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Epilogue

Epilogue

"She'll live." The man told Simeon as he sat on a bench in the grounds of his home. "She is becoming more lucid every day. Sometimes she is so more ten minutes or more."

"Has she given you any information?" Simeon asked, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Indeed not. The girl escaped, this much we know, but there is no way of knowing her current location or what she is planning to do next."

"Well you might as well go then." Simeon folded his paper and stood. "Only come back to me if she says something interesting." The man nodded and hurried away.

Simeon tucked the paper inside of his jacket and walked along the winding path. His sister-in-law had caused quite the mess this time and almost gotten herself killed in the process. It wouldn't have been the worst loss, he reasoned, but she was particularly good at getting people to do her bidding. He had this power too certainly, but she could do it a gentle way he had never quite mastered. Perhaps with her weak-willed husband out of the way, she might now be of even greater use. There is, after all, nothing people won't do to help a grieving widow. He smiled a little at this thought as he continued to walk, passing through a small, locked gate on his way.

He stopped walking when he reached a small stone house. It was located on the far side of the property in an area that was strictly for his private use. Even the gardeners could only enter at very specific times which he laid down. He opened the door of the house and went in.

Sat on the floor, a large heavy book in front of her, was a girl. She was slim with long poker straight black hair. Her clothes were very simple but well made. She looked up for a moment before looking back at her book. Simeon pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the girl. He put his hand under her chin and lifted her face, so she was looking at him directly.

"It's almost time." Simeon said. "Do you think you will be ready?" In answer the girl glanced over to the windowsill where there stood a single rose growing in a pot. In a second the rose was gone, returned to seed in the soil. The girl's dark blue eyes flashed black for a second, but she seemed to sense nothing of it and Simeon smiled with pleasure.

"I will be ready Uncle Simeon." She said in a monotone voice. A small cough from Simeon made her wince slightly. "I'm sorry." She corrected herself. "I will be ready Sultan."

"I know you will." Simeon grinned. "Now what shall we learn today."