In which Aqio shares some details about the city’s crime bosses, and Donal and Ian return to the ship to find a guest waiting…
Ian took a deep breath and considered the situation. “This man—Cobra—you believe he might pursue Keevan even into a kirok sanctuary?”
Aqio spread his hands. “I cannot say.” He folded his arms and looked at the other three men. “Perhaps we might retreat to evaluate this situation?”
Ian and Donal nodded, but Hadi gestured to the man on the exam table. “I’ll stay here and ensure that the Dal’Imuri man is well. I’ll send a saya to let you know when he awakens.”
Ian, Donal, and Aqio retreated to the small office Ian had used, and Aqio collapsed into a chair. “I would give anything for some maki right now.”
Donal reached into his vest and pulled out a small skin. “If oiska will do, I’ll share with you.”
Aqio held out his hand and took a long swallow when Donal handed him the skin. Ian shook his head when the tasmon offered him the skin. “I am surprised to see you so shaken by the boy’s story,” Ian said.
Aqio sighed. “I have tangled with both Cobra and Min Qiang before. They are difficult adversaries. They operate within so many layers of men and illegal activity that it’s nearly impossible to arrest them for anything.”
“Something is bothering me,” Donal said. “If Min Qiang knew that Amit was a Dal’Imuri elite guard, why send a city guard and a low-level tutor to try to steal the sapphire?”
“And why the ruse with the deed of ownership?” Ian asked. “If he just wanted them to pick Amit’s pocket, why bother forging a deed?”
“I think both Min Qiang and Cobra needed the Eiryans to get aboard your ship. They needed men who would blend in,” Aqio said. He frowned. “But that doesn’t explain the letter.”
Ian folded his arms. “I think that Merlin is basically an honorable character. Is it possible Min Qiang simply needed to give him a good reason to steal the stone?”
Aqio shrugged.
Ian sighed. “I’m not sure we can make any progress on these matters until the spy awakens. We need to find out what he knows.”
“If he’ll even talk,” Donal said. “The Dal’Imuri elite guards are known for getting others to talk, not spilling state secrets themselves.”
Aqio motioned for the oiska, and Donal passed it to him once more. He took another long swallow, capped the skin, and stood. “I’m going to stand guard over the spy. I want to be there the moment he awakens.”
When he left the room, Donal held up his skin. “He drank a fair bit of that. I’ll need to replenish.”
Ian chuckled. “He was remarkably self-assured until Keevan brought up Cobra. Perhaps we should go into the city and see what we can find out about this crime lord.”
Donal shook his head. “This is how you end up in trouble, your highness.”
“We’ll be fine if we just ask a few questions.”
“You don’t stay out of trouble by asking questions about a notorious crime boss.”
Ian scratched his beard. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe we should go back to the ship. We can bring Nari here. The sayas said they could use someone with merchant experience to help with their endeavors.”
Donal swallowed the last of his oiska and stood. “That’s a better plan. ’Twill give me a chance to refill my skin.”
They left word with one of the sayas of their plans and returned to the city streets. The sun had peaked, but the city was in the worst heat of the day as they walked toward the ship. Donal started to sweat almost immediately, and Ian wiped his own face on a kerchief. The crowds were light; as in so many warm climates, the populace retreated to their own homes during the worst heat. They would return to the streets and shops once the sun had fully set to enjoy the cool of the evening.
In the harbor, the crew of the Blue Horizon had taken a cue from the populace and retreated belowdecks, leaving only a few guards to ensure that nothing else happened to disrupt their operations. Donal called up to a crewman, who lowered a plank for them to board the ship and then pulled it back up once they were on deck. “Captain wants to see you both,” the crewman said. “He left instructions to send you to his cabin as soon as you returned.”
“He’s nae happy with us, aye?” Donal said.
The crewman shrugged. “He seemed no more or less irritable than usual.”
“Not sure that’s comforting,” Ian mumbled.
“He has a guest,” the crewman said.
Donal frowned. “We left instructions that no one was to be allowed on or off the ship.”
The crewman spread his hands. “I canna control the captain, aye? He insisted. Said he knew the man and that it had to do with business.”
They both went belowdecks, and Donal knocked on the captain’s door. “Captain? The prince and I are returned. You wanted to see us?”
Robbie called for them to enter, and Donal and Ian found him behind his desk across from a slight, athletic man dressed in the finest garb Xi’jan had to offer. Robbie gestured to the man. “Donal, Ian, may I present Min Qiang, a merchant here in the city? He has some interesting things to share with us.”
The man stood and bowed, reached into his robes, and pulled out a canvas bag. “I believe that you’ve been searching for this.” He opened the bag and held it out to Ian and Donal.
Inside the bag sat the Heart of the Goddess.