"I don't think so." Torius fiddled with his mustache, deep in thought. "It wasn't what she said that bothered me, Celeste, but how she said it."
"And how was that?"
His eyes flicked up to hers. "She sounded scared, said that she didn't have anywhere else to turn. I know Vreva's dramatic, but this didn't seem like her at all. What if she's telling the truth?" He stopped pulling his mustache and resumed pacing.
"She lies so expertly she could tell you she was a virgin, and you'd believe her!"
"I'd never believe that! Not after we kicked in her door and saw her—"
"Please, Torius! I've been trying to erase that memory from my mind!" Celeste slithered in a tight circle. There wasn't room enough in the tent for two people to pace. "So you want us to pack everything up and hurry back to Katapesh, then sail off to Okeno to save Vreva Jhafae. Just like that? We've been here less than a week! I've barely seen anything! Astrus only began working with me tonight."
Torius stopped pacing and turned to her. "Actually, I was thinking you might want to stay here."
"Alone?" She twitched her tail in surprise. "That would be dangerous. Astrus knows I'm a naga, but no one else—"
"Not alone, Celeste. I'll take a camel and enough food and water to get to Katapesh. You keep the Stargazers here with you. They can keep your secret as well as I can."
"What about that mad Rovagug cleric, and the Duenas? They're still out there."
"Don't worry about them. There are enough others here to make it safe. Nobody in their right mind would attack a camp this size."
Celeste hissed in exasperation. "I'm worried about your safety, not mine!"
Torius grinned. "It's sweet of you to worry, Celeste, but you needn't. Alone, I can travel twice as fast as we did with the wagon, and I'll cut a course straight to Katapesh. I can make it in three days if I water up my camel before I go."
Celeste didn't like the idea of Torius going alone, but she wasn't ready to leave, either. She hadn't scratched the surface of her explorations using the Observatory, and the sights that Astrus had shown her tonight only made her want more. "How long would you be gone?"
"No more than a few weeks, at most. I can send a message if it's going to be longer." Torius came close and brushed a hand through her hair. "I know you're enjoying the Observatory, Celeste, and I don't want to take you away from it. Stay here, learn from Astrus, and name a star after me. You can take care of yourself, and I can take care of myself."
He made sense, but she still didn't want him to go. At least, not to run off to help Vreva Jhafae. "I thought you were enjoying yourself here, too. Are you bored with it already?"
"Not bored, Celeste. I love being here with you, but frankly, astronomy is beyond me. Besides, I've got saltwater in my veins." He looked into her eyes and smiled. "You know you don't have to worry about Vreva trying to seduce me anymore. She seems to have lost interest."
"I know, Torius." In fact, Celeste knew exactly why the courtesan had lost interest, even though Torius didn't. During one of the courtesan's endless training sessions on how to play the part of a pleasure slave during their revengeful scam against Benrahi Ekhan, the naga had let slip the secret of Torius's difficult upbringing, and the reason he had a problem with Vreva's chosen profession. When his mother sank to selling herself to support her pesh habit, then sold Torius into slavery for her beloved drug, his mind had been poisoned against the notion of bartering sex for gain. Vreva had kept the secret, and stopped trying to seduce Torius, but that didn't mean Celeste trusted her. She glanced up through the open ventilation flap at the glittering stars and made up her mind. "All right, but promise me you'll be careful."
"I promise, Celeste." Torius grinned and leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'm always careful. I'll start packing."
"And do me one more favor, Torius."
He stopped and shrugged. "Name it."
"Take Grogul with you. If you're going to sea, you'll need your bosun." She also knew that Grogul looked out for his captain when things got dangerous.
"All right."
"And try not to get lost without your navigator."
"I do know how to navigate, Celeste."
"I know, Torius, but you tend to make mistakes with your declinations."
"I'll do my best." Grinning, he brushed his hand through her hair again. "Anything else?"
"Yes." Celeste cast her transformation spell and stepped into his arms. "Say goodbye to me properly before you go."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
She unbuttoned his shirt with a flick of magic. "I bet you were."
