The Sultan's Spy

Chapter 26: Dead End

Tariq paused in his writing to carefully study the scribbled mess he was copying from. Let the others think he was being dutiful, he really needed a break. He was forever getting cramps in his hand, never having written this much before in his life. He repressed a sigh and turned his mind to other things.

Seeing Liss last night had been good, though she had been a bit on edge he'd thought, constantly checking the area around them. He'd gotten no more clues about her identity but the information she'd had more than made up for his personal disappointment.

The beaten servant he'd told her about had been identified as Yasar, a low-level administrator in the tax division. No one had any idea what had happened to him, and all he'd told the people who knew him was that he'd been mugged in the city. Tariq had offered to question him, but Liss had told him it was impossible.

Yasar was dead.

The official report said he'd died of a sudden and rare form of flux. Liss said that was likely just what they'd decided for lack of anything else, that she couldn't believe their one possible connection turning up dead was a coincidence. Tariq couldn't help but agree.

So now Tariq had his eyes out for any reports about taxes, anyone from the tax division, the name Yasar, and anyone else suddenly dying of the flux. He hadn't had any luck yet, but he wasn't relying on just the reports he transcribed.

With that reminder, he went back to finishing off his copy of his current paper, this one dealing with the emergency purchase of coal due to the palace's stocks being unusually low. As with everything he transcribed, Tariq found it completely dull and was glad he wouldn't be in the palace permanently. He thought he'd go crazy as a scribe. And if what he'd heard was correct, all you could hope to advance to was the people who had to actually go to these meetings.

He mentally shuddered. No, he liked his work and living in the city and being able to choose what work he did. And, if he could get her to see what was wrong with the royal family, he thought he might be able to convince Liss to come with him, at least for a time. She'd not only be fun to charm into his bed, but she could actually help him with his work. That was something he'd never thought he'd be contemplating for one of his women. Then again, Liss wasn't just any woman.

Tariq was just waving his copy to finish drying it when the water-clock chimed the hour. He looked up at the elaborate mechanism, as always impressed with the craftsmanship of the thing. It was designed to have the little man on it ring the gong every hour and was one of the most useful things he'd seen since coming to the palace. He had plans to buy one for himself as soon as he got home.

All around him the other scribes stood, stretched, and put their work to the side. Tariq followed suit, unable to resist the urge to stretch his hands as far over his head as he could. Sitting all day always left him stiff.

The scribes split into their usual two groups. The one led by Coman already filing out the door, while the one headed by Fahim surrounded Tariq before heading in the same direction. It was annoying, but Tariq kept a smile on his face as they moved out into the hall. He would be a whole lot happier if Fahim wasn't trying to force him to pick his side.

"Did you see Kadin's face today?" Halif asked eyes flickering to where Coman's group walked. "A bruise like that you don't get easily. I bet he got too close to a girl he shouldn't have and got hit for his presumption. He's always chasing women around."

Fahim snorted. "Probably."

Jalis shook his head. "I heard it was worse than that."

That got him the attention of the others, and Tariq hurriedly put an expression of interest on his own face, even if nothing could be farther from the truth. With the whole palace to talk about, it was frustrating how much of their gossip was focused on the other scribes.

"I heard that he got found in one of those foreign drinking dens last night and that they had to sneak him back into the palace so he didn't lose his place. I bet it was Coman who hit him for being stupid."

"How'd they get him past the guards?" Tariq asked. He couldn't imagine Ajani's people letting someone who was drunk of all things into the palace.

"Probably took him through the hidden passage under the filbert bush by where the harem's wall runs into the palace wall. We all found it a couple months back and Coman and his cronies have been using it non-stop to slip in and out of the palace," Fahim replied.

"Huh," Tariq said, trying to keep his sharpened interest off his face. "How'd you find something like that?"

Fahim gave him a hard look. "We were walking by and found it open. You're not thinking of using it without us, are you?"

Tariq shook his head. "No, I've just never seen a real hidden passage before. That's something that's usually only in tales."

"You don't know the half of it," Dastgir said, smirking. "When we went through we all realized the passage is new. I bet someone was trying to get into the harem and just dug the wrong way."

"Trying to get into the harem is a good way to get yourself killed or made an eunuch," Halif retorted. "I heard the last man who tried was found with his throat cut just outside the harem door."

"Yeah, but just imagine getting in there," Jalis said, a dreamy smile on his face. "A palace of all women. I hear the prettiest ones are kept inside as much as possible, not allowed out until they're married."

"Shut it," Fahim said, making a slicing gesture with one hand over his throat. "That's the Sultan's family you're talking about. If people think you're being disrespectful..."

The others all nodded making Tariq hide a frown. He'd have to ask Liss about it, though knowing her, she'd probably defend the royals. Still, being able to tell her about the hidden tunnel ought to get him some points with her, hopefully enough that she'd actually listen to him for once. The sooner she freed herself of the royal family, the happier she'd be.