We were taken to the edge of the Persian empire and the beginning of Kalabash ,it was a dry land. A dessert with dust brambles and nothing but dust wirlies as far as the eye could see ,there was nothing but sand... A very bedraggled group of misfits we were, standing here in the middle of nowhere. That evil Grand vizier traveled with us as his personal luxurious carriage houses all his wants he did not have the same discomforts we had getting here. He embarked from his carriage with a menacing smile on his face. We knew he was not being nice but totally enjoying our discomfort.
He stood with his foot on the official footstool of Persia to read us the contract we would sign as well as our admition of guilt. Jason and I had to sign the contract ,we were responsible for everyone in our group. He gave us no opportunity to read it through, there was little time to discuss the terms ,he said ,"Read the contract as you have to give us your taxes yearly, if you don't there will definitely be hell to pay." What gave him the right to tell me what to do he is a evil liar who should have been here in place of Jason and I.
The Grand vizier rode off and his parting words were we should not start our Kingdom on the border as that would start a declaration of war if we did that. Our kingdom had to be out of eye distance to the Persian empire. With a dust streak in a distance he was gone leaving us stranded in the middle of nowhere. Where the desert of Kalabash will surely kill us all never mind the taxes , he was gone but his doomsday declaration stayed with us like a choaking cord around our necks.
As we were traveling further inland not knowing where we are going one of the prisoners we were saddled with rode up to our carriage he indicated we should stop he wants to speak with Jason Masters please. We stopped and the whole entourage stopped as well. "Your majesties, I know where the oasis is here in Kalabash." Jason and I were quite surprised at this as this man is considered dangerous and he was given a long prison sentence but now our whole group is dependent on him for this
information.
Jason said "Lead on we will follow you but if you are lying to us you will not get off easily as that goes for all offenders, you will die as there is no prisons to house anyone who gets out of hand," he had to shout the last part so everyone in our group could hear him. The man introduced himself as Jamal Khan from the Khan clan and said "Your Majesty, I am a respected man in my family my word is my honor." We dutifully followed him and 4 hours later we arrived at the oasis, it seemed this man must have good knowledge of this dessert as the oasis was not uninhibited, there were camels and tents all around the Palm trees. It seemed we were expecting as the minute we left the carriage a tall man wrapped in turbans came to greet us. He bowed to the ground in front of Jason and myself, "Your majesties, I am Hassan Khan, my brother sent us a message with a hawk saying you will come, welcome my King and Queen."
We were saved but I am a suspicious person who has not accepted this easy way out it seems to good to be true. Things is just going too go smoothly if we were to survive that rat the Grand vizier we would have to accept he probably knows there is a Oasis in this desert. There has to be a spy among us , if Jamal Khan could send a message to his brother , someone could be in contact with the Grand vizier it makes sense he wants to keep in touch with what we are up to. I have to speak with Jason in private, he has to know we have to try flushing the spy out. The only way we will be able to survive the next year is if the Grand vizier has the wrong information and we can control what he knows.
I have to act quickly and I order that all the pidgeons be brought to my tent. I wanted to see who reacts suspiciously when they find out I intercepted their source of information sending. As Jason comes to our tent he is frustrated with me but when I explain my theory he agrees with me but he says the hawks could also be a source of message sending even faster than the pidgeons. Jason has a slight smile on his face and his eyes are shining with admiration as he says "You are so clever Antineba, I think we should call a truce you and I."
My heart warmed hearing Jason say he thinks I am clever. I hope there is a chance for me maybe I can win his heart back. At that moment a skirmish between two men can be heard from the tent. "Why are you trying to sneak out one of these pidgeons," a guard is shouting to someone outside our tent. What is going on, we both go outside to see what is happening. A thin man who was almost skin and bones was holding a pidgeon in his hands, he was obviously our spy. I was relieved seeing the bird back in the cage we cought our spy. Jason was about to execute him to death when I intervened. Jason was not happy when I did this ,he was quite happy when I explained my plan to him. He was impressed and said " You are clever Antineba, yes we can send the Grand vizier fake information, this will buy us more time to get our small kingdom going."