With Cavander's help, along with some of his friends that were enlisted
to the cause, the Blue Mansion began to take shape as the smooth clean
structure that it once had been. Having the clean-up and all the
detailed restoration take place over several shifts, the great estate
began to resemble its old grandeur, with every hour that passed by.
Hundreds of litres of blue-green metallic paint was mixed and the walls
inside the house were painted, and the local craftsmen -- those masters
working with rock, metal, glass and wood, designed and reconstructed
duplicates of everything that was once inside the house. All the
duplicates were made from the memories, of that house, that Boyce and
Lloyd carried with them over the last decade.
Boyce ran about the entire estate with Zoro perched on his shoulder and
he supervised the workers with every detail that they were doing. He
wanted everything just as perfect as he could have it.
Lloyd ran around and did the same, but this all was really Boyce's
dream and destiny needing fulfilment. All he was there for was to
ensure Boyce's succession.
Dearborne's old parlour began to look more and more like it did on the
day before the execution, and Brook's den had been reconstructed nearly
to the last detail, the only item excluded from it all, being the
computer that Brook had called his 'gadget'!
The land and its gardens were weeded and replanted with plants, and
flowers, from all over Phoride.
The change that took place on Bimini Hill was so great and quick that
the citizens of Pomperaque began to notice a strange presence emanate
from it. Such a presence was unknown since the time that the Blue line
had ruled from there, and now it was back.
During the night time, working only by the light from the stars and
moon, and by the pole lights of the city, the outer walls of the Blue
Mansion were painted with the purest white paint that could be mixed,
and the following night they were polished until the whole building
gleamed.
Many days had gone by but the building was finally ready to move the
rest of the necessities into it. Most of the furniture, and other such
things, were especially build within the house or garden, for the man
for whom it was being made.
Boyce and Lloyd were pleased beyond their knowledge of words, to
express how they felt. They knew that what had once been the home of a
good, kind and strong man, was once again going to be the home of a man
that would be as well-loved.
All those that put in their time and love for Boyce, knowing who he
was, were pleased in their accomplishments and they gave praise to him
in a grand ball that was given for him, and for Lloyd, when everything
was finally completed.
Many people from all walks of Phoridene society were invited to the
mansion for the ball.
Curious to see who these men were, many of those citizens that were
invited had eagerly accepted to attend the ball at the new Blue Mansion.
Most of the guests were surprised upon entrance to the great building.
Memories were rekindled and many citizens had tears in their eyes and
lumps in their throats. It was remarkable that no one commented on the
Mansion's old sameness during any part of the ball. Not a single guest
questioned Boyce, or Lloyd, about how they made everything in the house
to be as it was years ago. They just took it in stride and tried to
have a good time; and for the first time, in a very long while, the
Phoridenes did enjoy themselves.
Amongst the guests invited to the ball were Miel and Cassta, with their
families, and several higher coenobites from Halls. They were Manguino
and his wife, Orren, Polis and Cardinal Levy.
Miel and Cassta came to the ball for much the same reason that everyone
else did, curiosity. When they came in, it was as if they walked
through some door that threw them back into time, to the night when the
Mansion saw its last festive night, the evening of Brook and
Dearborne's fifteenth anniversary of marriage.
When they saw Boyce he looked familiar to them but while at the ball
they didn't discuss it. Only once that night when they came to meet
the two men, Boyce had mentioned that he would like to speak privately
to them the next day and they had agreed.
The arrangements had been made so quickly that their entire intercourse
seemed to take place in the span of time it took the men to shake hands.
That was Boyce's only contact with the two men, all evening, and later
Empal mentioned to both men that it would be to their benefit to listen
to and to respect the young man called Boyce
Loebh, and that made both men wonder since they knew that Empal
wouldn't say such a thing to them unless it was serious.
Manguino and Orren had walked through the Mansion and finally Manguino
ended up at the room which was once Brook's private viewing den. That
was the room Brook and Dearborne had been taken from before they were
executed.
Manguino felt discomfited standing there and Orren couldn't help but
notice it. Everything in the house was just as it was before it was
ravaged by him and his men, thought Manguino. He was petrified to open
the door and looked inside but Orren had never seen the original room
and what it contained, so he bound into the room and looked around at
the rock walls, drapes, shelves of books and the large wooden cabinet.
The room was beautiful; decorated with small statues and paintings, and
although it wasn't an identical duplicate of Brook's den, it closely
enough resembled it to warp Manguino's mind back to when he had the
cabinet opened to his view and saw Brook's computer.
The ArchBishop had finally summoned ample courage in order to enter the
room and he let out an exasperated breath which sounded like he was in
pain, when he saw the room. He quickly stepped over to the book
shelves and read the names and titles on the books: Lapinz,
Argynossti, Smarte. All were identical to those books that Brook kept
there.