Chapter Ten
A Parting of Ways
Torius cinched a strap on his saddle, securing the bag of trail bread. The ill-tempered camel turned its head and spat. Torius dodged most of the noisome glob, cursing the creature, but he couldn't really blame it for its attitude. It didn't relish another trek across the desert. He scooped up a handful of sand to scrub away the smear of white phlegm and continued packing. He and Grogul would be traveling fast, bedding down only during the hottest part of the day. Food, water, and steel were all they carried.
"Ready, Grogul?" The bosun was securing a thick leather scabbard onto his saddle for his spare battleaxe. The gleaming blade he'd gotten in the fight with the werejackals rode at one hip, and his two kukris were tucked through his sash.
"Five minutes, sir. I think I'll bring along a crossbow."
"Good. Get me one, too."
"Don't like this, Captain." Dukkol scowled up at Torius with worry. "Don't like that Astrus much either. He's creepier than a lee shore in fog."
"Don't worry about Astrus. Celeste can take care of him. I know she usually isn't in the chain of command, but she's in charge. Consider yourself her acting bosun. Just keep the Stargazers from going stir-crazy, and keep a keen eye out for trouble."
"Aye, Captain." The dwarf didn't look any happier, but Torius knew he'd do his job. Dukkol was solid.
"Good man." Torius scanned the camp. A number of Astrus's people were milling about, casting interested glances their way. Not a real warrior in the lot.
He'd thought hard about how best to defend the camp. Asking around, he'd discovered that they had more assets than he'd suspected, but it all boiled down to coordination, which meant that it all centered upon Astrus. If the naga didn't think coordinating efforts would work, the others would never agree to it. And now, since Torius was leaving, there was no time to be politic about explaining this.
Now or never ... "I'll be right back." Torius strode straight to Astrus's tent, ignoring the stares from his people, and addressed the two guards posted there. "I'd like to speak with your master."
"Wait here."
One guard ducked through the tent flap, while the other continued to stand with her arms folded, one hand resting on the pommel of her scimitar. Torius looked her over. She seemed steady, but he wondered if she, too, was addicted to the naga's venom. The other guard emerged with Hashi in tow.
"Captain Vin." Hashi bowed. "You wish to see Lord Astrus?"
"That's right."
"I can relay a message."
"I'd like to speak to him in person." Torius wasn't about to be turned away like some slick-palmed solicitor. "My bosun and I are taking a little trip, and I need to talk to him before we leave."
Hashi looked worried, then nodded. "Very well, Captain. I'll ask him." He ducked through the tent flap.
Again, Torius waited.
Hashi emerged a moment later with a surprised look on his face. "Lord Astrus will see you." He held open the tent flap and gestured Torius inside.
The inside of the tent was dark and cool. Two lamps hung from the tent's center poles, both turned down to the point that their illumination barely filled the central space. Hanging tapestries set off several private areas, but here a gold-and-crystal hookah and a silver coffee service sat upon a low central table, with silk pillows arrayed for seating. Astrus emerged from behind one of the cloth walls.
&nbs
p; "Captain Vin." The silver coffee pot floated up from the table and poured steaming black brew into one of the cups. "May I offer you coffee, or perhaps a pipe?"
"No, thank you." Torius knew his refusal broke the protocol of desert hospitality, but he didn't have time to sip coffee. "My apologies, but I'm a little rushed."
"Yes, my people have informed me that you've packed two camels in preparation for an excursion." The cup of steaming brew floated up, and Astrus sipped. "I trust there's nothing wrong."
"Just business. I wanted to talk to you before I left."
"About what, Captain?"
"About the security of this camp." Torius began a slow, measured pace. "This is not what I would call a defensible position. There are no fortifications, no walls or embankments, and tents don't offer any protection. With a pack of Duenas nearby, and that Rovagug cult you mentioned, I wanted to make sure proper precautions were being taken."
"It's natural for you to worry about your people in your absence, Captain, but rest assured, we are quite capable of protecting ourselves."
