The following morning when they all but Aleya and Aku gather in James’ room, he tells them of the visitor he had the night before. Their response was less than favorable.
“Are you out of your mind?” Scar asks.
“What were you thinking?” demands Jiron.
Raising his hands, he quiets their protests. “Calm down all of you,” he says. “If it was a mistake, the city guard would have already been here. Since they aren’t I can only assume that nothing will come of it from that quarter.”
“Do you think that this slave is going to help us enter the temple?” Stig asks. “Seems a rather untrustworthy individual to trust our lives to.”
“Right now we don’t know what may come of it,” he replies. Turning his gaze to Jiron he says, “I think we should continue with what we had planned. You take Reilin and Shorty to reconnoiter the place, see if there’s a way in.” He sees Jiron nods then adds to the others, “As far as Aku is concerned, I don’t think it would be wise to mention his ‘brother’ to him. Seeing as he knows nothing about him anyway.”
“You may be right,” Brother Willim says.
“Now I judge it to be about two days to the dark of the moon, so we have that amount of time to find a way into the temple. After that it will just be a matter of getting to the teleportation dais.”
“Still sure you can figure that thing out?” Jiron asks.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” he replies. “But I don’t see any other way to reach Tinok in time.”
“Go to sleep,” suggests Stig. “Maybe the gods will send you another dream to help you along.”
Brother Willim shakes his head. “You can’t look for these things,” he explains. “They come when they do.”
James nods his head. “I think we’ve received all the help we’re going to,” he says. “We know where we have to go and how to get there. We just need to do it.” To Jiron he says, “Perhaps you should get going.”
Jiron nods and gets to his feet. “Reilin, Shorty, let’s go,” he says before turning for the door. With them in tow, he opens the door. Pausing, he glances back to James and says, “If that guy should show up again, don’t commit to anything until I get back.”
“I don’t plan to,” he replies.
Jiron meets his gaze meaningfully then turns and leaves. Reilin and Shorty follow him out and then close the door behind. Those in the room hear their footsteps move down toward Aleya’s room and stop there for a moment, probably to let her know what’s going on. Then they hear a door close and their footsteps continuing down the hallway.
James turns to the others and says, “Now we wait.”
Knock! Knock!
After the others left, James had laid down on the bed. Fatigue from the previous two days of travel gets the better of him and he soon drifted off to sleep. The knocking on the door snaps him out of it.
Getting up off the bed, he crosses to the door and cracks it open. Out in the hallway is the slave he talked with the night before. In his hand is a wadded piece of cloth. Opening the door wider, he gestures for him to enter. Once the young man crosses into his room, he sticks his head out and sees the same slave at the head of the stairs as had been there the night before.
Then the door across the hall opens and Scar sticks his head out, probably having heard the knocking. He sees the slave in his room and looks questioningly to James. James gives him a sign saying it’s okay, then jerks his head toward the slave at the head of the stairs. Scar glances that way and sees him standing there. He turns back to James and nods.
Closing the door, James moves to the table and takes the same seat he sat in the night before. The slave does the same. “Did you talk with the person you mentioned last night?” he asks.
The slave nods. “Yes I did.”
“And?”
“And he thinks you’re a fool for seeking to enter the temple,” he explains. “But said that he might be willing to help you if you were to come and meet him.”
“Why?” he asks.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. If you want his help, you are going to have to come and meet with him.”
James sits back and considers it. He recalls what Ceadric had said about the Empire offering a hundred thousand gold piece reward for his death. Could this be a ploy to cash in on it? “I suppose I would have to come with you alone? Couldn’t take someone with me could I?”
“No,” the slave states. “He said for you to come alone.” He then tosses the wadded piece of cloth he holds in his hand onto the table. “He also said for you to be wearing this.”
James picks up the cloth and sees it’s one of the loincloths the slaves wear. “Just this?” he asks, none too happy about parading around in such a thing.
The young man can’t help but grin at the expression on James’ face. “Yes, just that.”
“I can’t,” he says, replacing it back on the table.
“You must if you are to meet with him,” he insists.
“I understand that,” James assures him. Then he stands up and removes his own shirt. Underneath he’s very white and pale. Having never been one to walk around bare-chested, he never built up a tan. “I could never fool anyone in thinking I was a slave. Do I look like someone who’s spent time out in the sun in nothing but a slave’s loincloth?”
“No, you don’t,” he says. “This is going to complicate things.”
