Read Online Infinity Ring 05 - Cave of Wonders by Matthew J. Kirby - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Matthew J. Kirby
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“I’m just going to say one more time: I don’t think Tusi is SQ.”
“Oh, for the love of mincemeat,” Dak said.
“We’ve been over this,” Riq said.
Sera wanted to yell at them, but she tightened her lips and kept it inside.
More tents and more tents and more tents. And more horses.
“You wouldn’t think they were going to battle tomorrow,” Riq said. “Most everyone seems to be asleep.”
“I think the Mongols slept pretty easy,” Dak said. “They know how it’s going to go down in Baghdad.”
“What’s that up there?” Riq nodded ahead.
An enormous white tent materialized out of the night sky, towering over the war camp. It seemed to be almost as big as a small baseball stadium. Sera figured that had to be Hulagu Khan’s tent.
Now that they knew where they were going, the three of them hurried forward, but they hadn’t gone far before Sera noticed the closer they got to the khan’s tent, the more guards she saw posted, men wearing conical helmets with tufted points at the top, some with fringes of fur. Each of them had two swords, and some also had axes.
“We’ll never be able to get close to Hulagu,” Sera whispered.
Riq said, “Did you think he was going to send out an invite and roll out the red carpet?”
“No,” Sera said. “I just don’t know how we’ll do this.”
“I do,” Dak said. “I know just the thing.”
Sera recognized that tone. It was the tone Dak used when he
thought
he knew just the thing, but hadn’t stopped to actually think through that thing.
“Dak, stop and think first,” Sera said.
Dak smiled. “I already did when I got the idea.” He started forward, toward a group of guards.
“Dak!” Sera whispered. “Come back!”
But he was already too far away to hear her.
“That dumb kid,” Riq said.
“Easy,” Sera said. “He’s still my best friend.”
She and Riq watched as Dak strode right out of the shadows, swinging his arms wide in a high-footed march. Like he was
trying
to draw attention. The guards shouted a cry of alarm and swarmed him, weapons drawn.
“Oh, for the love of mi —” Riq stopped. “Was I seriously about to just say that?”
“Yup,” Sera said.
Riq nodded. “Perfect. Just perfect. You stay here.” He crept forward a few steps, and then marched out of the tents toward Dak and the guards. They instantly seized him, too. Sera strained forward to hear what they were saying, chewing on her lip, watching and waiting. She had no idea what Dak had planned here, but it made no sense to her.
After a few moments of questioning, the guards took hold of Dak’s and Riq’s arms and heaved them in the opposite direction of Hulagu’s tent.
“No, wait!” Dak shouted. “We’re spies! From Baghdad! You need to take us before Hulagu! You were supposed to send us to Hulagu!”
So that had been his plan. But now they were taking him someplace else, a prisoner. Riq was shaking his head. He glanced in Sera’s direction at one point, and gave a little nod, even though Sera knew he couldn’t see her. It was all up to her now.
Sera was torn. Should she follow Dak and Riq and see where the Mongols were taking them, or should she go forward with the mission in the way she thought was best? If she did that, she would try to find Tusi.
In another moment, she would lose sight of Dak and Riq. She hesitated, and the moment she had to act was gone. They rounded a tent and disappeared. Sera felt a sickening hollow spreading in her stomach, but decided to hope they could take care of themselves. She would work on saving the House of Wisdom. Fixing the Break.
Saving her parents
.
Everything she did now was for them and to prevent the coming Cataclysm that would take them away from her.
She turned toward Hulagu’s massive tent and crept forward. She actually had an easier time staying hidden without Dak and Riq. She was smaller and quieter than they were. The tent only got bigger as she got closer to it. When she finally had a
“Oh, for the love of mincemeat,” Dak said.
“We’ve been over this,” Riq said.
Sera wanted to yell at them, but she tightened her lips and kept it inside.
More tents and more tents and more tents. And more horses.
“You wouldn’t think they were going to battle tomorrow,” Riq said. “Most everyone seems to be asleep.”
“I think the Mongols slept pretty easy,” Dak said. “They know how it’s going to go down in Baghdad.”
“What’s that up there?” Riq nodded ahead.
An enormous white tent materialized out of the night sky, towering over the war camp. It seemed to be almost as big as a small baseball stadium. Sera figured that had to be Hulagu Khan’s tent.
Now that they knew where they were going, the three of them hurried forward, but they hadn’t gone far before Sera noticed the closer they got to the khan’s tent, the more guards she saw posted, men wearing conical helmets with tufted points at the top, some with fringes of fur. Each of them had two swords, and some also had axes.
“We’ll never be able to get close to Hulagu,” Sera whispered.
Riq said, “Did you think he was going to send out an invite and roll out the red carpet?”
“No,” Sera said. “I just don’t know how we’ll do this.”
“I do,” Dak said. “I know just the thing.”
Sera recognized that tone. It was the tone Dak used when he
thought
he knew just the thing, but hadn’t stopped to actually think through that thing.
“Dak, stop and think first,” Sera said.
Dak smiled. “I already did when I got the idea.” He started forward, toward a group of guards.
“Dak!” Sera whispered. “Come back!”
But he was already too far away to hear her.
“That dumb kid,” Riq said.
“Easy,” Sera said. “He’s still my best friend.”
She and Riq watched as Dak strode right out of the shadows, swinging his arms wide in a high-footed march. Like he was
trying
to draw attention. The guards shouted a cry of alarm and swarmed him, weapons drawn.
“Oh, for the love of mi —” Riq stopped. “Was I seriously about to just say that?”
“Yup,” Sera said.
Riq nodded. “Perfect. Just perfect. You stay here.” He crept forward a few steps, and then marched out of the tents toward Dak and the guards. They instantly seized him, too. Sera strained forward to hear what they were saying, chewing on her lip, watching and waiting. She had no idea what Dak had planned here, but it made no sense to her.
After a few moments of questioning, the guards took hold of Dak’s and Riq’s arms and heaved them in the opposite direction of Hulagu’s tent.
“No, wait!” Dak shouted. “We’re spies! From Baghdad! You need to take us before Hulagu! You were supposed to send us to Hulagu!”
So that had been his plan. But now they were taking him someplace else, a prisoner. Riq was shaking his head. He glanced in Sera’s direction at one point, and gave a little nod, even though Sera knew he couldn’t see her. It was all up to her now.
Sera was torn. Should she follow Dak and Riq and see where the Mongols were taking them, or should she go forward with the mission in the way she thought was best? If she did that, she would try to find Tusi.
In another moment, she would lose sight of Dak and Riq. She hesitated, and the moment she had to act was gone. They rounded a tent and disappeared. Sera felt a sickening hollow spreading in her stomach, but decided to hope they could take care of themselves. She would work on saving the House of Wisdom. Fixing the Break.
Saving her parents
.
Everything she did now was for them and to prevent the coming Cataclysm that would take them away from her.
She turned toward Hulagu’s massive tent and crept forward. She actually had an easier time staying hidden without Dak and Riq. She was smaller and quieter than they were. The tent only got bigger as she got closer to it. When she finally had a
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