"In two weeks, he shall be in the city Ama, which is near to the heart of Anadan. And if his campaign ever gets to the Heroes city, then those opposing him are doomed." Leonard said almost raising his voice.
Matt shivered when he heard the Heroes city. The thought of his mother and brothers pictured itself in his memory. He might not like them, but he wasn't ready to see their free will ripped out from their humanity. And there was Annabel Peters, Jeff's mother. What will become of her if King Zack ever gets to the Heroes city? And worst still, what will she do when she hears that Jeff is missing?
"What do you propose we do, sneak out from the school again?" Matt asked not lifting his gaze. Many possible events etched on his mind. With Jeff and Ema gone, and this dictator who called himself Zack closing in on the Heroes city, the thought of doing nothing angered him that his head nearly explodes.
"Nothing, until Jeff and Ema returns" Sandra said for the first time. Matt lifted his gaze to study her. Her features remained unchangeable and even now she was still staring at the crowd like a spy. Silence enveloped their little company for a while before Pinna broke it.
"What is the rhombus court saying about this?"
"Well, no one has heard from the court of five since this whole episode started. It's obvious; they might be standing with general Zack just like Dr. Jakins" Sandra said absent-mindedly.
"Dr. Jakins?" Matt asked and lifted his gaze to Leonard in bewilderment.
"He was the one who built the happy tech. No one in Anadan is smart enough to build such device. If you ask me, the king should have treated him better. None of this mess would have happened if the king treated him at least fairly." Raz said.
Matt looked at the boy with disgust. It took a great deal of effort to resist the urge of splattering the now lukewarm coffee on Raz. He knew what the older boy meant about the king not treating the doctor fairly. He was referring to the incident which occurred a year back, in that historic race Jeff won.
Matt shook his head with regret, he was about to say something when the whole room shook and took away whatever he was about to say. The clattering of tea cups and spoons came and died almost immediately with the noise from the crowd. Silence stretched out among the students as everybody started with mixed expression. Nobody moved, everywhere was dead with silence.
Somebody coughed and as if that was a signal, the noise from the student resumed, more vigorous than before.
"It's getting worse" Pinna complained "How long before the world crush down on our head" She picked up her spoon from the floor, stared at it for a while and dropped it on the table, as though it was already contaminated with communicable disease.
"What do you think is the cause of this abnormality? This godforsaken quake of the earth started immediately Jeff and Ema went through that door" Matt complained looking at no one in particular.
"Patience Matt, your friends are okay. And the quaking of the world has nothing to do with their departure through the tunnel." Raz said with confidence in his usual quiet tone.
The attention of the students went to the door as it dropped opened, to reveal a man in black armor. Two gold rings with the symbol of an eagle clutching a snake, pinned itself on both side of his shoulders, holding a green cape that flutter slightly behind him and was almost touching the ground. His hair was dark with streaks of gray on its left side. Behind him stood the principal, and some of the staff of the academy.
"Eat up grade one; we've got some training to do. The rest of you should get back to class." The man's deep voice echoed even as he closed the door behind him and walked the way he had come.
"Who was that" Ham asked and stared at the metallic door, where the man had egress. The student, especially those in grade one wore confused looks, which made the noise in the cafeteria increase.
"That was Campter, the first inquisitor of the rhombus court." Sandra said carefully. She was no longer studying the crowd and her calmness seemed to be ebbing with the sunlight that was just touching the far corner of the cafeteria hall. "Something must be off, the last time an inquisitor showed in this academy it led to the building of the third gate."
"From the record, it means a meeting between the inquisitor and the staff would be held in the grand hall tonight. I suggest we spy on them to gather more information." Raz said "Rub the bridge of your nose if you are in." Raz's calmness was now replaced with curiosity as his eyes flickered from one person to the next. None of his friends seemed to agree with him on this one.