"Is it the boy you got?" The elder man asked Pym.
"Yes, he is. Do you think he's good?" Pym bowed and smiled.
"You should ask Eckert." Said the elder man.
"Is that Fabian? How's everything going on? Pym and I had a talk in the three months you were out. Pym said he's been old, and you're good to manage, so you'll get to take in charge. Work hard. " The elder man said to Fabian, and then turned to the steward, "get Eckert here."
The steward left.
The elder man sat down on the leather couch and read a book by himself.
The three of them had to stand quietly aside.
The study was quiet, and the boy didn't dare breathe loudly to prevent from making a bad impression.
As for Fabian, he was much more at ease. When the boss told him what the old man had said yesterday, he got more assured. He really wanted to utter three yells in celebration.
After a long time, Fabian got to hardly stood firm, and the door opened.
A middle-aged man with two neat little moustaches walked in.
The middle-aged man also wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. The black velvet soft vest along with the white silk shirt seemed noble and elegant. The loose black tweed breeches matched with a pair of shiny soft boots indicated that he had just returned from walking a horse.
"I just went out for a ride. The pony I just bought isn't tame. It's still dangerous to learn horsemanship on him. We'd better use that grey mottled mare, who's well-behaved." The middle-aged man said.
"You are an expert, and you decide. Pay brought the man you wanted. It's that kid. " The elder man pointed at the boy and said, "In the next half year, you'll have to teach him a lot of things."
The elder man turned to the boy, saying: "You'll follow this Eckert, and You'll have a lot to learn, but you only have half a year. I've heard from Pym that you're good at studying. Try to prove to me. "
Then the elder man waved to the middle-aged man, signaling him to bring the boy out.
The middle-aged man took the boy out of the study and closed the door gently.
He took the boy to a room at the remote corner of the West Tower.
Although the arrangement in the room was far inferior to the study and the hall, it still could make sense for the master's good taste. Because the room was in the west side of the building, there were windows on three sides. The sun was shining through the shutters on teak floor. By the north window was a large bed, the kind of bed that had four pillars and only a rich family could afford.
There was a rosewood screen across the center of the room. The boy had seen the same one in the shop, that was shipped from Siba and valuable. This screen therefore split the room into two parts.
Under the window of the south was a hand-carved wooden desk. To the west, there was a French window, and out of it was the balcony.
On the right side of the door was a row of bookshelves. Although not as huge as those shelves in the study, they were much more exquisite.
On the left side of the door was a fine portrait hung on the top of the bed, on which painted a beautiful lady with maturity and charm.
This lady must be Eckert's wife, the boy guessed.
"From now on, this is your room." Eckert said.
" What? It's not true, is it? " The youth said in shock. He was obviously quite surprised.
"In the next half year, you'll have to live here and learn a lot of things. The most important thing is, from now on, your name is Raboy Benedit. Remember your name. " Eckert said sternly.
"But why?" The boy was confused.
"Don't ask why. When I see you've learned almost everything, I will answer all of your questions, but it's not right now." Eckert said in an inevitable voice,"Raboy Benedit, let's get to your first class".
As he spoke, Eckert took a thick book from the shelf and laid it on the desk. He then pulled a chair over. He pointed at the chair and beckoned the boy to sit down.
The boy walked blankly and obediently towards the desk, with a lot of questions in mind.
The class began.
In the study, the elder man sat on a reclining chair. He was holding a thick old book and flipped through it. Pym and Fabian had left. The warm sunlight entered the study, causing the elder man to feel drowsy. He had forgotten where he was reading, and so closed the book and dozed off.
After a while, the door opened and the elder man was waken up. The skill he had spent most of his life learning would not be totally forgotten even though his life got much better. The elder man was glad that he was still as alert as he used to be when he lived on the street.
The old man glanced at the comer. Without any doubt, it was Eckert.
"Well, is he good? " the elder man asked with a smile.
"Very good. Pym did a good job this time." Eckerd nodded.
"Do you have the confidence to fulfil the first step of the plan within half a year?" the elder man asked.
