At the end of the meeting Archil rushes out of the council building.

"Something wrong, sir?" Gilbert asks.

"Layton is gone, Gilbert." Archil tells Gilbert in a hushed tone. "The welfare of Virgo is apparently more important to the others than saving one of there most honourable families. Layton was most certainly the best of us."

"Sir, what happened in there?" Gilbert asks intrigued. "Why is Layton no more?"

"The vote, Gilbert." Archil says to Gilbert as if it explained everything.

"I am going to need more explanation than that sir." Gilbert states. "What happened during the vote?"

"They decided it was best to give Layton five hundred workers." Archil answers. "They will never sustain themselves as things are going now."

"Couldn't Jardine provide for them sir?" Gilbert asks. "We should have enough money to sustain both families."

"Father will never agree to that, Gilbert." Archil says frustrated. "He won't allow our family to go down with the Laytons even if this causes them to fall. There is no way of saving the Laytons. Now lets walk, I need to check something."

"What exactly, sir?" Gilbert asks.

"You'll see, Gilbert, you'll see." Archil responds. "So, what were you up to in the last couple of hours?"

"Nothing special, sir." Gilbert responds half walking half running to keep up with Archil. "I had a look at the market to see if something nice was being sold."

"Did you speak to anyone?" Archil asks knowing the answer already.

"No sir, I did not." Gilbert says looking away. "Sir, does the place we are heading to have anything to do with the meeting?"

"Yes, there is something I must check on before I accept the decisions made by the council."

"And were would you check this, sir? Gilbert asks.

"At the library of course." Archil says as they arrive at the library. "The place of infinite knowledge. This is were I hope to find my answers."

As they enter they are greeted by an old woman behind a desk.

"Hello again, Archil." She said. "What is it you are looking for today?"

"The Oliron history books..." Archil asks. "Do you known were they are?"

"They should be on the second floor in bookcase number four." She responds.

"Thank you." Archil says as he walks up the stairs to the right of the desk.

The library wasn't a big building, according to Oliron standards. Oliron is not a city known for its writers and so there isn't much to fill the shelves with. There are just enough books to fill cases on two floors with 20 cases on each floor. It is mostly old propaganda though. Two more floors were build to support more books, but so far these floor have not been in use yet. The only light in the building comes from candles, which are isolated from the books and suspended on the wall. To read there are a few lit tables with comfortable chairs to sit in. The master of the Jardine family sees great importance in the books and so he has funds from the family dedicated to maintaining the library, since it lies within Jardine territory.

The second floor was even darker than the first floor. With no one to oversee the second floor less candles are placed in order to prevent fires. The tables and chairs on the other hand are in a much better condition than the ones downstairs. These chairs and tables are especially tailored to support long hours of reading. The tables even have better lighting, even though the candles are made with a special layer around them isolating them from the books.

"Sir, if you wanted to go to a library why didn't you go to the northern library?" Gilbert asks. "It is more likely to have more detailed history books."

"Because, Gilbert, the northern library belongs to the Virgos." Archil responds. And I am in no mood to do anything that even suggests I am positive towards  the Virgos. Not to mention the fact that they probably altered their history books a bit to suit them better."

They walk to case number four and start searching for the books. After a short while they find two books belonging to the "Oliron in the ages" series.

"These are the ones I need." Archil says reassured. "Now lets test theories. You see, this book was written by George Jardine, so it is more reliable than one written by a Virgo, since they are known leaving out facts."

"I see, sir." Gilbert answers without understanding a word.

As they open part two of 'Oliron in the ages' Archil explains that there used to be a fifth family. However, like Layton now, the family went bankrupt and disappeared. It just so happens that the author of 'Oliron in the ages' part two was alive during during this time period.

"Now if we could find a repetition of the same circumstances as with Layton now, we could make a connection between Virgo and the council building having made some kind of agreement." Archil continues explaining. "This should be the page that describes Oliron when the fifth family is still in play. Somewhere in the pages that follow should be a description of the events that let to that point."

