XXXVIII - Blue

Casio awoke with a start, his left forearm lashing out and knocking the glass from his desk. A mixture of purple bockenberry juice and ice hit the carpet, scattering upon impact.

"Aaawww!" he groaned. He snatched a towel from the credenza behind him and knelt on the floor, mopping up the spill as best he could.

He had dozed off. Something had awakened him.

"Sorry, Casio," Quartz Lok said. She was standing in his office door. "I didn't mean to startle you." She hesitated, then knelt on the floor, also. "I better help you clean this up. After all, it was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault," he groused. She picked up ice; he sponged the carpet. "I was asleep at the helm. The Big Chief'll probably dock me a day's pay for sure."

Quartz could not resist a smile. Amazing that Casio still retained his wit. She knew that he had been sleeping for a very simple reason -- he was exhausted. His hair was unkempt; his clothes were wrinkled. He had not devoted himself to personal hygiene in days. He was deeply worried about the fate of his closest friend.

They finished cleaning up the spill.

"Well, that's about the best we're going to be able to do," Casio said, rising to his feet. "I'll have to talk to the cleaning people. They'll have something that can get this stain out....I hope." He looked at Quartz. "So,...what can I do for you?" He plopped into his leather chair and leaned back. His feet lifted off the floor.

"Well, I really didn't mean to disturb you," Quartz again apologized. "Your chief assistant said you were in here and to go right in, so I did. I should have known you might be tired, though. I can come back some other time," she finished, backing toward the door.

"No, that's ridiculous!" he said, shaking his head and pointing toward a chair. "You're here now, so you might as well take a load off your feet and tell me what's on your mind."

"Well," she hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" he responded with a wave of his hand. "Sit down."

As she seated herself, her eyes went to the two-day-old newspaper resting atop a stack of papers and books on the corner of his desk. The newspaper bore a memorable and bold headline.

DELPHI RESCINDS DEATH PENALTY AGAINST PEACE WOMAN

The subhead under the banner read:

'Councilman Kamon Also Exonerated'

"That's quite a story," she remarked, pointing at the headline.

"Yup," was Casio's subdued reaction.

"The rumor is you had something to do with it," she probed.

"Hmm," came noncommittally through his closed lips.

Quartz was nervous. Casio was offering little in response; it was very much unlike him. She also felt guilty. She had come to find answers to her questions, questions that had nothing to do with the fate of Casio's best friend. But maybe Casio needed cheering up. She'd be glad to help. Or perhaps she could aid in some other way......and maybe she would get her answers.

"You haven't heard anything, have you? About Kamon, I mean?" she asked, changing the subject.

He shook his head wearily. "Nah. I can't get past those paranoid State Security women. They keep telling me it's all part of an ongoing investigation and I can't go up into the Tysom mountains to look for Kamon and Jasmine. I ask them, 'What investigation?! The Delphi's dropped all charges against both Kamon and Jasmine! Granted them total amnesty!' They give me some bureaucratic mumbo jumbo about how they need to tie up all the loose ends and the area's off limits to everyone in the meantime! It's awfully hard to get information about the Marmot State Security Agency, but I've been nosing around the Capitol nonetheless. I think they've got some top secret government space craft stuck up there and they can't get it out. I don't know what happened. Maybe it crashed, but it wouldn't surprise me if Kamon is directly responsible for them losing one of their expensive toys."

"I could talk to the Chief Councilwoman!" Quartz suggested eagerly. "She might be able to cut through the red tape for you! She knows a lot of people at the State Security Agency. Would that help?!"

"Well, yeah," Casio replied, surprised by the offer. "That would help a lot....if she can get it done."

"I'll talk to her right away!" Quartz promised. "What else have you found out about Kamon? Maybe there's more I can do?! "

"Aw, those State Security folks are privately claiming they got off some shots, that they hit somebody, that they hit Hawk...." Casio's voice cracked; he choked up but attempted to continue. "....claim to have found a lot of blood...." That was it; he could not continue. Casio's eyes welled with tears. He turned his head away.

Quartz endured the awkward silence for several minutes. She should have kept her stupid mouth shut! She should have quit while she was ahead! The only sound in the room was the squeaking of Casio's chair as he rocked.

It was hard to imagine circumstances under which Casio would be moved to tears. He always had a smile on his face. He was never lacking for a witticism. Her heart went out to him. She regretted coming. She regretted not ceasing to ask questions soon enough. But now was not the time to leave.

