Seeing the healer cooperating with Harbis men, even ordering them around, had shocked Belili so much, that she didn't even think about resisting. Not that she could have. Gulan's grip might not have had the bronze strength of Harbis' callused hands but he was still a grown man in his prime.
"I do not understand," she stammered. "Gulan, what are you doing to us?"
The healer ignored her until they reached the workroom. The door stood open and a vile stench mixed with the smell of herbs carried into the corridor. Gulan let go of her wrist and pulled a piece of cloth from his wide sleeve, pressing it over his nose and mouth. He held out the oil lamp an arm's length into the room and waved her forward.
Belili slowly stepped closer, to see what the healer wanted to show her.
Deep within the dark room stood a small brazier, only illuminated by the embers resting on it. Distracted by the reddish light it took her a moment to notice the shadow less than three paces in front of her. When a small gurgling sound drew her gaze down, she let out a little shrike and jumped back.
Right at the edge of the area illuminated by Gulan's lamp lay a figure. Most of the man was wrapped in darkness, the light barely reaching his shoulders. But she could see his face and that was enough.
"Urk protect us," she whispered.
The man's skin was marked with dark spots, his bloodshot eyes staring at her feet, pleading. The mouth was moving, whispering low incomprehensible words that formed bubbles in the small puddle of vomit his head was resting in.
'Too late.'
"Too late." Gulan moved his arm and the circle of light wandered over the spot right next to the doomed man and something in Belili was relieved when the fearful eyes were swallowed by darkness again.
"Pick up the bag," Gulan said.
"You are stealing the box," Belili said, realizing what must have happened here.
"As I assumed, master Jas'ar had precautions in place," Gulan said. "I told them we had to use you to retrieve it but you had already snuck away. How did you manage that, by the way?"
Avoiding answering, Belili slowly approached the cloth bag lying where Harbis' man must have dropped it when he collapsed.
Urk, can you hear me?
She didn't know why the god could hear her thoughts on some occasions and not on others, so she just tried to think her words as loud as she could.
'This is my city,' Urk said.
Do you think I can touch the bag safely? Belili asked silently.
Standing above the insignificant-looking pile of cloth Belili waited for the god's answer. Had he not heard her the second time? Then a suspicion came to her. "You do not know, do you?" she asked, under her breath.
"You want to hurry," Gulan said from the doorway. "The herbs burning over there in the brazier are strong. They will put you to sleep if you stay in there for too long."
Belili gathered all her courage and reached out for the bag. I touched the box before and was fine, she reminded herself. But then again, she had done so under Master Jas'ar's direction. Now she was stealing it from him.
Her fingers met the fabric and she closed her eyes. For two long heartbeats, she froze in place, fingers pressed against the wrapped-up box.
Nothing happened.
"…how do you feel?" Gulan asked, his voice more curious than concerned.
"I…I think I am fine," Belili said, examining herself. "A bit drowsy maybe."
"That comes from breezing in the fumes from the brazier," Gulan said. "Come out of there."
Belili considered her options. She could run over to master Jas'ar and try to shake him awake, but in his state and after breezing the herb-lazed air for who knew how long, she didn't believe that would work. Gulan would be on her right away.
And Harbis and his men were only a dozen paces away. One call would have them pour into the room, weapons drawn.
Her eyes flickered over to Saras' sleeping figure. I cannot risk that.
Belili picked up the cloth bag, pressed it against her chest, and returned to Gulan. A silent whimper followed her but she didn't look down, the image of the dying man's face still vivid in her memory.
Gulan studied her with that expression of his. He didn't try to hide it. She had seen men leer at women before, but this was different. It wasn't greed or possessiveness. His eyes were appraising her while shining with a vivid fascination.
"You truly are his apprentice," he said, the jealousy clear in his voice.
For some reason, Belili held his gaze. "I only met him three nights ago."
The healer's surprised expression when the slave girl dared to challenge him was quickly replaced by an ugly sneer. He turned her ruffly by the shoulder and pushed her down the corridor. "Let's go."
Belili didn't resist. Why did I just do that? Why did I challenge him like that?
And then she realized why - she was angry. Gulan was betraying them. Not just Master Jas'ar or me but the whole town. His own people! Why else would Harbis' men pack his possessions. By Urk, Zabu is dead and he is betraying everybody.
