The Alabaster Staff - Edward Bolme [95]
"Can't go back tonight," Demok said. "Too dark. Dangerous. We'll go in the morning."
"That's probably best," said Kehrsyn.
"Important news?"
Kehrsyn looked up at Demok's face, illuminated by the fire.
She hesitated, then said, "I know I can trust you, but I mean can I really trust you? This is big. I mean, you have to keep it secret. Really, really secret."
In answer, Demok clenched his fist and held it in the flames. Kehrsyn gasped. She saw the hairs on his arm ignite and flare into nonexistence. The smell of burned hair quickly spread.
"A'right a'right a'right, I can trust you," she said. "Please just take your hand out!"
He did so, flexed his hand, and blew on it.
"Right back," he said, took a dishcloth, and stepped outside.
When he returned, the cloth was soaked with chilly rainwater and wrapped around his hand.
"I hope you didn't hurt yourself," said Kehrsyn. "We may need your sword."
"I'm always ready to fight," said Demok. "Tell me."
Kehrsyn took a deep breath and said, "Well, first of all, Ahegi is actually Ekur."
"I grew up in Sespech," said Demok. "That name means nothing."
"Oh, right…" said Kehrsyn. "Ekur used to be a high priest of Gilgeam."
"Gilgeam I know," said Demok.
"Ekur was in charge of Shussel, which was the town where I grew up. I knew I knew him when I first saw him, but last time I saw him was over twelve years ago, and it took me until now to figure out who he was. I'm glad I finally recognized him. Anyway, I found out that he's working with the Zhentarim, and I think he was behind me stea-uh, behind the theft of the Alabaster Staff, and I think either the Tiamatans have hidden it somewhere or, more likely, the Zhents have it."
Demok looked genuinely surprised.
"He's a Zhent?" he asked, leaning forward. "How?"
"Well, the, uh, people who made me… you know… they had this map of Wing's Reach. They said they got it from the city archives, but it had all the recent additions, so it was a new map. And it had the location of the Alabaster Staff marked on it. That meant someone was a traitor. And they said as much, but they didn't know who it was, because it was this 'friend of a friend' sort of thing."
Kehrsyn bit her lip as she considered what to say next.
"I figured it was the Zhentarim," she continued. "From everything I've been hearing, they're working hard to worm their way into Unther, and despite what I said back in Wing's Reach I can't see anyone selling out to the pharaoh. The question was, who? I figured it was someone high, because they knew about the staff's hiding place. That meant it was you or Ahegi, most likely. I chose to try Ahegi first, because I figured it'd be harder to get something past you. And to be honest, I wanted it to be Ahegi, because he'd been giving me butterflies every time I saw him.
"So I find out. I write this note like I think maybe the Zhentarim would write it, and I sneak in and leave it on his bed. And for some reason he goes to talk to Massedar first, maybe to tell him he's leaving the building or something, and he goes all the way across town in a real hurry to a ship."
"A ship," echoed Demok, unable to follow Kehrsyn's train of thought.
"Don't you see? When the people came here and took all the bodies away-oh, wait, you weren't here. See, this used to be where the thieves' guild was, and-never mind, it's not important right now. But these Tiamat guys came in the middle of the night, and they took away all these dead bodies, and the guy in charge said they were going to leave them on the Zhentish ship. So these guys gave the Zhents all kinds of dead bodies! So that's why I think either Tiamat is helping them or the Zhents are using them, too."
Demok narrowed his eyes and asked, "Did they say which ship?"
"They said it was called the Bow Before Me."
Demok nodded