"This can't be!" Archil exclaims after reading two pages. "From one page to the next the fifth family simply vanishes. There is no way a Jardine would make no mention of this."

"Sir doesn't it seem like a few pages have been removed from the book." Gilbert asks carefully.

Indeed, if you look closely enough you can observe small lines where pages are most definitely missing.

"Someone sabotaged this book expertly." Archil says in amazement. "How did you see that, Gilbert?"

"I did not, sir." Gilbert says amazed by his own words. "I simply guessed that if something seems missing it might have been removed."

"Now how do we trace these pages." Archil wonders. "Jardine manor has all its books placed here for all to read. The Virgo library is unlikely to even have a Jardine book."

"What of the other two parts sir." Gilbert asks. "Could they not contain any clues as to what was in the missing pages?"

"No, part three is more of a philosophical text than a history book." Archil states. Part four is still being written, so that is of no use either."

"Sir, earlier you said Virgo is known for hiding facts from others, do the other families also have these reputations?" Gilbert wonders.

"Yes." Archil replies. Layton is known for being kind to the population, Allard is known for being honourable and Jardine in known for being clever. Apparently we are good at making and solving puzzles."

This thought made Archil think. What if George Jardine knew his book would be altered. He would try and make his message clear by hiding it somewere only another Jardine could find it.

Archil quickly goes back to the prologue of the book. On this page is written: While I write about the tales of this time in our own Jardine library.

"He was here!" Archil exclaims. "When George Jardine wrote this book he was here, in this very building. That means he must have hidden the ripped out pages somewhere near us."

"If they even exist, sir." Gilbert states. "There is no proof that he hid a message anywhere."

"He is a Jardine, Gilbert." Archil explains. "There is no way he wrote about something as suspicious as the fall of a family without expecting it to be altered."

Archil goes to the epilogue. "Even when something so tragic occurred, it would appear not to me to tell you the full story in this book. For those of us who must know, they can visit the less visited part of the Jardine library for more information." Archil reads out loud. "What do you think Gilbert?"

"Isn't this floor already the less visited part, sir." Gilbert answers. "We should look around, see what we find."

No, this floor is still visited quite frequently." Archil thinks aloud. "Hmm, a place in this library hardly anyone every goes too... The third and fourth floor, of course! How could I not see that?"

"Now the question is, the third floor or the fourth floor." Gilbert states.

"The third floor is kept ready for future use." Archil says. "We expect to need it within thirty years. The fourth floor however is only dusted of from time to time. I think we should start there. We should go downstairs and ask for the key."

The two descended the stairs and walked up to the desk of the old woman.

"Can we have access to the fourth floor please." Archil asks kindly.

"Officially you can't." The old woman replies. "However since your family practically owns this library, I can't see why not." She hands Archil the key. "Just be sure to return that to me once you're done in that dusty, old cellar."

"Thank you." Archil says.

They ascend the stairs again continuing past the second floor, until their path is blocked by a sturdy looking door. Here they use the key and the door opens.

"Sir, how does Oliron rule the fields, forests and towns located beyond the great lake surrounding the city?" Gilbert asks while they are climbing the stairs. "I never hear you talk about the council discussing matters concerning them."

"Long ago it has been decided that the head of the council controls all areas under Oliron control as long as it is not within the city limits." Archil explains. This rule was made however before the areas around Oliron started to develop. I plan to change the rule Maxwell currently has over those people, when I get to a more permanent stage of being a council member. I will change this city Gilbert, mark my words."

They now arrive at a second door also locked.

"This key should also fit this door." Archil says. The key fits however the door remains motionless. "Curious, I guise this door hasn't been used in a long time. Gilbert, help me push would you."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Together they push on the door. Their combined strength causes it to fly open and both men fly into the room, sliding across the floor. A cloud of dust rises from the ground, dimming the already faint light.

