Page 28 of The Eyes of Tamburah
When they reached the main entrance, she asked, “Can I take the lift up to level twenty?”
Rendor said, “You wear the prince’s sigil, you don’t need to ask.”
“But you said it doesn’t work on you?”
His eyes lit with appreciation. “You were paying attention. The Water Prince has assigned me to keep you safe. If your requests are counter to that command, I can ignore them.”
“Does that mean I can order you to move Banqui to a…guest room? Why is he in a cell anyway?”
“He’s one of the those people who has angered the prince. And no, you can’t override the Water Prince’s directives.”
No one could. Except… “What if I had a sigil from the King?”
Rendor laughed long and hard. When he caught his breath, he said, “Yes, in that case, you could.”
Annoyed, she asked, “Then why did you laugh?”
“Because the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I believe you just might pull something like that off. And I’d love to see the Water Prince’s face when you do.”
* * *
She rode the lift up to level twenty. Then she climbed the seven levels to Banqui’s work rooms. The dull ache in her legs was the only reminder of her forced march to see the Heliacal Priestess.
Unlocking the door, Shyla slid it open. Multiple voices shouted as a mass of people rushed toward her.
“Where’s Banqui…”
“…have you done?”
“…thief…our boss…”
“…should search her…”
She help up her hands, signaling for quiet so she could speak, but they continued with their barrage. Banqui’s diggers had returned from the Shem burial grounds and were demanding answers. Their dusty uniforms fogged the air with the scent of the desert.
Finally a commanding voice cut through the din. “Enough. Let the sun-kissed alone. I will talk with her. Get back to work.”
As the grumbling group reluctantly broke up, Shyla spotted the person who had come to her aid. Chofa, the diggers’ supervisor.
“Come on,” Chofa said, beckoning her to Banqui’s office.
Relieved, she followed the short woman. Chofa’s black hair fell in ringlets to her shoulders. Banqui had called her tenacious and one of the hardest workers he’d ever met. Chofa expected the diggers to adhere to the same work ethic. Those that didn’t were no longer employed by Banqui.
As soon as they entered the relative privacy of the office, Chofa rounded on her. “Start explaining.”
Shyla told her everything except about the ancient symbol that might represent a group called the Invisible Sword.
“Try again, Sun-kissed. There’s no way that Banqui searches for a priceless artifact without letting me know.”
Pointing to Banqui’s desk, Shyla said, “There’s the map I marked for him. See for yourself.”
Chofa unrolled the skin and studied it for a while. “This doesn’t prove anything. You could have planted this here after Banqui was arrested.”
“For what purpose? If I’d double-crossed Banqui, I’d be long gone by now. Face it, Banqui didn’t tell you everything.”
The woman scowled, but didn’t argue with her.
Pressing her advantage, she said, “Now I’ve some questions for you. What did Banqui tell you about Tamburah’s temple?”
