The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven (63 page)

“Are you out of your mind?” Scar asks.

“What were you thinking?” demands Jiron.

Raising his hands, he quiets their protests.
“Calm down all of you,” he says. “If it was a mistake, the city
guard would have already been here. Since they aren’t I can only
assume that nothing will come of it from that quarter.”

“Do you think that this slave is going to
help us enter the temple?” Stig asks. “Seems a rather untrustworthy
individual to trust our lives to.”

“Right now we don’t know what may come of
it,” he replies. Turning his gaze to Jiron he says, “I think we
should continue with what we had planned. You take Reilin and
Shorty to reconnoiter the place, see if there’s a way in.” He sees
Jiron nods then adds to the others, “As far as Aku is concerned, I
don’t think it would be wise to mention his ‘brother’ to him.
Seeing as he knows nothing about him anyway.”

“You may be right,” Brother Willim says.

“Now I judge it to be about two days to the
dark of the moon, so we have that amount of time to find a way into
the temple. After that it will just be a matter of getting to the
teleportation dais.”

“Still sure you can figure that thing out?”
Jiron asks.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” he replies.
“But I don’t see any other way to reach Tinok in time.”

“Go to sleep,” suggests Stig. “Maybe the
gods will send you another dream to help you along.”

Brother Willim shakes his head. “You can’t
look for these things,” he explains. “They come when they do.”

James nods his head. “I think we’ve received
all the help we’re going to,” he says. “We know where we have to go
and how to get there. We just need to do it.” To Jiron he says,
“Perhaps you should get going.”

Jiron nods and gets to his feet. “Reilin,
Shorty, let’s go,” he says before turning for the door. With them
in tow, he opens the door. Pausing, he glances back to James and
says, “If that guy should show up again, don’t commit to anything
until I get back.”

“I don’t plan to,” he replies.

Jiron meets his gaze meaningfully then turns
and leaves. Reilin and Shorty follow him out and then close the
door behind. Those in the room hear their footsteps move down
toward Aleya’s room and stop there for a moment, probably to let
her know what’s going on. Then they hear a door close and their
footsteps continuing down the hallway.

James turns to the others and says, “Now we
wait.”

Knock! Knock!

After the others left, James had laid down
on the bed. Fatigue from the previous two days of travel gets the
better of him and he soon drifted off to sleep. The knocking on the
door snaps him out of it.

Getting up off the bed, he crosses to the
door and cracks it open. Out in the hallway is the slave he talked
with the night before. In his hand is a wadded piece of cloth.
Opening the door wider, he gestures for him to enter. Once the
young man crosses into his room, he sticks his head out and sees
the same slave at the head of the stairs as had been there the
night before.

Then the door across the hall opens and Scar
sticks his head out, probably having heard the knocking. He sees
the slave in his room and looks questioningly to James. James gives
him a sign saying it’s okay, then jerks his head toward the slave
at the head of the stairs. Scar glances that way and sees him
standing there. He turns back to James and nods.

Closing the door, James moves to the table
and takes the same seat he sat in the night before. The slave does
the same. “Did you talk with the person you mentioned last night?”
he asks.

The slave nods. “Yes I did.”

“And?”

“And he thinks you’re a fool for seeking to
enter the temple,” he explains. “But said that he might be willing
to help you if you were to come and meet him.”

“Why?” he asks.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. If you want his
help, you are going to have to come and meet with him.”

James sits back and considers it. He recalls
what Ceadric had said about the Empire offering a hundred thousand
gold piece reward for his death. Could this be a ploy to cash in on
it? “I suppose I would have to come with you alone? Couldn’t take
someone with me could I?”

“No,” the slave states. “He said for you to
come alone.” He then tosses the wadded piece of cloth he holds in
his hand onto the table. “He also said for you to be wearing
this.”

James picks up the cloth and sees it’s one
of the loincloths the slaves wear. “Just this?” he asks, none too
happy about parading around in such a thing.

The young man can’t help but grin at the
expression on James’ face. “Yes, just that.”

