The Prince of Cats
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What Jawad felt was tranquillity. The spectre of vengeance that had haunted him for two decades, the vengeful memory that had intruded upon his mind at every turn, was banished with one quick strike of the dagger. Jawad had broken the chains upon him. For the first time that he could remember, he felt free.
He bowed down, pried the ruby from al-Badawi’s fingers, and turned around. Leaving the study, he came upon the slumbering Salah, lying awkwardly upon the sofa in the parlour. Jawad looked at the sword in its scabbard and back at Salah’s face. “Your life in return for your kindness,” the thief mumbled. “As good a trade as you’ll ever get from a thief. Farewell, Salah.”
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Jawad was not yet finished in the harāmlik; crossing the cold stone halls, he entered Zaida’s chambers. She was asleep in her bed, looking as lovely as he knew she would. He also knew that the moment he had thrust the dagger into her father’s heart, he had caused a chasm to open between them. Walking up to her sleeping form, he had no words to express or explain himself. He wished she would open her eyes to look at him one last time, that he might look upon her dark gems one last time, but his earlier trick with the sleeping powder had made that impossible.
Bending down, he briefly pressed a kiss against her forehead and the ruby into her hand. Turning around, he saw her jewellery strongbox on a table. Instinct took hold of him, and he crossed the room to open it; she had not locked it. Inside was only a pair of pearl earrings. Jawad took one, leaving the other, and left.
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Jawad left the inner part of the palace, unhindered by guards. Making his way to the kitchen, he retrieved the powders and potions that he had bought from Ishak; they were far too expensive to leave behind. After that, he returned to the room that had been his during his stay, digging out a few silver coins that he had hid away. Once his possessions had been gathered from their hiding places, he was ready to leave the house of al-Badawi.
Scaling the wall proved a challenge with his left hand of little use. It took more than one attempt to make his way to the top, having to also exercise the utmost care not to crush the small bottles of alchemy that he carried on his body. With the grace of a fat duck, Jawad gasped and groaned until he could nestle himself on the wall, catching his breath.
Behind him lay the estate of al-Badawi; ahead of him, all of Alcázar spread out before his eyes. Somewhere in the night, the mamluks and the Kabir’s soldiers were killing his enemies for him. It was only the start for someone aspiring to be the king of thieves in the City of Coin. Jawad glanced at his bandaged hand and wondered what price his next prize would claim. Licking his lips, he took in the sight of his would-be kingdom. Even at night, it was easy to see that Alcázar was a queen among cities, the jewel of the Inner and Outer Seas. Satisfied with what he surveyed, the Prince of Cats disappeared into the darkness.
END OF WINTER
Life, the battle ‘tween intention and contention
Men resist and thus they build decaying tension
Who remembers what was spoken by the sages
Dust to dust, all wisdom lost to careless ages
Wolf will howl, and bear shall roar, the spirit rages
All in vain, the flesh remains to be their cages
Men to ants, look down with pride yet apprehension
Gods to men, the look of final condescension
Final strophe in the poem Time and Season by the renowned poet, al-Tayir
People of Alcázar
Ahesan: A wise woman serving in the palace of al-Badawi.
Amal: Fence working with Jawad and the Black Teeth.
Azal al-Badawi: Leader of Dār al-Allawn, counted among the Hundred Houses of Alcázar.
Basmah: Torturer for the Black Teeth.
Dars: Slave and scribe working for Azal al-Badawi.
Faisal al-Musharaf: Heir to Dār al-Imāra, counted among the Hundred Houses of Alcázar.
Ghulam: Resident of Almudaina.
Hashim: Thief running one of the gangs of cutthroats comprising the Black Teeth.
Hasief: Teacher at a madrasa in one of the southern districts.
Ishak al-Labdah: Alchemist and physician. The surname denotes simply a free citizen of Labdah rather than family ties.
Jawad: Thief and resident of Almudaina.
Juana: Servant to Zaida al-Badawi.
Master: The leader of the Black Teeth.
Renardine: Right-hand servant to Tibert.
Rifat: Member of the Black Teeth and Hashim’s personal gang.
Salah al-Mansur: Right-hand servant to Azal al-Badawi.
Tibert from Herbergja: Northerner and leader of Dār al-Gund.
Zaida al-Badawi: Daughter and sole heir to Azal al-Badawi.
A Map of Alcázar
On the following page can be seen a traveller’s illustration of the city of Alcázar. It should not be assumed that this illustration is a perfect map of the city. Rather, it shows the impression of the artist. It was found in the annals of the northern realms, most likely drawn by a northern traveller. Certain aspects such as the two harbours and the two marketplaces are clearly shown. To the north-west, the royal palace can be seen, while the open square of the maswar with the Tower of Justice is found in the middle. Beyond the southern wall lies the slums of Almudaina.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel E. Olesen has spent so much of his time in fantasy worlds, he finally made his own. Visit his site annalsofadal.net to download his free epic series, The Chronicles of Adalmearc, set thirty years after the events of The Prince of Cats.
Daniel is also a founding member of Sigil Independent, a guild of independent fantasy writers striving to take self-published fantasy to new heights. See more at sigilindependent.com.
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