Chapter 007: The Riddle
"Well, go on then! Read it aloud, Karasuma!", Doujima squealed like an excited child, bouncing a bit in her chair as it squeaked underneath her. "Yes, please do. Before Doujima wets herself...", Haruto said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. His comment was quickly met with a powerful shove from Doujima, knocking him into his desk and scattering its contents as he snickered. "Very well. This is what it says.." Karasuma cleared her throat.
Beware the bird keeper
Take heed and watch
The girl shall become her name
Old clock strikes three
But where will you be
When the game is first begun
After a very long and silent pause, Doujima snatched the paper out of Karasuma's hands. "Hmm. Whoever wrote this needs a real lesson on punctuation."
Michael laughed. "Actually Doujima, in poetry there is something called 'artistic license'. It means that the poet is entitled to any sort of grammatical flaws that he or she wants."
"Well, OK then.", Doujima sighed as she slumped back in her chair.
"I don't think you guys realize the importance of this note. It was obviously meant to be found, and you could almost interpret it as a threat.", Karasuma observed, looking very serious. Everyone stopped laughing. "How could this possibly be a threat? I mean... it doesn't sound malicious!", Doujima said with a hint of worry. "I don't see how anyone could make sense of this..." "Until it all happens.", Michael finished for her as he rose from his seat at his computer, a rare occurrence at best. Walking over to the window, he looked out on the courtyard. "Where did you say you found this note, Robin?" Robin got up and pointed out the spot, pressing her finger to the frosted glass. "Right there, in the far left corner." Michael stared for a long time. Haruto cleared his throat pointedly a few times, and Karasuma tapped her fingers on the windowsill. Finally Doujima interrupted. "Oh, What is it!"
Amon answered for Michael. "The author of that note, or whoever delivered it, came in through that door." he said, nodding towards an old wooden door inset in the surrounding stone wall. The others began nodding in agreement. "Strange, I never noticed that door before." Robin whispered as she spoke her thoughts aloud. "You wouldn't have." Amon replied. "That door has never been used. The only way through it was out, not in. It is locked to the outside, and there is no key. It was built as an escape route from the STN-J if it were ever attacked. It's a pity that we didn't know about this last year..." he trailed off agitatedly as a sad smile crept over Robin's features.
"Well, if there is no key, how could they have possibly entered?", Haruto asked. No one answered. "The enemy we're up against may have powers that surpass the average illegal agency of witch hunters. Perhaps they are not after Robin because she has magical talents. And if they are, they have obviously hired a few craft users of their own." Amon paused, watching a bird perch on the outer window ledge. "I think we should start to solve this riddle, before Robin or anyone else gets themselves killed.", he added darkly, tearing his gaze away from the bird and walking back towards his desk.
"Well, go on then! Read it aloud, Karasuma!", Doujima squealed like an excited child, bouncing a bit in her chair as it squeaked underneath her. "Yes, please do. Before Doujima wets herself...", Haruto said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. His comment was quickly met with a powerful shove from Doujima, knocking him into his desk and scattering its contents as he snickered. "Very well. This is what it says.." Karasuma cleared her throat.
Beware the bird keeper
Take heed and watch
The girl shall become her name
Old clock strikes three
But where will you be
When the game is first begun
After a very long and silent pause, Doujima snatched the paper out of Karasuma's hands. "Hmm. Whoever wrote this needs a real lesson on punctuation."
Michael laughed. "Actually Doujima, in poetry there is something called 'artistic license'. It means that the poet is entitled to any sort of grammatical flaws that he or she wants."
"Well, OK then.", Doujima sighed as she slumped back in her chair.
"I don't think you guys realize the importance of this note. It was obviously meant to be found, and you could almost interpret it as a threat.", Karasuma observed, looking very serious. Everyone stopped laughing. "How could this possibly be a threat? I mean... it doesn't sound malicious!", Doujima said with a hint of worry. "I don't see how anyone could make sense of this..." "Until it all happens.", Michael finished for her as he rose from his seat at his computer, a rare occurrence at best. Walking over to the window, he looked out on the courtyard. "Where did you say you found this note, Robin?" Robin got up and pointed out the spot, pressing her finger to the frosted glass. "Right there, in the far left corner." Michael stared for a long time. Haruto cleared his throat pointedly a few times, and Karasuma tapped her fingers on the windowsill. Finally Doujima interrupted. "Oh, What is it!"
Amon answered for Michael. "The author of that note, or whoever delivered it, came in through that door." he said, nodding towards an old wooden door inset in the surrounding stone wall. The others began nodding in agreement. "Strange, I never noticed that door before." Robin whispered as she spoke her thoughts aloud. "You wouldn't have." Amon replied. "That door has never been used. The only way through it was out, not in. It is locked to the outside, and there is no key. It was built as an escape route from the STN-J if it were ever attacked. It's a pity that we didn't know about this last year..." he trailed off agitatedly as a sad smile crept over Robin's features.
"Well, if there is no key, how could they have possibly entered?", Haruto asked. No one answered. "The enemy we're up against may have powers that surpass the average illegal agency of witch hunters. Perhaps they are not after Robin because she has magical talents. And if they are, they have obviously hired a few craft users of their own." Amon paused, watching a bird perch on the outer window ledge. "I think we should start to solve this riddle, before Robin or anyone else gets themselves killed.", he added darkly, tearing his gaze away from the bird and walking back towards his desk.