placing this against the painted wall, he then reached into the safe once more, lifting out a necklace gleaming golden in the torchlight, set with a large number of pale, milky gemstones and black pearls as large as grapes. In the torchlight, enhanced by his vision implant, Mike could see an inscription running across the edges of the center panel, stamped into the gold.
Eyes wide, face set in reverent lines, Shalira took the ornamental collar and picked up the staff. Saium rushed to get the leather saddlebag he’d carried into the tomb. The Mahjundans wrapped the clan treasures in a soft cloth brought along for the purpose, collapsing the cleverly-designed staff upon itself and stowed them away before turning to Mike.
“Yes, now what?” he said, in answer to their unspoken but clear question. “Johnny was hoping you could work more magic.”
Taking his request more seriously than he’d intended, she frowned. “I'm sorry, I only know a few chants my nurse taught me, nothing to help us in this situation.” She rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, blinking repeatedly. “My vision is fading in and out. The potion must be wearing off. I feel so strange.” Brow furrowed, eyes no longer glowing so brightly in the flickering lights, she stared hungrily at Mike.
“The torches are burning lower too, so we've probably used up most of the good air, which doesn’t help how you’re feeling.” He tried to be reassuring since she seemed to be worried about the diminishing effects of the medicine. “The last resort is a suicide rush out the door before it closes, hoping they can't get all of us. Vreely has us outnumbered so the odds aren’t good.”
“I’ll go first, draw their fire, and then you and the sergeant can attempt to reach cover with the princess,” Saium volunteered.
“A good plan for the last resort,” Mike agreed. “But we'd draw straws for the point position.” He stared at their surroundings for a moment. “I can't believe there isn't another way out of here. No offense, but with all the intrigue and deception I’ve seen on this planet, I'd think secret passages would be just your thing. Isn't Kajastahn's tomb the next one over?”
“Yes, why?” Shalira asked. “I’m not following your logic.”
Mike grinned. “Try to tell me he wouldn't have some kind of passage between his tomb and the one his beautiful Favorite Wife occupies for eternity? How did they get back and forth to this gazebo in real life, anyway? Did he walk through the gardens each time?”
Saium stared at Mike, eyes wide in amazement. “How did you know? The emperor had a secret tunnel running from his private wing of the palace to Lindia's gazebo. He was like a child when he got it all prepared; couldn't wait to show her. She deemed his concerns great foolishness at first, but after we got used to the city ways, she appreciated his ability to come to her without anyone knowing.”
“Without Empress Maralika knowing, you mean?” Mike said. “All right then, let's assume he's done the same thing with this gazebo for afterlife trysts.”
Peering as closely as the torchlight would allow, they searched the walls for any hidden doors or levers of any kind. Mike made three circuits of the place before he admitted defeat. He joined Saium, who was bent over, clutching at his chest and straining to breathe. Leaning on the wall beside her guardsman, Shalira held her hand over her eyes.
“How did the secret entry to the gazebo work?” Mike asked.
“I was never privy to details,” Saium gasped out between harsh inhalations. “She’d have me wait outside the private part of the garden before he arrived.”
Mike turned to the princess. “Shalira?”
She shook her head. “I didn't even know there was such a passage, let alone the secret of its use. I will have to ask her.”
The lack of oxygen must be affecting her. “What do you mean, ask her? Ask who?”
“My mother, as I did when I sought the location of
Eyes wide, face set in reverent lines, Shalira took the ornamental collar and picked up the staff. Saium rushed to get the leather saddlebag he’d carried into the tomb. The Mahjundans wrapped the clan treasures in a soft cloth brought along for the purpose, collapsing the cleverly-designed staff upon itself and stowed them away before turning to Mike.
“Yes, now what?” he said, in answer to their unspoken but clear question. “Johnny was hoping you could work more magic.”
Taking his request more seriously than he’d intended, she frowned. “I'm sorry, I only know a few chants my nurse taught me, nothing to help us in this situation.” She rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, blinking repeatedly. “My vision is fading in and out. The potion must be wearing off. I feel so strange.” Brow furrowed, eyes no longer glowing so brightly in the flickering lights, she stared hungrily at Mike.
“The torches are burning lower too, so we've probably used up most of the good air, which doesn’t help how you’re feeling.” He tried to be reassuring since she seemed to be worried about the diminishing effects of the medicine. “The last resort is a suicide rush out the door before it closes, hoping they can't get all of us. Vreely has us outnumbered so the odds aren’t good.”
“I’ll go first, draw their fire, and then you and the sergeant can attempt to reach cover with the princess,” Saium volunteered.
“A good plan for the last resort,” Mike agreed. “But we'd draw straws for the point position.” He stared at their surroundings for a moment. “I can't believe there isn't another way out of here. No offense, but with all the intrigue and deception I’ve seen on this planet, I'd think secret passages would be just your thing. Isn't Kajastahn's tomb the next one over?”
“Yes, why?” Shalira asked. “I’m not following your logic.”
Mike grinned. “Try to tell me he wouldn't have some kind of passage between his tomb and the one his beautiful Favorite Wife occupies for eternity? How did they get back and forth to this gazebo in real life, anyway? Did he walk through the gardens each time?”
Saium stared at Mike, eyes wide in amazement. “How did you know? The emperor had a secret tunnel running from his private wing of the palace to Lindia's gazebo. He was like a child when he got it all prepared; couldn't wait to show her. She deemed his concerns great foolishness at first, but after we got used to the city ways, she appreciated his ability to come to her without anyone knowing.”
“Without Empress Maralika knowing, you mean?” Mike said. “All right then, let's assume he's done the same thing with this gazebo for afterlife trysts.”
Peering as closely as the torchlight would allow, they searched the walls for any hidden doors or levers of any kind. Mike made three circuits of the place before he admitted defeat. He joined Saium, who was bent over, clutching at his chest and straining to breathe. Leaning on the wall beside her guardsman, Shalira held her hand over her eyes.
“How did the secret entry to the gazebo work?” Mike asked.
“I was never privy to details,” Saium gasped out between harsh inhalations. “She’d have me wait outside the private part of the garden before he arrived.”
Mike turned to the princess. “Shalira?”
She shook her head. “I didn't even know there was such a passage, let alone the secret of its use. I will have to ask her.”
The lack of oxygen must be affecting her. “What do you mean, ask her? Ask who?”
“My mother, as I did when I sought the location of
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