"I will get a candle, sir." Gilbert says from somewhere in the middle of the room.

"Don't!" Archil yells. "Dust burns and if a large quantity like this catches fire in this enclosed space, an explosion will occur!"

Another cloud of dust rises as Gilbert falls back down from hearing this.

"What do we do, sir?" Gilbert asks coughing.

"There should be a window on the far side of the room." Archil explains. "If we open that we should be able to vent enough dust. The challenge, laid out for us now, is to find it."

After at least ten minutes of searching, they finally find the window. By this time both men are completely covered in dust and, as the window slowly opens, they are gasping for fresh air.

"Well done, Gilbert." Archil cheers. "Another minute of that and I would have suffocated for sure. How about we talk some more about the rural areas of Oliron. Ask me anything you want."

"Okay, sir." Gilbert says already looking cheerful again. Gilbert loves asking questions. So much so that he might be the most curious person in Oliron. Archil is of the opinion that answering questions is the best way to educate yourself. These two traits match perfectly. "Earlier you said that you wanted to give the control of the rural areas back to the council. Is there something wrong with the way Maxwell runs things currently?"

"Maxwell neglects the fact that those people need proper support from the city." Archil explains. "He believes that if you do not want to live in the city the gods should decide your fate out there. What Maxwell forgets in this reasoning is that all food, except for fish, comes from farms outside of the city. If the situation outside of the city limits doesn't improve quickly people will start starving in the city. We will have an uprising on our hands that will kill thousands. Not to mention the losses we will suffer in the rural areas to the bands of Goblins; small, grey creatures with black eyes and sharp teeth, that mainly roam around at night and eat just about anything, including human flesh and our harvest. The rodents have somehow manifested themselves on our island and are now beginning to attack farmers. The situation in this city may not look it, but it is on the point of collapse. If the way the council currently does things doesn't change people will die and not just the poor. Everyone will suffer."

"Is it really that bad, sir?" Gilbert asks in amazement.

"It is, Gilbert." Archil replies. "It is. Gilbert, doesn't this room seem smaller to you?"

"Yes, sir." Gilbert replies enthusiastically. "Does this mean we are correct, sir?"

"It would appear so, Gilbert." Archil says, smiling. "Now let's find this hidden room. George Jardine wrote it like it is findable, so it should not be too elaborate. It will only need to be hidden from plain sight or maybe even in plain sight."

Archil lights a candle and starts searching.

"What do you mean, sir?" Gilbert asks, confused.

"He only hid these pages so they wouldn't be lost if they were thorn from the book, like they were." Archil explains. "It is likely that whoever handled the sabotage missed one line of text hinting at their existence. They should also not be out in the open in case a random person finds it. George was a clever man, I'm sure he thought about matters, like I do now. Now in what direction is the room smaller. Considering he wrote his books in that particular space, it should have enough room to contain a desk and a shelf. Now on what side of the room would this be?"

"The shelves to the right of the door seem to be a lot closer to the door, sir." Gilbert observes. "Should we start looking on that side?"

"Sounds like a plan, Gilbert." Archil says, while walking over to the left wall.

"Where are you going, sir." Gilbert asks, confused. "I thought we were going to the right wall?"

"This is the right wall, right?" Archil asks, now also confused. "You exit the door and the go right, right?"

"I meant to the right while facing the door, sir." Gilbert says, quietly with a look on his face as if it was his fault Archil misunderstood.

"My bad, Gilbert." Archil says. "I should have asked you first. It isn't your fault that I am an idiot."

"But you are no..." Gilbert starts, already looking less guilty, but Archil stops him.

"Just joking, Gilbert." Archil says cheerfully. "Now lets inspect that wall!"

On close examination of the wall a thin line can be seen forming a rectangle on the wall. There is no visible switch or knob to open the door however. As both men are wondering what to do, Gilbert manages to somehow trip, while standing still, and so he falls hitting the wall. A cloud of dust in blown off the wall.