In that moment of standing up to Gulan, a man so far above her station, something had ripped loose inside of Belili. She decided to act – to resist. All she needed was an opportunity. A chance.
"Did it work?" Harbis asked as they reached the courtyard.
"Will you hand the box over to the Epi-khmet to save yourself?" Belili asked.
One of the men cuffed her. "Be silent, girl."
"Careful," Dagan said, pointing at the cloth bag.
As one, the men stepped away from her, their eyes turning fearful. The one that had cuffed her nervously examined his hand, probably expecting the dark spots that had defaced his comrade to appear.
Even Harbis kept more than an arm's length of distance. They are afraid of the magic, she thought. They want nothing to do with me and the box.
"We will not hand it over." Gulan looked around, speaking more to the guards than answering Belili's question. "The Epi-khmet have no reason to bargain with us and they already promised the bandits slaves and loot. We will stick to the plan. Harbis, your bandit friend will keep his word?"
"Aye," the guard chief said. "Rahasis and I have known each other since we served in Saggab's army and he has no love for the Epi-khmet. He would still be a guard if he had not ogled Ibilsin's granddaughter once too often."
Dagan sneered. "He was always too handsome for his own good."
"Those bandits out there are no nomad warriors or army scouts," Harbis said. "Rahasis says he and his men will get us easily past the line of sentries. For enough silver."
Gulan nodded. "That is not a problem. I have the silver to buy our way out of Urk. And this," his eyes lingered on the bag Belili was clutching to her chest for a moment, "will guarantee our future."
There was a hint of fervor in his voice that made a shiver run down Belili's spine. Judging by the furtive glances between the guards, she wasn't the only one.
Having observed the healer the last two days and felt his gazes on her, she was sure that his actions were driven by an obsession with magic. Did he want to exchange the contents of the box for power? Bargaining with the gods, the thought seemed insane to her.
But that is exactly what Master Jas'ar sent me into the desert for, she thought, remembering the terrifying encounter with Insu.
Harbis clapped his hands. "If we want to get out of town, without anybody noticing, we need to get past the wall before dawn."
He turned and the men followed him, each of them making sure to keep at least two paces distance from Belili. One gestured for her to move but didn't dare to touch her.
She took a single step and stopped. Her hand tightened around the bag. This was her chance. Maybe the only one she would get.
But what about Saras and Master Jas'ar? She thought.
"Hey, keep going, girl," the man said nervously.
Belili rounded on him and held out the bag. "Do you want to carry it?" She took a single step forward.
The guard's eyes widened and retreated so hastily that he fell over his own feet. "Hey!"
Belili's head whipped around to Gulan.
"If you hurt my brother or master Jas'ar I will throw the weights into the deepest hole I can find," Belili shouted, her voice almost cracking.
Then she turned and ran.
Taken by surprise, none of the men reacted. Not that there was much they could have done. Even with her short legs, it only took Belili four long strides to reach the well.
This time she didn't hesitate. Fearing strong hands grabbing her from behind at any moment, she set one foot on the low mudbrick wall encasing the black hole and jumped.
Urk, catch me, she thought as loud as she could.
Half a heartbeat later her feet broke through the surface for the second time that night and like the first time her fall was stopped by the invisible force before the water had reached her hip.
'What are you doing?' Urk asked, clearly as startled as the men above.
"They… they cannot get the box," Belili said, her heart beating fast.
'I do not care about those weights,' Urk said. 'I need to keep my town – my worship – safe. If they want to run with them, I shall send the Ka right after them.'
Belili thought feverishly. Above she could hear the confused voices of the men, shouting at each other.
"Please, I have a plan," she said. "If Harbis and all his guards leave, the bandits will still attack. There will be nobody to lead the townsfolk."
'Hm…'
While Urk pondered her words, a light appeared above her. It didn't reach all the way down the well shaft but looking up she could see several faces leaning over the edge.
"I cannot see anything."
"Somebody needs to go down there."
Belili felt her time running out. She had essentially trapped herself in a hole, hoping Urk would help her out. "If they find me, they will leave town right away," she whispered into the darkness.
