UNDERGROUND LIBRARY

                        Chapter 5
The pain in his head persisted as he ascended the flight of stairs leading to his office.
    
     "Make the crown yours. It must be yours."
    
     "Ahhh!" He screamed and the pain got worse. His eyes were bloodshot, swollen and his face was wet with sweat.
No, he couldn't meet Mr. Andres in this state. His anguish could be detected and the old man would begin to question him incessantly.
He stopped midway in his amble up the never ending staircase and looked up. Few more steps to go. This journey was something he had always waltzed through, because his office was on the upper floor, but now, it was taking hours. He made a mental note to himself to try to convince the authoritative body of EW, together with some others, so that they could put up an elevator to smooth out this newly evolved problem.

Finally, he was there. He had to get to his own office before anything else appeared in his way. The moment he entered, he raced to the sink, not minding the pain, and splashed water on his head. After an overdose of aspirin, he was relieved, though not fully.

     "Come in", he shouted to the sudden knocker at his door who wanted to ruin his morning all over again.
A thin man with dark brown hair who wore wire rimmed spectacles entered.  Philip Mylowski had been Mr. Andres' messenger and secretary for quite a number of years, probably since he assumed the managerial position. His long stay could be attributed to the much cordial relationship which emanated between them and the never ending respect he had for his superior.

     "Um, he says for you to come as soon as soon as possible", he said and hurried out of the room, that Pierre was left wondering if he also had an important mission in his hands.
He sighed heavily, as if the end of the world was coming. To him, it was. He had dreaded this moment since he stepped into the walls of Explorers Worldwide this morning. A cloud of indecision loomed over him. Should he feign sickness so that this meeting would be postponed? Or should he just go and face whatever Mr. Andres had in stock for him?
After a few minutes if contemplation, he resorted to picking his second choice.

The hot rancid air hit him on the face like a boxer's victory blow as he stopped out. Realizing the comfort of the indoor atmosphere, he re-entered and came out again. The pain in his head had abated; so had the fatigue. He was walking with less difficulty now.
Finally, he was sitting face to face with the person he  had wanted to avoid the whole of this day.

     "Mr. Frances", he started and Pierre shifted slightly in his seat. He always called them by their first names but when the surname came in, he knew an official and very serious issue was at hand.

     "We are both very well aware that Explorers Worldwide entrusted an important mission into your hands and time was given for your research and preparation for your departure. But as we can all see, Jean-Paul's sudden and unfortunate demise has created a dent in the progress of this mission."
He paused for a while, staring into space.
He silently prayed he would not decide to add someone else to assist him on the mission. He believed he could do everything himself, having in depth knowledge, but at the moment, his immediate fate hung precariously on the next decision of his manager.
On the other hand, a tiny part of him was skeptical about the whole issue, in the sense that he would bring the mission to an end.

     "So then, I have made my decision. This mission is too important to be suspended, this is why I have decided to leave everything to you. The whole organisation has agreed to my decision and we will give you all the support and assistance you need from now to the day this mission comes to an end."
Mr. Andres' stare, which contained a mixture of fear, sympathy and grief forced him to look down.

     "Um.... Sir, I understand what you are going through now", he said placidly, "and I will not give up on this mission as long as the world and EW are concerned."