Page 45 of Night's Reckoning
They landed in the courtyard of the water house, and Ben immediately recognized the scent of the tangerine tree. Heavy fruit hung on the branches of the small tree in the center of the garden plot that lay in the middle of the courtyard.
She made sure their feet were on the ground before she released her arms from around his waist. “There. You’ve flown.”
“Thank you.” He didn’t want to take his eyes off her. If he looked away, she could disappear.
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“Flying is much better than sitting in traffic.”
“Is that the first time you’ve flown?”
He shook his head. “Gavin.”
“Ah.” She turned and looked around the courtyard. “I didn’t tell Jinpa I was coming. I don’t think she’ll have any food prepared.”
“Don’t bother Jinpa. I ate before we left.” Ben glanced around the courtyard. It had been over a year since he visited, but it was exactly as he remembered it. “Want me to make some tea? I remember where the kitchen is.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I may not value convention, but you’re still a guest in my home. I’ll make the tea.” She pointed toward the gate leading to her private quarters. “You go to the library.”
“Thanks.”
He waited in the courtyard, watching her walk away.
Tenzin turned. “Did you need something else?”
So many things.“No. Tea will be great.”
* * *
Ben was kneelingon the library floor, pointing his phone flashlight at the shelves when the light flipped on. He looked over his shoulder to see Tenzin walk in, holding a tray with two steaming cups on it.
“Light is helpful.”
“I forgot you had electric lights in here.” He switched off his flashlight.
“Lights.” She walked to the wall and used a stylus to punch a button. “And an air conditioner.”
“It’s not that hot.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She appeared to be fiddling with the settings. “It should always be on. This place isn’t like my library in the mountains. It’s humid here. The books and scrolls will mold if the air conditioner doesn’t run. I’ll have to make sure Jinpa is checking it.”
Ben whistled slowly. “I don’t want to know how much it costs to run AC all year round in this heat and humidity.”
She set the tray of tea on a low table. “That’s why I steal things, Benjamin. I have to take care of my books.”
“Are you making a joke?”
“It has been known to happen.”
Not often. Or at least not intentionally.
He turned back to the shelf, which he could now see definitely didn’t hold the book on the history of glass. “Why are we looking for a book about glass when the thing we’re looking for is a sword?”
“Because”—she picked up a cup and sipped her steaming tea—“I think it’s likely glass would have been on board theQamar Jadid. Harun had a glassworks that exported colored glass for use around the world. He had colors no one else had developed. If he sent a ship full of gifts, he would have included glass.”
“Wouldn’t the glass have broken by now?”
“It depends on what he sent. If it was shipped in ingots—which would be likely—those are solid chunks of melted glass. More like rocks than anything breakable. Which means they would also be easy to see.” Tenzin looked up. “Do you see why I might want to learn more about glass?”
