Epic Of Ahiram (Book 1) (52 page)

When he told the Queen about the absorbers, she had nodded, and a month later, Ibromaliöm brought him half a dozen of these strange objects. “Courtesy of the Queen,“ he had told him with a sardonic smile.

“We will have a few minutes to get in, find what you seek, and get out,” Garu said.

“No, my friend,” Ibromaliöm replied, grinning so widely that Garu felt that the tall man was turning into a shark. “The absorbers will hold the curse back for four, maybe five, minutes, not long enough for the Queen and I to take what we have come for. This is why we need your assistance.”

Garu knew what that meant. When the absorbers fail, the curse would be unleashed against their carrier. It would find him, and he would die a horrible death.

Ibromaliöm stirred and sighed irritably. He hated these sessions where he was at the mercy of Garu and his extravagant experiments. He knew the price he could exact from Galliöm in exchange for the
Ithyl Shimea
.
Let Ramel run after magic and silly incantations,
he thought, grinning.
Gold is my magic.
Still, Ramel had asked him to keep an eye on Garu, and he could not risk irritating her, not now when they were so close.
Soon,
he thought,
soon
I shall have my revenge on
Galliöm
. We shall finally see who will be overseer of the Zakiruun.

Garu sneezed, shattering Ibromaliöm’s daydream.

“Are you certain you can locate the place next time?” he snapped.

Garu sighed. “I already told you: finding the place in the spell world is like searching for an apple in a mound of pears.”

“What are you talking about?” cut in Ibromaliöm, with a sharp tone.

Garu shrugged his shoulders. “This is how Taniir-The-Strong Castle appears in the spell world,” he said.

“As a mound of pears?” asked Ibromaliöm incredulously.

“Look, I do not make up these things. The room we are searching for is shaped like an apple. So I am searching for an apple in a very large mound of pears which is constantly changing.”

“Why?”

“To express the gods’ displeasure? I don’t know why,” growled Garu. “I know which side of the mound the apple is on and during today’s session, I got a quick glimpse of it. I need one more session to see it closely. Then, it is a matter of using one of Sureï’s simple location spells to find it in the real world.”

The conversation died for now. They spoke to each other when necessary or when fits of anger and resentment bubbled up in a heated argument that would last for as long as their expansive appetites for arguments lasted.

Garu pondered Sureï’s mysterious warning once more. Clearly, there were two magical objects in the hidden room: the
Ithyl Shimea
, and another that, according to Sureï, “rivaled the
Ithyl Shimea
in power and was beyond the reach of mortals.” This he could safely ignore, since Ramel never mentioned it.

The
Ithyl Shimea
frightened him. After hearing Hylâz recite the entire Book of Sureï several times, Garu understood that Sureï, the greatest of all sorcerers, was afraid of it as well. Yet, this was the object Ramel and Ibromaliöm were seeking. An object so powerful, it would consume whomever touched it. Garu was certain of it now.

Oh Ramel, my love, what madness possessed you to desire darkness? Would it have made you happier than the natural fragrance of thyme and parsley, I wonder?

Then there were these murders. Two men had been murdered. One short passage Hylâz read to him recently gave him grave concerns.

“Every spell has a counterspell,” Sureï said, “and the counterspell to break the curse I set in major centers of magic is a dangerous procedure known only to the Inner Circle of the Temple. It requires four drops of blood, no less.”

Ramel, my love, what have you done? Are you behind these murders? Are you trying to double-cross Ibromaliöm and get to the hidden place on your own? What are you up to?

“How much longer do we have to wait here?” asked Ibromaliöm.

Ibromaliöm’s voice startled Garu. Disoriented, he gazed at the room and saw the candles and the wax, and remembered why he was sitting on the floor facing Ibromaliöm. A pang of despair took hold of him for a moment, but he managed to push it away. He swallowed before answering. “We cannot move before the wax cools.”

“Are you sure,
absolutely sure
, you know what you are doing?” asked Ibromaliöm scornfully.

“Shall I demonstrate what would happen if we moved now?” replied Garu in a hoarse voice. “It may prove instructive to try it on you and see how this will affect your bearing.”

“Stop that,” snapped Ibromaliöm.

“Careful, do not move. Remember the wax.”

