“When Alfred first came here, I would have agreed with you,” Alazar shook his head. “As First Minister, one of my jobs is to check out government employees of the highest level. The Monitors fall into this category. Do you remember a man coming to your home and asking questions about Alfred after he became a Monitor?”
“Certainly,” Master Malafar declared, “and I answered them all truthfully. It was about a year after Alfred joined the Monitors. The questions were not especially pointed in any event. Mostly it was about his training and grades and relationships with any groups.”
“Precisely,” nodded Alazar. “They are pretty much standard questions asked of all recruits. We send men out to talk to the families and people in the towns and villages where the recruits come from. The problem is that we do this right after or right before the recruit enters the Monitors, not a year later. Alfred was such a promising recruit that we did not really scrutinize his reports very well at first. After a while the Katana asked me to investigate him again. He was not specific with his reasons and I chose not to question the Holy Katana as to why he wanted it done. I went over the reports thoroughly and noticed the discrepancy in your report. Alfred was missing a year of his life.”
“That is not possible,” frowned Master Malafar. “Alfred joined the Monitors a year before I was questioned about him. We were all so proud of him.”
“Think for a moment,” suggested the First Minister. “You understand why we gather such information. Why would we wait a year to investigate? That would be putting the Katana at risk for an entire year because we could not afford the time of a clerk to go get the report? I personally found it hard to believe, so I started having him watched. He was always a very observant person and he knew he was being watched. He also knew it was my men who were watching him. Yes Alfred began to hate me and yes he had cause to. I was on the verge of having him arrested for discrepancies in his record when the Katana ordered his execution. I fought against it because Alfred had not actually done anything wrong, but the Katana did not care. He was sure that Alfred was a Sakovan spy and the execution was carried out before I could try to talk with Alfred to find out what he was doing for that year.”
“You mean he was executed without proof of the charges?” Master Malafar asked, his voice rising in pitch and volume.
Alazar nodded. “Without even the benefit of a hearing. I was disgusted. Not because Alfred was a close friend, because he was not. I was disgusted because the Katana, the holy leader of our country, would not even allow the boy to speak in his own defense. I was left to inform the family that their son was executed because the Katana wished it. It was a task I could not do. Another student died the same day in Okata. He died in a freak accident and I made up a story that Alfred had died saving the Katana’s life from an assassin. It is wrong of me to do, but I could not let anyone know that a heartless cruel man was running the country. I should have. There have been many more such deaths since Alfred. That is why I tell you now. Someone must know other than me.”
Master Malafar lowered his head and wept. His son. His only son. Purposely murdered to protect some old fool. He could accept the story that Alazar had created years ago. At least he had grieved with dignity when he thought Alfred lost his life serving his country, but to hear the real reason for his son’s death shot through him like the ice on a winter pond. All these years he had blamed his brother Temiker for Alfred’s death, only to hear that the story was fabricated.
“How could you have done that?” sobbed Master Malafar. “I have blamed my brother for Alfred’s death all these years because of your tale.”
“I am truly sorry,” Alazar stated. “I did not know the student was one of Temiker’s at the time. Afterwards, I could not change the false story I made up or the truth would have come out. I have devoted my life to protecting the Katana. I could not let everyone know that he was killing innocent young men. I do not know what to do now. I am sworn to protect the Katana and yet I cannot go on watching these senseless killings. I fear my only option is to resign and go into seclusion.”
“Running away from a problem never solved it,” lectured Master Malafar straightening himself and regaining his composure. “There must be something that can be done. There must be laws against such abuse of power.”
“The Holy Katana is above the law,” stated the First Minister. “Perhaps that is why there are so many assassination attempts these days. Of course, nobody will succeed. Weapons cannot be brought anywhere near him and his shields will protect him against even the most powerful wizard. He will go on killing until he reaches a ripe old age. No, I must consider running away, Master Malafar. I cannot watch the slaughter any more. I will work on your release as swiftly as I can,” he said rising from the bed. “I want you out of here before he thinks you are a spy as well. You have suffered more than any Omungan deserves to. I must go now.”
Master Malafar sat in a daze digesting the information he had learned as the First Minister left the cell. He had been a blind fool. Temiker and he had been close as youngsters. Even into their middle ages they had been more than brothers, they had been good friends. Malafar had destroyed that. He had cast Rhodella aside as well for she always tried to affect reconciliation between Temiker and himself, a reconciliation that he would have no part of. Now she was dead because of his foolishness. Dozens of people were dead because he had refused to use his power to stop the attack on the academy. Lyra was probably dead as well. Temiker too.
Master Malafar rose and started pacing his cell. All of this death because the Council had chosen a lunatic to run the country. So many lives ruined for no good cause. Well, enough was enough, he reasoned. He was prepared to die for his country when he was captured. He was no less prepared now than he was then. So the Katana had shields to protect him, did he? Reinforced by some student? Malafar laughed. There is no student alive that could produce a shield that he could not penetrate. Master Malafar still had a life to give to his country, but now he also had a plan to take one for his country as well. When Master Malafar got done with Okata, the Katana’s Council would be meeting to select a new Katana.
The First Minister walked into the Council Chamber and assumed his position to the right of the Katana. He smiled inwardly at the empty seat where the Minister of Defense normally sat.
“Ministers,” announced Alazar when everyone was seated, “the Katana’s Council is now in session. It is with profound regret that I must inform you that the Minister of Defense, Doharte, was murdered last night. As is the custom, this Council must choose a replacement. I open the floor for suggestions.”
The Minister of Agriculture, Asgarte, rose. “It has been quite some time since we have had to fill a vacancy,” the overweight man began. “I was not sure of the proper procedures so I invited General Didyk here to speak. I believe he will make an excellent replacement for Minister Doharte.”
There were murmurs around the table and Alazar fumed. It was not the proper procedure, as Minister Asgarte probably knew. The Council was to discuss the matter and select the individual without opportunity for outside discussion. Didyk was unpredictable and uncontrollable. Alazar could not accept him as a replacement for Doharte, but most of the other ministers would. The General had an excellent record and he was very aggressive. Alazar would rather have Doharte still alive than allow Didyk a seat on the Council.
“This is not the proper procedure,” announced the First Minister. “We do not allow the candidate to walk in and address us. This is a decision for us alone. The are many fine Generals in the army and to select one of them is hard enough as it is without you inviting one of them and not the others.”
“We cannot slight General Didyk now that he has been invited though,” declared the Katana. “We should invite him in to speak and then begin our own discussion after he has left. If we wish, we may decide to extend the same opportunity to the other candidates, or we may not.”