Palace on his way to the training room. He was lost in thought as he mentally reviewed the stolen files from the Special Records section.

  "Did you not sleep last night?" Wei-ra asked suspiciously. "You look rather tired."

  Bin-lu glanced up and smiled at the Intelligence Officer. "I did have trouble sleeping last night," he admitted. "Each time I rolled onto my ribs I woke up in pain."

  Wei-ra reacted with genuine surprise. "I am truly sorry," he apologized. "I did not realize that I kicked you that hard."

  "It was not your fault," smiled Bin-lu. "Perhaps you have taught me a valuable lesson. I must learn to expect the unexpected."

  "I am glad that you hold no grudge," Wei-ra replied. "Did you find the shrine without difficulty?"

  "I did," nodded Bin-lu as he opened the door to the training room for Wei-ra. "The visit was quite worth the trip."

  The two men entered the training room and took their positions on the floor. They bowed their heads in meditation while they waited for Rut-ki to appear. When the instructor arrived, the students bowed with respect, but Bin-lu noticed that Wei-ra did not bow. That lack of respect bothered him, even if the instructor did not notice. As Rut-ki explained the technique that she would teach, Bin-lu tried to understand Wei-ra's hostility.

  All of a sudden the answer came into focus. If Wei-ra had suspected that someone had been within the Special Records section, he would have thoroughly reviewed the logs for the entire vault, not just the Special Records section. As an Intelligence Officer, he would have the authority to do so. He would have learned that Rut-ki had been seeking his records even after the investigation had been completed. If Wei-ra was indeed a murderer, Rut-ki's life was in danger.

  "I expect my students to pay attention when I instruct them," Rut-ki said loudly.

  Bin-lu looked up with embarrassment when he saw the entire class staring at him. "I am sorry," Bin-lu bowed with respect. "I was trying to will away my pain. It shall not happen again."

  "You are in pain?" asked Rut-ki. "Perhaps you should sit out for today's lesson."

  "No," Bin-lu replied quickly. "I am fine. Forgive my inattention. I am ready to learn."

  "Perhaps your ribs are broken," Wei-ra whispered as the instructor dragged the dummy across the floor. "You should have them looked at."

  "The pain will focus my learning," Bin-lu whispered back. "Do not worry about me."

  Wei-ra shrugged. The instructor demonstrated the technique and then called for exercise. The class progressed without incident, and Bin-lu dallied as the other students filed out of the room. When everyone had left, Bin-lu moved quickly to Rut-ki's side.

  "Come to my new quarters when you can," he whispered. "I am in the junior officers' section. My name is on the door."

  "What about?" Rut-ki asked in a normal tone.

  Bin-lu glanced at the doorway nervously. "Your life is in danger. Come when you can."

  Bin-lu moved quickly out of the training room and closed the door. He saw Wei-ra waiting for him.

  "You are moving slowly again," Wei-ra commented. "You appeared to have no infirmity during the practice."

  "I am glad you noticed nothing," smiled Bin-lu. "I was afraid that the instructor would make me leave if she thought I was in pain."

  "Impressive," Wei-ra responded. "It takes great control to block out one's pain, especially while performing flying kicks."

  "It does," Bin-lu chuckled, "but now I must go to my quarters and rest. I feel like you have kicked me all over again."

  "Let me take you to a healer," offered Wei-ra. "I feel bad about injuring you."

  "No," insisted Bin-lu. "Pain is a powerful instructor. One must learn to accept it as punishment for his mistakes."

  "But the mistake was not yours," frowned Wei-ra. "It was mine."

  "I disagree
," Bin-lu responded. "I should have anticipated such an event and defended myself against it. In the future I will remember this pain and not make the same mistake again."

  "I admire your attitude," Wei-ra replied. "I may be able to help your career if you maintain such an attitude. Are you interested in advancement?"

  "Oh yes," Bin-lu grinned. "I will excel at whatever tasks you require of me."

  "We shall see," Wei-ra said as he turned to leave. "I must learn more about you first. I cannot waste my recommendations on the unknown."

  "I understand," Bin-lu said eagerly.

  "Perhaps we can sit down tonight and discuss things," offered Wei-ra. "Are you agreeable?"

  Bin-lu wanted to see the case files for Wei-ra and Mu-chen before the meeting, but he feared losing the chance that had presented itself.

  "I am agreeable," Bin-lu blurted out. "Where shall we meet?"

  "Come to my quarters after sundown," replied the Intelligence Officer.

  Wei-ra turned and walked away. Bin-lu watched him leave and then returned to his quarters. He reclined on his bed and closed his eyes as he tried to figure out how to get into the Special Records section during the daytime. Around two hours had passed when someone knocked on his door. Bin-lu's eyes flew open, and he leaped to his feet. He opened the door to find Rut-ki standing in the corridor. He quickly ushered her into the room. Rut-ki looked at the small room and shook her head.

  "The room in the diplomatic section was much nicer," she said.

  "Comforts do not intrigue me," shrugged Bin-lu. "Sit down."

  Rut-ki sat in the only chair in the room while Bin-lu closed the door.

  "What do you know about my life being in danger?" she asked bluntly.

  "I cannot be sure," sighed Bin-lu, "but I believe that Wei-ra knows that you have asked for his records after the investigation was closed."

  "How could he possibly know that?" asked Rut-ki. "Seeing the logs would require an order from General Za-hong or the Governor."