The Story of Samo-Chapter Two, Part Four
The sound of his leather soles on hardwood resounded as Samo marched through the corridor. For the largest of the two schools in Qatara, the Academy was surprisingly drab in consideration of decoration. Some sculptured architecture lined the walkways in the form of support pillars, but no paintings or tapestries hung on the walls. Those were left for the “other school.” The Academy dealt more with the sciences, while the Old Academy, previous simply Academy, dealt with the arts.
Kia was a student at the Old Academy, nearing the end of the junior levels of his studies. Soon, he would progress into the more mature, master levels. He would often bemoan the drabness of the New Academy, as students of the Old called it. Kiara and Samo were both students at this, the Academy. Samo had met Kia through his sister Kiara, whom he had met through his studies here. He had never really understood all the things that happened. The two seemed so haphazard to him, arguing all the time, too afraid to do anything fun, hitting him for no reason whatsoever, and all of that in one day.
Since his master had been killed in the past few weeks, Samo had been forced to survive on his own at the garage where he lived. According to the rules of the engineers’ guild, he could only progress to master level if he had a master, and if his master died, he would need to find a new one. Unfortunately, all the masters in the city thought he was too crazy to deal with. Go figure. It didn’t matter to him. He didn’t need the guild. He would survive. He may have been only eighteen, but he was his own master.
Now, he was on a mission for himself, and for his dead master, Gianan. Gianan had been the one to teach him about the Inventor, and the codes the man had set up. Now Gianan was dead, murdered with a poison that was so dangerous even owning it would get the person hanged. Gianan had no enemies, but people still had dangerous ideas about the Inventor. It was probably a foolish thing to reveal to an entire crowd that he, Samo, was a member of the Inventors Order and had, in fact, tried to purchase a book personally written by the man called the Inventor.
As he turned the corner to the chancellor’s office, Professor Lasci nearly collided with him. “Fool!” the professor shouted. “Why did you do this to me?”
“I didn’t see you there,” Samo replied. His voice was not only calm, but monotone.
Lasci huffed in frustration. “I’ve been fired on account of you! Why do you feel the need to drive me from my position?”
Samo shook his head and sighed. He said, “Because you’re a bad teacher who thinks that shouting at students and threatening then with expulsion on a daily basis is a good way to lead. Also, you’re a jerk.”
“What?” Lasci stared at him and moved to strike him. He stopped and said, “How dare you?”
“Did you kill Gianan?” Samo stood there, staring at him. As Lasci stepped back, he continued, “Somebody murdered my master. I know I didn’t do it. Someone who’s jealous of me started a rumor that I did, even though the modus operandi is absolutely opposed to anything I would do, and even though I was nowhere near the house at the time. They convinced people to believe me, not hard considering most people think I’m insane. However, even the police admit that doesn’t make me a murderer. You, on the other hand, are an alchemist and an apothecary. Gianan was poisoned, which is something you would know about. Now, did you kill him?”
Lasci nodded. His face was hard and stern, but the rage had lessened. He said, “The police questioned me shortly after he was found. I told them what I’ll tell you. I hated Gianan. I thought he was an fool and a heretic for following the Inventor’s Order, but I didn’t kill him.”
Samo said, “Since the police haven’t found anything yet, will you tell me if you hear anything?”
“I don’t know,” Lasci replied. “I don’t trust you, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Thank you.” Without waiting for a response, Samo turned and continued down the hall, leaving Lasci staring at him. When he turned another corner, he saw the chancellor standing there, waiting. He said, “Hello sir.”
Chancellor Naram clapped his hands slowly and said, “Good job, Samo. I heard all that. Very good job.” He motioned for Samo to follow and said, “Come with me. I’d like to speak to you in my office.”
“Thank you, sir. I want to talk to you too.”
Tales of the Inventor's War 