“I can’t,” he says, replacing it back on the
table.

“You must if you are to meet with him,” he
insists.

“I understand that,” James assures him. Then
he stands up and removes his own shirt. Underneath he’s very white
and pale. Having never been one to walk around bare-chested, he
never built up a tan. “I could never fool anyone in thinking I was
a slave. Do I look like someone who’s spent time out in the sun in
nothing but a slave’s loincloth?”

“No, you don’t,” he says. “This is going to
complicate things.”

“Yes it will.” Putting his shirt back on,
James takes his seat again.

Just then there’s another knock on the door.
The young man sitting across from him gets an alarmed look on his
face. “Relax,” James tells him. Getting up, he crosses over to the
door and opens it.

Out in the hallway he sees Scar and Potbelly
standing there with the slave who had been at the top of the stairs
held between them.

“What is this?” demands the young man
sitting at the table in James’ room.

James gestures for them to enter and once
they’ve left the hallway, closes the door. Turning back to the
young man, he says, “I don’t like being spied on.”

“He wasn’t spying on you,” the young man
assures him. “He was making sure I was okay.”

“Same thing if you ask me,” Scar says.

“Let him go,” James says and the other slave
is released. The slave then moves to the side of the young man and
they stand together staring defiantly at James and the others.

“Don’t really act much like slaves do they?”
Potbelly observes.

“No,” agrees Scar. “Very few slaves I’ve run
across would dare to cross eyes with a free man. Let alone ask
demanding questions of one.”

“Go get Brother Willim,” James tells
them.

Potbelly turns and leaves the room. The two
pairs continue to stare at one another until he returns with
Brother Willim and Miko in tow.

James sums up the situation for them, the
fact that someone may be able to help, but that he has to come
dressed as a slave.

“No!” exclaims Miko. “Absolutely not.”

Scar just laughs. “Can’t imagine you going
around in one of those,” he says.

The look on the young man’s face is growing
darker by the minute. James takes note of the fact and says, “I’m
not saying no.” Miko turns to look at him incredulously. “Calm
down,” he says. Then to Brother Willim he says, “But the problem is
that I am not exactly what you would call tan.” Pulling up his
shirt, he shows them his pale skin. “I would stand out among all
the other slaves.”

Brother Willim nods his head. “Yes, I can
see that you would,” he agrees.

“What I need is something to give me the
appearance of having been out under the sun,” he explains. “You
being into plants and all, I thought you might be the best one to
help me.”

“There are saps and other things which could
be combined to give you the required appearance,” he says. “Though
I don’t know if they are available in this area.”

The young man’s expression softens somewhat
when he realizes James is at least considering doing as requested.
“If you were to supply me with a list, I could see about acquiring
the needed items,” he offers.

“This is a bad idea,” Miko insists.

James turns to the young man and asks, “Do
you really think your friend will be able to get us inside the
temple?”

“If anyone can, he would be the one,” the
slave replies.

“Very well.” Then to Brother Willim he says,
“Tell him what you need.” Once Brother Willim has told him of
several different ingredients that will work, and the slave
successfully recites them back to him, James gives him coins to pay
for the items.

“How long will it take you to combine the
ingredients once you have them?” he asks Brother Willim.

“Not long, maybe a half hour at the most to
get it just right,” he explains.

“So you intend to meet with him?” asks the
young man.

James turns back to him and says, “As of
right now, maybe. Another member of our party is not here,” he
explains. “When he returns I’ll know for sure whether I will or
not.”

“Very well,” he says. “I’ll be back.” Then
he and the other slave move toward the door. Scar opens the door
for them and they leave. Closing the door, he turns back to James,
glance at the slave rag still on the table and grins.

“What?” James asks.

“Aren’t you even going to try it on?” he
asks. Several of the others in the room start snickering at
that.

Jiron, Reilin, and Shorty return a couple
hours later. When apprised of what the young man said, Jiron of
course was adamantly against it. “No, no, no, NO!” he exclaims.
“You can’t even be thinking about taking this course of
action.”

