by the arm and dragged him away, leaving a confused Jamila behind.
He breathed in relief. “You saved me.”
Andrasta ignored the remark. “When do we get paid?”
“I told you when it’s time. There’s a certain decorum we have to abide by. We can’t just march over to Horus with our money bag open and ask him to fill it up.”
“We gave him back his daughter.”
“I know. It’s just—”
“I don’t care. I am sick of all this talk about politics, alliances, and marriages. I’m even more tired of being looked down on for my race and my sex.”
Rondel grunted. This hasn’t been what I expected it to be either.
She gestured to Jahi who stood some distance behind Rondel. “And then there is the talk of cults. . . .” She lowered her voice. “I want the Jewel of Bashan, and this is not getting me any closer to it.”
He sighed. “All right. Just let me do the talking so Horus doesn’t take our asking as a complete insult.”
“Fine.”
Rondel maneuvered his way through the great hall toward Horus. He paused several times to say hello to those he passed. He wanted his approach to appear casual. Marching over to Horus with a determined look and a warrior trailing behind him would only pique the interest of guards and likely cause a scene.
Rondel slid in beside Horus while he spoke with two older gentlemen. Andrasta stood two steps behind. As he waited, he tried to gauge the mood for a natural break in the conversation.
He cleared his throat.
Horus turned. “Oh, Rondel, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice you come up.”
He bowed. “My lord. I was wondering if we may have a small word with you in private.”
“Is it serious?”
“No, not at all. Just something that we haven’t had a chance to discuss. I promise it won’t keep you from your guests for very long.”
Horus turned back to the two men and gave a curt nod. “Excuse me, gentlemen. We’ll pick up our conversation shortly.”
The older men bowed at Horus, but gave Rondel a slightly perturbed look as he and Andrasta followed Horus from the great hall, through the dining hall, and into a nearby study. Two armed guards followed.
When the door to the study closed, Horus collapsed in an armless wooden chair decorated with swirling patterns of gold leaf. The wicker seat rustled as he got comfortable. He offered the other chair to Rondel rather than Andrasta.
He doesn’t like her.
Horus cleared his throat. “Since we’re in private, I wanted to tell you I was sorry about your imprisonment. Like most everyone else, I heard you were dead.”
“I felt dead. And you have nothing to apologize for. The error was mine.”
“Just the same. You were always a good friend to me and regardless of your error I would have seen to your release from Duke what’s his name’s custody.”
“Engren.”
“Yes. Him.”
“I truly appreciate that, my lord, but I doubt the duke would have released me under any set of circumstances.”
“I bet a thousand swords at the border of his tiny tract of land would have done the trick.”
“You would have threatened war for me?”
Horus nodded.
Rondel blinked in shock. His throat tightened. “I-I don’t know what to say to that. Thank you again.”
Horus waved off the gratitude. “Now, what can I do for you, old friend?”
“I wanted to talk to you about returning Dendera.”
He smiled. “I hope you understand how much that meant to me. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to show my appreciation as completely as I should have to either you or your . . . friend. But please know it feels like a part of me that was once empty here,” he said, pointing to his chest, “has returned.”
Rondel relaxed. “It pleases me to hear you say that. Girga was always a favorite place of mine to visit and that was mostly because of my respect and admiration of you.”
Horus nodded once more, but said nothing.
Does he expect me to ask? Why is he making this so difficult?
He looked at Horus’s smiling
He breathed in relief. “You saved me.”
Andrasta ignored the remark. “When do we get paid?”
“I told you when it’s time. There’s a certain decorum we have to abide by. We can’t just march over to Horus with our money bag open and ask him to fill it up.”
“We gave him back his daughter.”
“I know. It’s just—”
“I don’t care. I am sick of all this talk about politics, alliances, and marriages. I’m even more tired of being looked down on for my race and my sex.”
Rondel grunted. This hasn’t been what I expected it to be either.
She gestured to Jahi who stood some distance behind Rondel. “And then there is the talk of cults. . . .” She lowered her voice. “I want the Jewel of Bashan, and this is not getting me any closer to it.”
He sighed. “All right. Just let me do the talking so Horus doesn’t take our asking as a complete insult.”
“Fine.”
Rondel maneuvered his way through the great hall toward Horus. He paused several times to say hello to those he passed. He wanted his approach to appear casual. Marching over to Horus with a determined look and a warrior trailing behind him would only pique the interest of guards and likely cause a scene.
Rondel slid in beside Horus while he spoke with two older gentlemen. Andrasta stood two steps behind. As he waited, he tried to gauge the mood for a natural break in the conversation.
He cleared his throat.
Horus turned. “Oh, Rondel, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice you come up.”
He bowed. “My lord. I was wondering if we may have a small word with you in private.”
“Is it serious?”
“No, not at all. Just something that we haven’t had a chance to discuss. I promise it won’t keep you from your guests for very long.”
Horus turned back to the two men and gave a curt nod. “Excuse me, gentlemen. We’ll pick up our conversation shortly.”
The older men bowed at Horus, but gave Rondel a slightly perturbed look as he and Andrasta followed Horus from the great hall, through the dining hall, and into a nearby study. Two armed guards followed.
When the door to the study closed, Horus collapsed in an armless wooden chair decorated with swirling patterns of gold leaf. The wicker seat rustled as he got comfortable. He offered the other chair to Rondel rather than Andrasta.
He doesn’t like her.
Horus cleared his throat. “Since we’re in private, I wanted to tell you I was sorry about your imprisonment. Like most everyone else, I heard you were dead.”
“I felt dead. And you have nothing to apologize for. The error was mine.”
“Just the same. You were always a good friend to me and regardless of your error I would have seen to your release from Duke what’s his name’s custody.”
“Engren.”
“Yes. Him.”
“I truly appreciate that, my lord, but I doubt the duke would have released me under any set of circumstances.”
“I bet a thousand swords at the border of his tiny tract of land would have done the trick.”
“You would have threatened war for me?”
Horus nodded.
Rondel blinked in shock. His throat tightened. “I-I don’t know what to say to that. Thank you again.”
Horus waved off the gratitude. “Now, what can I do for you, old friend?”
“I wanted to talk to you about returning Dendera.”
He smiled. “I hope you understand how much that meant to me. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to show my appreciation as completely as I should have to either you or your . . . friend. But please know it feels like a part of me that was once empty here,” he said, pointing to his chest, “has returned.”
Rondel relaxed. “It pleases me to hear you say that. Girga was always a favorite place of mine to visit and that was mostly because of my respect and admiration of you.”
Horus nodded once more, but said nothing.
Does he expect me to ask? Why is he making this so difficult?
He looked at Horus’s smiling
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