Page 27 of The King of Koraha
“It would. But the thief or thieves had two circuits to do it.” Rendor walked around the pool, inspecting the walls. “I’m assuming there is no other way in or out of this room. But what about the water? How does it get here?”
“The King completely drains it every five circuits and refreshes it with new water. Frankly, I’ve never seen it done, but I’ve heard the water is like a snake, slithering through the tunnels.”
“The new King hasn’t changed the water then?”
“No.”
Shyla wondered if the water tasted like coins. She trickled a few drops into her mouth, expecting a metallic tang. Instead it was salty.
When they left the vault, Najib waited until the door slid back into place with a loud clang and then relocked it, reversing the order—so he claimed. Shyla wasn’t really paying attention. Instead she wondered how the staff and guards had lived without being paid for two circuits.
“Everyone who works in the castle is given food, water, and clothing as part of their pay,” Najib explained when she asked him. “Their families are also taken care of. We’ve plenty of room for everyone. The King especially enjoys seeing the children race around the tunnels. Their pay is more for luxury items or trips so it wasn’t too much of a hardship to wait.” Najib frowned. “Since it’s illegal to spend the coins without the king’s permission, Qulsary’s Water Princess had been paying for our basic necessities until the king died. Once he died, she expected to be paid back.”
“What about the elite forces?” Rendor asked. “Do they get the same compensations as the rest of the staff?”
“No. They were paid only in coins. The squads lived in Qulsary, the theory being if the castle was under attack, they wouldn’t be trapped inside with us.”
“There has to be escape tunnels,” Shyla said.
“Of course, but they can be blocked or used by the enemy.”
“Where are the squads located?” Rendor asked.
“Does it matter?” Najib asked. “There’s no one there. They’ve left for other jobs.”
“Yes, it matters.”
“I’ll have your guide show you.”
By the time they were done with the vault, it was angle one hundred and still too hot to return to Qulsary. Rendor and Najib spent the time discussing the previous investigation. Shyla half listened while sipping another delicious tea blend and watching Rendor. He was in his element.
No doubt the coins were long gone, along with the culprits, but Najib insisted no one working in the castle had left. It would be smart to remain to avoid suspicion. Wait a few circuits after the discovery before leaving. In that case, they should be able to find them. Now she hoped the thieves were smart.
When the sun jumped past the danger zone, they returned to their rented room in Qulsary. A guard waited for them with a message that Captain Kilab would come by at angle one-fifty to escort them to the Water Princess.
They had twenty angles. Shyla studied Rendor as he rummaged in his pack and removed a scroll, stylus, and jar of ink. He sat at one of the tables with his back to her and wrote on the scroll. The stiffness of his spine warned her to leave him alone. Was he still upset over Kilab’s comment about being a traitor?
Not one to take a hint, she glanced over his shoulder. “Are these your thoughts about the theft?”
“Yes.” He tapped the end of the stylus on the scroll. “It’s obvious that the guards are involved. Probably all of them. I suspect they were angry about not being paid so they took matters into their own hands. Except…there’s something we’re missing.”
“Like why they would leave fifty thousand coins behind?”
“No. That was smart. It throws suspicion onto the advisor.”
“But why were they embarrassed?”
Rendor turned to look at her. “They were?”
She explained. “Yes. I didn’t read anyone in particular and it might not have been everyone we passed, but it was just…in the air.”
“No guilt? Or smugness?”
“I picked up shame and anger, but I didn’t go deeper.”
Rendor cursed. “Then maybe they’re not involved. Those emotions tell me they’re angry about being tricked and ashamed over failing to do their duty.”
“And the embarrassment?”
