The Treasure_ A Novel - Iris Johansen [84]
Some emotion flickered in his expression, but it was gone in an instant. He lifted his brows. “Was that jab supposed to bring blood? You’d best aim your arrows at the real enemy. One of the first things I learned was that one must concentrate on the important things and ignore the rest.”
“The important thing is that Nasim killed, and I won’t have him go unpunished. It’s not fair. What happened was all wrong. He shouldn’t be permitted to destroy and ride away. I won’t let him do—” She broke off and tried to temper the passion in her voice. “I won’t run and hide from him any longer. It has to end.”
“Be patient. Time has a way of vanquishing the most vicious foes,” Tarik said gently. “The risk is too great, Selene.”
She whirled on him. “Don’t tell me about patience. You’re almost as bad as Nasim. Since the very beginning you’ve all played your games and moved Kadar and me about as if we had no importance.”
Tarik sighed. “It’s precisely because you do have importance that you were drawn into our machinations. I was so weary. I thought I had the right to—I never wanted either of you to be hurt.”
“Well, we were hurt. Kadar was nearly killed. Haroun was murdered. I lost a child.”
“Stop attacking him,” Layla said. “You don’t understand. He blundered, but he meant you no real harm. It was Nasim who did this.”
“It’s true. I don’t understand. You’ve both made sure that we didn’t understand.” She met Tarik’s gaze. “But that’s going to change. I’m not going to wander blindly in the dark any longer. Nasim wants the grail. It’s a weapon I can use to trap him. I need to know why he wants it. I want to know everything about it.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.”
“Don’t you say that. I deserve to know.”
“Tell her,” Layla said suddenly.
“Be silent, Layla.”
“I won’t be silent. She’s right and you’re wrong.”
“You’ve always thought me wrong when I’m merely being responsible.”
“You’re not God; you can only do your best. Should that stop you from taking any action at all? And what of Kadar? Would you leave him with no knowledge of what has happened?”
“I was going to tell him. I was going slowly.”
“Why? He doesn’t impress me as being oversensitive. Not one man in a hundred would respond as Chion did.”
“I resent that judgment. I have a very sensitive soul.” Kadar paused. “But I admit my curiosity is greater than my delicacy of feeling. It would please me if you’d stop this bickering and give Selene the information she desires.”
“Tell her, Tarik,” Layla repeated. “Or I will.”
Tarik was silent for a long moment. “It’s a mistake.”
“Then make a mistake. It will be good for you.”
He shrugged. “It’s on your shoulders.”
Layla smiled. “I can bear it.”
Tarik turned to Selene. “Ask your questions.”
“Why does Nasim want the grail?”
“He thinks it will bring him power.”
“But he’s mistaken.”
“No, it could bring him power but not the way he thinks.”
“What do you mean?”
“The grail has an inscription,” Kadar said. “What is it? The location of a great treasure?”
“Yes.” Tarik’s lips twisted. “Or of hell.”
“It has nothing to do with hell,” Layla said fiercely. “It’s a great gift.”
Tarik shook his head.
“It is,” Layla insisted. “If you would only let yourself see that there are possibilities that—” She drew a deep breath. “It’s not a map, it’s directions for—No, I’m doing this wrong. You must start at the beginning, Tarik.”
“You give me little opportunity.” He shrugged. “The beginning for me was when you came to the Great Library.” He looked at Kadar. “I told you of the library and what it meant to me. When Layla came and told me that she wished me to search the scrolls to find a document dictated by Selket, I regarded it merely as a challenge. She didn’t tell me what the scroll contained.”
“Scroll? What of the grail?”
“The grail came later. It took me many weeks to locate the scroll. I had