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Part IX
We waited and waited. Yelm crept higher and higher, ever hotter. We sweltered and kept moving to follow the shade. Finally as we dozed to the rumbling of our stomachs Harkala came out and gently touched me on the shoulder. I started and smiled up at her, oh this is terrible-she's a bloody Orlanthi for Yanafal's sake! I stopped smiling and stood up. "Well?" I asked rather bruskly. She smiled seemingly understandingly, shook her head and frowned, "The god read the events here all right. Unfortunately nothing really interesting happened here. A single figure in dark robes came into the room and hung the body from the hooks. They then left, returned a bit later and dumped all the dead man's equipment on the floor. That was it. Actually, quite a good reading, very clear. The god's readings are usually more cryptic than that. Too straghtforward to treat cryptically I suppose." She shrugged prettily, oh brother-stop it all ready-and I thanked her. "If you want we can offer you an escort." I hastened to add, "But if you don't care to be seen with Lunars I understand..." She smiled and shook her head, "No that's okay I don't mind some Lunars." She grimaced suddenly as she realized what she had said. I smiled in my best understanding manner. Jorjar glared and said, "If you're both quite finished making googly eyes at each other?" We both glared at him but he ignored both of us and busied himself ordering his constables to collect the dead guy's stuff. He took the money bag himself.
We must have been quite a strange little procession wending our way through Badside. A female Lhankor Mhy sage and a Pelorian informer, both of whom (I hope) would have liked nothing better than to hold hands as we walked. Well she did stick pretty close to me. Then Jorjar burning holes in the backs of our heads with his glare and then the three constables struggling under the weight of a mule's load of iron plate. Yelm's glare didn't help matters any. I suddenly stopped having thought of something else. Jorjar almost walked into me and the constables all breathed sighs of relief as they got to stop. They all unceremoniously dropped their loads and sat down. Jorjar went from a hasty, "Now what?" to a quick tongue lashing of his
constables for sitting down. Harkala edged into some shade to wait. I ignored them all and went over to have a closer look at the plate. Ugly, heavy stuff, gilt iron with embossed images of Yemalio's life.You know, following dear old da faithfully, shielding his people during the Darkness, getting his assed kicked bigtime by all and sundry, losing his fire. Ya gotta admire his smunk, lameo god that he is.
"Look at this," I said to no one in particular. Harkala left her
shade and Jorjar left off his berating to look at the armour. Even
the constables managed to look interested. "See anything funny, other
than Yemalio's life that is?" Jorjar looked puzzled as did Harkala
initially but she quickly caught on. "The straps are all intact.
The armour was removed not cut off." "Right, now that might just
mean our bright boy got himself knocked out and then they shucked him
or it might mean that he took it off himself feeling no danger."
"Or," piped in Harkala, "He wasn't wearing it when he was attacked."
I smiled and bowed at her but inwardly I was sighing at more bloody
questions. She smiled back. "Anyway," interrupted Jorjar, "while
that's certainly interesting I would like to get out of this damn
heat. Can we get on with it?" I bowed, and gestured for him to lead
the way. Which he did with his usual scowl. The constables grumbled
and swore under their breath as they clambered back to their feet and
grabbed their loads again.
We passed without further incident back into Pavis struggling to get past the last of the citizens at the granaries and meat warehouse clamouring for their allotted portion of dried meat and grain. Bloody Lunars, I thought, only they would be stubborn enough to be doing this during midday. Only the Pavisites, in their firmly held belief of their entitlement to this meager ration would line up to collect it then. Or send their servants to line up for them I suppose. I shook my head. We dropped Harkala off at the knowledge temple on the way and she asked me to keep her abreast of things. I blushed at her unfortunate choice of words and stammered agreement. She turned bright red and disappeared into the temple. I think the laughter finally stopped by the time we reached the Lunar headquarters.
To be continued.
Oliver
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