Shrugging, James says, “Very well.” Suddenly, the entire area is filled with a blinding white light as dozens of extremely bright orbs blossom into life throughout the room.
The reaction from the guards is all he could hope for when they turn tale and run out of the room. Chuckling to himself as the last man runs up the stairs leaving him alone, he cancels the spell. The darkness of the holding area lasts but briefly before his normal glowing orb springs to life next to him on the bench. He leans back and tries to get comfortable.
Smiling to himself, he feels under his shirt and rubs the slug belt he had put on when he got dressed to come here. The guards hadn’t even realized what it was. Alone in the dark, he ponders why he’s here and waits.
After James and his escort of guards goes down the stairs, Illan gestures Miko to follow him into James’ room and close the door.
To Dave he asks, “Just what happened?”
Shrugging, he looks up from where he’s sitting on the bed and replies, “I don’t know. They just came and took him.” Dave’s command of the language has greatly improved over the last week or so. Being completely immersed in it has helped. Though still not understanding every word and nuance, he’s a quick learner.
“What are we to do?” Miko asks.
“You two stay here and I’ll try to find out what’s going on,” he says.
“Okay,” replies Miko. Dave just nods his head.
Leaving the room, he heads downstairs and finds Miss Gilena in the common room wearing her night dress and a robe. She’s standing near one of the windows looking out upon the street and turns when she hears him coming.
“They took James,” he tells her.
“I know, poor boy,” she replies sadly.
“Do you know what’s going on?” he asks.
Shaking her head, she says, “No. One of my servants woke me up when the guards appeared. They didn’t say much other than they were here to take him to the castle for questioning.”
Illan looks out the window and sees guards and soldiers moving up and down the street. “I’m going to find out what’s going on,” he says as he moves for the front door.”
“Be careful,” she says.
“Not to worry,” he says, pausing at the door. Pulling it open, he steps out into the street and begins moving toward the gates to the castle area. If there’s any place he’ll be able to find out what happened, it would be there.
He doesn’t get more than half a block away from the inn before a man wearing the uniform of the city guard sees him and moves to intercept. “There’s a curfew in effect,” the guard says as he comes close. “You’ll have to return to your home.”
“But why?” Illan asks. “What happened?”
“Someone’s assassinated the adjutant to the Empire’s Ambassador,” he explains. “His body was found outside the walls of the city in the poor section. The adjutant had been decapitated.”
Gasping, Illan’s mind begins to whir and things are beginning to click into place. “Do they know who did it?” he asks the guard.
Shaking his head, he replies, “If they do they haven’t told us about it yet.” Motioning back the way Illan had come, he says, “Curfews in effect until morning, so get off the street.”
“Very well,” he says as he turns around and heads back to the Silver Bells.
As he comes through the front door, Miss Gilena gives him a worried expression and he says, “There’s a curfew and they won’t let anyone on the street until morning.”
“Did you find out what this is all about?” she asks, coming over to him.
“They said someone from the Empire’s Ambassador’s party has been killed,” he tells her.
“Surely they don’t suspect poor James do they?” she asks, concern etching the features of her face.
“I don’t know,” he tells her. “I’m sure we’ll know more in the morning.”
“I hope so,” she says as she goes back to her place near the window.
Illan turns and heads for the stairs. Returning to the room where the other two wait, he enters and closes the door behind him. “We’ve got problems,” he tells them.
“Like what?” Miko asks.
He briefly explains to them what he learned and his suspicion that the powers that be will think James is the one who killed the adjutant.
“Why would they think that?” Dave asks.
Looking at him like he’s an idiot, Illan explains. “Just hours after James finds out the Empire wants him extradited from Cardri for crimes he’s allegedly committed in their land, one of the prominent members of their delegation is killed. Think about it.”
Nodding, Dave says, “I think I understand.”
“What can we do?” Miko asks him.
Sitting on one of the beds, Illan says, “Nothing we can do until morning and the curfew is lifted. After that, we’ll see what we can do.”
Miko moves to the window of the room and looks out over the city to the silhouette of the castle in the distance. Hang in there James!
Holding still and quiet against the alley wall, Jiron, Fifer and the Parvati wait while four members of the city guard march past. Once they’ve moved further down the street away from the opening of the alley, Fifer whispers to Jiron, “We’ve got to get off the streets!”
“I know that,” he replies with impatience.
Still on the outside of the outer wall, they’ve been unable to get back into the city. The whole area is swarming with guards and soldiers. It’s only been by a miracle that they haven’t been discovered yet.
Staying just one step ahead of the patrols, they slowly made their way further from the courtyard where the dead body lies. The Parvati is wearing the hooded cloak that Jiron had grabbed from the pavilion to better hide his features. A tall, extensively tattooed man is hard to miss or forget.
Jiron pokes his head out into the street and finds it devoid of guards at the moment. “Come on,” he whispers as they follow him into the street and quickly move to the other side. Staying against the buildings, they hurry down to where he sees another alley entrance, past several more buildings.
Before they have a chance to reach it, light from one of the searching patrols is seen approaching from a side street. Realizing they are not going to have time to make it, he moves to the door of the building next to them and tries to open it.
Finding it locked, he throws his shoulder into it and smashes the door open. The sound of it seems to reverberate through the streets as they rush inside. Closing the door rapidly, Fifer moves to a window and looks out to see if anyone is coming to investigate.
“Anyone?” Jiron asks after a moment.
Shaking his head, Fifer says, “Doesn’t look like it. The patrol which was coming into the street went down the other way.”
“Good,” says Jiron.
The building they find themselves in looks to be some kind of rug maker. Several looms are placed throughout the room with partially completed rugs still attached to them. Massive rolls of string and twine are lying upon shelves along most of the walls.
From above them, they hear a floorboard creak as if someone’s walking around. They freeze and listen carefully as another creak sounds a few feet away from the first one. Someone’s up there moving around.
Jiron motions for the other two to remain still as he moves to the doorway leading further into the building. The sound of the steps becomes more pronounced as whoever it is begins descending a stairway on the other side of the door.
The Parvati and Fifer move to the side of the room so as not to be readily noticed should the individual come into the room. Jiron positions himself near the door.
The footsteps reach the bottom of the stairs and they hear them coming toward the door to the room in which they’re hiding. As the door begins opening, Jiron makes ready and then as the person begins walking into the room, he grabs them from behind.
A knife wielded by the man in Jiron’s clutches strikes out at him and he’s forced to let go. Fifer and the Parvati move away from the walls, their swords in hand. “We don’t want to hurt you,” Jiron says to the man.