Lyra looked towards the noise at the door, wiping the beginning tears from her eyes.
“Is this a bad time?” StarWind asked. “Jostin said you wanted to see us right away, but we can come back later.”
“Yes, it is a bad time,” Lyra stated shaking her head vigorously, but Malafar rose out of his chair.
“Come in,” he commanded. “This news is important. I can wait off to the side while you report. After you are done, we can continue our family talk.”
StarWind looked back and forth between Lyra and her father, but HawkShadow strode in and took one of the available chairs in front of the desk. Malafar had already retreated to a chair in the corner by the door and StarWind finally stepped forward and seated herself in the chair next to HawkShadow.
“Very well,” sniffed Lyra as she lowered her head to wipe her eyes. “What did Mayor Ferde have to say? Did you get in to see him?”
“We did,” grinned HawkShadow. “A little help from Fisher didn’t hurt.”
“Fisher?” Lyra asked with surprise. “I thought he was on his way to Khadora with Lord Marak.”
“He probably is now,” chuckled StarWind. “He was on the palace grounds, dressed as an Imperial Guard Captain. He distracted the patrols while HawkShadow and I stole into the mansion.”
“Amazing,” commented Lyra. “How did the Mayor react to your file?”
“With a great deal of surprise and skepticism,” StarWind reported. “He said that he knew we believed it, but he will most certainly check it out himself. I threw him the bonus of Klaarg’s whereabouts. I figured getting Ferde to believe us is more important than any benefit we get out of capturing Alazar’s henchman.”
“Good choice,” agreed Lyra, “although I would love to repay Klaarg myself for the attack on the Academy. Do you think Ferde will help remove Alazar from power and end this war?”
“No,” interjected HawkShadow. “Even if he believes everything we have shown him, he will raise no hand against the Katana.”
“Are you sure?” Lyra persisted.
“We’re sure,” StarWind agreed. “He said as much.”
“Then the trip was wasted,” sighed Lyra.
“I don’t agree,” asserted StarWind. “Feeding the people of Campanil is victory enough to justify the trip. They are not our enemy and we should take solace that we were able to help them. Besides, Ferde will stop his call for war and try to convince everyone else that the conflict is not called for. That was the goal of our mission and I believe it was accomplished. There must be some way to either get Alazar out of power or at least hinder his ability to make war on us.”
Lyra pursed her lips in thought for a moment and then looked at HawkShadow. “Our assassin could visit Okata and relieve the Omungans of their new Katana,” she suggested.
“No,” StarWind nearly shouted. “That would be the biggest mistake of all. That would ensure that the Omungans need to wipe us out. We must find a way of dealing with Alazar that does not implicate us in the eyes of the Omungan people.”
Lyra nodded acquiescence and prodded the two Sakovans for a detailed report of their conversation with Mayor Ferde. Interrupted by questions from the Star, the report took over an hour. As StarWind and HawkShadow rose to leave, Lyra noticed that Master Malafar was gone.
“Darn!” exclaimed Lyra. “Did either of you notice when Malafar left?”
StarWind turned to gaze at the empty seat in the corner and shook her head. “Guess I was too absorbed in the meeting to notice,” she declared.
“Would you send Jostin to find him when you leave?” asked Lyra. “I need to finish that conversation with him.”
StarWind nodded and she left the office with HawkShadow in tow. Lyra fidgeted nervously around her desk for a long while and finally her patience ran out. She started to storm out of the office and almost bumped into Jostin as the young boy was charging into her office.
“Sorry,” Jostin panted as he bowed to the Star. “I have looked everywhere and cannot find him. He has disappeared.”
“I doubt that he disappeared,” Lyra said softly as she fretted about finding his body somewhere. “Tell Temiker and StormSong that I want to see them.”
Jostin bowed swiftly and took off at a run. Lyra returned to her desk and paced furiously back and forth until Temiker arrived.
“Trouble?” he asked looking around the office.
“Malafar is missing,” Lyra stated. “I think you may have been right about his suicidal tendencies. Temiker, I am worried about him. Jostin can not find him and I am afraid when we do find him, it will just be his body.”
“Calm yourself, Lyra”, soothed Temiker. “Even if he is thinking along the lines you are worried about, I am not sure that he will do it. Many people stop just before the deed is done and realize what they are doing.”
“Perhaps,” Lyra began to reply when StormSong came into the office. Lyra looked sharply at the warrior and thought briefly before speaking, “StormSong, I want you to organize a search for Master Malafar. Take him into custody when you find him, but do not harm him. Gather as many people as you need to search as quickly as you can. I want him found fast.”
“What is he resists?” StormSong asked.
“Do not harm him,” instructed Lyra. “He has done nothing wrong, but I want him in custody.”
StormSong nodded and spun out of the office.
“What did he say?” prodded Temiker.
“He is full of guilt,” sobbed Lyra. “I tried to talk him into starting an academy here, but he would have nothing to do with it.”
“Did he just leave?” questioned Temiker. “I mean did he just get up and walk out of the office?”
“No,” responded Lyra. “StarWind and HawkShadow came to report on their trip to Campanil and he ushered them in and sat in the back while they spoke. I am afraid that I got so wrapped up in the report that I forgot about him. When the meeting was over, I noticed that he was gone.”
“Maybe he just got tired of waiting,” suggested Temiker. “Was it a long meeting?”
“I am afraid it was,” admitted the Star. “I needed to know every little detail. Darn, I should pay more attention.”
“Easy, Lyra,” Temiker said as he put his arm around Lyra to comfort her. “He may have just gone to one of the gardens to think. Let them search before you get so riled up.”
“You are right of course,” sighed Lyra, “but I cannot help but think the worst. He was so remorseful and full of guilt. He blames himself so much that he could never believe that we forgive him.”
“That is easy to believe,” soothed Temiker. “Malafar has always been hard on himself, but that is nothing new. You are getting worried over nothing.”
“You are probably right, Uncle,” Lyra sighed. “You would know him best. Will you wait with me until the search party finds him? I would like you in on the discussion this time. Perhaps together we can get through to him.”
“Certainly,” smiled Temiker. “He will not be able to resist the two of us together,” he chuckled.
Lyra’s spirits lifted somewhat, but she still paced around the room with agitation. Suddenly, she stopped short next to the chair at the rear of the room and bent over to pick up a piece of paper that was lying on it. It was a very small piece of paper and she broke into hysterical crying as she read it. Temiker rushed over and pried the slip of paper out of her hands and read it. He stared at the three words for a moment and then turned the paper over looking for more. The reverse side was blank.
Lyra raced to the door of her office screaming for Jostin. Temiker moved up beside her and put his arm around her and she flung it off hysterically. Jostin came at a run and slid to a halt before the Star. He looked expectantly at his beloved leader and waited for her to stop crying long enough to give him his orders.
Lyra shook her head wildly as her whole body quivered. She finally managed to squeak out the words, “Tell StormSong to hurry. Now!”
Jostin took off like a rabbit and Temiker forcibly dragged Lyra to a chair and made her sit. With his strong hands on her shoulders he held her down until she ran out of tears and her body subsided.