Let the Scales Fall Off (2)

Mudiaga reached for the paper, but Eunuch Otase snatched it from Aye Chioma’s grip. They looked to him with surprise, but he narrowed his eyes, looking from Emeravwe to Agaenaye Fatima.

He handed the sheet to Agaenaye Fatima. “Since you have more sense than these two put together, I am putting you in charge. Act with prudence.”

“Yes, Oga,” Agaenaye Fatima answered.

Mudiaga rolled his eyes.

Aye Chioma patted the documents on the table. “We shall leave you to look through the related files and decide your course of action.”

She and Eunuch Otase returned to their desk, and Emeravwe, Mudiaga, and Agaenaye Fatima studied the files to familiarize themselves with the case. There were a total of five victims, two of whom were palace personnel. None of the victims were from particularly prominent families, but all were Onorogu who lived in proximity to the main square of Joyovwi Market.

Emeravwe and her group left the palace equipped with scrolls, quill pens, and inkwells. They decided to visit the homes farthest from the palace first.

Emeravwe felt a rush of exhilaration as they exited the palace’s main gates and walked the wide, paved road toward the heart of the capital city. The last time she left the palace was more than two years ago, when she was still an Omote in the Bureau of Halls and Chambers.

She had forgotten how much bigger the world outside the palace was; how much freer it felt! She could hardly express her relief to be able to look around for miles, without being impeded by soaring imperial gold granite walls.

The sky was wider, clearer. The neat fields and hills around the palace a glorious green. As she walked, she spread her arms to her sides and closed her eyes, letting a gust of wind flow through her. She relished the coolness as it tickled the hairs at the nape of her neck.

She joined the Bureau of Court Affairs to get even a little closer to the king. But she was also overjoyed when she learned she could leave the palace every so often on cases like this one.

“Damn the Bureau of Court Affairs!” Mudiaga cursed, enjoying the scenery much less than Emeravwe. “Making us trek all over the damned city! They could’ve at least let us borrow a horse and carriage from the palace stables.”

“You are a seventh rank officer of the Palace Guard, and Agaenaye Emeravwe and I are only Onughe. Our positions hardly warrant such luxury.” Agaenaye Fatima said cheerily, “At least we will not have to walk to the Outer City. All the homes we have to visit are in the District of Onorogu, in the Inner City. And all close to the main square of Joyovwi Market.”

“Fatima, I love your optimism as much as your beautiful smile, but it’s still a good distance to cover.” He flashed a dimpled grin. “Well, at least I have two beauties to keep me company.”

Agaenaye Fatima smiled bashfully.

Emeravwe ignored the comment.

She said, “Does anyone else find it interesting that all the victims are Lesser Onorogu? And that they all live near the main square of Joyovwi Market?”

“Not really,” Mudiaga remarked, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Buying a home in the District of Onorogu is a big investment. Lesser Onorogu can gain a lot of connections like that. But affording property in that ritzy district can also bankrupt them. Especially in the neighborhoods closest to the palace. So they usually to buy property further from the palace. Those are the ones closest to Joyovwi Market and the Outer City.”

Walking around Agaenaye Fatima, he came next to Emeravwe.

“Remember, Eunuch Otase said the group suspected used to hold protests that riled the lower castes. It’s most likely, then, that Okémeh’s made up of members of the lower castes. And those of the lower castes can roam freely only to the limits of Joyovwi Market. That means the victims they have the easiest access to are Lesser Onorogu.

So, the type of questions we really should be asking ourselves are, why have only the Onorogu been targeted? Why would a group of protestors start kidnapping? Is there a connection between what they were protesting and those they kidnapped? What are the similarities between those who have gone missing?” He turned to Agaenaye Fatima. “What do you think?”

Agaenaye Fatima mused, “It is no secret that the lower castes are scorned by Onorogu, and that they have struggled against the caste system for generations. Perhaps this is also a form of rebellion?”

Mudiaga clicked his tongue. “The caste system has existed since the beginning of Xxene. Kidnapping a few Lesser Onorogu isn’t going to change anything! When criminals kidnap nobles, you can usually assume they have a personal vendetta or money on their minds.”

“But none of the victims’ families were approached for a ransom,” Agaenaye Fatima said.

Emeravwe asserted, “So the group must hold some sort of grudge toward those they kidnapped.”

Mudiaga smirked, pointing a finger, “Exactly. And what we’ll have to find is what the victims had in common that made them targets of a group of activists. With this, the Bureau of Investigations can probably predict their next moves.”

Emeravwe stared at him and he cocked his head. “Why do you look so surprised?” He jabbed a thumb at the gem in his forehead. “You should know by now that there’s actually a brain behind this yellow apatite. Eunuch Otase can try his damnedest to put me down because of my caste, but I’ve worked in the Bureau of Court Affairs for three years now and know how these cases work.”

He winked, “You see, Emeravwe, I’m not just handsome, but smart, too.” He spread his arms, his grin wide. “If you run into my arms now, we could be a match made in heaven and put together on earth.”

Agaenaye Fatima giggled, “Yes, but you would immediately be split apart in death, since Maidens belong to the Orodje, and coveting the Orodje’s belongings is a certain death sentence.”

Mudiaga shrugged, dimpled grin unperturbed. “It’d be worth it.”