[b]Chapter 3[/b]

The room within was cheerfully lit, almost perversely so.

"Kazim!"

Waves of relief washed over her as she saw the hulking, bearded man turn. Her expression reflected on his face as he walked around the table and hugged her. Despite herself, she found tears welling up again.

"Oh Kazim da! Thank the Light! I was so scared you-"

"Mileka! I thought I wouldn't see you ever again!"

He broke the embrace and looked at her, concerned. He looked her up and down, checking.

"Mozim told me they had doubled the guards. Did they trouble- obviously not. But, mileka! I was so worried!"

"Kazim da, we failed. They caught the Teacher! The soldiers were waiting for us and-"

"I know, Fariah. I know."

"- and they slaughtered. I saw… I saw them! I saw them and couldn't do anything. The Teacher. They… they took him inside. Kazim da, they-"

"Fariah. Listen to me!" He shook her by the shoulders. "There is nothing you or I could have done. Do not chastise yourself. I forbid you to."

She fell silent. Kazim, the Rock. Of course he was right. She nodded.

"Now. We have to get out of Alsan. The city is too dangerous for us and it is only going to get worse."

He rolled up the parchment he had been perusing when she had walked in. As he spoke, he was clearing the table of various herbs, pouches and amulets, stuffing them into a leather sack.

"They are not going to let Teacher live. He will be impaled and displayed like a trophy, if they haven't done so already." He sounded forcefully casual as he spoke about the Teacher's death. "Kurman and Benair are dead too. They were found with their throats slit."

For a moment, Fariah's world shook around her. Benair. Dead?

"No," she whispered.

"I am sorry, mileka." Kazim suddenly looked very tired, his wide shoulders slumped, his eyes rimmed. "There is just you, me and Mozim."

"But Benair… Why? Why kill them like this?"

"I don't know. You are right, it is suspicious. But without asking more questions, we cannot know. And we do not have the time for asking questions right now."

Benair. Fariah closed her eyes and let the tears flow, silently remembering Benair. They had grown up like sisters. Shared clothes and secrets and jokes. She would wail for Benair later. For Kurman and Benair and Tamir and how many others?

"How are we going to leave, Kazim da?" Her voice sounded hollow, like she had died a thousand deaths. "The gates will be watched."

"There is a man… I don't trust him completely, but he is our only hope."

"Who?"

"A guardsman at the South Gate."

"A Turmen?"

"No, no. Missene. But he is selfish and greedy and a greasy pig. As I said, I don't trust him, but he's our only hope."

"I don't like it."

"Nor do I, mileka. But we have no choice. Mozim is already at this fellow's place, awaiting us. I have a cart full of dried fish. If we have to move now, in the darkness, we have to look like we have reason to be out."

"And what am I supposed to drag?"

"Me. You will be my nagging wife." For the first time since they met that night, Kazim flashed her a toothy smile.

"Labourers don't work with their wives in tow, Kazim da," she replied dryly.

"Thankfully not. But a suspicious wife not wanting to let her handsome husband lose in the big, debauched city of Alsan will definitely be in tow."

"You do think quite highly of yourself."

Kazim made a face as he finished his packing. "Let's hope it will be enough to see us in this guardsman's place."

"He has a place of his own? I thought they lived in the barracks."

"Apparently, Missenes are not allowed in the barracks, even if they are City Guards. They are building a new barracks outside the city, but until then, the Missene guards are left to fend for themselves in the Outer district. Their discrimination will be their downfall, Fariah."

"It will take a lot more than that to drive them out."

"Getting cynical already, mileka?"

"No. Just… Just realistic. I don't know. I don't know anymore. I mean, how right were we to place our faith in the Teacher in the first place? What if… What if the Teacher was just a crazy old man?"

Kazim did not move, but his expression brought her up short.

"Please don't speak ill of the Teacher in my presence again. I will not take that from anyone. Even you. The Teacher knew. He saw. He opened our eyes and told us the Truth. The Empire of the Sun is at hand, the Divine Spirit will come to us clothed in flesh. I don't doubt that for an instant and I don't doubt my master, the Teacher. His death will be a sign. He is making way for the one who comes after."