"I see that I haven't made myself clear." Torius turned to the naga and crossed his arms over his chest. "My people are all blooded warriors, Astrus, every single one of them. Celeste is also a formidable sorcerer. Your people, aside from the few guards I've seen, frankly don't impress me. The lack of coordination of the defense of this camp is dangerous. If there's trouble, you'll all be running around like pigs in a slaughterhouse."
"I'll not be insulted, Captain Vin!" Astrus's tail lashed, and his upper body flared in anger.
Torius had seen the display far too many times to be daunted by it. "I'm not insulting you, Astrus, I'm telling you that you need to consider coordinating defenses."
"It won't work. The others wouldn't trust me to command, and I certainly wouldn't trust them!"
"I'm not talking about integrating forces, I'm talking about coordination." Torius knew he was right. What he had to do was convince Astrus. "Everyone commands their own forces, but you share information about each other's capabilities, and allocate efforts by agreement. That way you know where the Desnan priests will be stationed for support with their magic, where the Pathfinder's talents will be put to use, and where Celeste and the Stargazers will be deployed to greatest effect."
"How do you even know Quizzik has any talents?"
"I asked him!" Torius's bark of incredulous laughter elicited another lash from Astrus's tail. "He happens to be a gifted alchemist."
"You've spoken to Celeste about this?"
"No, I haven't." Torius shrugged. "I'd intended to, but I received an urgent message, and I've got to leave. I hoped to convince you to suggest it at tonight's meeting. I think everyone else would look more favorably upon the idea if it came from you. You've already organized the use of the Observatory, after all."
"It sounds to me, Captain, as if you are asking me to organize defense to ensure the safety of your people in your absence." The naga's tone sounded accusatory.
Torius grinned, but it was the grin of a wolf. "I'll say it again: my people are all blooded warriors, but everyone would benefit from a coordinated defense. I would suggest it myself, but I'm leaving, and I don't have time to be included in the planning. You're the only one who can make this work. If the suggestion comes from you, the others will be more likely to sign on."
Astrus seemed to consider this for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, Captain. I appreciate your confidence." Astrus put down his cup and inclined his upper body in a respectful bow. "I'll present your suggestions as if they were my own."
"Thank you, Astrus. I appreciate it." Torius smiled again, more honestly this time, and returned the bow. "And now, if you'll forgive my manners, I've got to go."
"Travel safely, Captain. The deserts of Katapesh are unforgiving."
"No more so than the sea, Lord Astrus." He left the tent hoping that he'd done the right thing.
∗ ∗ ∗
An unexpected knock on the door startled Vreva from her meticulous work. Her hand slipped, and the pestle she was using to crush dried bittersweet leaves cracked against the mortar. Some of the fine powder spilled out.
"Damn it!" She put down her tools and shot Saffron a glance. "See who that is, would you, love?"
*How about I smell who that is.*
As Saffron hopped down from the arm of the couch and trotted to the door, Vreva draped a cloth over the mortar and pestle and pulled off her gloves and apron. The small workbench she used to mix her poisons, drugs, oils, and elixirs was cunningly crafted to slide out of sight at a moment's notice. Pushing it into its nook, she closed the concealing panel. No one would ever know it was anything other than part of the wall.
Saffron sniffed at the crack beneath the door and meowed, *It's the inquisitor!*
What the hell is Zarina doing here?
It was barely midmorning, and the inquisitor never arrived without sending a messenger first or prearranging her visit. Vreva could think of several reasons she might arrive unannounced, few of them good. She quickly rumpled her hair, disarranged her robe, and hurried to the door. She flipped the bolt and pulled open the heavy portal, adopting a breathless air.
"Zarina! What a lovely surprise!" She brushed her hair off her face and straightened her robe. "I must look an absolute wreck!"
"You look beautiful, as always." Zarina entered, but without their customary kiss of greeting. "I apologize for coming unannounced, but I have to speak with you."
Vreva could tell at once that something was amiss. Beads of sweat dotted the inquisitor's forehead, and her face was flushed. The back of Vreva's neck tickled in warning.
"There's no need to apologize. I don't have any appointments this morning. I was just doing my exercises." She closed the door and reached for the bell pull. "Would you like some coffee or tea?"
