Nasim reached for the coffer.
Kadar stepped in front of it and glanced at Balkir. "Haven't you forgotten something?" he asked softly.
"Do it yourself," Nasim said impatiently. "You don't need a dagger for such a one."
"Not with every assassin in your camp looking on."
"Oh, very well." Nasim drew his dagger, whirled, and plunged it into Balkir's heart.
Balkir's eyes glazed over, an expression of shock forever frozen on his face.
Nasim watched him fall to the ground before turning back to Kadar. "Satisfied?"
"Yes." Kadar stepped away from the front of the coffer. "Quick. Graceful. But I could have done it better."
"No one does it better." Nasim stared hungrily down at the box. "Open it. Do you think I'll turn my back on you?"
Too bad. He'd hoped Nasim's eagerness would have overcome his caution. It would have taken only a few seconds to attack from behind and break his neck. "And do you think I'll turn my back on you?"
"It doesn't matter. The grail's not there anyway," Selene said.
Kadar went rigid. He whirled toward the boulders to see Selene walking toward them. "My God," he whispered. "Get out of here, Selene."
"Ah, the woman," Nasim murmured. He drew his sword. "And where is the grail?"
"Here." She pulled the cup from beneath her cloak. The chalice blazed in the sunlight. "Do you want it, Nasim?"
His eyes fixed on the grail. "Yes, I want it."
"Then come and get it." She moved in the direction of the cliff edge. "Or I'll throw it over. It's several hundred feet down, and there must be thousands of crevices. You might find it if you look for a few years."
Nasim gazed warily at Kadar before stepping toward her. "You wouldn't throw such a treasure away."
"It's no treasure to me. Sometimes I wish I'd never heard of it." She met his gaze. "Look at me. Am I telling the truth?"
"You're mad." He glanced at the camp. "My men are stirring. I told them to attack at the first sign of anything unusual. They'll be here in a moment."
"If they get here before you come to me, the grail will be gone. I won't die and let you have what you want."
"Stupid woman. Do you know what you--stand back." His sword was again pointed at Kadar.
"I haven't moved," Kadar said.
"You were readying."
"Come and get it," Selene repeated. She whirled and ran toward the edge of the cliff, her feet flying over the rough ground.
Nasim cursed and started after her.
Kadar couldn't wait any longer. He pounced and ducked to the left at the same time.
The flat of Nasim's sword crashed into the side of his head.
Darkness.
He was gaining on her.
Selene ran faster.
