Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira (15 page)

Chapter
8

Timon stepped out of the royal tailor’s shop in the lower reaches of the palace, shaking his head with frustration.  He’d ordered half a dozen sets of riding leathers to be ready no later than noon this day, and here it was two hours past and no riding leathers.  The tailor’s excuse meant nothing to him.  He’d told the man to have them done and delivered to Prince Zakiel’s quarters by evening or else.  Timon didn’t know exactly what he meant by
or else
, but neither did the tailor.  From the way the man’s face had paled, the threat had worked well enough that Timon felt reasonably confident that the garments would be delivered.  Most of them, anyway, he thought, resigning himself to the idea that they might be short a set or two.

He sighed and reached into his pocket for his list.  This was the last day to complete preparations, it was already half gone and there were still many more tasks to be done.  He set out for Prince Zakiel’s private quarters as he studied the list, his feet navigating the stairs, halls and turns through the palace without conscious thought on his part.  He’d lived his entire life within the palace, the past ten years of that time acting as personal attendant to His Royal Highness, Prince Zakiel Feenis, and he prided himself on knowing every nook and cranny of it.

When he reached his destination he slipped the list back into his pocket, pulled open the door and stepped inside, his mind focused completely on the tasks he had left to do, and the order in which they might best be accomplished.  Therefore, as he crossed the anteroom and entered the Prince’s sitting area, he was so stunned to find Hara Marene walking calmly toward him that for a long moment he simply stood and stared at her. 

“Hara Marene,” he said, collecting himself as he bowed the precise degree that was her due and not a fraction more.

“Timon,” Marene said.  “There was no one here and since I do not have all day to wait, I decided to just leave my little gift for Zakiel.  It’s on the table there.”

Timon had served the royal family for too many years to show his emotions.  Inwardly he was surprised that Marene had offered an explanation to him without being asked, and, as always, offended by her blatant use of the Prince’s name whenever he was not there to hear it.

He looked toward the table Marene gestured to and saw a plate of date bars, the Prince’s favorite sweet.  “I apologize for not being here to greet you, Hara Marene,” he said.  “I am sure that Prince Zakiel will wish me to thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Her smile as she swept past him caused him to frown.  There was something about it that seemed a bit...off.  Then she was gone, leaving the too sweet scent of her perfume behind her.  Tomas waved his hand in front of his face and fetched several cones of incense and set them out so they would have a chance to neutralize Marene’s perfume before Prince Zakiel returned. 

As he worked, he considered the rapid play of expressions that had crossed Marene’s face between the time he entered the room and the time he dropped his eyes and bowed.  If he had bowed at once as he usually did, he would have missed them, but as it was, he was glad he hadn’t.  The shock, guilt, worry and...had that been fear?...perplexed him.  Of course, she had no right to enter the Prince’s apartments on her own, and if it got out that she had, her reputation would be ruined. 

Yes, he decided, that probably explained it.  But what was it that had bothered him about her smile?  He had seen many smiles on Hara Marene’s face over the years as she schemed and plotted for the Prince’s attentions, none of them sincere. 

He froze in the act of lighting an incense cone, not moving until the flame got too close to his fingers.  He waved the flame out and checked his finger tips.  A trifle burned, no more.  He blew on them absently as he replayed the smile in his mind.  Yes, he thought.  The problem with Marene’s smile was its sincerity.  That was troubling.  Very troubling indeed.

With that thought, he turned to the plate of date bars Marene had left.  He studied the sweets for a long moment, then bent to sniff them.  They looked and smelled as they should, but he found that he didn’t want to touch them.  He neither liked nor trusted Hara Marene, and never had.  While he didn’t believe she would harm the man she hoped would one day make her queen, he would not take the slightest chance with Prince Zakiel’s well being.

He picked up the plate, holding it gingerly by its edges, and carried it into the pantry.  He dropped the date bars, plate and all, into the waste box, then opened a cupboard and removed a container of date bars he kept on hand.  He placed several on a clean plate, copying Marene’s arrangement, and carried them into the sitting room, placing them exactly where the other plate had been. 

He would tell Prince Zakiel that Marene had delivered some date bars, and allow him to assume the rest.  He smiled to himself, knowing that, in all likelihood, Prince Zakiel would toss these date bars into the trash thinking they were from Marene.  But he felt safer knowing that he had already disposed of Marene’s gift, and so did not have to worry about anyone taking a bite from one. 

That task completed, he removed his list from his pocket and once again immersed himself in his preparations for the morrow’s departure.

Chapter
9

Karma took one quick look around her room, patted the deep pockets in the long skirt she wore that had been made to hold the ankh and staff, and took a deep breath.  It had been five very busy days since her first meeting with King Rhobar and the Prince.  In that time a full wardrobe had been delivered to her, including several pair of loose, wide legged trousers that resembled a skirt while walking, but would provide the ease and comfort of pants on the back of a diplo.  She wasn’t exactly sure what a
diplo
was, but after some discussion she’d been assured it would be much like riding a horse. 

She was mildly surprised to find that she really liked her new clothes.  They were made of a strange fabric that allowed air to breeze right through, but remained opaque enough that they could not be seen through in the brightest of back lighting.  The fabric was tough and durable, as well as soft and comfortable.  It had the luxurious feel of silk, without any of the drawbacks.  The top was short and fitted, exposing her midriff as was the style, though she had several vests that were much longer that she could wear if she wanted to be more covered.  Though all of the clothing was in the same basic style, each outfit was unique in its color and decoration.  The one thing she’d asked to have added to her skirts was pockets so that she could more easily carry the ankh and rod.  

