Part 5 (3)

The lumberjack accompanied by Suzie and uncle Bibi followed the imperial sentinel to the office of Polo.

When they entered the circular room, the late Governor's aide-de-camp was sitting behind his wooden desk and was holding a papyrus in his right hand.

The thirty-year-old henchman of the late Governor had his face plunged into the document and was reading its extremely important imperial message.

"Here is the lumberjack, sir!" exclaimed the imperial messenger.

Polo halted his reading and glanced at the door where Babida he called for and the imperial sentinel he had commissioned were standing but also the young miss Suzie and the former imperial army's Commander, uncle Bibi.

"My heartfelt respects, My Commander!" Polo said as he rose to salute the middle-aged man.

"What a great surprise! Polo the cunning!" replied uncle Bibi, calling the tall and svelte young man by his nickname.

The late Governor's aide-de-camp was attributed his alias when he debuted in the imperial army ten years ago.

He was assigned to Ekule's regiment where uncle Bibi was enrolled too and had then the rank of Caporal.

During an intensive elite training camp, Polo faked a knee injury to get sick leave.

The Commander of the elite unit at the time granted the rookie Polo a few weeks to recover after the imperial doctor confirmed that the freshman's knee was indeed swollen from a heavy shock during the training camp.

On the day of the made-up incident, the young Polo went discreetly right after sunrise to a bee nest lodged on a palm tree in the little woods behind the barracks.

He pinched a bee with two thin sticks and self-inflicted the insect's venomous sting on his knee which began to swell.

He then removed the animal's stinger to slow down the knee inflammation and rushed back to the barracks where a new elite training session was about to kick off.

He immediately joined the ranks and participated in the military tests until when it came to climbing a wall and he could no longer, for his knee had become enormously swollen.

His comrades evacuated him for the military infirmary within the barracks where the doctor declared him inapt to pursue the training.

Later he revealed his cheating to his comrades but Ama, an elite fighter who was often in conflict with him and need of recognition from the hierarchy, sold him out.

The Commander of the elite unit, to punish Polo for his act of cowardice, ordered he be thrown in the arena in the middle of the barracks' yard and the starved lion in the cage beneath be unleashed for a life and death combat.

The slender fighter alone face-to-face with his fate surprised his comrades with an unexpected trick he had anticipated.

When he was informed the day before the mortal fight about how the Commander of the elite unit intended to sanction him, he invoked Iyô, the god of deep sleep, who gave him in exchange for his herd of sheep, a sleeping potion.

Polo poured the magical liquid on his dinner which he then wrapped with aluminum foil and hid it in the pocket of his silk trouser. The meal comprised grilled lamb and boiled rice.

As instructed, a squad of five imperial sentinels conducted Polo to the arena and released the lion. The animal was very nervous, for he was extremely hungry.

Without wasting time, the tall and slim fighter removed the package from his pocket, tore it, and launched its content toward the wildcat.

The latter sprung on the lamb and voraciously devoured it. As soon it was done, it fell unconscious on the ground and deeply snoozed.

Amazed by his intelligence, Polo's comrades who feared for his life, nicknamed him Polo the cunning. And since then, he had been greatly popular among his peers and highly regarded by his superiors.

Uncle Bibi looked at the now mature and accomplished man Polo and advanced to him as the latter stepped on the left side of his desk.

The two men shook hands and couldn't help congratulating each other for their achievements.

Uncle Bibi stressed that his time had passed and wished his younger comrade Polo a richer career than his at the service of His Majesty, Emperor Batang V.

The two men's volubility annoyed Babida who felt forgotten. The lumberjack had been requested by Polo and was impatient the latter turned his attention to him and told him whatever he had to tell.

The imperial guard and the young maiden Suzie were more relaxed than the logger and admired the numerous eye-catching wild animal sculptures that were exposed in the late Governor's henchman's office.

Finally, uncle Bibi and Polo's lengthy conversation ended and the late Governor's aide-de-camp fixed his gaze on his office's entrance.

”Oh, pardon me!" he exclaimed and rushed toward the three other people.

"Thank you, Abo! You can now leave." He said to the imperial messenger who gave him a salute and left.

"I greet you, comrade Babida." He then told the lumberjack who returned the politeness with a military salute.

Polo glared at the miss behind the woodsman and was struck by her beauty.

"May I know who this exquisite creature of our ancestors is?" He asked Babida

"Well sir, that's our dear companion Suzie from the imperial city Ekule. Tr that's Commander Bibi's beautiful niece," replied Babida to the late Governor's henchman.

"Oh, I see. Young Miss, be welcome to our headquarters!" The late Governor's henchman addressed Suzie who slightly bowed her head to pay her respects to him.

Polo thereafter redirected his focus on the lumberjack.

"First of all, I would like to underscore that I was disturbed by your imprisonment by the late Governor, His Highness Kola II." He confessed to the logger.

"It was a regrettable incident. Let's let it go and focus on the current challenges that the Batang empire is facing." The late Governor's aide-de-camp added.

"I have right here a message of extreme significance from His Majesty Batang V." Polo uttered while showing the papyrus in his right hand.