'Ah… I shall trust you mortal,' Urk said. 'If you do not want to drown, you better hold your breath.'
"What…" Before Belili could finish her question, whatever magic was allowing her to stand on the water disappeared. She managed to close her mouth just in time before the water crashed over her head.
I will drown, was the only thought in her mind in that first heartbeat as she sank into the cold darkness. She was just about to start to struggle – to fight her way back to the surface – when the god spoke once more.
'Keep your legs together and your arms tied and hold still,' he said calmly. 'There are some tight places. It is really fortunate that you are so tiny.'
Before Belili's mind had time to comprehend Urk's words, the water surrounding her turned into a powerful stream, sweeping her away. She closed her eyes, wondering how deep the well was when the force carrying her suddenly pushed her around, changing direction. Her elbow hit something and a painful jolt ran up her arm.
I am underground, she thought. What if I get stuck?
Panicked, she tugged her elbows closer and pressed her legs together as hard as she could.
Slowly, her lungs started to burn, craving for air. She clenched her jaw and tried to endure it.
Again and again, she could feel the flow of the water changing directions, bumping her into invisible obstacles. Every time her fear of drowning in a small flooded cave below the town increased. Even if she had known how to swim, there was no chance to find her way back through the darkness before her air ran out.
At this point, her lungs were screaming at her for relief, for just a single gasp of air. It took all the willpower she could muster not to give in to the urge. She knew it would be her end.
'There we are,' Urk said and suddenly Belili could feel herself breaking through the water's surface, thrown up by the same force that had pulled her along all this time. She opened her mouth, greedily sucking in air and water, bringing immediate relief to her burning lungs. The tight self-control, she had maintained the whole time disappeared as she gasped and coughed, her limbs struggling to keep her head above water.
'Careful,' Urk said. 'You will hurt yourself.'
Once more Belili felt the water solidifying below her, slowly raising her body up. A moment later she was sitting on the wet surface, coughing out the last of the fluid. It took her a while to calm down but as she did, she began to shiver.
'I have brought you out of the city, mortal girl,' Urk said. 'Now tell me your plan to preserve my worship.'
Belili was slow to gather her thoughts. "I am cold."
'…so?'
"I… I need a moment to rest, please."
When Urk didn't respond immediately, she took it as silent consent. Not that she had been able to move even if the god had insisted. It feels like I almost died. The cold and the dark – she was certain she would have nightmares about being trapped underground, drowning in the future.
It was a change in the light that first told Belili that something had changed. She raised her head and slowly studied her surroundings. Under the light of the stars, she saw that she was sitting in a well in the middle of a handful of buildings. Urk must have raised the water level without her noticing.
"Where am I?" she asked silently. She was clearly not in town anymore.
'You are north of my city,' Urk said. 'I brought you here.'
Deciding she couldn't stay where she was, Belili slowly pulled herself over the side, never letting go of her precious burden. The cloth bag was as soaked as her tunic.
Judging by the number and size of the buildings this farm was bigger than Zabu's. There were no lights or other signs of life. They probably fled, Belili thought. At least she hoped that this was the case. She couldn't worry about that right now. She had to find a place to rest.
The door of the main house was broken in and most of the furniture inside was knocked over. Careful not to trip over anything in the dark, Belili wandered from room to room until she found a sleeping chamber with two overturned cots. Too weak and tired to righten them in the dark, she picked up a blanket from the floor.
She pulled her wet tunic over her head and draped it over the leg of one of the upside-down cots, lay down in a corner, and rolled herself into the blanket.
'What do you think, you are doing?' Urk asked annoyed.
"I am exhausted," Belili whispered, closing her eyes. "I cannot think anymore. Please, wake me at dawn."
'I did not allow you to sleep now, mortal,' Urk said. 'We are in a crisis. My city is in danger.'
"I am just a small mortal and almost drowned. I cannot serve you when I can barely stand."
Sleep came quickly and Belili was grateful for it. If the underwater escape hadn't taken everything out of her, the fear for Saras and Master Jas'ar probably wouldn't have let her rest. Before finally drifting off, she felt a last pinch of guilt but she knew she would need all her wits to deal with all these gods.
What a ridiculous thought, was her last thought. When did I start thinking like this?