Gary Gygax - Dangerous Journeys 2 - Samarkand Solution (14 page)

"I had thought to find a larger and more elaborate accommodation for you, Inspector," the wizard-priest commented after they were in Tuhorus' office. "You are deputy prefect, aren't you?"

"Acting Deputy," Tuhorus corrected. "The senior of inspectors is always posted to that spot, Utchat-neb. Unlike your service, as well you know, Inhetep, this is the position which handles the ninety percent workload which is non-political. The Utchatu is reversed, isn't it?" he asked rather bitterly.

The magister wasn't disturbed. "More political, surely, but true ability also counts for much." Inhetep let it go at that. "This is assuredly of no interest to Xonaapi, for shop talk is never particularly intelligible to one not involved. May we now begin the reexamination of the fourteen?"

"I am excited, Inspector Tuhorus," the girl told him, almost as if she were contradicting Inhetep. "To be involved in so important a matter as this is beyond anything I have ever dreamed."

"You'll find police work rather dull and repetitious, I fear," Tuhorus responded, but the girl's words had made him feel important. "You are sure you don't mind this?"

"Oh, no! It is my duty, and I want to help all I can. And I am anxious to see the ones who are responsible for my being held captive brought to justice, too!"

"It's important that we have a few minutes with each group separately, I think," the magister said. "But then I want to have them all brought together so we can exactly duplicate the murder."

"The fire . . ."

"Of no import. I'll employ heka, and nobody will doubt that they are once more in the dead governor's chamber."

Tuhorus nodded. "Very well. I'll have the Par-thians sent in first."

"With all due respect, Tuhorus, may I suggest that we delay that? I know you are convinced that they are the culprits, but I think we should speak with Lord Pyronos first—especially since he was likely the one who was involved with Lady Xonaapi's procurement, shall we say. Will you again humor me in this regard, Inspector?"

When he saw the girl's expression, Tuhorus agreed. "Very well. I am uncertain as to how she fits into this, so I'll go along with you, Magister."

In a few minutes, the dark-haired Cypriot was ushered into the policeman's office. When he saw Xonaapi there, Pyronos started and his skin paled a little, but he held his composure well enough thereafter. "Inspector Tuhorus, Magister Inhetep, I haven't the pleasure of making the lady's acquaintance."

Neither of the detectives needed to respond to that statement, for the girl flushed and said, "That's a lie, sir! You . . . you were very forward and said I was gorgeous, too! Then you said I could never be forgotten! You know very well who I am: Xonaapi, and a noble—"

"Thank you, my dear lady," interjected the priest-wizard. "You see, Lord Pyronos, it's no use to try and dissemble. We are fully aware of your part in this."

"I had nothing to do with Prince Ram-f-amsu's murder!" the Cypriot cried angrily in reply to Inhetep's words.

Magister Inhetep smiled wolfishly. "Did I mention murder? I am speaking of something worse—treason and espionage."

"Treason isn't applicable, sir. I am a noble citizen of another kingdom. As to espionage, since when is it a crime to assist a noble governor of an /Egyptian nome in his efforts to become chief minister?" Lord Pyronos evidenced both arrogance and underlying fear as he spoke.

Tuhorus tried to hide Ms confusion as he assessed the Cypriot's statement. He looked at Magister Inhetep, saying, "There's danger in 'your charge, sir. The king of Kypros is an ally of /Egypt."

Inhetep stepped in. "Exactly, Chief Inspector. He will mislike, to put it gently, one of his own nobles being involved in activity bent upon disturbing that status. Come, come, Pyronos, You were aware that Ram-f-amsu's plans verged on treason!"

The Cypriot was about to heatedly deny the magister's words, but something in the priest-wizard's eyes made him throw up Ms hands and say, "Very well. I confess that the dead governor promised his assistance—and that of /Egypt, too—to my king in the seizing of Tyrus. That was in return for trade concessions and treaties. Such an arrangement would certainly strengthen both realms, for all benefit of the promised arrangement would be shared between Kypros and your Pharaoh."

The police inspector was about to speak, but Inhetep waved him to silence. "Your liege, King Nikos, agrees with all of this?"

"Well .. ."

