“Very well,” agreed Lord Rybak. “The Torak quarters are right next door. I will have one of my men check the corridor before you leave.”
“But right now, I am one of your men,” chuckled HawkShadow. “I will check it myself.”
HawkShadow and StarWind slipped out of the room and knocked on the next door. The door eased open and Botal gazed at HawkShadow for a moment before recognizing him. He swiftly opened the door wider and urged them in.
“It would appear that everyone in the world has heard about Lord Marak’s capture,” frowned Botal. “What are you two doing here?”
HawkShadow stood with his mouth hanging open as he gazed at Mistake in her blue and yellow dress.
“How did you get in here?” he asked.
“What took you so long?” retorted Mistake.
“Where is he being kept?” asked StarWind as she pointedly ignored HawkShadow and Mistake.
“We have drawings,” Gunta called from the center of the room as he leaned over the table. “Come take a look.”
* * *
The Imperial soldier carried a plate of food. He opened the door to the cell area and stepped inside. A guard met him with a drawn sword.
“What is this?” the guard asked.
“Slop for the lord,” chuckled the Imperial soldier. “Would you care to sample it?”
“Hardly,” laughed the guard. “Where did you get that? I have never smelled anything so foul.”
“I suppose some of the kitchen help has taken exception to anyone who would threaten our Emperor,” replied the soldier. “I can’t say as I blame them. He is fortunate to even be able to eat. Had I been on duty, that lord would not be able to talk.”
“You must learn to control you emotions better,” laughed the soldier as he pointed down the hall to where another guard was standing. “You can’t miss him. He is our only prisoner.”
The Imperial soldier marched down the hall. The other guard nodded as he saw the food plate approaching. He unlocked the door and held it open as the soldier swept into the cell.
“I am to wait until he finishes it,” the soldier whispered as he passed through the door. “Lock it back up until I knock.”
The guard complied and closed the door and locked it. Lord Marak looked up at the intrusion and frowned.
“Fisher?” he said softly. “What are you doing here? Are you crazy?”
“Perhaps,” smiled the spy, “but sometimes crazy works. There are only two guards outside. We should be able to get you out of here fairly easy.”
“No,” Lord Marak shook his head. “You get out of here before they catch you.”
“I am not leaving without you,” Fisher said stubbornly.
“You must,” sighed Lord Marak. “Don’t you see? I cannot escape from here. Oh, you may be able to free me, but then what? Everything we have worked so long for will be destroyed. Armies will descend upon the estates of the Torak clan. They will turn over every rock to find me, and they will crush anyone who gets in their way. Whoever set me up, did a very good job. I imagine that they want me to escape. Doesn’t it surprise you that there are only two guards for a prisoner that supposedly attempted to assassinate the Emperor? It is not like there is a shortage of Imperial troops.”
“You have a point there,” conceded Fisher, “but leaving you here is the same as watching you die. I cannot chance the loss of the Torak.”
“All the more reason for you to flee, Fisher,” Lord Marak shook his head. “I am not dead yet. I cannot imagine the Imperial troops hanging me without a thorough investigation. That means that my people still have a chance to do something. Get in touch with Botal. Tell them to find out who the real assassin is. This is an area that you excel at, Fisher. Work with the Emperor’s people. As much as they hate me, and all that I stand for, they will still want to know who the real assassin is. You have your work cut out for you. Go do it.”
“I will,” nodded Fisher, “but I will not let them kill you. If need be, I will lead all of your people on Khadoratung and fight to save you.”
“You will do no such thing,” scolded Lord Marak. “In fact, I want word sent to Fardale immediately. None of my people are to make any moves against the Imperial troops or the Emperor. That is not what I am about. I want to unite this country, not destroy it.”
“But they are flatlanders,” frowned Fisher.
“Gather the believers and the nonbelievers,” quoted Lord Marak. “Remember the scrolls that we have read. These people may seem like our enemies now, but a greater evil is coming. We must unite to survive. Go now.”
Fisher banged harshly on the door. The guard opened it and Fisher stormed out.
“Lock him back up,” snarled Fisher. “He refused to eat his slop so he will go hungry.”
Both guards laughed as Fisher left the cell area. He placed the tray on the floor outside one of the clan quarters and continued on until he reached the Torak quarters. He banged on the door, and Botal shook his head as he let Fisher in.
“Who will be coming next?” Botal shook his head as he closed the door. “Perhaps a Chula would complete this cast.”
“Fisher!” greeted StarWind. “Nice uniform. That may help us get Lord Marak out of here.”
“It won’t help at all,” Fisher snapped as he stripped off the uniform. “I just came from Lord Marak’s cell. He refuses to escape.”
“What?” HawkShadow said with disbelief.
“It makes sense after you calm down a little,” sighed Fisher. “Whoever is framing him, wants him to escape. There are only two guards, and I easily got into his cell.”
“Why would they want him to escape?” asked Mistake.
“Nothing could destroy what he is doing more than branding him and his people as criminals,” explained Fisher. “He wants us to solve the mystery of who really is behind the assassination.”
“Well that’s easy,” StarWind quipped sarcastically.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rent the air. The whole palace shook, and dust filtered down from the ceilings.
Chapter 13
Emperor Bagora
Lord Marak watched Fisher leave the cell. As the door closed, he returned to his bunk and stretched out. He stared at the ceiling as he wondered if his people could find the real assassin in time to save him. His mother had never taught Lord Marak about religion, but he found his thoughts drifting to the god of the indigenous peoples. He wondered if the god Kaltara had really chosen him to be Torak, and if that meant that Kaltara would be looking out for his welfare. It was difficult for Lord Marak to believe in anything that he could not touch, but he found his nervousness strangely calmed as he thought about Kaltara. In fact, his spirits rose as he meditated.
Barely audible noises invaded his thoughts, and Lord Marak looked at the door to his cell. He heard distant shouting and then screaming. More shouts came from somewhere closer, probably right outside his door. He heard something slam against his door and then more screaming. Suddenly it was very silent.
Lord Marak remained frozen on his bunk when the small viewing slit in the cell door opened. Marak’s eyes rose to stare at the slot in the door. A dark visage filled the slot as a pair of eyes scanned the room. The slot slammed closed, and Lord Marak wondered what was going on outside the cell.
Without warning, the cell door exploded inward. It flew across the small room and impacted the rear wall of the cell. Lord Marak’s arms instinctively rose and covered his face as the whole building shook from the impact. The noise was deafening and Lord Marak shook his head as his ears rang loudly. In seconds it was all over. Lord Marak uncovered his head and looked about the tiny cell. Sunlight streamed through the rear wall of the cell where the cell door had torn through the stone wall. The sunlight highlighted the millions of dust particles that floated in the air.