Chapter V
Rule #5: The person and belongings of anyone under the Crooked King’s protection is off-limits to any member of the Court.
Footsteps out in the hall made the party freeze, and someone cursed.
“It’s ahn oveh seeh!” One of the women exclaimed.
“Aihn’t you s’posehd tah be ehn charge o’ thehs sehtion?” Another woman demanded, jabbing the pale-skinned man in the arm accusingly.
“Yeah, but since I haven’t been seen for awhile, they probably sent someone to check up on me.” The man stood, motioning the group to silence. The footsteps got louder, and everyone in the room held their breath. Whoever was out in the hall came closer to the hidden room and paused, probably listening for voices. Hearing none, they soon moved on.
Everyone let out their breath and silently stood up. The pale man opened a nearly invisible door at the back of the room and started motioning people out. As quietly as possible, they left, one by one and leaving plenty of time between each exit, in case anyone should see them come out.
~*~
Getting out of the palace was much easier than getting in had been. No one took notice of an extra slave and an alley cat slipping out with a group that was removing the palace’s waste. Nor did they notice when the slave and the cat fell to the back of the group and split away from them.
“Well,” Ati murmured when they were well away from the group, “that was interesting.”
Susan nodded in agreement. “Bry’s sure got some strange people working at the palace.”
There was one thing that had puzzled them both, and that was the message itself. It had clearly meant something to the group in the palace, but to Susan and Ati, it had meant very little at all.
~*~
When they got back to the Court, Susan trotted away to shift back to herself and Ati sauntered over to Bry’s table.
“I take it your trip went well?” Bry asked as Ati slid into the seat across from him.
“Well enough,” She agreed, leaning across the table towards him. “But, Bry, I’m rather curious what you’re up to. You’ve been sending a lot of people towards the palace. What’re you planning?”
Bry chuckled. “M’dear, how could I answer that? It’s such a frank question, you’d see through any attempt to mislead you.”
“You could try answering with the straight truth,” Ati suggested.
Bry seemed even more amused at that. “You should know as well as anyone the straight truth is in short supply here. Besides, everyone has their secrets. Will you not allow me to keep mine?”
Ati shook her head as she stood. “It seems dangerous to do so. Especially when your secret may mean extra trouble for the rest of us.”
Footsteps out in the hall made the party freeze, and someone cursed.
“It’s ahn oveh seeh!” One of the women exclaimed.
“Aihn’t you s’posehd tah be ehn charge o’ thehs sehtion?” Another woman demanded, jabbing the pale-skinned man in the arm accusingly.
“Yeah, but since I haven’t been seen for awhile, they probably sent someone to check up on me.” The man stood, motioning the group to silence. The footsteps got louder, and everyone in the room held their breath. Whoever was out in the hall came closer to the hidden room and paused, probably listening for voices. Hearing none, they soon moved on.
Everyone let out their breath and silently stood up. The pale man opened a nearly invisible door at the back of the room and started motioning people out. As quietly as possible, they left, one by one and leaving plenty of time between each exit, in case anyone should see them come out.
~*~
Getting out of the palace was much easier than getting in had been. No one took notice of an extra slave and an alley cat slipping out with a group that was removing the palace’s waste. Nor did they notice when the slave and the cat fell to the back of the group and split away from them.
“Well,” Ati murmured when they were well away from the group, “that was interesting.”
Susan nodded in agreement. “Bry’s sure got some strange people working at the palace.”
There was one thing that had puzzled them both, and that was the message itself. It had clearly meant something to the group in the palace, but to Susan and Ati, it had meant very little at all.
~*~
When they got back to the Court, Susan trotted away to shift back to herself and Ati sauntered over to Bry’s table.
“I take it your trip went well?” Bry asked as Ati slid into the seat across from him.
“Well enough,” She agreed, leaning across the table towards him. “But, Bry, I’m rather curious what you’re up to. You’ve been sending a lot of people towards the palace. What’re you planning?”
Bry chuckled. “M’dear, how could I answer that? It’s such a frank question, you’d see through any attempt to mislead you.”
“You could try answering with the straight truth,” Ati suggested.
Bry seemed even more amused at that. “You should know as well as anyone the straight truth is in short supply here. Besides, everyone has their secrets. Will you not allow me to keep mine?”
Ati shook her head as she stood. “It seems dangerous to do so. Especially when your secret may mean extra trouble for the rest of us.”