"As I said, Lord Pyronos: treason! Your assistance in Ram-f-amsu's meddling in the affairs of state of sovereign places, and your own work without your king's permission, is certainly treasonous."

The Cypriot stood up and paced back and forth in agitation. "Now, you can say that, Magister, but had Tyrus fallen to Kypros, King Nikos would never have pressed the matter. Likewise, your own great Pharaoh would have gladly received the stream of wealth coming to him from our trade—the whole of the merchandise shipped from the port of Tyrus would have come south to /Egypt's ports, including On."

"That's what you claim now, sir, but I think you know otherwise. Even a blind man could see that the prince had ambitions above and beyond mere monopolies of trade with your nation."

"What makes you so sure of that, Inhetep?" the Cypriot asked narrowly.

"Your acquisition of Lady Xonaapi is ample proof."

Tuhorus had closely followed the exchange, and he now joined in. "The number of individuals involved likewise could not but fail to alert you, Lord Pyronos. Tyrus aside, trade is a two-way exchange, and Ram-f-amsu was spinning a great web to catch all manner of flies such as you. The Yarban commerce through /Elana, for instance. That would come by sea, or overland through Phillistia, and neither you nor your king would benefit therefrom. Was Xonaapi a gift to the Yarbans? or others more distant?"

The girl was staring at Lord Pyronos, as much in anticipation as with dislike. "Yes, lecher, for whom was I destined?"

"Ram-f-amsu never actually said," Lord Pyr-onos admitted heavily.

"You determined some time ago that the prince had plans which were more extensive that he had informed you, isn't that so, Pyr-onos?" asked the priest-wizard.

"I'm not a fool!" the Cypriot shot back angrily.

"But you are. You involved yourself with Ram-f-amsu," Inhetep countered. "Furthermore, I think you also showed a lack of wisdom by remaining leagued with the prince after you discovered that his ambitions extended to far more than becoming chief minister of Pharaoh. That you aren't a complete dupe is shown by your sudden reversal here and now."

"Reversal?" The query sprang from Inspector Tuhorus' lips.

"Yes," the magister said, still looking at the Cypriot as he replied to the puzzled detective. "Lord Pyronos wasn't cooperating with Ram-f-amsu any longer. None of his ships were sailing on behalf of the governor, and no finance was forthcoming—isn't that so, Pyronos?"

"That is correct," the man admitted. "I was attempting to remove involvement of any sort— my own and that of my kingdom, for I disliked the direction which Ram-f-amsu seemed to be taking."

"Did you now?" growled the policeman. "Why not just sail home to Cyprus, then?"

"Blackmail, dear Tuhorus," supplied Inhetep. "King Nikos would certainly have punished Lord Pyronos in some way—stripping away his lands and title being the least."

Tuhorus stood and pointed at the fellow. "So. If that's true, you had a strong motive for slaying the governor, didn't you?!"

"He was a swine who needed killing," the Cypriot shot back, "but you must look to another in that regard. I didn't murder Ram-f-amsu."

"Your name is an interesting one," interjected the magister. "What does it mean?"

"Mean? Why nothing at all. It's just a name."

"Odd ... I somehow connected it to the house of the Grecian thaumaturge, Pyronostus, who is said to have learned the secrets of ancient Babylonian fire magick. Didn't he eventually become a noble of your island?"

"Inhetep, that was centuries ago. Perhaps he was a forefather of mine—so what?"

The priest-wizard smiled. "The governor's palace was destroyed by an efreet, a fire elemental of the most malign sort. The magi of Babylonia are adept at summoning and controlling such beings, are they not?"

"I am neither a Babylonian magus nor a spell-worker!" Pyronos shouted.

Tuhorus interrupted him with an equally loud voice. "Now I have you, man! You know alchemy, and I have intelligence which places you high in the magickal council of your kingdom. Deny that!"

Lord Pyronos collapsed into a chair, appearing tired and defeated. "Very well. I am of the line of the Magus Pyronostus, and I have some small skills in the arcane arts, especially with respect to the element of fire. Despite all that, I had no part in killing Prince Ram-f-amsu, and you'll never prove otherwise."

"I'll arrest you on that charge nonetheless, Pyronos," the chief inspector growled. "We'll see about proving things in due time."

