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I didn’t know he could talk. He hadn’t said a word in Kal’s room. He’d looked so despondent, I assumed he couldn’t speak.
But I’d seen him fight, and I didn’t want to take the risk he might snap out and grab one of us. There wasn’t a whole lot of space between us, the bars, and the wall.
I pulled the pistol out from my pants and aimed at the ragged man.
Emana was shocked to see it in my hands.
“You’re full of surprises,” she said.
“Against someone like you, I wouldn’t stand a chance,” I said. “But a man in a cell? That’s my kind of fight.”
We focused on the caged man.
“What happened to Kal?” I said.
“He was taken,” the ragged man said.
“By who?” Emana said.
“The Changeling guards,” the ragged man said. “Who else?”
“When did they go?” Emana said.
“About ten minutes ago. He was shackled, so he wouldn’t have gotten far.”
I shared a look with Emana. Ten minutes. We saw the stage being built earlier. It didn’t take Sherlock to put the pieces together.
“Thanks for your help,” I said as we tucked our pistols away and turned to leave.
“Wait,” the ragged man said. “Don’t you want to know what they’re going to do with him?”
“They’ll take him to the stage,” Emana said.
“For what purpose?” the ragged man said.
“To perform a play,” I said, growing impatient. “Why don’t you just tell us, if you know something?”
“You might have been joking, but you’re not far wrong,” the ragged man said. “He has to perform a role, a role I’m not sure he’s ready for but he’s going to have to play it if he wants to get through this day.”
Emana looked between us.
“Have you guys met before?” she said.
“Just once,” I said. “In Kal’s room earlier. He’s been bringing him letters, written in strange little symbols that my translator strip can’t understand.”
“Letter?” Emana said. “What letters? What for?”
“Why does anyone ever bring anyone letters?” the ragged man said with a toothy grin. They were surprisingly straight and white considering the hard life he’d had.
“If you’re going to keep playing games, we’re leaving,” I said.
“Because there was something you wanted him to read, right?” Emana said.
I gave her a look. Don’t play with this guy. He’s nuts.
Emana gave me a shrug as if to say: How can it hurt?
“He needed to know his loyal followers understand why he did what he did,” the ragged man said. “They’re ready to fight. We’ve been preparing for war ever since the Changelings attacked. The Titans are desperate for battle. They feel it’s owed to them. Give them the chance, and they will attack.”
