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A block down from the inn, they see a large group of people gathering in the middle of the road. Several guards are there in the center of the group trying to get the crowd to move back.

“I better see what’s going on,” Jiron tells him. Handing the packages back to Reilin he says, “Take these to James and let him know I’ll be along shortly.”

“Okay,” he says with arms now full of packages.

Jiron moves forward while Reilin angles to the side to avoid the crowd ahead of them. At the crowd’s edge, Jiron is unable to see what it is everyone is staring at. From the mood of the crowd, it isn’t good. He begins working his way through to the center by gently nudging and elbowing people aside.

When he at last reaches the middle, he sees a dead man lying on the ground. One of the guards is examining the body and when he gets up, Jiron realizes he recognizes the man. He was the one who had been strapping the boy. Blood soaks the front of the man’s clothes from where his throat had been slit from ear to ear. Having seen enough, he starts working his way back out of the crowd. Once free of the crowd, he hurries back to the inn.

At the room he finds the boy awake and eating some of their food. His eyes are wide as he gazes from face to face. Snuggled in next to Aleya who is softly stroking his hair, the boy shoves what’s left of a piece of cheese into his mouth. The packages Reilin brought are sitting on Aleya’s bed as yet unopened.

“How is he?” he asks as he enters the room.

“Fine for the most part,” Aleya says softly. “His name’s Aku.”

“So what was going on outside?” James asks. “Reilin said there was a crowd in the street?”

“There was,” he replies. “You know that man who was beating Aku?” When Jiron indicates he does, he adds, “He’s been murdered. Looks like someone slit his throat.”

“Good,” states James. “He deserved it.”

“More than you would know,” Reilin tells him. “From what little I’ve managed to get out of him, he has been abused for quite some time. Any little infraction and he would get a beating. He even said there was another boy when he first arrived at his master’s house that had died by his master’s hand.”

“And no one did anything,” James says in disgust.

“Slaves are property, like a chair,” Reilin explains. “No one thinks twice about what a person does to their slave. Except maybe if it was a public nuisance or indecent, then they would. But it wouldn’t be because of what they did to the slave, rather how the situation affected those nearby.”

“I hate this place,” states James with great feeling. “I usually don’t like saying hate, but in this case I feel it’s justified.”

“Just calm down,” Jiron says. “We still have to get in that temple and we need you focused.”

James nods. “I know,” he says then sighs. “Can’t let it get to me.” He glances over to the boy and sees him take a proffered piece of dried meat and begin chewing on it. At least he was able to help one small child.

“Supper is just beginning down below,” Scar says. “Maybe we should adjourn down there and leave Aleya alone with the boy?”

“Might be a good idea,” agrees James. Then to Reilin he says, “Tell Aku to stay here in the room with Aleya. That we’ll take him with us when we leave.”

Once Reilin informs the boy, he grins, nods and replies. “He’ll stay,” Reilin translates for them. “In fact he’s rather happy about the whole situation.”

“I would be too if I were in his place,” comments Shorty.

“Come on,” Potbelly urges. “I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Scar says as the pair leaves the room “Remember the time when you…”

James grins to Jiron as Scar’s voice moves down the hallway. He motions to the rest of them and they follow Scar and Potbelly down to the common room.

Jiron is the last to leave. “You going to be okay in here?” he asks.

“We’ll be fine,” she says. “Go have fun.”

“I will,” he tells her. Then he closes the door and hurries to catch the others.

They only spend an hour down below before Jiron announces that he’s heading back up to check in on Aleya. Leaving her alone with