“Yes it will.” Putting his shirt back on, James takes his seat again.
Just then there’s another knock on the door. The young man sitting across from him gets an alarmed look on his face. “Relax,” James tells him. Getting up, he crosses over to the door and opens it.
Out in the hallway he sees Scar and Potbelly standing there with the slave who had been at the top of the stairs held between them.
“What is this?” demands the young man sitting at the table in James’ room.
James gestures for them to enter and once they’ve left the hallway, closes the door. Turning back to the young man, he says, “I don’t like being spied on.”
“He wasn’t spying on you,” the young man assures him. “He was making sure I was okay.”
“Same thing if you ask me,” Scar says.
“Let him go,” James says and the other slave is released. The slave then moves to the side of the young man and they stand together staring defiantly at James and the others.
“Don’t really act much like slaves do they?” Potbelly observes.
“No,” agrees Scar. “Very few slaves I’ve run across would dare to cross eyes with a free man. Let alone ask demanding questions of one.”
“Go get Brother Willim,” James tells them.
Potbelly turns and leaves the room. The two pairs continue to stare at one another until he returns with Brother Willim and Miko in tow.
James sums up the situation for them, the fact that someone may be able to help, but that he has to come dressed as a slave.
“No!” exclaims Miko. “Absolutely not.”
Scar just laughs. “Can’t imagine you going around in one of those,” he says.
The look on the young man’s face is growing darker by the minute. James takes note of the fact and says, “I’m not saying no.” Miko turns to look at him incredulously. “Calm down,” he says. Then to Brother Willim he says, “But the problem is that I am not exactly what you would call tan.” Pulling up his shirt, he shows them his pale skin. “I would stand out among all the other slaves.”
Brother Willim nods his head. “Yes, I can see that you would,” he agrees.
“What I need is something to give me the appearance of having been out under the sun,” he explains. “You being into plants and all, I thought you might be the best one to help me.”
“There are saps and other things which could be combined to give you the required appearance,” he says. “Though I don’t know if they are available in this area.”
The young man’s expression softens somewhat when he realizes James is at least considering doing as requested. “If you were to supply me with a list, I could see about acquiring the needed items,” he offers.
“This is a bad idea,” Miko insists.
James turns to the young man and asks, “Do you really think your friend will be able to get us inside the temple?”
“If anyone can, he would be the one,” the slave replies.
“Very well.” Then to Brother Willim he says, “Tell him what you need.” Once Brother Willim has told him of several different ingredients that will work, and the slave successfully recites them back to him, James gives him coins to pay for the items.
“How long will it take you to combine the ingredients once you have them?” he asks Brother Willim.
“Not long, maybe a half hour at the most to get it just right,” he explains.
“So you intend to meet with him?” asks the young man.
James turns back to him and says, “As of right now, maybe. Another member of our party is not here,” he explains. “When he returns I’ll know for sure whether I will or not.”
“Very well,” he says. “I’ll be back.” Then he and the other slave move toward the door. Scar opens the door for them and they leave. Closing the door, he turns back to James, glance at the slave rag still on the table and grins.
“What?” James asks.
“Aren’t you even going to try it on?” he asks. Several of the others in the room start snickering at that.
Jiron, Reilin, and Shorty return a couple hours later. When apprised of what the young man said, Jiron of course was adamantly against it. “No, no, no, NO!” he exclaims. “You can’t even be thinking about taking this course of action.”
“I haven’t committed to it as yet,” he replies. “What did you find out?”
“The place really doesn’t have much of a guard,” he explains. “The area among the outer buildings of the temple complex affords many places in which to hide.”
“How about the temple itself?” Scar asks.
“That may be a little tougher nut to crack,” Jiron says. “Several braziers sit by the temple doors which I’m sure at night are lit. There will be no way to sneak in once they have been. Anyone in the vicinity will undoubtedly see us heading to the doors.”
“Were there non-priests present on the temple grounds?” James asks. “Maybe we could disguise ourselves as a disciple or something.”
“That wouldn’t work either,” interjects Brother Willim. “Temples to Dmon-Li are not known for the attendance by the faithful. If a group this size were to approach, they would become interested in us. Not saying suspicious, at least not at first, but it would definitely be seen as something out of the ordinary.”
“So if I understand this correctly,” James says as he glances between Jiron and Brother Willim, “any frontal assault will draw attention.”
