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James glances to him and says sarcastically, “You think so?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem now,” Shorty says. “Not with us here.”

“Hope you’re right,” replies James. He then indicates for Reilin to take the lead.

Moving to the inn, they pass through the front door and make a beeline for the stairs leading to their rooms. James sees one of the workers who had kicked him out take note of his presence. Their eyes lock for moment but the worker fails to make any move toward him.

Once at the top of the stairs, they go down to the room where they left Aleya and Aku. When Jiron cracks the door open, he finds them both lying on the bed asleep. Aleya has her arms around the boy. It’s such a tranquil picture that he closes the door and takes the others down to the next room so as not to disturb them.

After they are all in the room with the door closed, James fills them in on his meeting with the Slavemaster. When he gets to the end where the Slavemaster said that Jiron and the others won’t be bothering them, Jiron suggests that he probably meant the guards who had blocked the alley entrance.

“It’s a good thing they did too,” James tells them. “There’s no way you could have followed me through that courtyard where they were loading the wagons. You would have been seen for sure.”

“Seems as if the whole thing was very well planned and executed,” Scar observes.

Nodding, James says, “Yes it did. There has to be more to this Slavemaster than meets the eye.” Glancing to the others he asks, “Anyone ever heard of him before?” When everyone shakes their head he adds, “He must be just a local mover and shaker.”

Jiron meets his eye and says, “The question now is, do you trust him?”

“I think so,” replies James. “If he can give us a diagram of some kind, it would sure help facilitate matters when we enter the temple.” Then to Brother Willim he asks, “This rite he mentioned that the priests of Dmon-Li perform during the dark of the moon, ever heard of it?”

“Not specifically no,” he says. “But every religion has days that are holy to them and each has specific rites that they must perform during that time. It sounds plausible.”

“That’s two days away,” Jiron states. “Isn’t that cutting it kind of close?” When everyone looks to him he adds, “I mean, Tinok could be dead by then.”

“If they are performing a rite to Dmon-Li,” Brother Willim says, “then that’s when they will be the most distracted. Thus entering the temple would be less perilous.”

“And Cassie did say he had until ‘Killian’s Shroud blinded the giant’s eye’,” James adds.

“Isn’t that considered to happen at midnight?” asks Shorty.

Nodding, Brother Willim replies, “Yes. Midnight is the darkest part of the night, and thus would hold special meaning to those worshiping a god such as Dmon-Li.”

James gets a thoughtful look. “Any idea when they would start the rites that night?” he asks Brother Willim.

“No,” he admits. “It could be right at midnight or some time before.”

“Any way to find out by then?” Stig asks.

“I don’t know,” Brother Willim says. “Any attempt to find out would surely raise their suspicions.”

“I say we wait until the Slavemaster sends the diagram,” James says. “He said it would arrive tomorrow.”

Nodding, Jiron glances to him and breaks into a smile.

“What are you smiling at?” James asks. Then he looks down at himself and remembers he’s in naught but a loincloth and blushes. Turning to Brother Willim he asks, “Is there anyway in which to remove the pigment you put on me?”

“Of course,” he says. “Just need to scrub it vigorously in hot water and it should come right off.”

“Then Reilin, go down and see about arranging for a hot bath here in the room right away,” he says to him.

“Will do,” Reilin replies. Heading for the door, he’s stopped by Miko who puts in a request for one as well. Turning back to the others, he asks, “Anyone else?” Everyone remains silent. Shrugging, Reilin turns back to the door and is soon out in the hallway.

“I’ll meet you all downstairs once I’m presentable again,” James tells the others.

Getting the idea he would like them to leave,