‘Who was the officer?’
‘Mersham, sir. Newly promoted.’
‘I know his family. Good stock.’ Gargan sat down on his pallet bed; his face was drawn and strained, his lips dry. ‘Take a hundred men and wipe them out. The water here is all but gone, and without more we are finished. Go now, tonight.”
‘Yes, sir. I have had men digging at the bend of the dry stream to the east and we have uncovered a seep. It is not large, but it will fill several barrels.’
‘Good,’ said Gargan wearily. The general stretched himself out on the bed and closed his eyes. As Premian was about to leave, he spoke again. ‘They killed my son,’ he said. ‘They cut out his eyes.’
‘I know, sir.’
‘We will not attack before mid-morning. I need you back with water by then.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Sieben crossed the compound and quietly woke Druss. ‘Follow me,’ he whispered. Druss rose and the two men moved down the rampart steps and across the open ground to the Shrine. It was dark within and they stood for a moment, allowing their eyes to adjust to the faint moonlight coming through the single window. The Nadir dead had been placed against the north wall, and already the smell of death clung to the air. ‘What are we doing here?’ whispered Druss.
‘I want the healing stones,’ said Sieben. ‘No more dead men under my hands.’
‘We’ve already searched this place.’
‘Yes, and I think we have already seen them. Lift the lid.’ Moving to the stone coffin Druss pushed at the lid, slowly easing it to one side to make enough room for Sieben to push his arm inside. His fingers touched dry bones and the dust of decayed garments. Swiftly he moved his hand upward until he reached the skull. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he searched below the fractured jaw until his fingers touched the cold metal of Oshikai’s lon-tsia. Pulling it free, he brought it out into the pale moonlight.
‘Now you have a pair,’ said Druss. ‘So what?’
‘Shaoshad came here to ask Oshikai to agree to be regenerated. Oshikai refused, unless Shul-sen could be with him. How then did he set about finding her?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Druss, holding his patience. ‘I do not understand magic.’
‘Bear with me, my friend, and look at the evidence. Both Oshikai and Shul-sen wore lon-tsia. Oshikai’s tomb has already been plundered, but no-one found the medallion. Why? The blind priest told me a Hide-spell had been placed upon the lon-tsia worn by Shul-sen. It is reasonable to suppose that a similar spell was cast upon that worn by Oshikai. Now, I believe Shaoshad lifted the spell on this one,’ he said, holding up the lon-tsia. ‘Why? In order to help him locate Shul-sen. Talisman’s man, Gorkai, told me the lon-tsia of the rich were blessed with many spells. I think that in some way Shaoshad used this medallion to find the other. You follow me?’
‘No, but I am hanging in,’ said Druss wearily.
‘Why did he not have the stones when he was caught?’
‘Will you stop asking me questions for which there are no answers?’ Druss snapped.
‘It was rhetorical, Druss. Now don’t interrupt any more. According to Gorkai, a search spell is like a tracker dog. I think Shaoshad imbued Oshikai’s medallion with the power of one of the stones, and sent the other in search of Shul-sen’s lon-tsia. Then he tried to follow the spirit trail. That is why he was caught between here and where we found Shul-sen’s remains.’
‘And where does this leave us?’ asked Druss.
Sieben fished in his pocket, producing the second lon-tsia which he held close to the first. ‘It leaves us with this,’ he said triumphantly, clapping his hands and pushing the two medallions together.
Nothing happened . . .
‘It leaves us with what?’ asked Druss.
Sieben opened his hands. The two lon-tsia glittered in the moonlight and he swore. ‘I was sure I was right,’ he said. ‘I thought if they were brought together the stones would appear.’
‘I am going back to sleep,’ said Druss, spinning on his heel and striding from the room.