Brother Willim nods and Jiron says, “Most likely.”
“Is there a back way in?” asks Stig.
“If there was we didn’t see it,” replies Shorty. “The temple is pretty big too. It may take us some time to locate this dais thing you want to get to once we’re inside.”
“Perhaps this slave’s plan is the best course to follow right now,” suggests Reilin. When the others give him glares, he sticks to his guns and says, “At least go and see what this guy can do for us.”
“I’d want you to follow and keep an eye on me,” James tells Jiron.
“Oh, you can bet I’ll be doing that,” he says. Picking up the slave rag off the table he says, “Shouldn’t you be getting into this thing then?”
James looks in disgust at it and shakes his head. “Not until I have too.”
Another hour goes by and the young man has yet to return. When it’s but a couple hours before dusk, he again appears at James’ door. This time he’s alone, the other slave that was with him the previous two times is absent. Tucked under one arm is a package which he hands to Brother Willim upon entering.
“I found everything you requested,” he says. “Took some doing, though.
Bother Willim takes the package and nods. “I can imagine.” He then opens it up on the table and begins removing the contents.
Turning to James, he asks, “Are you planning on meeting with the one whom I spoke of?”
“Yes,” he replies. “It doesn’t look as if I have much choice.”
“Then when you’re ready I will escort you to him,” he says.
Picking up the slave cloth, James asks rather unhappily, “Are you sure this is the only way?”
“If you wish to meet with him, yes.”
Sighing, James says, “Very well.” While Brother Willim is beginning to crush some leaves in a bowl, he takes the slave cloth. “I’ll be in the next room when you’re ready.”
Brother Willim nods. “Be there when I am done.”
James then leaves the room and goes to the next one over. Once he’s inside and alone, he holds up the cloth and a shiver runs through him. Nothing for it, he tells himself and begins removing his clothes. Naked, he picks up the cloth and begins working to secure it around his loins. Not nearly as easy as he first thought, it takes him three attempts before it’s on well enough that it won’t fall off when he paces back and forth.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Yes?” he hollers through the door.
“It’s me,” he hears Miko says.
“Come in,” James tells him.
When the door opens, Miko comes in and sees him standing there in naught but the slave cloth. “Man oh man,” he says with a mischievous grin.
“What?” James asks.
“First of all,” he explains, “you have it on wrong. Here let me help you fix it.” Closing the door he moves forward and removes the slave cloth. Then he shows him the proper way to wear it. “The way you had it on, it would have fallen off in no time.” Tucking the last piece within the part circling his waist, Miko nods and stands up.
“I feel naked,” James says.
“That feeling will get worse once you’re out in public,” he says. “Trust me, I know.”
James only nods.
They stay in the room for a half hour and Miko coaches James in the nuances of being a slave. Keeping your eyes lowered, never talking back, all the things he learned during his time as a slave.
By the time Brother Willim makes his appearance, James has the basics down and should be able to pass himself off as one. Entering with his bowl in hand, he pauses a moment when he sees James there. White skin contrasting badly with the tanned areas of his body that had been exposed to sunlight, he almost glows in the dark.
James can see how Brother Willim is trying to fight back a grin that’s threatening to break out. “Go ahead and laugh if you want to,” he tells him.
Unable to restrain it, the grin breaks forth. “Sorry,” he says as he comes forward and begins applying the mixture to his pale skin with a cloth. In fact, he applies a coating to every square inch of his skin, including that which is under the loincloth. “With this on, you’ll be able to blend in with the other slaves.”
James stands there and endures it. The mixture itself doesn’t have all that bad of an odor, sort of smells like the forest on a hot summer day. It takes Brother Willim ten minutes to adequately apply the mixture, and when he’s done he steps back to look.
“That will do nicely,” Miko says. “You look just like a slave off the streets.”
“Do I?” he asks.
“Yep,” replies Miko. “Now, let’s go back to the others.”
James gets a slight panicked look at the though of others seeing him like this, but what else can he do? Face slightly red, he follows Miko out of the room and then over to the room where the others wait. He hesitates just a moment before entering behind him.
Every eye is on him and he feels very self conscious. “Well?” he asks.
“Remarkable,” Aleya says. “If I didn’t know it was you, I wouldn’t have recognized you.” The others nod their agreement.
“Are you ready?” the young man asks.
“No,” he replies. “But let’s just get this over with.”
The young man moves toward the door and James steps aside to let him pass. “Be back as soon as I can,” he tells them.