"You alright there, Gilbert." Archil says, clearly amused. Then he suddenly freezes in excitement and steps forward towards Gilbert. Gilbert, now even more confused almost panics as his master draws closer.

"Did I break something?" Gilbert asks in a shrill tone.

"Well done, Gilbert!" Archil exclaims, pointing at the wall next to Gilbert. Right there is another small outline of a smaller rectangle. It would have been completely obscured by the dust if not for Gilbert cleaning it off.

Archil presses the button and the door makes a lot of metallic noises without opening. Archil the continues to the door and gives it a little push. The door opens followed by a gust of warm, rotten air filled with a thick cloud of dust. Both men, upon spotting the cloud of dust, step towards the window automatically.

"Is that air poisonous, sir." Gilbert asks.

"I don't know, Gilbert." Archil responds. "It certainly smells that way."

It took a few minutes before both men even dared approach the hidden room in fear of the air being poisonous. After Gilbert decides he dares approach and Archil, after seeing Gilbert survive entering, carefully follows him, both men see a small, dark room filled with scrolls, blank books and quills. Weirdly enough there is no ink left in the room. Even the empty ink pots are missing.

Both men are amazed by the amount of paper that is gathered in this one room and imaging how hard it will be to find the two pages they are looking for.

"It is a good sign, Gilbert." Archil says cheerfully. "The dust cloud gathered in this room tells us no one has been here in a long time. The pages are likely to still be here."

"They might be here, sir." Gilbert says with a pained smile on his face. "But how are we ever going to find them in between these stacks of paper?"

"Lucky enough for us George was a very organised person, so the pages won't be in some random place. Also, shortly after writing. 'Oliron in the ages' volume two, George was murdered. Proof was never found of who ordered the assassination and for some reason the murderer was almost instantly executed."

"Is that how our rules really work, sir?" Gilbert asks shaken by the idea of a man being executed without trial.

"Well it is a standard rule that anyone committing murder in Oliron is executed." Archil responds. "This is, because the area we live is a very urban place and law enforcement is extremely hard. It is uncommon though for someone to be executed so suddenly though."

Archil has a good look across the desk of George Jardine.

"Look at this, Gilbert." Archil says in wonder. "George was apparently working on "Oliron in the ages" volume three. His will said that another Jardine should finish it, but since no one knew of this place it was rewritten entirely. It is strange though, how when searching for this series I can only ever find volume two and three. Perhaps it is, because one and four are not written by Jardines. Ah, there they are. The missing pages right on his desk. He must have died before he was able to put them somewhere proper."

Archil snatches the pages and quickly skips through their content.

"Interesting." Archil says. "George explains the fall of the fifth family like this; even though only Maxwell and Virgo seem to want a family to be destroyed the vote cast the fifth out mercilessly. The council represents the will of the gods Maxwell says. We are all influenced by one of them and so we cast their vote, not our own. I don't believe him. I am sure that on my vote I favoured the fifth. Perhaps the other families do want to cast out the fifth, or maybe Maxwell is just fixing the vote. Either way there is nothing I can do about it now. The vote is cast and so ends the fifth."

"That sounds similar to what is happening now!" Gilbert exclaims.

"What is the weirdest about this, is that Maxwell is there even though this occurred well over sixty years ago." Archil says. George speaks of him as if he is the head of the council. Now I am rather sure our Maxwell is not over fifty. They can't be the same person. It is impossible however that the head of the council then and the head of the council now have the same first name."

"Could he in any way be the same person, sir?" Gilbert asks.

"No, Gilbert." Archil replies. "If he was he would be too old to be council member right now. The only way for him to be the same person is if he was somehow immortal, which is impossible for humans. Now lets head home and get some sleeps. We will report this information to my father tomorrow and then we will see what actions we will take."

"Sounds good, sir." Gilbert says relieved to finally be able to leave the dusty library.