Page 73 of A World Enough

“It is, but we can’t help or fight against her feelings,” Kartog said. “So, what’s happening tonight?”

“Ah…they’re coming down for dinner with me. Stupidly, when they arrived, I asked them to dine with me. I wasn’t thinking it through. This will make them easily spotted.”

“But they’ll be in a big crowd,” Kartog said. “And your security, is it in place?”

“Everywhere,” Ziggy said. “Nobody can get up to the room without getting through a wall of trained soldiers. You know I recruit from former military.”

“There you go, then, and I will be circling the room, watching, waiting,” Kartog said.

Ziggy swirled her drink around the glass. “Whenever she’s come to me in the past, I’ve had to hide her down in the locked basement floor, deep within the rock of this moon, where any rebel that needs help goes. Bare walls, food, drink, that’s about it. Since she brought someone with her this time, I thought it would be nice to let her experience the hotel, restaurants, gaming rooms, and the finest room I had.”

“I understand,” Kartog said. “You’re right, and they will be surrounded by a big crowd. What are they doing this afternoon?”

“I’m not sure. They have an RR room in there. It was to give the wolf the chance to shift and run. They are ordering up food to the suite, and don’t worry, it’s being scanned for contaminants,” Ziggy said.

“Thank you for letting me know they had arrived,” Kartog said.

“Of course. Do you know when Cardo and the Drazani will be here?”

“Tomorrow morning, we are hoping—it will give time for the rebels to get here too,” Kartog said.

“Good. They are going to GallowGlas next. The original plan was to ask if the wolves knew how to get Brogan home and ask if they would shelter them for a while.”

“What’s the plan, then?” Kartog said.

“I have a ship, fully stocked and ready for them to go. If they’re attacked on their way to the ship, I have security dressed as customers, so that no one is tied to this moon. You know, Kartog, I will need to be seen helping the Abnobian squad. You know what that means?” Ziggy said pointedly.

“Yes, I know. I’m here with the cover story of looking for an ancient vase being sold by a dealer, so I will need to be seen as such too, but I will try to point them in the wrong direction.”

“Davor must believe that I and my hotel are under the thumb of Abnobia, or no more rebels will be safe to come here. I can’t allow that,” Ziggy said.

“Then let’s prepare,” Kartog said.

Chapter Fifteen

“Are you ready?” Camber said as she stood by the RR doors.

Brogan hurried out of her bedroom carrying a sketching pad, pencils, and charcoals.

“Here, put your art things in my satchel,” Camber said.

“They’re too big—they’ll never fit in there, and besides they’ll get in the way of your things,” Brogan said.

“Well, you need free hands to carry the lunch basket, and believe me, my satchel never gets too full.”

Camber beckoned her over. “Come on, put them in.”

She opened the bag, and Brogan looked in. All she saw was darkness, not many items piled on top of each other. Brogan had seen many of the items Camber kept stored in there. So where were they now?

“Put it in,” Camber urged.

She slowly lowered her things into the bag, and they disappeared.

Brogan laughed. “This is like a children’s story, Camber and Her Magical Satchel. Little kids would love it.”

“Oh, so running from place to place to keep the realm safe from our Abnobian overlords is fun for children where you come from?”

“No, not that. It’s just your bag,” Brogan said.