Chapter 20: Project Powel.
When the session was over and the council members began to disperse one by one, the emperor called prime minister over and began to discuss something, but Alan along with Lee proceeded to the exit at the opposite side of the hall.
The moment Lee passed the spot minister Powel usually sat at, he nimbly squatted and pretended to pick up something under Powel's chair. It turned out to be slightly dirty, palm-sized paper sheet, scrolled in a tube and Lee, doing his best to appear excited, tried to straighten it in order to read.
"What is it?" As expected, Alan immediately took the paper from him.
"I found it, it's mine!" Lee pleaded as a child would do.
"No, it's not!" Alan shook his head. He glanced at the paper and already intended to call for Powel, but didn't get further than Pow...
"What is it? What is it?" It was Lee's turn to ask the question.
"Trouble ..." Alan sighed, and with wide steps approached the emperor who immediately took the piece of paper and discovered another one that was stuck to the first. Then he read that, and Lee sensed the blood demon from the mountaintop returning. Majesty's first instinct was to grab his sword handle, but one could see he forced himself to calm down and take a deep breath.
Then he passed the forged letters to Bates to read and said, forcefully lowering his voice, "Get everyone back!"
A short while later, when ministers and their heirs sat back in their chairs, the confusion was evident. But there was a hint of worry on quite a few faces – apparently many had skeletons in their closets, and people were scared their secrets have been discovered. Lee was excited though, everything was going according to the plan.