"This is some room!" said Orren and oddly glanced over at Manguino.
"What's wrong?" he asked the ArchBishop.
"This room is hardly different than Brook Scullion-Blue's was, so long
ago. How did these men know what was within? How did they know what
was in every room, within this house?"
Manguino trembled as he spoke then he looked at the far curtained wall
and went over to it.
He violently pulled the curtains away from the wall exposing a dingy
grey.
"Why did you do that, your Grace?" asked Orren.
"This wall was supposed to be white in the centre. If it was, I don't
know what I would've thought!" he answered.
He looked at the large wooden cabinet near the entrance and went to
it. He tried to open it but it was locked. He shook his head towards
Orren then punched at the cabinet doors.
"Just like Brook's, always locked until the day that I finally knew for
sure what was inside!"
Manguino was feeling ill and angry, and most of all frightened.
"You were right to suspect these men, Orren!" he told the cardinal.
There was a sudden angry and loud voice blaring from the entrance to
the room.
"What are you doing in here?" It was Boyce and he majestically trooped
into the room and glared at the ArchBishop. "I don't mind if the
guests roam around the house, but I do mind if the guests try to
destroy the things that are within the rooms!"
"We are not destroying anything, my young friend!" Manguino assured
him while he was leaning against the cabinet.
Boyce looked around the room and saw the undraped wall.
"Why is that curtain pulled away?" he demanded.
"Why isn't that wall white?" asked Manguino.
"White?" questioned Boyce. "Was it white, originally?"
Manguino nodded his head.
"I wish that I would have known this, earlier. I want this place to be
as authentic as possible to its original interior!"
Orren and Manguino looked at one another with puzzled eyes and Boyce
continued.
"I had found out the history of this place from a few of the towns'
people and I had decided to talk to a few of the people who have been
within this house when it was lived in by the ruling Lord. I had every
detail of their memories reconstructed. My academy will have the
atmosphere it needs, to inspire our artisans and great thinkers."
"What's in here?" Manguino demanded of him, touching the cabinet with
a few pats of his hand.
"Nothing is in there!" replied Boyce.
"Open it for me!" Manguino threw another order at Boyce.
"I don't believe that I am obliged to do so without being given a
reason for my opening it!" Boyce denied obedience to them, knowing
exactly who both of these men were.
"If you are to live in Pomperaque," said Orren. "you must learn to
obey the ArchBishop. He wants you to open that cabinet and you will
open it!"
Boyce put on a bewildered expression then sighed, nodding his head as
he went to the cabinet.
He took a key from around his neck and put it in the slot of the
cabinet door. His actions with the key, and the manner in which he
used it to open the doors, disturbed Manguino but he made himself think
that Boyce was told about the way that Brook handled the cabinet key.
Boyce slowly opened the cabinet to reveal the empty interior.
"There!" Boyce exclaimed. "I had told you that there was nothing
inside!"
The ArchBishop Manguino breathed more easily when he saw that the
cabinet was truly empty as this stranger called Boyce, had truthfully
told him.
"I would think that you would like to mingle more with the common
folk." said Boyce. "I had heard some rumours that you, ArchBishop,
don't present yourself to the people as much as you should!"
Orren didn't like what Boyce had said and he was ready to say something
to him until Manguino stopped him by raising his hand.
Manguino made for the door and Orren followed him. It was obvious that
the Almighty wanted peace, for now, and Orren held to his respect of it.
However, before the two men totally exited the room, Manguino turned
around and saw Boyce closing the cabinet doors. He smiled at Boyce and
asked him a question while Zoro flew into the room and to his shoulder.
"Tell me, Boyce Loebh ... do you know what was inside the cabinet?" he
asked him.
Boyce shrugged and a squawk came from Zoro.
"No, I don't!" he answered. "Apparently no one knows. It ruins the
authenticity -- I feel. Besides that ..." Boyce smiled back at him.
"... it must have been something that really annoyed you."
He stared right into Manguino's eyes than asked him if he would tell
him the contents of the cabinet, but Manguino just continued to smile
and left the room without telling him.
Boyce let Zoro onto his left forearm and stroked him while the bird
balanced itself.
"That, Zoro, is a man that ancients called 'an ass-hole'!" he said to
the crow.
Zoro cawed, as if answering, and Boyce left the room with him, too.
Downstairs, the party was coming to an end and Lloyd was saying
good-bye to everyone, and he reminded Mingo and Bix to bring their
friends over to the Mansion tomorrow for their first class.
Late into the night everyone was finally gone and the two men felt
extremely good in having their confusion tactics work on those who were
unfriendly present here on this night.