"Don't be too hasty, Tuhorus," Magister Inhetep interjected softly. "Perhaps some lesser charge might be better advised. How about arson? Does that sound correct, my lord?"

"I had no choice—-I had to conjure up that efreet and have it burn the palace," Pyronos wailed despairingly.

Magister Inhetep walked over to where the man sat slumped. "Otherwise, your part in the plot to truncate ./Egypt, to establish a separate kingdom formed of Lower .-Egypt and Phillistia, would have been revealed to authorities here and in your own land, right?

"Right, Inhetep," the man confessed in a weak voice.

That admission was far beyond anything Inspector Tuhorus had anticipated. "Failure would bring war between Cyprus and /Egypt, success an unthinkable condition, Lord Pyronos. This is something which is darker than can be imagined!"

"I know, Chief Inspector Tuhorus. When I learned of the true aim of Ram-f-amsu, I did my best to talk him out of it. When I failed to turn him from his purpose, I did my utmost to foil his plot."

Inhetep nodded vigorously. "I think you speak true there, my lord. But tell us, who threatened you with exposure if you didn't have your elemental monster consume the governor's palace?"

"I agreed to conjure up the efreet because I had no way of telling who threatened my exposure. The blackmailer is unknown to me—I swear it by Poseidon! If I could have sent the elemental to that one. .. ."

"You would have gotten away freely," the magister finished for him. "But how were your instructions conveyed to you, Pyronos?"

The Cypriot nobleman shrugged and spread his hands. "There was but a single communication. A man wearing the robes of a desert nomad called upon me. He handed me a sheet of Papyrus, and on it was scribed the gist of the whole affair. I was commanded to obey on pain of having copies of that revelation sent to authorities here and in Nicosea. The man who delivered the message said nothing, and he was shielded by magick against any probing from castings at my disposal. When I'd read the whole of it and thought of actively questioning him, he was gone."

Magister Inhetep turned to the policeman. "I think that's all we'll get which is of use to us, Inspector Tuhorus. I suggest that you have Lord

Pyronos locked up. He'll have to answer to charges of conspiracy and arson, although I suspect Pharaoh will agree to eventual extradition, for King Nikos will surely want him to stand trial at home for his actions."

"Stand up, Lord Pyronos," the policeman said as he opened the door and called for a pair of his men. "Take him to a maximum security cell, one proof against heka. Lord Pyronos is under arrest." Then Tuhorus looked at the magister. "He is guilty of much, Utchat-neb, but not of assassinating the prince?"

"Pyronos had motives aplenty, Chief Inspector, but neither the opportunity nor the means. We'll get to the heart of that soon enough. The next step is to ask Shaik Yasik in here...."

MORE CRIMES STILL

I he Yarhan chief was full of bluster when he was brought into Tuhorus' office. "This is an outrage which the Al-Heshaz will avenge!" he snarled at them. "I demand to be set free at once. When I return home, there will be a blood debt owing."

"Do you know who this lady is, Shaik Yasik ibn Okhdar?"

"I have never seen her before, Magister Inhetep."

The ur-kheri-heb chuckled at that. "Of course not, my dear fellow, but that isn't at all what I asked. Have you any knowledge of Lady Xonaapi of Sarai—this very beautiful girl here in the room with us."

"I know her not, nor have I aught to tell you about her."

"Again you attempt to evade my question, Yar-ban! If you don't now cease this tactic, you are at your peril, I assure you of that!" the wizard-priest said harshly, his deep green eyes flashing. "Have you ever heard of this person, Lady Xonaapi, before I mentioned her name just now?"

"No."

Tuhorus stood up and pointed at Yasik. "Even I can sense his lie, Magister. It is a bald-faced prevarication."

The Yarban looked from Inhetep to the police inspector. "Perhaps I once heard someone mention her name—possibly it was Lord Pyronos who spoke it."

"That much is true, but there is more, isn't there, Shaik Yasik?" The magister sat back and half closed his eyes. "Let me propose this scenario to you. After completing your meetings with Prince Ram-f-amsu, you were planning to return home to /Liana. You have accommodations for tomorrow, I believe, on a fast galley which sails the Nylle-Goshen Canal to Koizum. From that port, you will return by dhow to your own tribal lands."