“Good luck,” offers Shorty.
As he leaves the room and closes the door behind him, James turns to follow the young man.
“Just keep your eyes down and follow me,” he says.
“What if someone tries to speak to me or stop me?” he asks.
“One person isn’t likely to accost or bother another person’s slave without their approval beforehand,” the slave explains. “That would be a severe breach of etiquette. In fact, depending on whose slave it is, there could be more serious repercussions.”
Descending the stairs, James hears the noise from the common room. In his loincloth, he feels very exposed. If it wasn’t for the mixture Brother Willim put on him to darken his complexion, he’s sure his skin would be beet red in embarrassment. Stepping off the bottom step, he follows the slave as he skirts the edge of the common room and leaves through the back door. He was sure that everyone in there was staring at him, but having kept his eyes lowered in proper slave fashion, he couldn’t tell.
Out in the street, he soon realizes just how tender his feet are. Walking barefoot as the other slaves are, he tries to ignore the rocks and other hard items that seem to find their way under his feet with every step.
“How far is this place we’re going to?” he asks.
“Not very far,” he replies. “Just down a couple more streets.”
As he continues to follow the young man, he glances to the people on the street. Almost unbelievably, not one of them is even giving him a second look. He could be a bug crawling on the ground for all they care. Growing in confidence that he’s not going to be found out, he begins to relax. He even grows accustomed, to a point, in wearing nothing but a loincloth.
If this had been the middle part of the day, the sun would have burnt him to a crisp. But seeing as how dusk isn’t very far away, it kind of feels good to have this much skin exposed.
After the slave leads him down one of the side streets, he begins to notice that they are moving into the poorer section of town. The streets are not nearly as kept up as they had been where they came from. Also, the people on the street begin to get a more bedraggled appearance.
Up ahead and to their right lies a narrow alley. Barely wide enough for two men to walk side by side, it’s wedged in between what looks to be a tannery and a rendering shop where they separate fat from animal remains. The smell coming from both places is appalling. To his disgust, the slave turns and leads him to that narrow alley. Having no choice, he follows.
“Stay close,” the young man says as he enters the alley.
Holding his breath against the stench of the two businesses he’s passing between, James steps into the opening. Several times during the course of moving deeper into the alley, his bare feet squish into something soft and feeling very nasty. In the faint light which illuminates the alley, he’s not sure if it’s human excrement he’s stepping in or something else equally offensive. He tries to control his rising gorge as he hurries to catch up with the young man.
The alley grows lighter as they approach the other end. James actually tries to hurry the young man along a bit in order to get out into what he hopes is fresher air. As they reach the end and step from the alley, he takes a deep breath of air that is only slightly better than what he had to endure in the narrow passage. He glances down at his feet but he’s unable to determine what exactly he stepped in.
They’ve come out into an area completely blocked in by the backs of buildings which are only one or two stories tall. Maybe forty feet by thirty, it looks like what may have been a plaza at one time before some of the abutting buildings were built over it. Oddly enough, no windows are present in any of the buildings encompassing this area. Only the alley from which they passed through and a single door in one of the walls are the only apparent ways out of here. It’s to the door that the young man is leading him. Other than themselves, this place is deserted.
“This way,” the slave says to him.
Stepping in behind, James crosses the vacant area. The slave pauses at the door until James catches up with him then says, “On the other side of this door, say nothing. Even should someone come to you and begin talking, say nothing. Understand?”
“Why?” James asks.
“Just do it,” he replies. When he gets a nod from James, he opens the door.
James follows him through and is surprised to find a tall stack of broken pieces of crates, boxes and old furniture no more than two feet before the door. In fact, the stack is higher and wider than the doorway. They are forced to practically squeeze out from the doorway due to the lack of room between the door and the stack. Then the young man closes the door and James is again surprised to discover that the door melds into the wall perfectly, concealing the fact that the door is even there. Whatever this place is, this entrance probably isn’t known by too many people.
Without a word, the slave moves to step out from behind the stack and enters a courtyard bustling with activity. Slaves under the watchful eye of men are hauling crates and other items from a warehouse and stacking them on four wagons. The young man moves over to where two small boxes are stacked not too far from where they entered from. He picks one up and motions for James to do the same. Then he makes a circuitous route around the courtyard and finally brings James to the wagons being loaded.
