Page 37 of Tashama
“All right, not here then, but through one of the exits.” The prince reentered the sewers.
“Yes, sire, there are well over seventy. They will all be investigated as soon as possible.”
The pattering of footsteps on the stone-cut path made everyone turn. A servant, offended by the smell of the sewers, held his nose as he tiptoed on the path. “Sire, they’ve found the Karthlander female.”
“What?”
“She has been sleeping in the clockmaker’s bed.”
“What?” The prince grabbed the man’s arm and headed for the nearest exit from the sewers.
“Should we call off the search, sire?” a palace guard asked.
“No! The thieves must be apprehended!” The prince turned to the servant. “Tell me what happened.”
“The clockmaker never arrived at work this morning. He’s been known to sleep late on occasion…so there was no concern for quite a while. But when the time grew close to the lunch hour, one of his helpers grew worried that something was wrong.”
The prince exited the sewers into the basement, and Carissian said, “Perhaps His Highness would prefer a bath before we investigate the matter further.”
“She’s back in the tower, sire,” the servant said.
“How did she end up in the clockmaker’s bed?” The prince quickened his step as he headed for the clockmaker’s apartments.
“He said several shadows entered his room, tied him, then gagged him. All the while, the biggest of the group cradled a golden-haired woman in his arms. He laid her in the bed next to him, while she slept the sleep of the dead. She didn’t even wake up until the clockmaker’s helper entered the room. Then she seemed confused and frightened. Of course, the helper was just as terrified as he feared whosoever had bound his employer might still have been in the chambers. Why else would the young lady have still been there?
“The helper hurried to untie the clockmaker, then once the man was freed, he told his helper to call the guards while he watched over the woman. Her feet were bound in cloth, and she wasn’t able to walk on her own. The tower guard soon came for her and carried her back to the tenth floor. Why would a woman like that be taken to the tower, we all wondered?”
The prince reached the clockmaker’s apartments, and the royal guard opened the door for him. “Sire.” The clockmaker ran to join the prince. “The tower guard took the woman to the prison, but she shouldn’t have been taken there. The lady didn’t do anything but sleep in my bed, for heaven’s sakes. One of the men took a jeweled clock. They were thieves to be sure. But the lady was drugged, of that I’m certain. She couldn’t have done anyone any harm.”
The prince grunted, then left the room. He headed for the stairs as Carissian motioned for the guard to leave them. “Sire, what do you propose to do?”
The prince forged up the stairs like a salmon headed upstream and didn’t say a word.
“Sire—”
The prince walked more slowly now in the direction of the tower. “If she cannot walk, as several have said?—”
“You do not think we should remove the woman from the tower, Your Highness?”
“She will stay in the guest chambers .”
“But—”
The prince glowered at him.
Carissian sighed deeply. “Yes, sire.”
The tower guard jumped from his seat when the prince walked toward him. “She’s back in the tower, sire.” The man bowed low.
“Notify a palace guard to remove her to the guest chambers at once.”
“Yes, sire, right away, but there’s no one here to guard the prisoner in the meantime.”
“Do you think perhaps Carissian and I might thwart her in the event she has an urge to flee?”
“Of course, sire.” The man bowed and hurried away.
The prince walked into the room and frowned at Tashama as she lay on the bed of straw. Her eyes met his. She glared at him, then looked away. He turned to Carissian. “What thoughts has she?”
