spirits. Frankly, I am worried about him, General."
"Worried?" frowned General Ortega. "About Lavitor? Why?"
"I think he is losing his mind," sighed Naveena. "He has daily nightmares and wakes up sweating. One minute he is kissing me passionately, and the next he is beating me horribly. There is something terribly wrong with him, and I don't know what to do."
"This is the first that I have heard of this," replied the general. "Are not your wisper skills capable of helping him?"
"I have tried," sighed Naveena, "but I cannot find the source of his dementia. If it gets any worse, I may have to have him locked away for his own safety. He gets so violent sometimes."
"Locked away?" echoed the general. "Surely things have not gotten that bad?"
Shouts rang through the corridor outside the office, and the general rose from his chair as if that would enable him to hear better. The shouts were indistinguishable, but they clearly indicated some type of calamity. Loud footsteps rose above the shouting, and the door to the general's office flew open. A panting officer stood in the doorway. His face was a mask of remorse.
"The king is dead!" he shouted across the room.
"Report," demanded the general.
"Servants were preparing a bath for the king," The officer said after he caught his breath. "As they brought in the last buckets of water, they found the king with a knife plunged into his chest."
"An assassin!" gasped the general. "Shut down the palace immediately. No one enters or exits without my express permission."
"There is no need," the officer shook his head. "The assassin was still in the room when the servants returned. We have him in custody."
"And how did he gain entrance to the palace?" inquired the general.
"He lives here," frowned the officer. "The assassin is the king's advisor, Lavitor."
"Oh, mercy!" wailed Naveena. "Oh, no! This cannot be," she added as she collapsed to the floor and fainted.
A sudden silence filled the room as the general thought about the ramifications of the officer's report. While the silence lasted less than a minute, it seemed an eternity to those present. Finally, the general's training broke the silence.
"I still want the palace sealed," ordered the general. "Lavitor is to be put in a cell immediately. There will be no consideration of his station, and make sure that he is not capable of harming himself. I want him guarded every minute. Escort the wisper to her suite, and post a guard outside. She is not to be disturbed until she feels well enough to emerge on her own."
"As you command," saluted the officer as he moved to pick up the unconscious wisper.
"I also want the council of advisors to assemble," the general continued. "Send two officers to Lavitor's office. Find the king's will and bring it to me."
"Two officers?" questioned the officer.
"Two," nodded the general. "I will take no chances of anyone tampering with the king's last wishes. No one person is to be in custody of the will until it is read to the council, not even myself."
The officer nodded and picked up the unconscious wisper. He carried her out of the office and began shouting orders to soldiers milling in the corridor. Within moments the palace was sealed, and the will was delivered to the general. The general ordered the two officers to remain in his office until he was informed that the council had assembled. When word arrived, General Ortega and the two officers marched to the council chambers. The general placed the will on the table and dismissed the officers.
"Gentlemen," General Ortega addressed the council. "The king is dead. As the assassin was the king's advisor, I have taken it upon myself to obtain the king's will and deliver it to the council."
"Lavitor?" gasped one of the advisors. "That is impossible."
"It may be impossible," the general shook his head, "but he was caught in the act. The servants found him holding the bloody knife. Lavitor's wife also informed me that the king's advisor had been
"Worried?" frowned General Ortega. "About Lavitor? Why?"
"I think he is losing his mind," sighed Naveena. "He has daily nightmares and wakes up sweating. One minute he is kissing me passionately, and the next he is beating me horribly. There is something terribly wrong with him, and I don't know what to do."
"This is the first that I have heard of this," replied the general. "Are not your wisper skills capable of helping him?"
"I have tried," sighed Naveena, "but I cannot find the source of his dementia. If it gets any worse, I may have to have him locked away for his own safety. He gets so violent sometimes."
"Locked away?" echoed the general. "Surely things have not gotten that bad?"
Shouts rang through the corridor outside the office, and the general rose from his chair as if that would enable him to hear better. The shouts were indistinguishable, but they clearly indicated some type of calamity. Loud footsteps rose above the shouting, and the door to the general's office flew open. A panting officer stood in the doorway. His face was a mask of remorse.
"The king is dead!" he shouted across the room.
"Report," demanded the general.
"Servants were preparing a bath for the king," The officer said after he caught his breath. "As they brought in the last buckets of water, they found the king with a knife plunged into his chest."
"An assassin!" gasped the general. "Shut down the palace immediately. No one enters or exits without my express permission."
"There is no need," the officer shook his head. "The assassin was still in the room when the servants returned. We have him in custody."
"And how did he gain entrance to the palace?" inquired the general.
"He lives here," frowned the officer. "The assassin is the king's advisor, Lavitor."
"Oh, mercy!" wailed Naveena. "Oh, no! This cannot be," she added as she collapsed to the floor and fainted.
A sudden silence filled the room as the general thought about the ramifications of the officer's report. While the silence lasted less than a minute, it seemed an eternity to those present. Finally, the general's training broke the silence.
"I still want the palace sealed," ordered the general. "Lavitor is to be put in a cell immediately. There will be no consideration of his station, and make sure that he is not capable of harming himself. I want him guarded every minute. Escort the wisper to her suite, and post a guard outside. She is not to be disturbed until she feels well enough to emerge on her own."
"As you command," saluted the officer as he moved to pick up the unconscious wisper.
"I also want the council of advisors to assemble," the general continued. "Send two officers to Lavitor's office. Find the king's will and bring it to me."
"Two officers?" questioned the officer.
"Two," nodded the general. "I will take no chances of anyone tampering with the king's last wishes. No one person is to be in custody of the will until it is read to the council, not even myself."
The officer nodded and picked up the unconscious wisper. He carried her out of the office and began shouting orders to soldiers milling in the corridor. Within moments the palace was sealed, and the will was delivered to the general. The general ordered the two officers to remain in his office until he was informed that the council had assembled. When word arrived, General Ortega and the two officers marched to the council chambers. The general placed the will on the table and dismissed the officers.
"Gentlemen," General Ortega addressed the council. "The king is dead. As the assassin was the king's advisor, I have taken it upon myself to obtain the king's will and deliver it to the council."
"Lavitor?" gasped one of the advisors. "That is impossible."
"It may be impossible," the general shook his head, "but he was caught in the act. The servants found him holding the bloody knife. Lavitor's wife also informed me that the king's advisor had been
Similar Books
