The man stammered his response. "Principal, we had no idea. If we had known... He's being held over this way." He waved in the direction of the outbuildings.
"Take us there now."
"Aleks, do you think that's a good idea?" said the man from the gate.
"Do you know who this is?" said Aleks. "This is your Principal."
"But -- "
"But nothing, Malik. We will show them the way. Now!"
Malik ducked his head and beckoned them to follow as he turned toward the outbuildings. Aleks gestured for Men Darnak to follow and also headed off up the path branching away from the main house. "This way, please, Principal."
They reached a set of garages and barns. The old next to the new, thought Men Darnak. Always the way all over Aldaban. He waited while Aleks fiddled with a lock then slid back a broad door. Beside him, Malik muttered to his older companion.
"Shouldn't we inform the Guildmaster? Do you really know what you're doing?"
"Of course I know," hissed Aleks. "This is Principal Men Darnak. Now don't question. All in good time."
The others had now slid from the back of their animals and stood clustered around him. He turned and motioned the three men to stay. "Witness Kovaar, you will accompany me," he said.
Somehow, this open expression of his status, his authority seemed to have stripped some of the fog away from his thoughts.
"Aleks, is it?" The man nodded. "Who was it that ordered my man locked up?"
"It was Guildmaster Ky Menin."
"Ky Menin? What was he doing here?"
"I do not know, Principal."
"Hmm, perhaps he arrived with Roge. You," he said to the one called Malik. "Go and get Ky Menin and my son. Have them come here while I talk to Tchardo. Then they can explain themselves. Go!"
Malik scurried off to do his bidding.
Inside the garage sat two groundcars buried under broad sheets. There was a space for a third, but it lay empty. Around the walls were shelves, covered with servicing equipment. Further back, in the darkness, there was a dividing wall and a doorway off in one corner.
"Get some light in here," he said.
Aleks crossed to a shelf, retrieved a lantern and lit it. Men Darnak nodded, walked briskly between the two dormant groundcars and headed for the back doorway with Kovaar and Aleks in tow. He tried the door, but it was locked. He motioned Aleks to attend to it. Aleks fiddled with the door, and it swung open. He held the lantern above his head, casting a dim yellow light through the doorway and into the back room. Hunched on a pallet in the far corner sat a miserable bedraggled figure, blinking at the sudden brightness.
"Tchardo, what are you doing here?" said Men Darnak.
"I'm afraid I had little choice in the matter, Principal," said the Atavist.
Men Darnak stepped into the room followed by the other two. "What have you done, Atavist?" he said.
"By the Prophet, nothing, Principal. I came here to deliver your message as you requested." He swung his legs from the pallet and sat, pushing his hair back from his eyes.
There had to be more. "And?"
"Nothing, Principal. Your son was not here. Instead, I spoke with Guildmasters Ka Vail and Ky Menin. That man Edvin was here too."
Men Darnak was suddenly furious with the man's temerity. This was unbelievable. "Why are you concocting tales, Tchardo? What do you hope to gain? The Guildmasters would not do this to any of my people. What have you tried to do? Was it something with Roge? I know that he's quick to anger. Tell me!"
Tchardo stood. His robes were streaked with dried mud, and there was a dark smudge on one cheek, which could have been more mud, but it could conceivably have been a bruise.
"I'm telling you the truth, Principal. As the Prophet is my witness."
"No. Inconceivable."
Further discussion was interrupted by the reappearance of Malik who cleared his throat before speaking. His discomfort was evident as he delivered his message.
"Guildmaster Ky Menin is otherwise occupied. He cannot be disturbed right now. Principal Men Darnak has left."
Men Darnak turned on the man. "What! Did I hear you correctly?" The man swallowed. "Go back to the house. Get Ka Vail. I will not stand for this any longer. Do it now!"
