The Sultan's Spy

Chapter 23: Meeting

The sky was so dark a blue that it was nearly the black of night when Eliska finally saw a figure approach her spot under the pavilion. The guard who'd moved closer to her as soon as she arrived noticeably tensed, while Eliska just watched, knowing her knives were close enough that she would be fine if there was any kind of threat.

As she suspected, the person coming towards her was Tariq, his face just visible in the light of the half-moon glowing overhead. She waited until he sat down across from him before she spoke. "How's being a scribe?" she asked, only just managing to keep her amusement over his position out of her voice.

Tariq snorted. "If I were really a scribe and was stuck here, I would have left already. The amount of bickering and posturing they all do is at the far limits of sanity. I've seen fights between cats that were more...civilized. I thought the palace was supposed to be peaceful!"

Eliska chuckled. "I told you that you had no idea what you were getting into."

He just shook his head. "So far, there are two real leaders among the scribes that I can tell. One of them, Fahim, is obviously trying to recruit me. He and his friends made sure to sit around me at dinner and then take me to our quarters. It took me longer than I thought to shake them. Thankfully they heard about some dancers performing in one of the halls and left for that so I could pretend to be tired and go to bed without causing suspicion. I don't get why they're fighting among themselves though. It's not like any of us does any work that's different from the others."

"They want to seem like born leaders, to be the person the other scribes look to. People like that often advance in the palace. Most people are looking for ways to move up, to get to a better position. It's why there are so many rivalries and why the whole palace is a political morass you have to slog through."

"What kind of advancement could a scribe hope to get to?"

Eliska sighed. Tariq really didn't know anything about the palace. "Anyone working as a scribe has already passed the first test of intelligence and would be capable of reading and writing well. Being a scribe is often seen as an entry to high positions depending on performance. If you're able to do the job, make connections with people high-up than you, and in some cases, use the information you're transcribing to your advantage, it's very easy to move to a better job. Maybe as someone's assistant, or the personal scribe for someone with more power. From there, depending on your abilities and interests, you might try to involve yourself with any number of jobs. Of course, most people dream of becoming Grand Vizier."

"People honestly think they'll be able to get that high?" Tariq asked, eyebrows up.

"It happens. Not that Israr will be replaced, not unless he dies or becomes incapable of doing the job. His work has been nothing short of commendable and he's proven his loyalty to the Sultan and his family over and over again. And he was once a scribe, so he's been a symbol of what you can achieve if you're smart, ambitious, and good at maneuvering. His one assistant, Sirhan, is of a similar background, though I heard he was a conscript from one of the outer provinces. The other one, Khaliq, is some lord's son but is also very good at his job from what everyone says."

"You say he won't be replaced and is loyal, but what if it turns out the Grand Vizier is the blood mage?"

She glared at him. While she knew no one was nearby, she wouldn't still have been talking if they were, she still didn't like how easily he spoke of the matter. "He's not. Someone would have noticed by now, especially with how many mages are around him."

"You say that, but none of you noticed that someone with a connection to the palace is one, so how can you say with certainty that Israr isn't it?"

Eliska glowered. "Because his loyalty and character have been tested again and again. He wouldn't have risen so high if they hadn't been."

"And you don't think the Sultan could make a mistake?"

"Not that big of one," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You always act so sure of the Sultan. How can you trust someone so completely, so blindly? You're far too smart to fall for the bullshit about his inherent nobility and goodness. Anyone with that much power has to think far too highly of themselves to be trusted."

"Why do you always think the worst of the Sultan and his family? You claim they're corrupt and don't know anything about people below them, but what actual evidence do you have of all this? It seems to me you're holding a made-up grudge against anyone in power."

Tariq grimaced and didn't say anything for several seconds. The silence gave Eliska enough time to curse her mouth for running off without her again. If Tariq just wouldn't push her the way he did...

His words broke off her thoughts. "The man who taught me a lot of what I know, who taught me how to move in circles above those I was born into could have been saved by the Sultan. He wasn't, and what happened to him broke him so completely that he took his own life. He was even a noble, someone who should have been protected by the Sultan, but he wasn't. That is something I won't ever forget."

Eliska hid a wince at the bitterness of his words. She could only assume he was talking about Lord Zakki. She made a mental not to ask Lizina about that situation. Her sister would know the true story, and if she could show Tariq that his anger was misplaced, maybe he would relax his attitude.

"The Sultan can't be everywhere at once," she said softly. "He might not have known."

Tariq's eyes were bright and steady as he looked at her. "I know he did."