“I haven’t committed to it as yet,” he
replies. “What did you find out?”

“The place really doesn’t have much of a
guard,” he explains. “The area among the outer buildings of the
temple complex affords many places in which to hide.”

“How about the temple itself?” Scar
asks.

“That may be a little tougher nut to crack,”
Jiron says. “Several braziers sit by the temple doors which I’m
sure at night are lit. There will be no way to sneak in once they
have been. Anyone in the vicinity will undoubtedly see us heading
to the doors.”

“Were there non-priests present on the
temple grounds?” James asks. “Maybe we could disguise ourselves as
a disciple or something.”

“That wouldn’t work either,” interjects
Brother Willim. “Temples to Dmon-Li are not known for the
attendance by the faithful. If a group this size were to approach,
they would become interested in us. Not saying suspicious, at least
not at first, but it would definitely be seen as something out of
the ordinary.”

“So if I understand this correctly,” James
says as he glances between Jiron and Brother Willim, “any frontal
assault will draw attention.”

Brother Willim nods and Jiron says, “Most
likely.”

“Is there a back way in?” asks Stig.

“If there was we didn’t see it,” replies
Shorty. “The temple is pretty big too. It may take us some time to
locate this dais thing you want to get to once we’re inside.”

“Perhaps this slave’s plan is the best
course to follow right now,” suggests Reilin. When the others give
him glares, he sticks to his guns and says, “At least go and see
what this guy can do for us.”

“I’d want you to follow and keep an eye on
me,” James tells Jiron.

“Oh, you can bet I’ll be doing that,” he
says. Picking up the slave rag off the table he says, “Shouldn’t
you be getting into this thing then?”

James looks in disgust at it and shakes his
head. “Not until I have too.”

Another hour goes by and the young man has
yet to return. When it’s but a couple hours before dusk, he again
appears at James’ door. This time he’s alone, the other slave that
was with him the previous two times is absent. Tucked under one arm
is a package which he hands to Brother Willim upon entering.

“I found everything you requested,” he says.
“Took some doing, though.

Bother Willim takes the package and nods. “I
can imagine.” He then opens it up on the table and begins removing
the contents.

Turning to James, he asks, “Are you planning
on meeting with the one whom I spoke of?”

“Yes,” he replies. “It doesn’t look as if I
have much choice.”

“Then when you’re ready I will escort you to
him,” he says.

Picking up the slave cloth, James asks
rather unhappily, “Are you sure this is the only way?”

“If you wish to meet with him, yes.”

Sighing, James says, “Very well.” While
Brother Willim is beginning to crush some leaves in a bowl, he
takes the slave cloth. “I’ll be in the next room when you’re
ready.”

Brother Willim nods. “Be there when I am
done.”

James then leaves the room and goes to the
next one over. Once he’s inside and alone, he holds up the cloth
and a shiver runs through him.
Nothing for it,
he tells
himself and begins removing his clothes. Naked, he picks up the
cloth and begins working to secure it around his loins. Not nearly
as easy as he first thought, it takes him three attempts before
it’s on well enough that it won’t fall off when he paces back and
forth.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Yes?” he hollers through the door.

“It’s me,” he hears Miko says.

“Come in,” James tells him.

When the door opens, Miko comes in and sees
him standing there in naught but the slave cloth. “Man oh man,” he
says with a mischievous grin.

“What?” James asks.

“First of all,” he explains, “you have it on
wrong. Here let me help you fix it.” Closing the door he moves
forward and removes the slave cloth. Then he shows him the proper
way to wear it. “The way you had it on, it would have fallen off in
no time.” Tucking the last piece within the part circling his
waist, Miko nods and stands up.

“I feel naked,” James says.

“That feeling will get worse once you’re out
in public,” he says. “Trust me, I know.”

James only nods.

They stay in the room for a half hour and
Miko coaches James in the nuances of being a slave. Keeping your
eyes lowered, never talking back, all the things he learned during
his time as a slave.