Mordant and Kane

“It’s that goblin Mordant again”, Kane slammed his fist on the table with a loud thud.

“Honey, are you sure?” said Penelope with a weak smile, “You have been in a lot of pressure lately.” She caressed Kane’s neat hairs and ruffled them slightly.

They were in Kane’s office. Penelope was sitting over his desk, his stuff carelessly shoved in one corner of the ornate oak furniture.

“Remember how I knew he was a poacher and nobody believed me?” Kane ran his fingers to sort his hair.

Penelope jumped down the desk and stood in front of him with her arms crossed. She pouted and said, “Really! That’s your reason?” She clicked her tongue and moved slightly away from him “You are the Head of the biggest slave trader of the planet that’s your justification to summon him to your office? A hunch?”

“It’s not a hunch” Kane raised his right arm and continued, “He was the chief contractor assigned for the job. He probably bribed the every member of Planing office.”

“Things could go seriously wrong, Kane. Times have changed. You cannot just kidnap intelligent creatures and...”

“I haven’t ordered his kidnap, more like a forced visit” he said weakly

“I am not with you on this one, honey”

She gave him a pat on his shoulder and went out, her red high heels clattering over the polished granite floor.

Kane bit his lip. He wanted to talk to Indrani over this. He knew she would come up with something. A slapstick version of their school physical trainer drilling Mordant in his dungeon-turned-office at St. Luso’s crossed his mind. And then he remembered how she had yelled at him the last time they had met. It was unpleasant even to think about. Kane knew he had been harsh on her but he had no choice.

Kane had been supportive of Indrani’s Society for the Promotion of Slave Welfare. He had even helped her convince Mr. Rutherford to separate the ministry of commerce and the ministry of slave labour, being such an influential slave trader himself. It was supposed to provide minimum wages and better living condition for the slaves, but when his rivals started to fan the movement out of control he had had second thoughts. He let his doubts known but Indrani accused him of profiteering.

Indrani formed a committee under the ruling Demilien’s supervision comprising of the members of the Jury’s council chaired by the Chief Magistrate of the Supreme Court. The committee’s main purpose was to research the history, genealogy and the societal structure of the Dwarfs.

At Effie’s, Robert gave him crucial information. A pattern emerged out of the shadows. Someone was systematically attacking the families related to Sturgis the Great and Kane had to know what they were after.

He had tried to gather information on the chest but there was no mention of it in the Ministry library. He had to know and if it meant bullying Mordant, so be it.

Kane had used his personal bodyguards to summon Mordant to his office.

In one hour, a black figure stepped out of the gate, tipped sideways, regained his balance using a beautifully carved walking stick that had a serpent pommel. He looked up at Kane and his eyes reduced to slits. Nostrils flared and for an instant. Kane had an urge to grab his throat and punch him in the face. Mordant slowly walked towards him and stiffened on reaching his desk.

Kane waved his hand for him to sit.

“I hoped I’d never see you again Goblin.”

“Oh! Since when do we get what we want, eh Morgan?”

Harry noticed the annoying drawl in his voice was missing. His clothes although neat and tidy, were devoid of the peculiar sheen they had in school. The snarl in his voice was softer and his eyes were lacklustre, like a dream shattered.

“You know why I summoned you here?” asked Kane although he didn’t mean too.

“Summoned?” he smirked, “You kidnapped me, you piece of…”

“You are one to talk” Kane said grimly, “Remember Sati? Or have you forgotten the way you kidnapped her out of her dorm when you found out about us”

Mordant rose abruptly from his chair which fell with a thud.

“I don’t have time for this Kane. Tell me what it is or let me go. I might hate my life but anything is better than this.”

Kane left his chair and both looked in each other’s eyes, glaring. He balled his fists and Mordant clutched his walking stick so hard his knuckles went red. Kane was breathing rapidly when the door flung open and Sati stood there beside Penelope who was slightly out of breath.

Kane looked over Mordant’s shoulder and asked in surprise, “You?”

“Mordant I’m terribly sorry to have summoned you like this”, she reached down to his shoulder, but he jerked away and said “Stay away earthling”.

Looking rather annoyed, Sati looked at Kane and said, “Get this over with”

“Why did you barge in like you had business here?” Kane asked, furious.

“He sent me a text saying you kidnapped him, I asked Penelope and she confirmed”

Kane walked towards Mordant with an impassive face and asked, “Do you really think this is the way I’d kidnap you? I called you in. I want to know about the Pridewen’s chest”

He looked at Sati to Kane and back to Sati with a nasty grin on his face.

“Are you so out of work that she has put you on treasure hunt of fairy tale relics?”

“Maybe” said Harry with gritted teeth, “or maybe I’m gonna put you on an abandoned exoplanet for treason”

Mordant froze. His smile faded like twilight. Perhaps he understood Kane was too powerful a foe to be crossed.

He looked at Sati as if to confirm what he thought. When she spoke nothing, he sighed and drooped his head.

“Did you design the new Fountain of ministry?” Kane asked.

“Yes”

“Why did you make a chest of Pridewen right next to the Goblin?”

Mordant looked up in surprise “because the Ministry instructed me. Don’t you know how tenders work?”

“The planning Ministry documents do not have the chest”

“How do you know that”

“Answer me” He bumped his fist over his desk.

“Yes because it was later approved by a different department”

Kane leaned over his desk and asked, “What are you talking about?”

The insolent grin on Mordant resurfaced and he said in a whisper, “It was approved by Indrani”