The knocks continued on.
Giving in in spite of his strict adherence to respecting the rituals that took place under his watch, Umdochar ordered the Quams to invite the intruder in. He was prepared to rant and scare this fellow for disobeying customs that Umdochar had sought to reform decades ago. He did not take kindly to those who overstepped their boundaries. Those boundaries existed for a reason, and this boundary was quite made known because Du Quamship anointments did not happen every year.
Stepping through the doors with a golden scroll in hand was a rather popular elder minister of the Tirkju'a's side, the Quam Helnah'm. Umdochar recognized him upon sight when he caught a glimpse of the white furs that hung over his shoulders—polar bear hide, a gift from Umdochar himself to his most loyal vassals.
"Du Quam Umdochar." Helnah'm bowed. He turned to Nubejul, bowing also after he's given him a quick lookover. "Du Quam Tavhaii."
"Helnah'm, do you know what day it is today?" Umdochar tilted his head, his lips forming a grimace.
Helnah'm straightened and presented the scroll before the two Du Quams. "Forgive me for this. It has just come to my attention that a request from Katill Broiis was held up in transit for a considerable period. It had arrived just this morning." He threw Nubejul an unreadable glance. "Addressed to the I Du Quam Tavhaii."
"Me?"
"It is urgent," Helnah'm added, eager to gauge the Du Quams' mood in entertaining the concern.
"A request?" Umdochar raised a brow, unconvinced. "Requests, and especially those from Katill Broiis, don't come to Du Quams until they are in actively in service." Umdochar looked around the room, catching Nubejul's confused gaze in doing so. As they are locked in sight, he continued, "You must be wrong. Perhaps it were for me?"
Helnah'm gulped, and with his chin tucked under his head, he muttered, "I was told it is for the I Du Quam Tavhaii. You must see for yourself, Du Quam."
"Then give me that!" Umdochar snatched the scroll from Helnah'm's hands. He never liked any delays to his correspondences especially if it came directly from Katill Broiis. What he saw on the seal didn't please him one bit. It was his only chance to feel assured about the whole situation. He looked at Helnah'm as if he had committed a terrible act against him.
"Why did this have to come now? Are we very much behind on the latest decrees? Or does the Order now circulate much hastily for us to even respond sooner?" Umdochar groaned in frustration, shaking his head. He looked around the room with the same accusing eye. "And these had to pass through slow dogs like you before it could reach me, a competent Quam."
Helnah'm thought he should step in to ease the tension. "Now, Du Quam Umdochar..."
"The rest of you—worthless," Umdochar spatted. He gave the contents of the scroll another look over, perhaps to assure himself that he had been reading right, and has all the more reason and justification to be as angry as he was. With this delay, Nubejul couldn't wait for the suspense any longer, and soon after he got a moment to collect his thoughts, he spoke up:
"What does it ask of me?"
Umdochar didn't face him at all, only seeming to be so absorbed by the message in the scroll that his lip quivered upon looking away. He paced back and forth. "Oh, you would not believe it. The Parrhadomme—"
"The Parrhadomme?" Nubejul nodded, affirming.
"The Great Parrhadomme beseeches you, Du Quam Tavhaii, to determine who is most appropriate for the position of the Sijarkes' head of scribes," Umdochar said slowly as he paced away from Nubejul. "From within the list His Omniscience's scribes provided."
Umdochar turned and presented the list to all those present in the room so they may see the amount of candidates Katill Broiis had considered for this rather enviable position. This sparked up a great deal of discussion as the Quams began chattering about, theorizing who could possibly be in that list. It was truly a coveted position, for this the man in such a position could see the entire layout of affairs within the Sijarkes court and is continually exposed to many of her correspondences and acquaintances, keeping in touch and keeping record of all her activities.
Nubejul Tavhaii knew that, to his knowledge, no one who would be fit for the task for he had no idea how the Sijarkes liked to work. In his defense, he hasn't even met her yet!
But he had to comply as it was the first task ordered unto him. He can't deny the pressure he felt when all the Quams who stood witness to the ritual and the reading of this request were gathering around him, encouraging him to take this task on and welcome the honor. And he knew from watching Umdochar at work that, as a leader, you must not disappoint your people. So he stood up gracefully, with as much care as he typically placed into his actions, and looked at Umdochar straight in the eye with a hand out extending towards him.
"Let me see it. If I am merely asked to choose then I have no problem with that. I can be trusted with that decision.
The room fell silent as Umdochar's mind worked, looking back at his spirit son's steely emerald gaze, weighing the options in his mind. He could always just pass off the decision as Nubejul's while he decided the matter himself; there was no harm in being too careful. He knew how to weed individuals from a list; an administrative position in the secretariat was much too sensitive for just any regular courtier.
But seeing Nubejul stand before him like this, it stirred something in him—a kind of feeling which made all stern reason surrender before him. He had to give all that to his spirit son.
"Please be rational, then, Du Quam Tavhaii." He found himself saying before he realized what that meant.
Nubejul swung his staff and levitated the scroll to unravel before him, and he turned away to ponder on the choice.
In the meantime, Umdochar came to Helnah'm side, watching the regent Du Quam from afar. Quam Helnah'm was still his most trusted minister-quam. Whenever he was away, Helnah'm took charge of Nubejul because he could not trust Kedrik enough for that. He knew Kedrik harbored suspicions towards the boy, but Helnah'm had always loved him even as a child. They shared that same sentiment and grew to like each other though their opposing natures and dispositions come into conflict on many occasions.
"Your boy would be serving two courts. How he's grown," Helnah'm chuckled.
To his surprise, though not truly unsurprising, Umdochar groaned in frustration, shaking his head. "Helnah'm, this is preposterous. In all the years I've served the Tirkju'a, I was never given the chance to decide a single one of his scribes. Not once in three hundred thirty-four years!" Umdochar's face was always so even and unreadable but now his face betrayed everything. Helnah' knew not what to make of it, and he knew he must be very careful with his words lest he might assume and offend the Du Quam.
Umdochar felt his hesitation. "No, I'm not envious. I was the one who taught him all he needed to know—geography, diplomacy, language, all sorts of skills he would be required of to properly look after the Tirkju'a's business." He gave Helnah'm a knowing glance. "I am still here to help him carry the burden of the Sijarkes', too."
"I understand your sacrifices, Du Quam," Helnah'm affirmed. "They are very much acknowledged. You've raised a fine Du Quam. Why worry?"
Umdochar whispered harshly, "I am just flabbergasted at how fickle the Order has become as of late. I am utterly sick of it all. I break my back to keep the Order together, and for what?"