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By Root 1007 0

to search in my free time. When darkness fell, I would let Layla into the library and we would comb through the Greek scrolls. At first I wasn’t sure it was the correct one, but at the beginning we saw a word that couldn’t be mistaken. It was then that Layla told me what the scroll contained. I didn’t believe it. I laughed at her. She took the scroll and tried to gather all the herbs listed on it. It wasn’t easy. Some of them we had never heard of, and the primary ingredient was a rare herb grown on the banks of the Nile. Finally we thought we had all we needed and rented a small hut near the marketplace and began to put the mixture together. For me, it was merely an adventure. An exercise in learning.” He paused. “But Layla believed. She became obsessed with it. She ran great risks each time she came to the hut. The priests were becoming suspicious, and I tried to persuade her to come away with me to the country, where we might be safe. She wouldn’t do it. She had to finish the work.”

Layla shrugged. “And when we finished, we didn’t know what to do with it. How could we test it? How would we know whether Eshe was truth or myth?”

“Eshe?” Selene asked.

“The word engraved on the cup,” Kadar murmured.

Tarik nodded. “And the word I recognized on the scroll.”

“What does it mean?”

“Life,” he said simply. “Selket named his mixture Eshe because that’s what it was—a way to cheat death. He thought he’d found a way to extend life far beyond the ordinary span.” He smiled. “You’re both staring at me the way I looked at Layla when she told me what the scroll contained. You don’t believe me.” He shrugged. “I knew that would be your response. You’re intelligent, and that’s the intelligent reaction.”

“It smacks of sorcery, and I’ve never believed in magical elixirs,” Kadar said. “Men have always sought a way to avoid death and it has always come to naught. I see no reason why this should be any different.”

“And you, Selene?”

She shook her head impatiently. “Even if I did believe it, it wouldn’t make any difference. The only thing that matters is if Nasim believes it and if we can use it to trap him.”

“Life and death,” Tarik said. “I’ve presented you with a fascinating possibility. Aren’t you even tempted to dwell on life instead of death?”

He didn’t understand, Selene realized. Until Nasim was punished, she could think of nothing else.

“You speak of this Eshe,” Kadar said. “What does that have to do with the grail?”

“Papyrus is frail and easily destroyed. Gold is the most permanent of metals. Layla and I had the information on the scroll engraved on the cup.”

“And Nasim heard rumors about the grail and thought it a magic chalice,” Kadar said.

“Nasim’s no longer in his first youth, and his power is waning,” Tarik said. “Unlike you, he does believe in sorcery. Such a tale would appeal to him.”

“Then he’d do anything to get it?” Selene asked.

“I believe he demonstrated that at Sienbara,” Tarik said.

“I have to be sure.”

“It’s not possible, Selene,” Layla said gently. “I realize how you feel, but we can’t use the grail to bait Nasim. We’ll give you gold, soldiers, anything else you wish. But we can’t risk losing the grail.”

“You don’t know how I feel. And we will use it.”

Layla’s expression hardened. “No. Do you think I’ve fought and worked for Eshe to let it—”

“I believe it’s time to say good night.” Kadar quickly rose to his feet and grasped Selene’s elbow. “We can discuss this tomorrow. Shall we all meet here two hours after sunrise?”

“I want to discuss it now,” Selene said.

“No, you don’t. We all need to think about the problem and the solutions. I’ll take you to your chamber.” He half-pushed, half-guided Selene toward the door. “Tomorrow.”

Before she realized it, she was in the hall. She jerked her arm from Kadar’s grasp. “It has to be settled tonight.”

“It would be settled. Tarik and Layla would dig in their heels and refuse you. Is that what you want?”

“Of course it’s not what I want.” But it was what would happen, she realized. Despair and anger had led her to push too hard, and neither Tarik nor Layla responded