Page 37 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
"Truth," Navuh repeated, something flickering in his dark eyes. "It's an interesting choice. Why truth and not benevolence or kindness?" He said those words with obvious contempt as if they were sins and not virtues.
"Truth has many faces, my lord. The truth we show the world, the truth we tell ourselves, the truth that exists regardless of our perception of it. A shaman's role is to help others navigate these different truths and find their authentic path."
"What is your authentic path, shaman?"
The question was a trap, but Eluheed had navigated such snares before. "To serve where I am needed, to heal what I can, and to accept what I cannot change. The ancient texts speak of dharma—duty aligned with cosmic order. My dharma led me here."
Navuh snorted. "Your dharma? Or your bad luck?"
"Perhaps they are the same, my lord. What seems like misfortune may be the universe placing us exactly where we need to be. The Sufi mystics say that the poison and the cure often come in the same cup."
"Sufis." Navuh's tone dripped with contempt. "Whirling madmen lost in ecstatic delusions."
"Yet they understood something profound," Eluheed pressed on, warming to his theme. "The divine speaks through beauty, through poetry, through the intoxication of the soul. They knew that rigid orthodoxy kills the spirit, while divine madness can set it free."
"Are you calling me rigid?"
"I would never presume, my lord. I speak only of spiritual principles. The Taoists say that the rigid tree breaks in the storm, while the flexible reed survives. Strength can take many forms."
Navuh was quiet for a long moment, and Eluheed wondered if he'd gone too far. Then the warlord smiled—not his usual cruel smirk, but something almost genuine.
"I can see how all this nonsense might appeal to the ladies," he said.
Eluheed frowned. "My lord?"
"My ladies are bored. They require entertainment." Navuh drummed his fingers on the desk. "I am devoted to my first wife, the Lady Areana. I'm not involved with any of the females. They satisfy their needs with selected male servants."
Eluheed let his eyes widen in apparent shock, even though he'd heard the rumors.
"Normally," Navuh continued, "I prefer these males to resemble me. For obvious reasons. But I'm making an exception in your case."
Eluheed's heartbeat accelerated, and he started sweating. "I'm honored, my lord," he managed.
"There are rules." Navuh's voice took on that strange quality that Eluheed had felt before, the push of compulsion that slid off his mind like oil on water. "You will not speak to anyone about your prophetic abilities. You will not discuss anything that passes between us in these meetings. You will not use your position to gather information about my operations. Is that clear?"
"Yes, my lord," Eluheed said, letting his voice go flat as if the compulsion had taken hold. "I understand completely."
"Good." Navuh's voice returned to its usual smoothness. "From now on, you may look upon the ladies when you encounter them. You may engage them in conversation if they initiate it. If they invite you to share meals or other activities, you will comply."
The implications hung heavy in the air. Eluheed struggled to find words.
"Furthermore," Navuh continued, "you will treat them with absolute respect. You will attend to their needs with diligence and skill. They are my treasures, and I expect you to treat them as such. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear, my lord," Eluheed said.
Navuh leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into Eluheed's. "Do you know why I put you in the harem?"
Because it was the best-guarded prison on the island, but Eluheed pretended not to realize that.
"You said that it was the safest place for me and also convenient for you, my lord."
"Correct. The harem is the most secure location on this island. I allow select people in, but no one ever gets out unless it is in a casket. My power-hungry sons cannot reach you here, and my commanders cannot bribe or threaten you." Navuh smiled one of his creepy smiles. "You see, Elias, you are a unique treasure, and I keep my treasures safe, protected, and exclusively mine to do with as I please."
Navuh was telling him that he was like the harem ladies.
"I'm protecting my assets," Navuh continued. "You should count yourself fortunate."
"Thank you, my lord," Eluheed said, pouring genuine feeling into the words. "Your wisdom in keeping me safe is matched only by your generosity in allowing me to bask in the presence of your ladies."