“What happened earlier when you screamed and jumped back? I almost heard someone laughing.”

Garu answered slowly, “A raayiil…I do not know what these are precisely: they are part vision, part creature, and part prophecy. Ancient beings of great might that haunt the spell world. It is hard to explain.” Garu was not about to reveal to Ibromaliöm what he had glimpsed deep beneath the surface of the earth, a movement that not even the mighty Baal was aware of—something he thought he might use to his advantage.

“What else did you see?”

“Something black and near,” replied Garu, shivering. “A creature of power searching, prodding, looking for someone.”

“Who?” asked Ibromaliöm patiently. “You? Us?”

Garu shook his head. “No, someone else, there is someone else with a power unlike anything I have seen before.”

“Are you sure you are not getting mixed up? I have heard the spell world is confusing, making things that are far apart appear to be next to each other.”

Garu shook his head. “We should stop,” he pleaded with Ibromaliöm, even though it shamed him. “Please, Ibromaliöm, listen to me. This is much more dangerous than you think. I fear for you…I fear for the Queen.”

Ibromaliöm laughed sarcastically. “Worry about your bones, old man, and continue to pine for your petty queen if it pleases you, and let me worry about myself.”

Garu slumped against the cold wall and closed his eyes.

“Four drops of blood.”

He shivered and glanced at Ibromaliöm. A feeling of impending doom took hold of him, and he could not shake it off.
What are you up to, Ibromaliöm?
he thought.
Everyone knows that a drop of blood means a sacrifice, and two men are dead already. Are you practicing magic in secret?

Ibromaliöm and Ramel had refused to listen to his feeble pleas. They were determined to see this adventure through, and nothing would stop them, save death.
And there are worse things than death
, thought Garu, shuddering,
much worse.

“Did you create this raayiil?” asked Ibromaliöm.

“Created a raayiil?” Garu nearly choked to death laughing. He calmed himself and looked at Ibromaliöm. “I had forgotten how little you know about these things. No, I cannot create a raayiil; it reveals its existence to those channeled along its path. It expresses the will of the gods. Something else is happening that I do not control.”

“But was it because of you?”

“No. I told you. I cannot bring a raayiil into existence. Do I need to repeat it more than once before it gets through your thick skull?”

“Speak to me like this one more time and I will…”

“Careful, the wax,” Garu’s voice was toneless. “What we have done here—this little dabble in the magic of Baal as I try to figure out where this door handle will lead us—all of this is beginner’s babble next to the magic in the spell world. I do not know how to deal with higher forms of magic,” he lied. “So, believe me when I say that something is happening outside of our control.”

Ibromaliöm sighed, exasperated. He understood the reason why they were locked up here, but he did not like it. “And to think I agreed to join in your little show,” he spat on the floor. “You showed me nothing.”

“You saw what I saw: a set of stairs, a huge door,” replied Garu evenly. “One more session and I will use the handle to open the door.”

“But you have not shown me the
Ithy
…”

“Do not pronounce the name of that libre,” commanded Garu speaking with a strong voice. “You are a fool if you think that the spell world will not take notice of you.”

Ibromaliöm gritted his teeth in irritation.

“The wax has hardened; we can leave,” Garu added, rising to his feet. He sounded withdrawn and unconcerned, and attributed his state to the after effect of the incantation. He welcomed the respite from his habitual emotional agony. He glanced at Ibromaliöm and thought
, She admires and respects him, but right now, I do not care.
He took pride in this thought. For once, he was able to look at this man without envy or rage. Ibromaliöm opened the door and jumped back, nearly falling on Garu. They were both startled to see Commander Tanios framing the door.

“Gentlemen, glad to find both of you here—” started Tanios.

“I have pressing matters to attend to,” cut in Ibromaliöm.

“Master Ibromaliöm, the murderer struck again. We found a dead man in the Silent’s quarters this time.” The commander’s tone was measured and focused. “What do you have to say about this?”

“A third?” whispered Garu, “Oh no…”

“Not again,” moaned Ibromaliöm. “When are you going to stop the killing? It annoys me to no end. Get the murderer to commit his murders elsewhere. We have no time for this distraction. We are busy.”

Tanios entered the room, forcing Ibromaliöm to back up. Garu stood and leaned against the wall. Unconsciously, he wiped his sweaty palms on the cold stone.

