Clagg snarled, "I hired you to retrieve the Eye."
Dougal said, "You hired us to accompany you into these crypts to recover the gem. We are still in the crypts. Once we are safely out and, may I add, paid, I will give you the gem." With that, Dougal made a show of placing the gem in his breast pocket once more.
Only, this time he palmed the gem and kept it in his hand.
Clagg opened his mouth to abuse Dougal further, but looked at the human's smiling face, said "Bah," and stomped away in the general direction of the Skull Gate and daylight.
Killeen said, "You think he is going to cheat you." It was a statement, not a question.
Dougal nodded. "Definitely. Well, likely. Best to be sure." He looked at the sylvari, and she returned his gaze with a quizzical look. He coughed and followed the asura.
The Skull Gate, a main entrance to the crypts beneath Divinity's Reach, was named for the long tunnel lined with the lacquered skulls of the deceased. Nameless souls whose bodies had washed up when Orr sank, and when that lost kingdom rose from the depths once more at a dragon's command. Dougal thought of the power of the Golem's Eye unleashed here and shuddered.
Up ahead, around a corner, was daylight. They had been underground for most of the day, but even in the deep shadows of the elevated main thoroughfares of the city, the natural light was welcome.
Clagg disappeared around the corner, then returned at once in a sudden rush-so sudden that he barreled into Dougal, knocking the human over.
Dougal felt small fingers snatch at his shirt. Instead of the gem, however, the asura came up with a closed gold locket hanging from a chain around Dougal's neck.
Dougal reached up with his empty hand and pulled the locket loose from the confused asura. "I'll take that, thank you," he said. "What's wrong?"
"City guards," said Clagg, recovering. "Seraph. We have to wait."
"Show me," said Dougal.
They crept forward. Going into the crypts was not illegal, but needed proper paperwork and passes. Paperwork and passes they, of course, lacked. Meeting the Seraph would be a bad thing at this point.
Clagg stopped at the corner and leaned out. Dougal leaned out over him, placing the hand holding the gem against one of the skulls.
The asura was not lying about the guards. Decked in heavy white armor trimmed in gold, the Seraph were the city guard of Divinity's Reach and the army of Kryta. They should not be gathered in such large numbers in the plaza outside the Skull Gate, thought Dougal. They did not appear to be on alert, and were not apparently waiting for the krewe, but a battered human, asura, and sylvari coated with bone dust and stumbling into the plaza would no doubt be brought in for questioning. Questioning that would turn rather pointed when they found the Golem's Eye.
Dougal slipped the Eye deep into the eye socket of the nearest lacquered skull. It was an unsuitable hiding place, but it was the best he could do for the moment.
"So, do you have a plan, human?" said Clagg.
"Let me see," said Killeen. "Is there a problem?" The sylvari climbed up on Dougal's back to see past him, putting her slim, booted foot on the back of his belt to boost herself up.
Despite himself, Dougal shook her off and wheeled on her. "What are you doing?" he said sharply. "Aren't things bad enough?"
The sylvari shrank back from the reproach, and Dougal swallowed any further words. He turned back to the asura, towering over him.
"Here's the plan: we wait."
Clagg, visibly frustrated and tired, shook his head. "What if they are checking the crypts?"
"Fine, then one of us goes out and draws their attention. Then we regroup later for the split."
"Dougal…" said Killeen.
"By 'one of us,' you mean me or the sylvari, don't you?" spat Clagg.
"If you want, I will go first," said Dougal, looking down on the asura, his own anger rising. They had been through too much to end it with a stupid argument.
"Dougal…" repeated Killeen.
"So you can fast-talk your way past your human friends and leave us here to be caught?" snarled Clagg.
"We can't go out together!" said Dougal hotly. "They will get all of us!"
"Dougal Keane!" said Killeen firmly.
"What?" snapped Dougal, turning toward her again. This time she didn't shrink back.
"We have company," said Killeen.
Dougal turned back and looked down the drawn blade of a Seraph lieutenant. Two other Seraph stood behind her, their blades drawn as well.
"Dougal Keane-I believe she called you that," said the lieutenant. "You and your friends are under arrest, Dougal Keane. Come along now."
The manacles, Dougal felt, were an unnecessary insult. His cell was carved out of living rock, without mortar or purchase. The bars that bisected the room were old and stout and as thick as his thumb. The only light was from a thin chimney far overhead, also barred. The door to his partitioned cell was secured by a heavy padlock, which Dougal could pick with the proper tools, but those tools were now denied him. Beyond the barred partition was a small hall leading to an ironbound door to the rest of the jail. If Dougal had a norn, he could get past that as well, but that luxury was also denied him.
Given the security, the heavy iron leggings and wrist cuffs-all held together by a single loop of chain and set into a ring in the center of the room-were simply overkill.
It had been four days since his arrest, and except for a bored, grunting servant who brought porridge in the morning and stew in the evening, he had not had any visitors. That changed on the afternoon of the fourth day.
The outer door opened and a heavyset, mustached Seraph guard entered, followed by a young clerk carrying a writing desk. The heavyset guard stared at Dougal through the bars while the clerk positioned the small desk, then left the room. The clerk returned with a stool, set it before the writing desk, uncorked a small vial of ink, set it in the appropriate hole in the desk, opened the desk, selected a quill, sharpened it, removed a small sheaf of paper, peeled off the topmost sheet, sat down on the stool, dipped the quill in the vial, and waited for the guard to speak.
"Dougal Keane-" began the officer.
"Present," said Dougal, interrupting him.
The officer scowled, then started again. "Dougal Keane, you are accused of grave-robbing in the crypts beneath Divinity's Reach. How do you plead?"
"Did you find any grave goods on myself or my companions?" asked Dougal.
"No," said the officer, who seemed unbothered by the admission.
"And did you find much in the way of weapons on the three of us?"
"No," repeated the officer.
"Then," said Dougal, "If we are tomb robbers, we are extremely ineffective ones."
"Your effectiveness is not the issue," said the officer. "Your intent is."
"Then I will go with 'Innocent' as a response," said Dougal to the clerk, who dutifully noted it.