THE DANCING GIRL

Chapter 11

THE next night, Noor was ready to study with Rajkumar Fayyaz. Rajkumar Vikram was nice, but she really didn't like geography.

She'd taken the math books and Amir had history and geography. They were late today, because Noor had her dance and Sher Butnam visited Amir. She'd waited in the library until he'd come.

Amir was alert, if not a bit silent, but on the whole much more put-together than Noor would have expected. Definitely more than she'd been after Sher Rakim.

"Let's go," Amir, hefting his books into his arms.

Noor pushed aside the bookshelf with an arm and glanced at Amir.

He was ever so slightly taller, but when he tried to reach for the book that would open the tunnel, even his long fingers couldn't reach. Noor exhaled and put her books down, grabbing a nearby chair. Amir held it steady as she climbed up carefully.

She could reach the book easily with the added height and pulled it. The tunnel slid open as she got off the chair. She put it back and took her books, following Amir into the tunnel.

Amir stopped, looking up at the torch holder on the wall. He stood on his toes, trying to reach it, but his fingertips just barely grazed its bottom.

"Ya'Neqer," Noor muttered, handing him her books and going back into the library, fetching the chair. She brought it into the tunnel, setting it on the floor.

Amir caught her eye, his lips splitting into a grin, and Noor found herself laughing as she climbed onto the chair and pulled the torch-holder. She climbed down as the wall closed.

"I didn't know we were that short," Amir said, grinning good-naturedly.

Noor rolled her eyes. "We'll have to take this to the other end of the passage so we can open it from that end."

Amir let out a breath, puffing out his cheeks. "You're right."

Noor grimaced at chair and lifted it, leaning back slightly to balance herself. "Let's go!" She said quickly, not looking forward to lugging it all the way to the other end of the tunnel. At least it wasn't that heavy.

"Do you want to switch?" Amir asked, once they'd walked for some time and Noor had started making noises of pain.

"No," Noor said dryly. "I'm exaggerating."

He laughed, shifting the pile of books in his arms. "We really should have thought this through last night."

"Agreed," Noor grunted, the sides of the chair pressing into her palms uncomfortably.

They reached the end of the passage, though, and Noor set the chair down with a thud. She let out a relieved sigh, glancing at the torch holder on the wall.

Amir gestured at the chair with his head, telling her to get on it.

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it," Noor grumbled. She got onto the chair, trying to avoid stepping on the hem of her gown. She pulled the torch holder down and turned as the wall of the passage opened.

She could see the chamber they'd been shown into the day before, the Rajkumars sitting on one of the sofas.

Rajkumar Vikram was sitting, watching the wall, the top button of his simple kurta closed as usual. Rajkumar Fayyaz was slumped on his shoulder, his eyes half-closed.

Rajkumar Vikram quirked an eyebrow at her, glancing at the chair, and pushed Rajkumar Fayyaz off his shoulder. "Get up, they're here!"

Rajkumar Fayyaz's eyes flew open, an he glanced at Noor, still on the chair, eyeing her with some confusion.