Unveiling the Sorceress

"I will try. What is your message?"

"Tell her that Mehmet plans to move things along quicker. The Empress Elishiba has to understand that time is much shorter than she might imagine. I need to speak with her, and if she goes out onto the balcony of her apartment at dawn, I will contact her then."

"Her balcony at dawn,” Kerr repeated. It would not be easy to pass the message, since they were only allowed to meet with her one at a time, but even if he had to pass the message by one of the others, he would do so.

Amshazar proceeded to chat about their journey, and Kerr realized that he was talking to distract him from the route they took. Even if he had concentrated, Kerr didn't think he would be able to remember it. They had hidden Kazeen well. But why? He knew that the Empress Mehmet had ordered him to be executed. Why then, was he even in the city? Why had he not taken flight long before? Amshazar had said all would be explained, but it was of the utmost importance for Kazeen's life that nobody in the palace found out where he was staying.

Amshazar stopped finally at a worn wooden door and tapped several times in quick succession. They had reached the edge of the city dwellings, and the stone of the perimeter wall was visible beyond the last cluster of houses. After a moment, a wooden panel in the door was opened and a woman looked out at them. Amshazar nodded at her and she slotted the panel back into place and opened the door. Amshazar ushered Kerr in quickly, looking over his shoulder as he did.

Kerr found himself in a tiled entrance. Contrary to the outside of the building, which had looked impoverished, the inside was comfortably furnished with carved wooden chairs and inlaid tiles creating a decorative border around the walls. The woman bolted the door heavily behind them and then led them over to a second doorway. She glanced from Kerr to Amshazar. “You are sure this is safe?"

Amshazar nodded, and the woman left them at the doorway. When she had gone Amshazar put a hand on Kerr's shoulder. “You may be surprised at what you learn."

Kerr did not know how to respond. He nodded, wondering what this was about.

Amshazar opened the door and led him in. They were behind a carved wooden screen through which he could see light glowing. Amshazar paced to the end of the screen and bowed low. As he made an introduction for himself and Kerr, Kerr couldn't help glancing through the carvings in the screen. As he did, he saw Kazeen seated on cushions by the side of the Emperor Hanrah. Kerr was amazed. The two men appeared to be having supper together.

"Come in, come in.” It was the emperor's voice.

The emperor himself was here, in this tiny house hidden away in the back streets of Lhastari? And he was with Kazeen?

Amshazar beckoned him out and Kerr, confused and bewildered, followed and stepped into the room. As he did, his old friend Kazeen leapt his feet, his face breaking into a big smile.

"Kerr. How good it is of you to come to see me.” He darted over and embraced Kerr, who returned the gesture, strange though the situation was.

"You are well and safe?” Kerr asked, although he could see that Kazeen looked well, and had in fact fattened, which made him look far healthier. He wore exquisite robes too, and fine leather sandals. Around his wrists he wore copper armbands studded with gems.

"I am, my old friend."

Kerr's sense of relief was great. He had been worried for so long, all the while he had been away. Even so, he felt strange. He didn't know what he expected to find—he hadn't thought too deeply about it because he was worried enough—but he hadn't expected to find Kazeen looking quite so much as if he had prospered.

As they embraced each other, serving girls carried large platters of food into the room, which they set down on a low table. Amshazar was already seated on the cushions arranged there with Hanrah. One of the serving girls returned, carrying an ornate jug that she set down by Hanrah, before bowing and leaving the room.

"Come, sup with us.” Hanrah beckoned.

Kerr and Kazeen joined him and Amshazar, seated around the feast that had obviously been prepared for their arrival. The food smelt good, and in the background Kerr could see that expensive incense burned in a salver near a generously built fire. The atmosphere was almost celebratory. This was not what Kerr had expected of the evening when he had slunk out to meet Amshazar in the dead of the night.

Hanrah poured wine and placed cups of it into their hands, encouraging them to drink.

Kazeen's eyes sparkled, and Kerr wondered if perhaps he hadn't seen anybody outside the house since the execution order had been announced. Was he a prisoner here? This safe house, a prison too? It was then he realized this was part of the reason he had been brought to see Kazeen, because Kazeen needed to see his friends. He could not leave this place. There was no other way.

"Eat, please eat something,” Hanrah encouraged, seemingly eager for them all to be happy.

Kerr and Amshazar helped themselves to the tasty morsels that had been prepared. The meat had been roasted with fenugreek and other spices, and was delicious. It seemed strange to sit here with his old friend, the emperor, and Amshazar, in a small hidden home so close and yet so far from the palace, eating well. He tried not to eat too hungrily, but it was fine fare compared to the food they had in the palace.

"The meat is good,” Amshazar said, as he picked up his cup and lifted it to Hanrah and Kazeen.

Kerr joined in the toast, wondering why. But as Hanrah chatted about everyday things that had happened in the court, he kept putting his arm around Kazeen's shoulder and on one occasion reached over to kiss him upon the cheek. Kerr was surprised, just as Amshazar had predicted he would be. But he had seen such intimate friendship between men before. In the seminary where Kazeen and he had trained, two of the other novices had shared such a relationship. The tutors had discouraged it, but the deep and passionate affection between the two men was powerful. It wasn't something that could be ceased on the word of others.

That's what was happening here, he could see it now. And this was why there was a call for Kazeen's execution. He was the emperor's secret lover, a male concubine.

As Kerr thought back over what had happened, the events began to fall into place. He noticed Amshazar smiling over at him. It took this—to see them so happy together—to understand. Hanrah and Kazeen seemed to move toward one another so naturally, their bodies touching each other softly here and there at all times. Now he knew why Mehmet was so angered by it, why she had called for the execution of her son's lover.

Their visit passed quickly and before they took their leave, Amshazar began to speak seriously with Hanrah, seemingly keen to alert the emperor to his mother's plans to hasten the marriage. Hanrah put his head in his hands, fretting. “I cannot go through with it."

"Elishiba does not seek marriage either, she had hoped to speak with you to negotiate a peace treaty."

"Mehmet will never agree."