Placing his box within one of the wagons, he nods for James to do the same. Then they turn about and enter the warehouse out of which the rest of the slaves are hauling boxes. Once inside the warehouse, they encounter a man who is directing the slaves in picking up boxes and crates to be placed on the wagons.
No sooner do they enter the warehouse than the man in charge directs them to pick up a rather large one that takes two. Not hesitating, the young man does as directed and James joins him in lifting the crate. He glances questioningly to the young man and only receives a shake of his head in response.
Crash!
One of the slaves further back in the warehouse has dropped his box and is now lying on the ground holding his leg. The way he’s holding his leg and crying out, James thinks that it may be broken.
Then from out of nowhere two slaves come and immediately take the crate from them and continue hauling it out to the waiting wagons. Startled by their sudden appearance, James doesn’t immediately realize the young man has turned and is walking quickly toward a stack of boxes sitting at the rear of the warehouse. Seeing him moving away from him, James quickly moves to follow. He casts a quick glance to the man in charge of the slaves and sees how his attention is now fully on the slave lying with the broken leg. From the set of the man’s face, he feels sorry for the fate of the slave.
Half a minute later, they squeeze through a gap between the stacks of boxes. Sidestepping, James passes through and comes to a small cleared space between the stacks of boxes and the rear wall of the warehouse.
Moving to a set of three boxes, two set side by side and the third on top of the other two, the young man says, “Give me a hand.”
James comes forward and the young man has him grip the stack of three boxes in two specific spots. Then together, they lift the edge of the boxes up. The edge comes up to reveal that the three boxes are secured to the top of a trapdoor. Once the trapdoor is raised sufficiently, the young man has James pass through first. There’s a drop of three feet and then a series of steps leading down into darkness.
James hops down onto the steps and holds the trapdoor open while the young man hops down beside him. Together they lower the trapdoor and are plunged into darkness. James has an urge to create an orb, but resists it. The last thing he wants to do is to let whoever is down here know what he’s capable of. Keeping that information secret has proved beneficial on several different occasions.
Once the sound of the young man moving down the steps comes to him, he slowly follows. Step by step, he descends ten steps before coming to a narrow passage. Keeping a hand on one wall as a guide, he walks forward, all the while allowing the sound of the young man’s footsteps to lead him.
“Where…?” he begins when the young man’s voice says cuts him off with “Keep quiet!” So keeping quiet, he continues to follow him. At one point, the passage they are in makes a sharp turn to the right. James didn’t realize it quickly enough and wound up stubbing his toe on the wall in front of him.
“Shhh!” the young man whispers when James began cursing his throbbing toe.
After that, he kept one hand out in front of him as well as the one to the side. A good thing he did for it saved his toes another stubbing when the passage abruptly curved back to the left. A faint light can now be seen coming from further down this new passage. It steadily grows brighter as they move toward it until James recognizes that the light is making its way through the cracks around a door.
He quickens his pace when he sees the young man is already at the doorway. Light floods the passage as the door is opened and he has to squint for a few seconds until his eyes get readjusted to the light. Moving out of the passage, James enters what appears to be an ordinary cellar beneath some building.
Two other men are in the room, both dressed as slaves. One of them is the same slave as Scar and Potbelly had nabbed keeping an eye on them in the hallway outside their room.
“Go on in,” the slave says to the young man.
Without a word, the young man steps toward the opening on the far side of the cellar. An archway separates the room they are in with the one lying on the far side. Many candles are lit within the next room and as James passes through the archway, he sees a middle aged man lying on a series of cushions upon a rug on the floor.
“I brought him,” the young man says to the other.
“Leave us,” the man on the cushions says.
Bowing to him, the young man backs out through the archway.
Indicating a cushion sitting on the floor near him, the man says, “Please be seated.”
“Thank you,” replies James. Moving to the cushion, he settles down on top of it.
“It’s not often I have guests here,” the man tells him. Lifting up a plate bearing slightly squishy sliced fruit that’s turning brown, he offers it to James.
Really not wanting any of the old fruit, yet not wishing to offend his host, he takes one. Placing it in his mouth, he chews it and can taste the slight rancidity of spoiled fruit. “Thank you,” he says as he tries to swallow without spewing it back up again.
The man smiles and nods. “A pleasure to meet one such as you,” he says.
James arcs an eye questioningly at him. “Oh, I know who you are,” he explains. “James I believe your name is. And a mage of some power.”
