Masquerade
The next morning his father looked cheerful and not his
inquisitive self. Frank was relieved so much that he had a
hearty breakfast and said that he wouldn’t be there for
lunch .
Francis did not ask him anything but gave him a curios
look but his mother was upset, ‘ we are together like this
after a long time but you want to go out for no reason and
your father want to go back to the city’..
Frank was touched , ‘ don’t worry mom .. I will be there for
dinner or even before . I need to meet someone in the
village library’
Francis laughed at him , ‘ son the whole world is in your
hand in cell and you want to go to the village library ..to
read hard copy book…’
Frank was forced to answer even though he did not want to
talk to his dad. He knew his father could drag out
information from anyone …so cautiously , ‘ dad sometimes
it is not to get information but to help .. I want to see how I
can make it a digital library.. I will see you later dad ..’
He could hear his father smacking the table and laughing ..
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Frank took the smaller car that would not stick out in the
village crowd and dismissed driver and he drove himself.
The library was opposite to the church and the Community
hall next to the library was crowded as usual.. He called
Richard and asked him to be there in the library ..
He parked his car in the church parking lot and walked
towards the library. The curious villagers were looking at
him and few came running to him .. He stopped and greeted
them cheerfully . he was searching for the old man who
promised him the Old Book but no where he could be seen
.
, ‘ I came to the library . I heard the library was used by
the students and I thought I can improve it.. make it more
virtual than traditional ..Hope it is ok with you all!
One of the villagers was so moved he came forward and
held his hands , ‘ your family has already given us so much
.
.but now without even asking , you are trying to help ..just
like your father ,your grandfather and great grandfathers ..
Frank was embarrassed and not sure how to react but he
made up his mind to upgrade the library.. He could see
Richard walking through the crowd to reach him . He
looked tensed and Frank gave a slight nod to the crowd and
moved towards Richard .
They both moved out of the earshot of the crowd .. Frank
was puzzled by the silence of Richard .. usually he would
be always cheerful . , ‘Richard , what is the matter?
Something is bothering you..’
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Richard said without any preamble , ‘ the old man is dead
and his house was ransacked ..’
Frank was shocked , ‘ how did he die?’
Richard continued as if he didn’t hear him , ‘I just went to
his house to get the Old Book . The door was not closed
.
..so walked in... What I had seen there would remain with
me for a long time ...’
‘
‘
Why?’
Frank, this is a small village of happy people . I had never
seen a body tortured to this extent. The old man was beaten
so badly that his back was bloodied pulp.. One of his eyes
was pulverized and he must have endured all these for a
long time. I called the police and then came to see you’
Frank was very disturbed.. he recalled his father’s laughter
as he was coming out.. he turned towards Richard and
looked at him keenly.. ‘ Did you tell anyone that the old
man promised me the Old Book?.. only we both were there
when he said that he would give it to me ’
Richard looked at him blankly, ‘ Why Frank didn’t your
father tell you anything! He asked me to meet him in the
previous evening and I met him in his office . He was
interested in the cave .. He asked me repeatedly about my
experience in the cave and he asked me what made us to go
there .’
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He stopped and looked at Frank so strangely ., ‘yes I told
him about the old man and the rock drawings and …yes I
did tell him about the Old Book…’
‘Do you think your father would have arranged this murder
to get the book.. No why would he do that when he could
have commanded and got it in no time .. No Frank ..’
Suddenly he slapped his face, ‘ Frank the old man used to
tell many tales .. One such thing is about the treasure .. He
told us this mountain was hiding an enormous treasure and
no one could find it even with a map. If they tried they
would die. But no one believed him of course’
Frank was amazed , ‘ Richard I wish we had searched the
old man’s house before calling the police ‘
‘
I did .. I searched everywhere .. I didn’t know what to
search.. Come inside the library I will show you ..’ Richard
ran inside the library ..not waiting for Frank
Frank looked back at the crowd.. they were talking about
something excitedly!
They must have got the news about the old man …
He thought about the old man and the way his eyes were
shining when he warned him about the tragedies..
Frank entered the library.. he had seen the library years
back when used come to the village as a young boy . The
library always fascinated him because for such a small
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village the ambience of the library was something to be
proud of. It had two storeys and one attic..the tall cabinets
were all around the wall .. the reading room tables and
chairs were arranged neatly at the centre of the room in
small squares and every square had two tables and eight
chairs . .the catalogue cabinet was like a locker placed near
the librarian’s counter and remembered that the second
floor was exactly arranged like this and he had not seen
the attic …
He could see Richard sitting at the end of the room . As
soon as he reached Richard showed him the things that he
had taken from the old man’s house.
