Soon after he got the message, he sent someone over.
Queeny didn’t have to wait long before Ford arrived.
He knocked softly on the door outside and Queeny went to open it. Seeing that it was him, she handed him the bottle of essential oil.
Perhaps knowing she was in her nightgown and in the privacy of her room, Ford kept his head down and didn’t look up much.
When he took it, Queeny whispered, “Find out what it’s made of, and let me know as soon as you have it analyzed.”
Ford nodded, murmured “yes,” and then turned to leave.
Queeny closed the door.
She felt a little better when it was given away.
When she got into bed again, she felt a rush of sleepiness and fell asleep soon.
The next day.
At breakfast she and Felix were still alone in the dining room.
Both of them had the habit of eating and sleeping without speaking, so no one spoke at the table.
It wasn’t until the meal was over that Queeny said, “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Felix took one look at her, slowly lowered his cup of tea, and whispered, “Let’s go to the study.”
So she got up and pushed his wheelchair to the study.
In the study, Queeny turned and closed the door, walked to the sofa and sat down, then said: “You were injured earlier, and too many things at that time, so there is something I haven’t had a chance to tell you.”
Felix looked at her. “What is it?”
Queeny held out the map he had drawn and said, “Ella said she had seen this map before, the one on the Celestial Book.”
Felix was stunned.
He was surprised.
In fact, not only he, but Even Queeny was surprised when she first heard about it.
But he was quick at last, and in a moment his countenance returned to normal.
“What's the matter?” he asked quietly.
Queeny shook her head. “I don’t know exactly. Didn’t you give me a file to look at on the day you left for the next city? When I was reading, Ella just came in and saw the picture on it.”
“According to her, the pattern on the Celestial Book in the picture looked familiar to her, as if she had seen it from somewhere. But she couldn’t remember exactly where.”
“I wondered if she was wrong, but later, when we found out that the spy who was in the guard had the map on him, I knew it wasn’t the only place.”
“More than one person must have seen it. So it’s possible that Ella actually saw it somewhere by mistake.”
Felix frowned deeply.
He was silent and did not say anything. Queeny knew he was thinking about the possibility.
After a pause he said, “So she hasn’t remembered all this time?”
Queeny shook her head.
Felix was silent again.
Queeny said quietly, “I mean...Should we send someone to her hometown to check it out? I heard that after she graduated from a school in her hometown, she came to work here directly through the introduction of acquaintances. She was young and had not been to many places. Maybe if we check around, we might find something.”
“That might work,” said Felix thoughtfully. “It’s just...”
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