Chapter 98   – Flustered (1)

Members of the Congress looked gratefully at Gen, for having saved them all from His Grumpiness. As Alexcent hurried out of the office to his residence, the people whispered among themselves.

“I heard him say that he lost something,” one whispered.

“Well, seeing him rush like that, he should find it in no time,” said another.

“I wonder what he’s lost?” said one of the people gathered.

“Whatever it is, it’s probably very precious,” said another.

“The Marquis Gravia, who went to get approval for next year’s regional business budget, had a hard time dealing with his upset mood,” said yet another.

“I hope he finds it quickly…Actually, I just pray it’s at the Duke’s house.”

“What do you even think he is looking for? Wait, Count Lohikin, do you know anything?”

“Right, didn’t you come in with the Duke before the start of Parliament?”

The attention focused suddenly on Count Lohikin. “I really don’t know,” he said, hurriedly, “Except that it is very precious to him.”

“Huh, I wonder what is so precious to the Duke!”

“Oh, whatever it is…If we all look for it don’t you think it will come out eventually?”“Maybe it’s a secret budget book?”

The Parliament was stirred up by the Duke’s grumpy mood. And since nothing good came out of the Duke being in a bad mood, they debated whether they should help search for it. It made sense to them all that it might be a budget book that had been misplaced.

Meanwhile, Alexcent returned to his residence searching frantically for the missing thing. His fury and frustration were slowly growing as he rummaged and upended things in the room but was unable to find what he was looking for. If anyone came to his attention right now, even god wouldn’t be able to save them.

Gen, for one, prayed he wouldn’t be the one. He sighed. “Just try and think where you might have put it,” he suggested. He was already sweaty with all the searching and shifting furniture and the like.

“If I knew it, I would have found it already!” growled Alexcent.

“Then it’s better to give up looking for it,” suggested Gen.

“What?!” exclaimed Alexcent, “No!”

“What do you mean no?”

“You have no idea how hard I tried to get it!”

“Sure,” said Gen, “You saved several lawmakers by leaving the meeting early. Such hard work.”

Gen remembered Alec being in a good mood and showering Amethyst with various gifts to earn a stamp on his compliment board. He bought her earrings, necklaces, bracelets, flowers, dresses…. He had gotten a good scolding from Amethyst for that but no stamp. Alec had gotten a stamp when he had returned early from work one day, where she had commended him on his hard work and given him a stamp.

After trying various methods, only that had worked. It had taken him so long and he had indeed worked hard to earn that first stamp on his compliment board.

When he had arrived home that day, Amethyst had asked, “Alec, can you give me your sticker board?”

He had handed it over. Amethyst had stamped a ‘great job’ stamp on it. His very first stamp! His eyes had fixed on that one stamp and his heart hammered. He was overjoyed. Since that day, he had finished his work early and rushed home on time to receive another stamp, and another. Now he had five! Today was the day he would have been rewarded by Amethyst but he had gone and lost the whole damned compliment board.

“Give me yours,” he turned to Gen.

“What?!” Gen asked incredulously.“Just give me yours!” he said, desperately.

Gen wondered if something was wrong with Alexcent’s head. Maybe frustration and anger had driven him mad. “Mine has six stamps,” Gen said, “Besides the ‘rewards’ written on the board are completely different from yours.”

“Oh, yes,” said Alexcent, sighing. “You’re right. Maybe I am going mad.”

“Right,” said Gen, “I have got a brilliant idea.”

Alexcent looked at him. “What?”

“Roman has the stamp, doesn’t she?” said Gen, beaming, “Ask for an extra compliment board from Pon, ask Roman to stamp it five times. Copy Madam’s handwriting in the ‘rewards’ column.”

Gen thought Alexcent would jump for joy at his idea, but he looked more sullen than ever. “No,” he said sadly, “I can’t cheat her that way. Ash stamped them herself.”

Gen frowned. “Well, if you take an extra compliment board and ask you wife to fill it again, she might do it.”

“No!” he said, “I can’t tell her I lost it. We need to find it somehow!”

Alexcent began to check nook and cranny. Gen reluctantly slumped in a chair over a desk and began searching through the documents one by one. This was going to be a long day.

*

Amethyst was leaving her bedroom to go to the field to train when she found something stuck in the cracks of the door. She pulled it out. It was Alec’s compliment board.

she thought and put it in her pocket. As she was walking, she passed Pon in the hallway.

“Madam,” said Pon, “Leaving for the field?”

“Yes,” she said, “I don’t want to miss my training.”

Pon nodded. “There is a telegram for you,” he said.

“For me?” she asked, surprised. There was no one close enough to her who would exchange messages.

“Yes, from Count Lohikin,” said Pon.

“Ah,” she said, “Must be my mother.”

“Actually no,” he said, “It’s from the Count himself.”