AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’s acting disinterested but it’s a ploy. He’s watching me and Niyah through narrowed eyes. Too closely, he’s studying us and looking for something too. What, though? What am I missing?
It feels like I’m backed into a corner and the only way out of it is a leap of faith. I trust my friend and on that alone I jump.
“There is a problem, upstairs,” I say. “Dosata sent help, you. It needs to…”
I trail off unsure what to say. My faith only stretches so far. I’m trying to gauge his reaction to what I’ve said so far.
“Disappear?” he asks. I rub the back of my head and nod. “That is why she didn’t want me going upstairs.”
“Yes,” I agree.
“Okay, Dosata did mention this.”
“Good,” I say, but it’s too early for relief to come.
I’m not trusting him yet. He could still be a spy for the Maulavi. The way things have been going so far he could be a Maulavi in disguise for all I know. He walks up the stairs, carrying the piece of the bed with him.
I follow along behind him motioning for Niyah to stay downstairs. His reaction to the body lying in repose on my bed will determine my next move. If I have to kill him, I do not want her watching. She doesn’t need to see me kill two men for her.
He reaches the top and has only the slightest hesitation when he sees the body. He goes all the way up then sets the part of the bed down, leaning it against a wall. Then he walks over and looks down at the Maulavi.
“You weren’t kidding this needed to disappear,” he says, whistling softly.
“Yes, it does. Quietly.”
“You think?” he asks, shaking his head. “Gada. You don’t go small do you?”
I don’t have anything to say to that so I don’t. We stand next to each other staring at the body but I keep one eye on him. Ready as I can be for anything. A hundred bad scenarios play out in my head, but all he does is stare and frown.
“What are you thinking?” I ask at last.
“It’s too big,” he muses. “How do we get it out when you’re being watched?”
“How do you know I’m being watched,” I ask.
He shoots a glare at me before resuming his study of the body. He scratches behind his ear and shakes his head then looks around the room.
“You fond of that rug?”
I look at the rug. I am, actually, as it was given to me by my mother. But I think I see what he’s thinking and it’s a good idea.
“It will work.”
He nods then motions for me to help him move furniture off of it.
34
NIYAH
Ilisten to them talking in their own language but have no clue what is happening. It doesn’t sound angry, or any more angry than the Urr’ki language normally does, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt more tense in my life. He’s showing the body. And not just any body, a Maulavi. Could there be anything worse than that?
Is he going to kill the delivery driver? My stomach repulses at the thought. He looked young. I’m guessing of course, I don’t know enough about Urr’ki or how they age to be sure, but if I was guessing I’d say he was late teens, maybe twenties, in human years. Urr’ki could be like Zmaj, though, who age a lot differently than humans. Supposedly part of that is epis in their diets. Epis is supposed to extend life and fighting over control of that is what led to Tajss being a wasteland. I’ve taken epis. Will I live a lot longer?
Not likely at this rate.
I reign in my out of control thoughts because none of them resolve the big question throbbing in my head. What are they doing! I pace the floor, waiting for one or both of them to return. I’ve made at least twenty circuits now but that’s not saying a lot. The house isn’t that big. Still. Quit making me wait. Is it okay? Are we in even more trouble? Do we now have two bodies to deal with?
When I hear grunts followed by scraping I can’t stand it any longer. I go up the stairs. One way or another, something is happening and I won’t stand down here blindly waiting to see which one of them comes down the stairs. Mostly, I justify myself, because if it’s not Bhoja then my life is forfeit anyway, so I might as well put an end to the anticipation.
