Читать книгу Sinbad: Rogue of Mars - John Garavaglia - Страница 33

could draw a breath, a small green hand was placed over his mouth. Then he felt someone’s mouth closing in on his ear.

“I’m going to move my hand away from your mouth,” she instructed him, “and you are not going to scream. Is that understood?”

The priest narrowed his eyes, puzzled. If this was a nefarious plot from one of Akhdar’s most ruthless assassins, he would be dead by now. He could see his breath coming from his mouth. At first he feared a vindictive specter had risen from the dead and wanted to claim the old man’s soul for its own. But he recognized the soft female voice to be an ally. The priest slowly nodded his head, and the unseen attacker removed her hand.

“Qani!” the priest gasped, feeling his heart had skipped a beat. “This was most unwise! Akhdar has eyes and ears everywhere. I am risking so much to be here.”

“I wasn’t followed,” she replied. “Ankhara made sure of that. And my men are stationed around the temple so we won’t be interrupted. They’re outside waiting for my return.”

“You do not understand the peril, Qani. Akhdar’s spies make a profession on murder. Women have been stolen and men stabbed between here and the city. This is not like your home province.”

“But I am here, and unharmed,” she interrupted with a trace of impatience. “Now let us not waste any more time. Now tell me what you know, father.”

“We have located the Earthman, Qani,” he said, his voice level, conversational. The echo bounced off the walls and it was sent back right at him. He proceeded down the aisle, looking behind each and every pillar. “He has been taken prisoner by Akhdar. It will be a most dangerous undertaking.”

The priest was at the end of the corridor. In the corner of his eye he could see a dark figure swiftly scurrying beside him. He sensed instinctively that he was in grave danger. He quickly turned his head to the side to see it had vanished. He knew she was there. He could feel her presence.

JOHN GARAVAGLIA

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