“What in the name of Tanniin, are you two doing here?” asked the commander, baffled by the sight. He went to the table and reached for the door handle.

“Do not touch it!” screamed Garu.

Tanios kept his hand over the object and stared at Garu, waiting for an explanation.

“It is very hot. It will burn you.”

Tanios looked thoughtfully at the handle and moved his hand away.

“So what are you doing here? What is all this?”

“Commander Tanios, are you interrogating us? Do you suspect that we may be the murderers?” asked Ibromaliöm in his usual jarring style.

The commander was not impressed. “You are the one speaking of suspicion. I was merely interested in what is going on here, given what Queen Ramel told me this morning.”

“What did she tell you?” asked Garu, a bit too eagerly. Tanios glanced at him and looked at Ibromaliöm, who kept his gaze firmly locked on the tips of his shoes.

“She told me that you are seeking El-Windiir’s sarcophagus.”

“She—” began Garu, with his eyes wide open.

“Commander,” interrupted Ibromaliöm. “Your behavior is shocking. I am a member of the royal court, and, unless you have an injunction from the King for my arrest, I demand to leave this place immediately.”

“Well, Master Ibromaliöm, you are welcome to leave. However, I have strict orders to protect all members of the court from the murderer. Two Silent will watch over you at all times.”

“This is unacceptable. I protest,” screamed Ibromaliöm.

“Screaming will worsen your case,” replied Tanios imperturbably. “There are no exceptions to this rule. You may leave now.”

“You are placing us under house arrest?” replied Ibromaliöm, gritting his teeth. “I shall appeal to the King.”

“No need, Master Ibromaliöm. His Majesty is waiting for my full report. I will be sure to mention what the two of you have been up to.”

“And what is that?” asked Garu.

Tanios glanced at Garu and smiled. “Master Garu, do you think the commander of the Silent is so ignorant of the ways of Baal? You are performing magical incantations to discover how to use this handle, and you are doing it on castle grounds. Wait until the high priestess hears this. She is going to take a great interest in your activities.”

“Fine, fine,” grumbled Ibromaliöm, “I will take your escort.”

“Wise choice, Master Ibromaliöm,” replied Tanios. “Your escort will walk you back to the plaza to witness the end of the Game of Gold.”

“Garu, are you coming?”

“You go ahead, Master Ibromaliöm,” cut in the commander. “Master Garu and I are going to have a little chat,” and before Ibromaliöm could reply, the commander shut the door.

Seething with rage, the tall judge went down the stairs, flanked by two Silent.

Inside the Star Room, Garu felt trapped like a rat. Beads of sweat covered his forehead that he did not dare to wipe. The commander walked around the table, careful to stay outside the circle of wax.

“Master Garu,” he said, after an insufferably long time, “now that we have taken care of our dear friend, Ibromaliöm, I would like you to tell me slowly, and in detail, what happened here.”

Garu tensed his muscles and looked inadvertently at the door. Tanios turned around and looked at the door as well, and opened it. Two Silent stood guard just outside.

“Now that we have taken care of that little detail, tell me, what were you doing here with Master Ibromaliöm? You are looking for the tomb of El-Windiir, are you not?”

“Well, the Queen had expressed a passing interest in the subject, so I did some research for her.” Garu was sweating.

“And you used magic to find the tomb?”

Garu’s mind was racing. He needed a cover-up. “It’s Ibromaliöm…he hates the team of Baal, and so, he convinced me to use certain incantations to make that team lose.”

“And you know how to do that?” asked Tanios, unconvinced.

“I know a little magic, yes? An erudite, such as myself, comes across forgotten paintings deep within the mines. I got to know people from all walks of life, who shared with me what they know…”

The commander’s keen eyes rested on him, and in the muted silence of the tower, Tanios’ quiet gaze became intolerable.

“You are playing a dangerous game, my friend,” said the commander at last. “The King is bound to see that you have managed to get the Queen involved in your little research, and I doubt he will be very pleased. The Queen is young and admires your knowledge. She can be easily swayed to give you access to Babylonian knowledge that you should not be privy to. Beware, Master Garu. Magic has a way to exact a heavy price—much too heavy at times.”