“Come on Nikura, it’s time to leave,” she said, unable to think of anything else she needed to take with her.  She was a little nervous about this expedition.  Traveling for weeks across the open desert on horse, or rather, diploback, didn’t sound so bad until you remembered that there were no vox here, no emergency services, no modern physicians should someone become ill, or get injured.  There would be no one to turn to if they should run out of food or water along the way, or get lost, or any one of a hundred other possible mishaps.  Once they set out into the deep desert, they were entirely on their own no matter what happened.

“
Don’t worry so much,”
Nikura said. 

“Are you saying there is nothing to worry about?” she asked archly as she turned to the door.

“Of course not
,” Nikura replied.
  “That would be dishonest.  I’m only saying that worrying will not do any good.”

“Oh, that’s helpful,” Karma said as she opened the door into the ante-room.  Lashi leapt to her feet and hurried to open the hall door for them.  Karma noticed that Lashi was wearing wide legged trousers much like the ones that she wore, except that they were made of a courser grade of the same fabric, and were dark gray.  Lashi was also carrying a large canvas pack over her shoulder that was nearly as big as she was.

“Lashi, are you coming on this journey?” Karma asked in mild surprise. 

“Of course, Lady Techu,” Lashi replied with a bow.  “It is my duty and privilege to care for you at all times.”

“Oh,” Karma replied.  Seeing Lashi’s frown, she smiled.  “I’m sorry, Lashi.  I’m just a little confused.  I was given to understand that there would not be room for any extra people on this journey.”

 “Only yourself, Princess Kapia and Prince Zakiel will have their personal attendants with them,” she said.  “Everyone else will make do with the pool of common servants that were specially selected for the honor.”

“I see,” Karma replied.  “Well, I am very glad to know you will be with me, Lashi.”

Lashi bowed even lower than before.  “It is my honor, Lady Techu.”

Karma smiled, then stepped through the door with Nikura.  Lashi hefted the bag on her shoulder and followed Karma and Nikura out into the hall, closing the door behind them.  Karma shook her head in wonder at anyone actually
wanting
to go on this particular journey, but at the same time, she really would be happy to have Lashi along.  In the few days the woman had been acting as her attendant, Karma had rapidly grown to like and depend on her. 

Karma paused in the corridor outside of her rooms and looked down at Nikura.  “Which way?” she asked him.

“You still do not know?”
Nikura asked.

“I don’t even know where we’re going, let alone how to get there,” Karma admitted unselfconsciously.  She had a terrible sense of direction, and really didn’t care who knew it.  It wasn’t as if she could pretend otherwise.

Nikura turned left and Karma followed, Lashi bringing up the rear. 
“We must first go and farewell King Rhobar,”
Nikura said. 
“We will meet Princess Kapia there.”

Karma nodded absently as she went over the coming journey in her mind.  She wished more than anything that she had asked the Gryphons to put a first aid kit in her luggage before they’d brought it to her from the transport.  Even a portable bone annealer would have been priceless.  The last time she’d crossed a desert she’d fallen and broken her leg.  She shuddered slightly at the memory.  It was an experience she had no desire to repeat. 

Still, it wouldn’t have done her much good.  She’d promised King Rhobar that she would leave all of her off-world possessions, except her staff and the ankh, safely in his care so as not to frighten those not of the First Knowledge.  She would not have broken her word, not even for a portable bone annealer.

“How long will it take for you to remember the layout of the palace?”
Nikura asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Probably forever,” Karma replied honestly.  “Nikura, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.  Are there more Sphin, or are you the only one?”

“I am the only Sphin here, in this time and place,”
Nikura replied.

Karma frowned at his choice of words, but let it pass.  “I thought that you were the one controlling the boat on the river the day I arrived.”

“I was,”
Nikura replied, glancing at her in confusion. 
“What has one thing got to do with the other?”
 

“Captain Singer said that there were animals propelling the boat,” she explained.  “Since you were controlling them, I assumed that there were more Sphin who controlled them on other boats.”

“Ridiculous presumption,”
Nikura muttered. 
“Only King Rhobar’s barge uses the revedus, and only when I am available to guide them.  Other boats use either the wind, or humans to power them.”

“Since you cannot communicate with King Rhobar, how does he know when you’re agreeable to guide his barge?” Karma asked.

“He asks me,”
Nikura said. 
“Just because he cannot hear me speak to him as you do does not mean that
I
do not understand
him
.”

“Oh, yeah,” Karma replied, grinning apologetically at the Sphin.  Nikura blinked once, very slowly.  Karma wondered, not for the first time, if that was his substitute for rolling his eyes.  Just then they turned a corner and came face to face with Princess Kapia.

“Good morning, Kapia,” Karma said, smiling. 

“Greetings, Karma,” Kapia replied, her face flushed with excitement  “I was just coming to get you.”

“Here I am,” Karma said as the Princess fell into step on her left side, while Nikura, as always, walked on her right.  Kapia’s attendant, Caral, joined Lashi behind them.  “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I am,” Kapia said.  “I barely slept at all last night, I was so excited.  I still cannot believe that I am to go on the Orb Quest.”

“I am happy that you are looking forward to it,” Karma said.  “However, please remember that it may be quite dangerous, and far less fun than you imagine.”

“I know,” Kapia said, “that is what Zakiel keeps telling me.  I can’t help being excited about doing something new and different.”

“I understand that,” Karma said, smiling.  Her smile slipped into a frown.  “Kapia, where is your staff?  I thought we had an understanding about this.”

“Oh, I have it,” Kapia said earnestly as she slipped a wooden bar from a loop on her belt.  “Master Jali made this for me.  It’s not as nice as yours, but it’s easier to carry than the full staff.”