James eyes him suspiciously and remains silent.
“Oh you needn’t try to hide the fact,” he says. “But who you are doesn’t really matter now does it? You wanted some information I believe?”
“Who are you?” James asks.
“Ah, that is a question many would like to know,” he replies. “Suffice it to say that I am the Slavemaster.”
“Slavemaster?” asks James.
“More of a title than a profession really,” he says.
“I see,” says James.
Without expanding any further on who he is, the Slavemaster says, “I understand you are planning on entering the temple here in Zixtyn.”
“That’s right,” he says. James is more at ease now. Seeing as how the man knows him and has yet to either dispatch him or turn him in, he doesn’t feel there is any immediate threat.
“Why?” the Slavemaster asks. “You’ll have to pardon my curiosity, but you are the first person I’ve ever met who actually wanted to go into one. Other than Dmon-Li’s priesthood that is.”
James gazes at the Slavemaster and gauges just how much to tell him. “Can you help us gain entry?” he asks.
“Possibly,” he replies. “You see, I’m the only one that I know of who was ever a slave within the temple and escaped. But that was some time ago, when I was a younger man.”
“The one here in Zixtyn?” James asks hopefully.
The Slavemaster shrugs, obviously unwilling to give him that much information about himself. “So why do you wish to gain entry into the temple here in Zixtyn? I assure you, what you tell me will not find its way out of here.”
Deciding to trust to fate, he says, “A friend has been taken to Ith-Zirul. We know there’s a way that the temples, or at least some of them, are connected through magical transportation devices.”
The Slavemaster shakes his head, “Friend, what you plan is nothing short of folly.”
“Be that as it may, that is what we plan to do,” he insists. “Can you help us?”
“Even should you gain the temple and reach the transportation device, you wouldn’t be able to use it,” he asserts.
“Then you know of it?” asks James hopefully.
“Yes,” he says. “I know of it.”
“Can you tell me how it works?” he asks.
“You mean to tell me that you planned to break into the temple and didn’t even know how it worked?” he asks incredulously.
“I have an idea,” replies James defensively.
“You need more than that if you expect to get to Ith-Zirul,” the Slavemaster tells him. “They won’t work for just anyone, you need a key.”
“I have one of those already,” explains James.
“Oh?” he asks. “How would you have gained such an item?”
James then gives him a very brief rundown of finding the medallion in the temple outside of Kern. “I know it activates the dais,” he states. “I’m just not sure how to make it take me to where I want it to.”
“Fascinating,” the Slavemaster says after several seconds of digesting what James had told him. “As to how to make it work, I don’t know that part of it.” When James gets a disappointed look, he raises his hand and says, “That’s not to say what I do know won’t help.”
“Such as?” prompts James.
“You see, each of these keys is set to take you to two different places on their own,” he explains. “I’m sure there’s a way in which to have them take you to specific temples, but I have never been privy to that information.”
“Now, if you are in the home temple of the key, which in this case would be the temple near Kern where you found it, then the teleportation dais will take you automatically to Ith-Zirul. And if you are at Ith-Zirul it will return you to the key’s home temple.”
“But what if you are at another temple?” he asks.
“I believe it will take you automatically to Ith-Zirul,” he says. “And then from there would return you to the key’s home temple.”
James remains silent after the Slavemaster finishes speaking. He remembers the time under the sand at Baerustin when during their fight, he and Jiron had stumbled upon the teleportation dais there and ended up at another place. That other place was cold and had strange little creatures with claws sharper than razors. He recalls the voice in his head that said, ‘You have come, mage.’ They must have been in the High Temple! Only they didn’t realize it at the time. When he and Jiron had fled the place and returned to the dais, it had taken them to the temple near Kern. It all makes sense now.
“Now all there is to do is for us to reach the dais within the temple here in Zixtyn,” James says.
The Slavemaster nods. “That won’t be as easy as you think,” he says. “For one thing, the dais is in a secret room in the lowest level of the temple. None but those in the inner circle are allowed there. It’s unlikely you would reach it before being discovered.”
“Could you give me some idea the best way to get to it?” James asks. “Despite the risks we must make the attempt.”
“Yes,” he says. “I can have a diagram made for you that would show the quickest route to the room you have to reach.”
“That would be great,” James says.
“You might wish to make the attempt two nights from now however,” the Slavemaster says.
James looks at him curiously. “Why?”
