The Sultan's Spy

Chapter 21: Scribe

Tariq watched Liss disappear into the gardens, her eyes not coming back to find him even once. She really was like a fierce little cat. All sharp-edged grace, attitude, and stubborn independence. If he could just convince her not to bite him first, Tariq was certain he could get her to purr.

"Alright, boy," Ajani said, interrupting his thoughts. "Follow me."

He nodded, tearing his eyes off of the greenery that had swallowed Liss and turning his attention back to the man she'd left him with. He was short, not much taller than she was, his face as smooth as a boy's despite the crow's feet spreading out from his eyes. His eyes were nearly as black as his hair and he too, moved with deadly grace. Tariq was beginning to wonder if everyone at the palace was like this. If so, he'd obviously misjudged the place.

They hadn't made it much past the pavilion, just off the grounds and the back end of one of the buildings made of rough, white stone, when Ajani moved. He was faster than anyone Tariq had ever seen, on him before he could react, pinning him to the wall with one hand while the other drew a long knife. He pressed it against Tariq's neck in a way he was beginning to feel was getting too familiar.

"Now, boy," he said, voice the same reasonable sounding tone he'd used earlier with Liss. "I'm going to let you in on a secret. Bright Joy there, she's one of my favourites. She's smart, strong, and still listens to old Ajani. So I take her safety and well-being very, very seriously."

Tariq couldn't nod with the knife at his throat, so he said, "Yes, I can see that." Sweat was beginning to bead up on his face and neck, belying the calm he was doing his best to project.

"That's good that you see that. It will make you believe what I'm saying. And that is, if you lay a hand on her, if you attempt to treat her like one of those loose harlots from the city, I will have you forcibly join me and my brethren." Holding Tariq's eyes, Ajani slowly moved the knife down so that it was lightly resting against his thigh, the tip just kissing where his legs met.

He swallowed hard, unable to stop himself. Tariq cleared his throat as he scrambled for composure. "I understand," he said, voice thankfully even as he tried to ignore where the knife was. "I'll be careful."

Ajani grinned. "Excellent," he replied, putting the knife away and releasing him. "I'm glad we've reached an agreement. I'd have hated to have gotten rid of someone that Bright Joy spoke so highly of."

Tariq rubbed his neck as the other man stepped away from him. "So I'm not the first?" he asked, feeling a flare of disappointment. He'd thought he was the only one Liss had thought well enough of to bring back with her.

The other man raised eyebrows. "Did you think you were?"

Tariq shrugged, hiding his feeling behind a careless expression. "I thought maybe."

Ajani only laughed before continuing to lead the way. He took them around the corner of the building, cutting across a garden filled with date palms, flowers, and stone benches. They were aimed straight at another building, this one having an overhanging roof that provided shade for the elaborately carved screened windows that ran along it.

They passed under the roof, across the stone paved floor, and went straight through the nearest door. Inside was something unlike anything Tariq had seen before. The floor was dark veined green-grey marble, the material running up the walls not covered with tiled frescoes, each one beautiful and dust-free. Even the ceiling was painted and tiled along the edges, every inch of the place screaming money and power to him.

He wasn't given time to admire the place, forced to keep up with Ajani's quick pace. "Your name is Akhtar," he said, voice quiet as they saw people further down the hall from them. "You're the nephew of Shahab, who returned to his hometown to be close to his daughter and her husband. You've been looking for work and Shahab sent you with a recommendation to me which is why I'm bringing you here. You're from the country, so feel free to gawk. It'll be expected of you."