Sebastian's call worked wonder. Ronald felt rejuvenated – as if he drank some elixir of hope – like he was still in the competition. "Now, now, Samson," he ordered the driver. "Please hurry."
In no time they were in front of the palace. It was a three storey stone structure with marble domes and had a tall seven storey gothic tower. Seeing the limousine two guards rushed to the place and opened the iron gate. Ronald was stunned to see the large garden surrounding the palace. The entrance gate held the emblem of a multi-headed cobra and on the arch was written "numquam contrubati sunt." A tall lanky man with tanned skin – perhaps the king's personal assistant, lead Ronald inside the palace. There were several arches and spectacular wood works on the way. If it were a normal time Ronald would have given ample attention to them; but now his mission demanded his whole-hearted attention. Inside a spacious and heavily decorated drawing room there was sitting the king. Seeing Ronald he woke up. Ronald was astounded by the tall and brawny figure of the king. He was a fair man with a pair of proud moustaches. He shook hand with Ronald. The king seated himself on a large white throne like seat. On close observation Ronald could guess that the seat on which the king was sitting was made of ivory. Complete ivory – no wood, no plastic. Then the king requested Ronald to seat on an expensive wooden chair before him. The personal assistant was standing beside the king. Samson, the driver, stood beside Ronald, his head down. Ronald did not seat. He could see a spacious garden at the right side of the room. He asked the king, "How about a stroll around the garden? My legs are weary of sitting."
The king smirked and gave his moustache a twirl. The king asked Ronald to follow him and when his personal assistant was following them, he bared him.
Ronald said, "We have a similar garden. We grow only roses there."
The king said, "We will be glad if we were sent some unique roses from your beautiful garden."
Ronald delayed; yet smirked and said nothing. He just clapped his hands. Samson rushed out of the drawing room.
"Oh I see, you have already a bouquet of them," said the king.
Ronald smirked and said, "I am sorry to disappoint you; but I have some other gifts this time."
Now Samson, the driver, came back with a bunch of books. Ronald took one of them and said, "The business I am here is these books. One friend of mine had asked me to gift you these books whenever I came Triges. Well I never had the occasion to come to this state. For decades I could not fulfill my friend's request. But as I was preparing for coming this state my personal assistant reminded me to take these books with me." Then he presented the book in his hand to the king. Cunningly Ronald had put a peacock feather on that page where Andrew had mentioned about the feast thrown by the king.
"Is your friend Andrew Long!" asked the king pleasantly surprised.
Ronald winked.
"Oh, good old Andrew," sighed the king. "Haven't in contact with me for last two decades I guess. The last time I saw him was September 30, 1998. – How is our dearest friend?"
"Oh, pardon me sir, I am also ignorant of this fact. Two decades yes. I have been trying to find him ever since. Who knows, did he totally immerse himself in his research? Or did some criminal group or some secret society have abducted him? I don't know."
"Oh," sighed the king. "I wish our friend must be alive and that to be in a good condition. – I remember him; he was in perfect physical and mental condition. I don't consider any form of illness could have mangled his spirit or body."
"Pardon me," interjected Ronald. "I am curious how you became friends?"
The king asked, "Well, haven't ever Andrew mentioned it to you?"
"No, Your Highness must have known his friend's secretive traits!"
"Yes, I can not deny the fact that he is somewhat secretive. Well, our friendship is not a matter to be kept secretively. We were school mates…"
The king's personal assistant came to them and declared, "Your Highness, the lunch is ready. We must not delay."
The king invited Ronald to join him in the lunch. South Indian dishes like rice, rasam, sambar and chutney etc. were served. Then licking chutney the king became nostalgic. "Andrew liked this chutney very much. Sir, you should try it too."
Ronald took a spoonful of chutney in his plate.
The king resumed, "The last but one time we met, and we went Adam and Eve islands on a trip..."
Ronald interrupted, "With families?"
"No, with friends. – I remember I hunted there full-heartedly. Of course small games. There we made this chutney from sparrow flesh. Andrew used to eat whole bowls of it."
Ronald tasted the bitter chutney. He could not understand why Andrew liked this bitter chutney. A strange guy: he thought and asked, "Did he participate in hunting with you?"
The king said, "No, I hunted with my other friends. But Andrew liked the chutney."
Ronald could tell that more than Andrew, the king himself liked the chutney. Then directly and indirectly Ronald tried to ask the probable whereabouts of Andrew; but the king seemed clueless.