“In two nights is the dark of the moon,” he explains. “Every temple performs special rites to Dmon-Li when the moon is black. It’s considered holy to them.”
“Killian’s shroud blinds the giant’s eye,” he murmurs.
The Slavemaster hears him and nods. “Yes that’s what some call that time of the month.” When he sees that James is lost in thought, he adds, “The priests will all be in attendance in the sanctum before the altar. However that’s not to say the halls of the temple will be empty. They have over a score of temple guards that will be roaming the grounds, even within the temple itself. You’ll have to somehow get through them without alerting the rest of the temple to your presence. I’ve heard stories of your prowess, but I doubt even you would prevail against a temple’s worth of priests all working in conjunction to kill you.”
“Probably not,” agrees James.
Just then, the young man enters through the archway and whispers something in the Slavemaster’s ear. Nodding the Slavemaster says something to the young man who then leaves the room. “Seems your friends have followed you,” he says.
“Did they?” James asks innocently.
The Slavemaster isn’t fooled. “Don’t worry,” he says. “They’ve been taken care of.”
“What does that mean?” asks James.
“They won’t be bothering us here,” replies the Slavemaster.
“What did you do to them?” demands James.
“Oh, nothing harmful I assure you,” he says.
James meets his gaze for a moment and then gets to his feet. “I should be going now,” he says.
“As you will,” says the Slavemaster. “I’ll have someone drop by sometime tomorrow with a diagram I’ll draw up to help you reach the teleportation dais.”
“Thank you,” he says. Now worried about what may have happened to his friends, James wants nothing more than to get out of there.
The young man makes his appearance and the Slavemaster says to him, “Escort him back out.”
Giving the Slavemaster a slight bow, the young man turns to James and says, “If you’ll follow me?”
James gives the Slavemaster a brief bow then turns to follow the young man from the room. They leave through the same doorway and are again in the darkened passage. They proceed for a ways then James feels the young man’s hand on his shoulder as he directs him to stop and enter a narrow opening. It’s on the opposite side of the passage than the one he trailed his hand along on the way in.
Moving through this new passage which is barely wide enough to accommodate them, they continue for a ways until the passage turns to the right. Then the young man takes him another hundred paces and brings him to a stop.
“Give me your hand,” the young man says.
James holds out his hand and feels the young man take it. Moving it to the side of the passage, he places James’ hand in a recess in the wall. “You must climb this until you get to the top,” the young man says. “There you’ll find a small wooden panel to your left. Push it open and crawl through.”
“What’s on the other side?” James asks.
“A chandler’s shop,” is the reply. “The shopkeeper has already left for the day. Do not touch anything and be careful when you leave not to let anyone see you.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?” he asks.
“No, you go by yourself from here,” he says. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” replies James. Then he hears the footsteps of the young man moving away in the dark.
Turning back to the wall, he feels around and finds a series of recesses moving from the floor up the wall. Putting his hands in the ones at eye and chest level, he then finds two for his feet. Then very carefully, he lifts one of his hands above his head and feels around until he finds the next one. One by one, he slowly makes his way up the wall in the dark.
After what seems like twenty or more different recesses have taken him over ten feet from the floor of the passage beneath him, his hand touches the stone ceiling above him. Feeling around he realizes that he’s come as far up the wall as he can. Searching to his left, he finds the small wooden panel of which the young man told him. Pressing it outward, he feels it give. Pushing harder, he swings it wide. A small amount of light comes through from the other side.
The light reveals that the opening is going to be a tight squeeze for him. He then moves toward it and reaches a hand in and begins working his body through to the other side. Though it’s small, he manages to wriggle through and comes out beneath a table and finds himself on the floor of the chandler’s shop.
Turning back to the opening, he discovers the outside of the wooden panel has stone attached to it. When he swings the panel closed, it blends in perfectly with the stone of the wall. He then comes out from under the table and scans the shop for the way out. The door opening onto the street is to his right and he makes his way to it. Looking out, he sees the street passing in front of the shop still has people upon it. With it still being an hour until sundown, he’s sure to be spotted quickly if he were to leave that way.
He makes his way through the shop and finds the back door. Opening it slowly, he discovers an alley running behind the shop. He peers out cautiously only to find there’s no one in the vicinity. James then exits the building quickly and shuts the door behind him.
Once out in the alley, he turns down to the right and hurries to the end. Then, walking like he has a purpose, he enters the street and tries to figure out how to get back to the inn.