Frank couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw things on the
table ..there was the pendant without chain ..it looked
exactly like the pendant given to him by Re ..His reaction
must have been visible , Richard ,’ why ..anything
wrong’..he was agitated …Frank moved away from his
quizzing look.
Frank brought himself under control with an effort .. , ‘ so
many things ?’ He appreciated Richard for his quick
thinking and he swelled with pride .
Now he looked at the other trinkets on the table..a small
saucer, a diary, one pen drive, a small silver colour
electronic gadget which looked like a compact powder box
and what looked like a key.
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He picked up the diary and immediately he could see it was
not maintained properly only some notes here and there
was written but otherwise it was blank,,
Then he picked up the silver box.., the top glowed like a
cell phone screen and few strange shapes appeared for few
seconds and went blank .The size was very small ..smaller
than a cell phone..
He took the pen drive and it was like any other pen drive …
Richard was observing quietly and asked him , ‘ any clue to
tell us why he was murdered ?’
Frank did not answer him for some time .. then he picked
up the diary once again and he checked if the strange
shapes he had seen in the silver gadget was there anywhere
in the diary.. But there was nothing like that .. Only few
numbers were there in the first page , then in another page
the world map was highlighted , in the next page there was
a diagram of ..what looked like a book ..in the last page
another diagram or a stencil of the key.. the key that was
there on the table ..
‘Richard ..these are not giving us any clue but all these are
very important and if the police come to know we will be in
trouble..How did you inform the police ? did you give your
details to them.? Frank wanted to know ..
Richard smiled , ‘ I used the old man’s cell phone and
wiped it clean and I did not give my name when I called the
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police.. Villagers watch movies you know.. Keep all these
with you Frank because in my house it would not be safe’
.
Frank was relieved and picked all of them and placed
them in his jacket pocket when there was a commotion
outside the library so they went to see...
The body of the old man was placed in the ambulance and
many curious on lookers were there talking loudly . The
village head was telling the police that they must find the
murderer ...
Frank did not want to be seen so he stood inside the library
but Richard went near the police and asked if anything was
found.
The police was a young man and he was as excited as
anyone to see a dead murdered body ..he said,’ the
investigators are on the spot .. it does not help that his
house was isolated ..Many outsiders were there because
they had come to clean up the cyclone mess. Many media
people were there because of the sensational news that FTs
heir is getting engaged... well nothing helps ...’
Richard sighed along with him and asked him what kind of
weapon could make these wounds...as he went near to look
at the old man ...
The police became alert and said ,’ I can’t give you
confidential information.. I am told to wait for the local
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media as well as the media people who were the guests of
FT … there they are here’
He started chasing the on lookers and waited for the media.
Frank had to move before the media spotted him here ..
Richard was very interested in all the events that were
unfolding to look for Frank so he closed the library door
and moved in .Then he thought of the villagers entering the
library and decided to move to the second floor . He found
the staircase and climbed slowly thinking about Re .When
he reached the landing he heard something falling heavily
and the books started flying here and there .. he bent down
so that he would not be hit.. He couldn’t see anyone
though. He realised that his pendant was vibrating and he
could see it glowing..Re Re where are you?
Re replied to him .., ‘ Frank Ro wants to talk to you ... He
can answer all your questions..?’
‘Re wait.. did you murder the old man?’
‘No we don’t murder people now .. Ro will tell you ..’
Now the books were not floating..he moved further in ..it
was dark as the entire place was filled with cabinets ..He
looked around and felt something above his head . There,
flying around his head was a raven and another strange
looking bird that he had seen near the cave !!
He slowly moved back to the landing pulled a chair and sat
down and waited ..
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The grey bird flew down and perched in front of him on
the table and said in a clear metallic voice , ‘Frank we met
earlier.. I am Zo the media for you! News monger’
Frank was too surprised to answer it.. then he realised that
it was waiting for his response.
‘
Hello Zo so you are the media.. I have an aversion
towards media’ he said it with the smile to remove the
sting out..
Zo moved its head up and down and said , ‘ we were lucky
there .. if you had to have any liking for the media , today
we would have been an exhibit for you all’
It was sultry and very uncomfortable there in the library’s
least used place ..Ro sensing his discomfort asked, ‘would
you like to go somewhere, because it may take some time’
Frank wished he could go to his room but he said, ‘there is
a crowd near the doorway including the media ..so I can’t
come out now’
Ro flew near him and stretched one of its wings ..the
raven’s eyes met his eyes and he understood that it wants
him to hold the wing . He tentatively held few feathers
which felt silky and ….then he went into a spin..
Frank came out of the sensation like as if he was in a
rollercoaster and to his surprise he found himself in his
second floor suite...on the floor sitting beside him was Zo
the grey and the raven flew in…******
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