Chapter 23: The Secret of the Oxford Ordinance
William said with a sigh, "After hearing all that, it seems I don't really have a choice. So, Gareth, I'm a big shot now, right?"
"Of course. Even if you didn't want to join our 'gang,' the Duke has already persuaded the frustrated current Earl. Tomorrow, the Earl of Oxford will go to the House of Lords to officially register you as his heir."
"It will be reported in the media. This was all arranged by Henry. You can't refuse it even if you wanted to," Gareth said, smiling at William.
"Why the rush to force this on me? What do you really want from me? Or is there something you're afraid of?"
William voiced the questions in his heart. He couldn't believe these people had no ulterior motives and were just being kind. He didn't think he was some main character whose sheer charisma made powerful people flock to him.
Gareth Mallory decided to be frank. "The Oxford Ordinance of 1258 has always been in your family's custody. Henry never told anyone where it is. He used its location as leverage to ensure we would guarantee your successful inheritance of the title. Now, you must find that Ordinance. We've been looking for it for ten years and have found nothing. This is your test."
"And if I can't find it?" William asked nervously. "Will you get angry and... kill me?"
Gareth looked at him like he was an idiot. "Idiot. What era do you think this is? We don't just go around assassinating Earls. If you can't find it, you'll still be a noble, but you will never have our recognition or be admitted into the core circle of power."
Gareth made it sound simple, but William didn't believe a word. He understood that with his background, he could never truly enter the inner circle of England's nobility, no matter how hard he tried.
But he didn't care. What did he need with them? As long as he could make money, that was all that mattered.
With the 'W' group in his hands, he could form a private team to protect his businesses and family. As for protecting the royal family or dealing with special security issues... he'd handle that depending on his mood, or if it benefited him.
Seeing William sitting there silently, Gareth thought he might have remembered something. "William, do you recall anything? That Ordinance is truly important. It's best if you find it."
William thought back to the memories in his mind. There was indeed something Henry had told him on his deathbed, but he needed to confirm a few things first.
"If I find it," William began, deliberately setting a trap, "do I need to show it to you?"
Hearing that William might be willing to hand over the Oxford Ordinance, Gareth leaned forward eagerly. "Of course, that would be for the best."
William knew then that these men were not to be trusted. Seeing Gareth's excitement, he understood. The Oxford Ordinance was the ultimate proof of the Earl of Oxford's legitimacy. But there had to be some other secret hidden within it that made these nobles so desperate to see it.
"By the way," William said, pretending to struggle. "I remember now. Henry seemed to say something... um, what was it?" He lowered his head, covering his face, though in reality he was hiding a smirk.
Gareth stared at William, his hands fidgeting nervously.
After tormenting Gareth for a few more minutes, William slapped his own head and shouted, "I remember!"
"William, what is it? What did you remember?" Gareth stood up, his voice tight with anticipation.
"Ah, Gareth, why are you so nervous? Oh, it was nothing. I just remembered that Henry said after I find the Ordinance, I'm only supposed to give you the text of the third paragraph. You weren't being entirely honest with me, were you? Were you trying to trick me?"
Gareth Mallory, a man who didn't get to be chairman of the committee by being slow, reacted instantly. He knew William was playing him. "Damn you, William Devinshire!" he couldn't help but curse, forgetting they were in a public place. "You're just like Henry! That old fox used his family's secrets to protect you and ensure you inherited the title!"
William raised his wine glass. "Haha, Gareth, we're all playing the same game, aren't we?"
"You don't understand the importance of that Ordinance at all!" Gareth said anxiously. "It could change the world! It must not fall into the wrong hands!"
"Okay, okay," William said, holding up his hands in a bored gesture. "You talk as if you know what it is. If you knew, why would you need me?"
"I don't know what's written on the Ordinance itself!" Gareth hissed, leaning forward and lowering his voice to a roar. "But the Duke of Devonshire does. Henry showed it to him once. Afterwards, the Duke warned our entire committee that it must be kept safe. He said that the text *after* the main regulations could never be seen by anyone. He said if the world knew..."
"So in other words," William interrupted, "you don't care about the Oxford Ordinance itself. What you care about is the text written after it?"
"Yes! The Ordinance itself is useless to us. Only your family values it. But the Duke terrified us all that day. We want to know what it says, but we're also afraid that what he said is true—that a single sentence could throw the world into chaos."
William's curiosity was piqued. "Well, I really want to see what's written on it now. Gareth, since I'll be the owner, I think that should be okay, right?"
Gareth looked as if William's question was profoundly stupid. "I hope you find it, and I hope you never find it," he said, torn. "William, if you find it, don't tell me. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from wanting to know. If you find it, give a photograph to the Duke. Right now, only he and His Majesty the King have seen what's written on it. Only they can prove you've found the real thing. But don't wait too long. The Duke is not in good health," Gareth added as a kindly reminder.
William hesitated for a moment, then said mischievously, "Actually, I think I know how to find that thing. It might not even take a day. Gareth, how about we go and find it together? Aren't you curious?"
Gareth's expression suddenly lit up with excitement. He wanted to agree, but then his face contorted in a brief struggle. Finally, he slumped back into his chair, utterly defeated.
"William," he cursed, "you are as annoying as Henry. Just as mean, just as shameless, and you love to play tricks on people. Damn it! When you see the Earl's official statement tomorrow, come to Downing Street and find me. You need to start re-selecting your W team members." Without another word, Gareth Mallory stood up and left.
It seemed the man was really struggling. To be able to resist that temptation... William thought, *He's worthy of being the chairman of the Security Committee. He has strong principles.*
Then he stopped himself. *An agent who's been in the game for decades, and I'm calling him principled? Am I drunk?*
He picked up his glass and looked at the 12% alcohol content on the wine label. He shook his head. *Yep. I must be drunk.*
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