Fariah held her tongue. She didn't want to pick up this fight again. But she wanted to scream at Kazim for his blind faith, for his stubbornness. Why couldn't he see? The resistance was in total disarray, down to the last three members. And the Teacher, this Milaen – what did he really do? Did he not divert them from their original plan? Did he not take over the movement with his fiery words and empty prophecies?

They cleared the room of anything incriminating, including many sheaves of the Teacher's writings. If they were found on them, they would die for sure. But Fariah knew it was hopeless to try and convince Kazim to burn them.

"Let's go, Fariah. Before the day dawns."

"Oh why can't we just stay down here? We'll stay here till they forget about us!"

Kazim gave her a stern look.

"Mileka! Do not be childish. The sooner we get out of Alsan, the longer we live."

They exited the room through another door. A long and winding stone corridor led them across the underground tunnel. The Turmens knew about these tunnels, of course, but deemed them unusable. It was not the ideal secret location, but as long as they did not invite attention, they were safe. Despite herself, Fariah realized Kazim was once again right. They would come knocking in the morning. They would sniff us out, Fariah thought bleakly.

The tunnel gradually sloped up. Here and there were other doors, leading to other rooms. All were small storage rooms, meant for weapons and grains in the time of a siege. Built by a long-forgotten ruler, during a time when the Missenes ruled their homes. Fariah hated the fact that every part of this forsaken city served us a reminder of their humiliation.

Long stretches of the tunnel were shrouded in complete darkness. In many places, the roof had fallen in, forcing them to crawl through narrow gaps in the rubble.

"Aren't we getting out at Murad's shop?" Fariah asked as they went past their usual exit out of the tunnel that led through the tailor's shop.

"No. Too risky. Murad is a sympathizer, and I don't want to jeopardize his anonymity should we be spotted near his place."

"What kind of sympathizer stands and watches while we die?"

"We need all of them, mileka. We'll look for allies even among the San."

Fariah assumed he was joking. He had to be. The San? Might as well initiate a Turmen noble.

"Here we are."

They stopped in front of a stone wall that looked like it had been standing there for centuries. There were no doors to be seen.

"Is that wall supposed to open?"

"Yes. And two durams to you if you can tell me how." Kazim was grinning indulgently.

"Seriously? Now?"

"No teacher like experience," he quoted the Teacher. "The way forward is right in front of your eyes. Open them and see."

Fariah turned to study the wall. Made of the heavy stones that litter the rocky hills around Alsan. She tapped the stones. No suspicious hollow sounds. She pressed her cheek to the wall, trying to feel a draft. Nothing. She pushed the stones, but they didn't budge.

"As above, so below," Kazim said cryptically, thoroughly enjoying himself despite the dreary setting.

As above, so below. Above? The trapdoor behind the crates! The inset ring. Of course. This time, Fariah looked at the wall from the side, looking for the tell-tale groove. There was nothing. Frustration mounted inside Fariah.

"Kazim da, there is no time to play games!"

"Then I suggest you not waste it, little sister."

She muttered angrily under her breath. As above, so below. Then it struck her. She looked down, at the floor near the wall. She got down on all fours and examined the dusty floor.

She found it, hidden carefully amid the jumbled tiles on the floor. A circular groove, smooth with age. Resting within it, a metal ring designed like a sunburst. She lifted it and pulled. The tile swiveled open. Within it, she found a compartment housing a heavy metal gear with a handle. She looked up at Kazim and grinned.

"You can keep one duram for the hint."

She tried to rotate the gear but it proved too tight for her. Kazim bent down and lent his strength. With a heavy grating sound, the gear began to turn and the stone wall began to slide slowly sideways.

"Incredible," Fariah breathed as they stood facing the open wall. Beyond it, a large cart laden with dried fish stood blocking the alley.

"To think the ancients built this years ago!" Kazim shook his head slowly. "So much has been lost to us. Can you believe it? It's like magic! It even closes by itself! Mozim believes it is because of a massive coiled metal buried underneath that drinks our strength and uses it to close the wall again!"

Fariah absently touched her chin and murmured "The Divine Spirit protect us all."

They watched as the wall rumbled back to its original position. It was truly magical. She had just walked through a solid wall! 

Outside, the sky had lightened considerably and the sounds of the waking city rose steadily as they made their way to South Gate, with Kazim dragging the cart behind him.