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I creep up the stairs trying to decipher the sounds. It doesn’t sound like fighting. I stop right before I can see, crouching down. My mouth is really dry but now is not the time for that. I pop up over the edge to get a fast peek and drop down.
What did I just see?
I dare another peek because what I saw was so unexpected that it doesn’t compute in my head. I must have seen it wrong. I rise just enough to peer over the edge of the floor. Neither of them are paying any attention to the stairs so they don’t see me. That’s good because it takes me a moment to process this.
They’re moving the chests around. There are two chests in the room both of which look like they’re made of stone and judging by the grunts and strained looks on their faces they’re also very, very heavy.
They have one between the two of them that they carry over closer to the wall. They don’t set it down so much as drop it and when they do there is a resounding thud. The delivery guy wipes his arm over his forehead and is breathing heavily.
Bhoja turns his head to say something and sees me. Instinctively I drop out of sight though rationally I have no clue why I do it. I reacted on being caught. It’s made my stomach feel funny and my cheeks are warm.
“Niyah, could you come up here please?” Bhoja calls, providing cover.
My cheeks flush hotter but not because I’m embarrassed. I love him for that. It’s so unexpectedly kind and thoughtful. He doesn’t call me out or make a thing of my spying. Instead he gives me an excuse to come up.
I wait a couple of beats then stand up and finish coming upstairs. The two of them are standing side by side. I pointedly don’t look towards the bed. I don’t see the body anywhere else which means that must be where it is. The entire idea makes my skin crawl. I mean come on Bhoja, I sleep there. Gross.
“Hi,” I say, raising a hand and then dropping it because I’m not sure if that is a gesture that the Urr’ki understands or not. “What you doing?”
Bhoja has a momentary flash of something on his face. I can’t quite read it but it’s either anger or sadness. Maybe both? He grunts and points at the area carpet on the floor. I hadn’t really paid any attention to it before now but it is really pretty. It looks like it's woven and has a mosaic kind of pattern worked into it with pretty shades of tan and blues.
“Getting that free,” Bhoja says.
“Oh,” I say, not understanding at first then it hits me. “Oh!”
Bhoja smiles a tight smile and nods.
“Exactly,” he says.
“How can I help?” I ask.
The smile on his face goes from tight to an explosion like the suns breaking over the horizon. It’s beautiful and warms my heart to the point it feels like there’s a crackling fire going in my chest that is spreading through my limbs.
“We’ve got this but could you check that window?” he asks, pointing behind him. “I was being followed and I assume they are still there, waiting. I’ll need them to follow me, not him when he leaves.”
I bite my lip and nod.
“Sure, what do they look like?”
Bhoja describes who I’m looking for and I go to the window, lying down on the floor so I can see out of it easier. Behind me they move around and in a few moments I hear the unmistakable thud of the body landing on the floor.
Unmistakable. How did my life ever get to the point that I know the sound of a body hitting the floor so well?
They work quickly with a few grunts interspersing and breaking the silence. I spot the two Urr’ki that Bhoja described and say as much. They’re both watching the house closely. The streets are thinning out as it gets later. I don’t know if that works in our favor or against us.
“Okay, we need to finish unloading the bed,” Bhoja says. “If they ask, you helped me to move furniture to make room.”
“You owe five irons,” the driver says.
“What?” Bhoja asks and I look over my shoulder to see what they’re doing.
“Five irons,” the driver repeats and holds out his hand. “You think I work free?”
Bhoja growls, low and angrily, but then the driver laughs. It’s a sharp, harsh barking sound that takes me a moment to recognize for what it is.
“Got you,” he says, still laughing.
Bhoja grumbles as he shakes his head.
