Chapter Thirteen

From a completed epic fantasy novel told across two time periods.

Lydee

The sound of a large object falling onto the floor and breaking apart told her she was close to her quarry. She hurried down the hallway, purposefully looking straight ahead. On her side, boxes, tools for excavation, and potsherds lay haphazardly placed. All were covered in dirt, and many in dust as well.

I recall that Woller spoke highly of the man. However, Woller also spoke of him as though he were much older, and my friend was anything but young. Perhaps his senses have left him in the intervening years. She couldn’t help herself from taking a quick glance at the floor, her latent curiosity proving too strong to resist. Never mind. Some of these items have clearly been here for years.

She reached her destination and paused to mentally prepare herself before making her presence known. “I will have to take my time when considering who to blame for this,” a voice said from inside the office. Hero guide me.

“Greetings, Iniko,” Lydee said, making her voice as cheerful as she could.

A tiny old man was on his hands and knees on the floor, sifting through clay sherds. His white hair was wild. The reddish-brown dust on his clothes and face only accentuated Lydee’s fears. “Historian,” he nodded. “Have you been standing there long?”

“I only just arrived,” Lydee said.

“Not a candidate for guilt then,” Iniko said before returning his gaze to the floor. “No matter. I have more students than usual this semester.”

“May I have a minute of your time, Iniko?”

“If you return it afterwards, yes.”

Lydee frowned. Then the old man looked up, brushed himself off and stood. “A joke, of course,” he smiled. “I will enthusiastically find another manner in which you may repay me for my time.”

“Yes… well. I will be quick, I assure you. I only wanted to ask a few questions about an old friend of ours.”

“Who?”

“Woller.”

“I liked him. He appreciated my work. At least, he said he did. I assumed he was not being facetious. He saw the value in what I do- no! What I invented! What I brought into being!”

“I was under a similar impression,” Lydee said. “The two of you collaborated on a paper some years back, yes?”

“Indeed, we did. Our disciplines are intertwined. That is what I have been attempting to get across. My work is connected to so many other subjects.”

“Yes, Woller spoke along those lines. Iniko, what do you know of Woller’s disappearance?”

“He disappeared?”

“Yes. Roughly two years ago. Did you not notice his absence?”

“I assumed he had died.”

“Um, I do not believe that to be what occurred. There are rumors as to his sudden departure. Rumors that he had a covert relationship with a student.”

“If it was covert, how do you know about it?”

Lydee grinded her teeth. “Woller… undersold your intellectual prowess.”

“They all do. Let me give you another example so that you may avoid the same error of judgement in the future. You have been investigating our friend’s disappearance, and have come to me to see what I may know. As to his love life, I know nothing. The idea of sleeping with a student is repulsive, and, I believe, highly unlikely.”

“For him or for you?”

The old man shot her a nasty look. “Both. Now, while I may know nothing on that front, I know much about many other subjects. You would like to know what Woller and I spoke about the last time we were in each other’s company?”

“Please.”

“That I remember well. I will also remember this conversation well, so do not insult me more than you already have. And wipe that look off of your face! The nature of our conversation regarded his research at the time. This was, as you had mentioned, roughly two years past. He came to me requesting to view artifacts from the early days of the Xu dynasty. I, of course, had many. And I still do as I refused to allow him to take any out of my sight.”

“Do you know specifically what he was researching?”

“I do. But I will now make you wait for interrupting me.”

The scrawny old man folded his arms and stared at Lydee. She broke eye contact and scanned the room. It was filled with dusty artifacts. There were domestic items such as plates and pots, mostly made of clay. There were martial objects as well, swords, shields, and arrow heads. She could not deny it was an impressive collection. Standing there, surrounded by objects that were possibly thousands of years old, she felt as though she were coming to a true appreciation of Iniko’s work. Maybe if the man shut up, he would have more converts.

A few minutes passed and then Iniko unfolded his arms. “That seems a sufficient amount of time for your punishment,” he said. “Woller informed me that he was researching prices of luxury goods during that time period. He wished to see if the units of measurement had been the same in those days as they are in ours. They were, in fact, identical. Curious, no? That so much would remain constant over such a long period of time? No human has been known to live more than a century, and yet, society appears relatively stable. As if there were a guiding hand, helping us along.”

Lydee chose to keep yet another comment to herself. This one, however, was not an insult born of frustration. This comment was a belief that she held. The Hero still lives. And his words guide us. You may not yet acknowledge that, Iniko, but I believe you, and many, many others will before this year is out.

“That is what I know of our friend’s studies,” Iniko said, without a hint of suspicion towards Lydee’s silence. “That is what I know,” he continued unabated, “but not all that I believe. I have deduced that Woller was curious as to the effects of the much-maligned tariffs that have crippled Xu’s economy. He would be interested in learning the effects of tariffs in Xu’s past so as to make a comparison.” He then paused for a moment, a frown on his face. “Are you sure he is not deceased?”

“To be honest, I am not. But I believe he lives. And until I find evidence of his death, I will continue as though he is still with us.”

“You spent the time of your punishment looking over my collection. A fraction of it, in truth. I see you have come to the inevitable conclusion that archaeology is a noble and important pursuit. However, you may not take a single object with you. Is that understood?”

“Yes. I will do my best to fight the urge to steal.”

“As will I, to inflict another punishment for that cruel barb.”

Lydee had already begun to slowly back out the door. “Thank you, professor. When I find Woller, I will inform him as to your kind words.”

“If you find him alive, you may add that I am pleased he is not dead.”

Lydee waited for the elderly man to get back to work, then left as quickly and silently as she could.