Arabesque

Munif

"You are certain they remain unaware."

It was not a question.

Munif sat with three men at a table tucked away in the recesses of a cavernous coffeehouse. He had positioned himself against the wall, close to a small window with a clear view of the Laenidor Sacellum. The place was crowded, but no one had seen Pavanan Munif enter, save the three who offered him a chair. Helooked at the men, each with dusky clothes and a hardened face—they could have been brothers.

They exchanged introductions, all false names to be sure. Munif waited until the server left the cava before speaking. His tone belied his noncommittal expression. He repeated his inquiry. "You're absolutely sure no one knows?"

Munif peered into the eyes of the man on his right. They were intelligent, cautious, ready. The agent's hair, like the others', was cropped short, his face dark brown from the sun and stubbled with a beard that had not seen a razor in days. He was dressed in drab clothing worn for too long without a wash.

"The Carac were not difficult to track, once we had the information from Burj al-Ansour," the agent said. "They've been under constant watch."

Directly across from Munif, the second agent looked up from his Tivisisí coffee. "Tonnás said the summoners would arrive within a fortnight. He was not wrong."

As patrons moved past them, the conversation took a more cautious turn. Munif lowered his voice. "What about the alchemist?"

"I allowed her to complete her work as instructed," said the third agent. "I assumed we needed the orbs to be taken at the same time as the summoners."

Munif thought for a moment before replying. "Yes, to make the case clearer for the Majalis. The ban remains in place, despite the passage of time."

The second agent scoffed. "Yet the wicked do not cease their wickedness, regardless of the consequences."

The first agent pondered a moment before looking up. "It will not be easy—taking them. This I know."

Munif shrugged and gave him a bitter smile. He felt on edge. "But we will. There are no options here. I've said enough—all here are capable, that is why you were chosen. It's time for you to leave."

The other three agents heeded his words, quietly departingin unison and leaving Munif alone with his thoughts. He stood, and the room seemed to tilt sideways. His head swam and his stomach lurched.

"Damn, you look the a drunkard or fool," he muttered to himself. Shaking his head, he realized his next task would have to wait a while longer.

He would need every bit of his remaining energy simply to reach his room and fall into a much needed sleep.

§

Munif caught a glimpse of the morning sun from the balcony. He didn't remember getting back or how he made it into bed. The whitewashed flat where he had slept was unadorned and simple, yet it was welcoming in its warmth, dryness, and stability under the feet.

After he breakfasted on bread with olive oil, honey and butter, along with a minted green tea and raw sugar, Munif took advantage of the ample floor space to resume his training regimen. He was happily surprised to discover that he'd lost little of his flexibility or strength despite the neglect of the past few weeks.

It was amazing, he thought, how rapidly he could recover with food and sleep. No longer apprehensive and distracted, Munif's spirits were renewed, his focus strong and determined. The call of affyram was fading.

He would not run after it.

Word had already come to him that the ebony-skinned foreigners had remained stationary and isolated for the past day, recovering from the voyage. He was more confident now than at any previous time in the mission that he held the advantage.

Very soon now, this will all end, he hoped. The net was cast.

Munif heard the sound of footsteps outside the door. He hurried over to it and stood by the hinges, on the balls of his feet, tense and ready. The handle turned and the door opened; Fajeer Dassai entered the room. Munif relaxed, but only slightly.

Dassai spun and raised an eyebrow at Munif's aggressive stance. He closed the door behind him and said, "Peace be upon you, Pavanan Munif. It's been a long time."

"Indeed, Fajeer, it has," Munif responded with a half-smile.

"You look rested. I see my aid has done you some good."

"Your help has been considerable—and well appreciated. I could not have survived without it." Munif padded barefoot to the small table where his pack stood open. He pulled out a linen shirt and put it on.

Dassai clasped his hands in front of him and ran his eyes slowly over the room while Munif finished dressing.

"I cannot claim the credit. I just act upon what is given me. I received word early on about the Carac and have been alert to their actions ever since. I am glad to see they've made it past the Slen Thek and White Palm. Had the assassins gotten to them, there is no telling how much it would have cost."

"If they would have taken the bids at all." Munif enjoyed the coolness of the tiles beneath his toes for a moment longer before shoving his feet into his  worn shoes. He'd have to find another pair soon. "The Slen Thek, yes; the White Palm, highly doubtful," he continued. "The summoners would have been gutted and left as a feast for crows."

"There is little doubt that that is true," Dassai said. "But alas, they did avoid capture. They will be easy prey now."

Munif raised his eyebrows; even he was not that confident. "What do we know of their true plans?"

"Not much. I know little more than you—but I do think they're plotting something here in Tivisis." Dassai paused. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Just what that mission is, I'm not sure, though surely it does not bode well." He frowned.

Munif could tell Dassai's mind was elsewhere. "And what of these containers they have requested?"

"Hmm, a diversion, perhaps? Or a means of escape? It's possible they've foreseen the actions of the Jassaj and have been told to secure it and use it against us."

Munif finished dressing. "Their powers are formidable; there is no mistake about that," Munif said softly. "And we must be prepared to defend against whatever they have planned."

"True, and that is why we must wait. We must learn a bit more before moving on them. Have the scrying sigils been marked?"

"Yes, on two of the walls in the flat. Though I suspect that they would  take no chances and search the place. I can't imagine the sigils going undetected."

"And that is where you must learn to trust in me. Our man has been instructed to place false marks over the real ones. Once those are removed, the others will remain secure. The plan is safe and will hold."

Dassai is confident. Perhaps too confident? Munif wondered. Only time would tell. "So, we must wait until then?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes. You and your agents will lay the ambush as we gather the information from the meeting. I will give you the location soon, my friend."

"We'll be ready," answered Munif, glancing at the door.

Dassai acknowledged the unsubtle hint with a wry smile and turned to leave. "I expect nothing less from you, Pavanan." Dassai opened the door and stepped out. Just as it closed, he said, "Stay alert, and ready to leave at any time."

Munif remained silent.