Tymora's Luck - Kate Novak [87]
Walinda shoved the burning incense into the hydroloth's mouth. Smoke billowed from the corpse's mouth and nose.
"I command thee to answer my questions," the priestess cried out. Her voice echoed throughout the canyon. Then, in a whisper, she asked, "What was the purpose of your mission in Sigil four nights ago?"
There was no sound from the hydroloth, but Walinda seemed to be listening intently. Her eyes were closed and she nodded twice.
That's when the bard realized that the hydroloth, like the tanar'ri, was communicating by telepathy. Joel would have to rely on Walinda to give him an accurate report.
Walinda looked up from the hydroloth. "He was to oversee the capture of Jasmine by Hatemaster Perr and some hired thugs. Then he was to return with Jasmine and Hatemaster Perr to the Bastion of Hate."
Joel nodded. Besides assuring Joel that Emilo had correctly identified the hydroloth, the answer revealed the name of the priest who had deliberately killed himself struggling in the razor-vine.
"What identity did he use in Sigil?" Joel asked.
Walinda asked the question, listened, then told Joel, "He shapeshifted to a tall human form, but used no name. The hirelings and the priest called him Boss."
"Ask him to whom he was to deliver Jasmine."
Walinda repeated the question Joel had asked, then listened.
"Tyrannar Neri," she replied.
Tyrannar, Joel knew, was the highest rank of clerics in the church of Iyachtu Xvim.
"Does the tyrannar know he's failed in his mission?" Joel asked.
Walinda shook her head. "He has no way of knowing that for sure," the priestess told Joel. "He will be forced to answer that he does not know. I will rephrase your question… Have you or has anyone you know informed the tyrannar that your mission has failed?" she asked the corpse, then waited for the answer. "The answer is no," she told Joel.
"I want to try something more complicated," Joel said. "What does he think would happen to someone else who brought Jasmine to the tyrannar to collect a bounty and also brought him news of the death of the hydroloth and Hatemaster Perr?"
Walinda put the question to the dead hydroloth, then waited. Joel could see her smile slightly. Smoke ceased streaming from the corpse's mouth and nose. The spell had ended. Walinda could ask no more questions.
The priestess stood up. "The hydroloth said that if the tyrannar is sufficiently impressed by the bounty seeker, he will accept Jas as an offering to Xvim so that the bounty seeker can join Iyachtu Xvim's faithful. He will not pay a bounty for his lord's own property. If he isn't impressed by the bounty seeker, he'll simply have him enslaved."
"Is there a big difference?" Joel asked.
"Probably not much," Walinda replied. "So will you impersonate a bounty seeker? Do you think you can impress a tyrannar?" she asked.
"I impress everyone," Joel replied matter-of-factly, winking at Holly and Emilo.
"You have always impressed me," Walinda said, running one of her sharpened fingernails none too gently down the side of the bard's throat.
"Must be my bad luck," Joel retorted as he drew away from the evil priestess's touch.
Walinda gave the bard a predatory smile.
"So, if I go to the bastion now, how long can you postpone your attack?" the bard asked.
"No more than half a day," Walinda replied. "The bulezau grow agitated if they are not killing something, and I am loath to keep Beshaba waiting. No one knows when Iyachtu Xvim might return."
"I can't say for certain what we can accomplish," the bard said, "but if possible, we will attempt to learn the strength of the guard around Beshaba and weaken it. If we discover a way to destroy any cache of weapons, we will do that as well. After you begin your attack, we'll try to open the gate. If I find Beshaba, I'll try to use the finder's stone to summon you. If you or Stentka Taran have any other suggestions, I'll take them under advisement."
Walinda said, "I will speak with her."
"Fine. I'm going to speak with my associates.