"As Pym said, this newcomer is quite studious. It shouldn't be a problem in changing him in half a year."
"Did Faith have any news? His job is just as important as yours. " The old man asked.
"Several important witnesses have already been bought over, especially the captain of the guards, Faith knows his secret. Those don't have to or can not be bought, Faith plans to replace them one by one. The butler we bought over will deal with it. "
When hearing Eckert's answer, the old man nodded. He shoved the book into Eckert's hand, "You should read these things. I've never got into the habit of reading, it makes me slppey."
"Heraldry is indeed a rather dull learning. Besides, it seems no use to me. If it wasn't for this plan, I wouldn't have the interest to study it. " Eckert took the book and said.
"What about the kid?"
"I gave him an exam paper to find what he can. It seems that I underestimated him. Checking his answers of several questions, I can tell this exam isn't a problem for him. It looks like he really learn a lot in South Port. "
"It's not a good thing to know too much." The old man said.
"Can Keller go to South Port? The child had an aunt named Betty. If Keller can get something from her. I think, controlling this child would be easier. "
"Keller? Is it necessary? " The old man had questions.
"I do hope Keller to take part in our plan, he will be very helpful." Eckert explained, "From some recent information, I found the real Raboy Benedit didn't die from disease, more like poisoning, and someone had been asking about his death half a year ago."
"Luckily, the butler was afraid to let others know that his little master was dead, he did not do his duty, and he was more afraid of that the judge would investigate the property under Raboy, finding some of them had been taken by him, then he would be sentenced to death. So he made a fake message that the young master needed treatment to cover up the real Raboy's death. Even luckier, he came to us and offered us this rare opportunity, which will be the largest we ever had.
"However, it is obvious that someone does not wish to see the existence of Raboy, or a immediate heir of Thethnburg. The Lord of Thethnburg has recently been replaced on a roll. Count Medin accidentally fell off his horse while hunting and died, his two sons, one of them killed by a chandelier on the day of succession, another died from disease two months later after the succession.
"It is said the Count was about to sign an important document before his death. He declared that this document will make Thethnburg survive the most difficult period. But no one has ever heard of any crisis in Thethnburg, and the lord didn't have any heavy debt to pay. On the contrary, by trading with South Port, he got twenty thousand golden francs per month, sufficient to equip a heavy armored cavalry unit, and that does not count in the investment in South Port.
"Although there is no exact figure, the Count's investment in South Port has brought in at least half a million golden francs for him each year. I can't imagine what financial problems would be in Thethnburg with such a revenue. The Count's death complicated the whole thing, and the inside story was not that simple.
"So I have great confidence that the death of the real Mr. Raboy is also because of some unknown reason. Therefore, I hope that Keller will be able to protect our kid, at least, before obtaining the successor's status, Raboy Benedit will not die from such a reason like disease."
Eckert reported in detail about his discoveries in these days.
"This is something obvious. I knew what it was like when I heard the death of the Thethnburg's Lords. Do you think the butler really came here by himself? He came to me with guidance. I could even guess who the guide was and why us. Keller was already helping you, but he's absolutely not suitable to appear in public. He has the greatest power in shadows. " The old man replied.
"Yes, but do you think the guide will sell us out at a critical moment?" Eckert began to worry.
"Selling us out will not do him any good . On the contrary, it is far more harmful to him than to us. That person only wants to maintain this situation. Once Thethnburg loses his legitimate successor, then someone will seek the place publicly." The old man continued with a smile, "Eckert, The only thing you missed is the real situation, you see too little. Although things in your brain are far more than mine, but you don't know which ones are currently the most important and which ones are the most useful. Your knowledge is already enough, you need to understand more about human nature."
"But I prefer to stay in the study." Hector said.
"I hope you can take over from me. This plan may be the last one I've made. I'm old and want to live in a more serene way. Maybe I'll be a rich man like Pym, and maybe stay in South Port." The old man waved his hand, indicating that Eckert could leave.
Before Eckert's leaving, the old man seemed to have thought of something and said, "The thing you want Keller to do, I'll tell him to do it well."