Part 6 (6)

With the late Governor's henchman Polo gone to the imperial city Ekule to assist the young maiden Suzie in the burial of her dear uncle Bibi, Babida was alone in the management of the administrative headquarters.
So he thought about designating an interim aide-de-camp until Polo would be back in Okunde.
He went to the latter's office and checked the files on the desk. He saw a folder about the military expedition to the forbidden mountain.
He skimmed the pages thoroughly and noticed a scheme related to how the troop would defeat the newborn Monster that dwelt in the cursed hill.
Indeed the late Governor Kola II before passing away had instructed Polo the cunning to draft a victory plan over to the beast, for his aide-de-camp's ingeniosity was unlimited.
The lumberjack studied the strategy and learned it by heart because he thought it was a great one.
In the appeasing silence of Polo's office, the new Commander in chief of the imperial forces began to visualize how he and his men invaded the forbidden mountain and destroyed the villain bird that threatened the peace of the Batang empire.
Done perusing the secret document, the logger needed a man around him he could trust and together exchange ideas on how they could successfully implement the plan.
Before he was nominated in the position of new Commander of the imperial forces, Babida had remarked on a young imperial sentinel that was keeping safe the corridor to his guest room.
He found the rookie who answered by the name of Baba very sympathetic and smart.
After another thought, the woodsman was convinced that the youngster would be a great fit as the interim henchman.
"Guard!" He shouted.
And immediately an imperial sentinel showed up at the door.
Sitting behind Polo's desk, Babida ordered the imperial guard in front of him to call his comrade Baba, which the latter hastened to do.
"At your service, My Commander!" The imperial sentinel said to the lumberjack then left the office.
Toc, toc!
The imperial sentinel that was commissioned by the lumberjack knocked at the office's door and came in accompanied by the youngster Baba.
"Greetings, My Commander!" Both the imperial guards said as they gave a military salute to their superior.
Babida who was analyzing another set of documents on the late Governor's henchman's desk stopped what he was doing and glanced in the direction of the door.
"Oh, you are back. Great!" The new Commander of the imperial forces said to the envoy as he was pleased to see behind him the rookie imperial sentinel Baba.
"Well, your mission is over, for now, comrade. You may go back to your post." The woodsman enjoined the envoy.
The latter obeyed immediately, leaving the youngster Baba alone with the new Commander of the imperial forces.
"Please, come closer comrade!" Babida told the young imperial sentinel Baba.
The rookie executed hastily his Commander's order and moved forward. He halted his walk at one step from the desk.
"How old are you?" asked the lumberjack to the young man.
"My Commander, your humble servant is twenty years old." He replied to Babida.
"Yes, surely!" asserted the Commander of the imperial forces.
"Well, comrade! If I have called you, it's because I have a mission of extreme importance for you. However, it demands the man in charge to be as silent as a cemetery. Are you a tomb?" uttered the woodsman?
The rookie was shaken up by the declaration of his Commander since he wasn't expecting to be trusted so soon in his just beginning military career.
"Well, My Commander, just the fact that you ask me a question of such significance is already an honor for me because it means you thought about entrusting someone like me," Baba answered.
"Anyway, I'm ready to put myself at your service for any mission you will assign to me." The youngster added.
"Then it's perfect. Please, you may have a seat comrade." The logger instructed the rookie, Baba.
"Let's talk now about some state affairs!" He then said as the young imperial sentinel pulled the chair in front of him and laid his rear on it.