Word of Traitors_ Legacy of Dhakaan - Don Bassingthwaite [45]
“For any and all of the reasons we guessed Chetiin might have done it,” said Ekhaas. “We’ve got Midian. Do we confront him?”
“No,” Chetiin said quietly. The goblin elder rose from his crouch. “Solve the problem of the rod first. When Haruuc’s heir is lhesh with the false rod in his hand and the true rod has been dealt with, then we confront Midian.”
“You think he’d betray us.”
“I’m not certain what to think, but I know that accusing him of orchestrating the murder of Haruuc will not go well right now. We can’t involve other people without revealing the secret of the rod. We need to deal with one problem before we move onto the next. You’re close to getting the true rod away. Will rushing to confront Midian change anything?”
Ekhaas flicked her ears. “No. I don’t think we should tell him any more than he needs to know though. We’ve already promised Tenquis we wouldn’t reveal his identity. We should keep our meeting with you a secret, too.”
“It’s better if no one knows you’ve seen me,” said Chetiin. “Not even Ashi—the more people who know, the more people who could give me away. There’s someone out there who believes I’m dead. We should let them continue to believe it. If it’s Midian, Ashi’s trust will hide our suspicion. I’ll listen for rumors of the shaarat’khesh who performed the assassination. We may be able to learn something more.” He nodded to the east. “Dawn is almost here. You should return to Khaar Mbar’ost.”
“What if we need to talk to you again?” asked Dagii. “How do we contact you?”
“Hang something from your window in Khaar Mbar’ost. I’ll come to you.” He smiled. “I’m pleased that we were able to speak. It’s good to know I can trust you.”
Suspicion seethed in Geth’s belly. He struggled to keep it from his face as Chetiin vaulted up onto a charred beam that slanted down into the ruins from a broken roofline. They lost sight of him among the shadows for a moment—a moment that stretched out longer and longer until they all realized he had gone.
Their own return through Rhukaan Draal was quiet. There were a few more people moving on the streets now, though they were still able to pass without attracting notice. The chill sense of suspicion was still with Geth as they paused a short distance from Rhukaan Draal. “I’ll catch the attention of the guards at the gates,” said Dagii. “You two go in. There will be other people arriving at Khaar Mbar’ost now. Once we’re inside, there’s no way to avoid being seen at this time of day, but there also won’t be anything unusual in us moving around.”
“How do I get past the guards outside my chamber?”
“Just walk in,” Ekhaas said with a smile. “It’s your chamber. They’ll think you’re already inside and they’ll be too surprised and embarrassed to say later that you weren’t.”
Geth made a face. “That sounds too easy.”
It was. They turned a corner and came into sight of the gates of Khaar Mbar’ost. Instead of only a few people passing into a fortress still stirring in the early morning, the gates were a rush of messengers, warriors, and warlords.
“Rat,” said Geth.
“Khaavolaar,” said Ekhaas.
“Something has happened,” said Dagii grimly.
“What do we do?” Geth looked at the two hobgoblins, who looked at each other. Ekhaas’s ears bent forward.
“Keep going,” she said. “We may be able to slip through in the chaos. We’ll find out what’s going on once we’re inside.”
The guards at the gate, however, were alert. Even as they approached, trying to move causally in the wake of a warlord’s entourage, one of the guards straightened and shouted, “He’s here! Send the message—he’s here!”
Instantly, Geth was the center of attention as guards came pouring out into the courtyard of the fortress. For a moment, he feared that they were there to arrest him, but then he realized that they were forming up as an honor guard. He shoved the bundle containing the Rod of Kings at Ekhaas. They couldn’t be found with it. “Get that away! Get it back to my chamber.”
She nodded and melted away