"No, thank you. I've had too much coffee already." Zarina's words were clipped. She strode to the middle of the room and started pacing, her steps quick enough to jingle her chainmail.
"What's wrong, Zarina? You seem upset." Vreva went to the sideboard and poured two tumblers of water. Her visitor's manner did not bode well, and Vreva didn't like the burr of unease in her voice. Could Zarina have discovered something? Was she about to confront her with her treachery? The courtesan added a twist of lime and a dash of bitters to each glass, thinking of her stock of poisons beneath the sideboard.
"I received a message from Katapesh last night."
"Oh? About what?" She offered Zarina one of the tumblers and sipped from her own.
"Pactbroker Sayyid insists I return to Katapesh at once. He wants to speak to me about my efforts here." Zarina downed her water in one long pull. "Mmm, that's good. I've been rushing around all morning making preparations. My ship departs in two hours, but I needed to see you before I left."
"How long will you be away?"
"A week, perhaps two." She put down her glass and began pacing again.
"Two weeks ..." Vreva longed to find out why a simple trip to Katapesh would upset the inquisitor so, but knew that might sound too curious. She settled on a more personal approach. "So, will you miss me?"
"Of course. You know I will." Zarina's voice sounded strained.
"How much?" Vreva teased, trying to lighten the inquisitor's mood.
"Vreva, I ..." Zarina clenched her hands before her hard enough to whiten her knuckles.
This is serious. Vreva flashed a covert danger signal to Saffron. He acknowledged the message with a shake of his tail, and leapt to the back of the couch where he could spring if Vreva needed a distraction.
"Zarina, you're shaking." Vreva set her glass down and grasped the inquisitor's hands in hers. "What's wrong with a trip to Katapesh? Surely you'll be coming back."
"I pray to Abadar that I will. The Pactmasters won't abandon the investigation, but Pactbroker Sayyid will not be happy with my report. I've been here weeks, and I'm no closer to finding Templeton's accomplice than when I arrived."
"Not fo
r lack of effort." Vreva kneaded the strong fingers reassuringly. "You've been tireless in your investigation."
"Not exactly tireless." Zarina withdrew her hands and turned away. "I'm worried that my ...time with you might have drawn attention. If Sayyid has found out that we've been ..."
"Is that what's worrying you?" Vreva gently turned the inquisitor to face her, brushing Zarina's cheek with her fingertips. "As far as I'm concerned, Inquisitor Capoli, you've been interrogating me relentlessly at every single one of our meetings."
"You don't understand!" Zarina gripped Vreva's shoulders hard. "If Sayyid asks me about our relationship, I'm bound to answer him truthfully. I signed a contract ratified by the Priesthood of Abadar. A binding contract."
Vreva fought to remain composed as she stood in the inquisitor's grasp, caught so tightly she couldn't break free. "No, I don't understand. Is an inquisitor not allowed to have a relationship while she's conducting an investigation? I don't see the harm. Every single time we've met, we've discussed your work, and I've provided you with information."
"Yes, right before we fall into bed." Zarina released her grasp and turned away.
What is she so afraid of? Vreva tried another tack. "Your contract is with the Pactmasters, but your devotion is to Abadar. Surely he wouldn't disapprove of his inquisitor finding pleasure in the course of her work."
"No, He wouldn't. He doesn't, but ..."
"But what, Zarina? What can the Pactbroker find wrong with you having a relationship?"
"It's not the relationship that's the problem, Vreva. It is the person I'm having that relationship with. The Pactbroker may accuse me of sleeping with a suspect."
"A suspect?" Vreva went cold. She'd thought herself above suspicion, convinced that she had the inquisitor in the palm of her hand. Snatching up their glasses, she walked to the sideboard, one deliberate step after another. If this went badly, Zarina couldn't leave here alive. The thought pained her, and she found herself trying to reconcile the decision. It's my life or hers.
Vreva covertly opened the hidden niche and reached for a vial as she poured water into their glasses. In a sad tone, she said, "I thought you knew me better than that, Zarina."
Pirate's Promise Page 13