At last, Casio turned his head back to Quartz. His eyes were normal again. "I don't talk about family secrets."

"What?" Quartz asked with feigned innocence.

"I just said I don't talk about family secrets!" Casio repeated. "To anybody! I do what I have to do to get a friend out of a jam, but that's where it ends!"

"I don't think I know what you're talking about," Quartz Lok deferred hopefully. She just wanted him to admit it! That he knew that Galaxo was her father and Mavox Pro her mother. That he had used this information to blackmail the Delphi. The Delphi's husband had fathered a child outside marriage. Such a scandal would, without a doubt, have forced the reigning Delphi to resign as leader of the church. She might even have been stripped of her power as a priestess. In Marmot society, the sins of the husband were shared by the wife...especially when it involved the Delphi. That's why the Delphi had dropped all charges against both Kamon and Jasmine.....she thought. It was the only theory that explained everything!

"Well, good!" Casio said. "I'm glad we've cleared that up!"

"But we didn't really," Quartz Lok said.

"Of course, we did. Weren't you listening?"

"I was," she protested, "but you didn't say anything!"

"Then let me put it plainly," Casio turned sober. "If I tell you something in confidence, you tell someone else in confidence who tells someone else who tells someone else and on and on it goes until too many people know. I won't put Hawk nor the peace lady at risk like that. My silence seals the deal. Now do you get it?"

"I understand," Quartz nodded. He did know....in all likelihood...unless he had something else with which to blackmail the Delphi....if he had blackmailed her at all. In any case, he wasn't going to talk about it. She stood up. "I guess I'll go."

"Come visit me anytime," Casio said. "Quartz?" He stopped her in the doorway. She turned. "You're a good person," he added. "I'd protect you, too."

He was sincere. She could see that. "Thank you," Quartz Lok said with equal sincerity. "I appreciate that." She stepped back into his office, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again, Casio." She moved toward the door. "And good luck." Quartz closed the door behind her as she left.

Casio rose from his chair and stretched. He felt lousy. It was mid-afternoon, but maybe he should try to get some sleep. He'd been sleeping very poorly at night these past few days. He headed for the elevator.

Casio stepped out on the eighth floor and shuffled to his room. He placed his hand on the doorknob, then hesitated. He turned to the door opposite his and opened it, stepping inside Kamon's room.

He closed the door and walked toward the dresser. The object was still there......and glowing as brightly as ever. Nothing had changed. He stood staring at the medallion for a long time, trying in his mind to unravel its mystery.

The blue sapphire was bursting with prismatic light, engulfing the metal in its effervescent glow. A soft blue halo surrounded the medal.

The ruby's beauty was not lost, but its red hues seemed strangely subdued in the presence of the dominant blues.

As he had several times before, Casio gingerly touched the sapphire. Still no change. It was neither hot nor cold. He would have expected some warmth considering its brightness but he found none. Darn peculiar.

What was its secret? And what about those figures on the medallion? Did they bear any special significance? The tree could very well be a Minot tree. Thus, it made sense that Hawk would have the medal.

But why hadn't Hawk ever shown it to him before? Casio was sure he would have remembered this object. Therefore, it must have been a recent acquisition.

Jasmine must have given it to him; seemed a likely conclusion. Why?

Because it was odd and mysterious -- like her.

That meandering line on the medallion was no doubt a river, and it originated from what must be mountains above. All things Kamon would be familiar with at his mountain home, like the Minot tree, if it was a Minot tree.

But why was the bird in the picture? There were many varieties of birds in the mountains. Why this bird? And that twig in its mouth, what did that mean? Was it building a nest? Who would care?

The rare gems on top were a nice touch, especially the sapphire. Its myriad of blue hues were ever active, ever changing. Add the blue halo and the medallion practically screamed, 'Talisman!'

Someone had gone to a great deal of work in making sure all these images were fashioned on this medallion. She must have had a purpose. What was it?

"Or," Casio finally countered out loud, "somebody absent-mindedly hammered this thing out one day and decided it was pretty. A more plausible scenario if ever I heard one," he said to himself wearily. "Darn thing shouldn't be glowing, though," he groused. "It ain't natural!"

Casio stood for a moment, contemplating the solitude.

"Hawk! Where are you?!" he finally pleaded in anguish to the empty room.

But an oppressive silence was his only answer.

END OF CHAPTER