Tales of Midbar: Secret Priest

The cave of Holdian was a bit above sea level, in the wall of the crater opposite the temple. There was a stone wall with doors and windows in it at the front and it wasn’t obvious it was a cave unless you looked closely. There was a pair of grand doors, which we, Flaannin and myself, went through and were directed to a room by an acolyte. In the room, we found a Trulist priest, with a combination of quippa and faharni features, and an old quippa in a Nuhara robe, both nibeyim.

“Sorry it took me a while to find him,” said Flaannin.

“I’m Nuharglend,” said the quippa, “one of very few Nuhara magi. I’ve been a level five mage for over a century so I have a great deal of experience but, be assured, I do obey the rules of the Mage Council.”

Like many Nuharas, he came across as very arrogant.

“Do sit down,” said the priest.

Flaannin and myself took seats.

“Nothing to say?” asked Nuharglend.

“Obviously we want the girl back,” said Flaannin. “You asked to negotiate with Clindar.”

“Yes,” I said, “we don’t know what you want.”

“Peace and prosperity,” said Nuharglend, “but I think you mean what we want to release your girl.”

“She’s the daughter a priest you probably murdered,” I said. “I don’t see what she has to do with me.”

Flaannin gave me a very cross look. “Of course we’ll do anything to get her back, won’t we?”

This was precisely how not to negotiate if you wanted to get a good deal or force the other party to reveal things.

“Can I have a word with my superior outside?” I asked.

“No,” said Nuharglend. “I find her honesty refreshing as you’re clearly being hostile.”

“I thought you believed Nuhar was the last psychic?” I asked.

“The last psychic who Ahmaza revealed messages to,” said Nuharglend. “There obviously have been many other psychics since.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard from other Nuharas.”

“This isn’t the place to argue theology,” said Flaannin.

“Anyway,” said Nuharglend, “we have only one very simple demand. Your bus pass, the one from last year, in case you’ve bought another one.”

“What!” I exclaimed.

Flaannin and the Trulist priest were clearly as shocked and mystified as me.

“It’s only of use in Laraget and it’s nearly expired. Are you even going back there before it does?”

“It’s an absurd request,” I said.

“Well just hand it over then!”

“I don’t have it with me.”

I was trying to remember where it was, although I suspected handing it over would be a bad move for some reason. The last time I could remember seeing it was in Nuhar Zorg’s tent. I knew I’d put it in my, well Zorg’s, pocket after Dwendra had tried to throw it away. What had happened to it since then? Most likely I’d lost it during my teleportation training.

“You’ve lost it haven’t you?” asked Nuharglend.

“Possibly. It might be in one of my ...”

“Where did you lose it?”

“Not sure, I haven’t needed it for a while.”

Nuharglend got out a bit of paper and pushed it across the table to me. It was a photocopy of my bus pass, looking rather tattier than I remembered it being. “It’s been found but we’d like to know where it was lost.”

“I wasn’t sure it was lost. Probably somewhere in Laraget.”

I was now pretty sure where I’d lost it and why Gerdni had kept asking me about it. I wasn’t sure how to play this as it involved a secret I was sworn to keep.

“You know don’t you? I suspect you also know why it’s important to us?”

I stared at him, trying to think of a response.

“What? Nothing to say?”

“It’s just a bus pass!” said Flaannin.

“It’s a little known fact,” said Nuharglend, “that the Nuhar family traditionally consummated their marriages in a tent. Nuhar Zorg entered such a tent with his bride just as a sandstorm was starting. When the storm finished, he emerged from the tent, with his new wife, who confirmed the marriage had been consummated but then the two of them dematerialized. However, your bus pass, for the year 318, was found in the tent. This was very strange as in 318AL, Laraget didn’t have a bus service. Therefore it was deduced Nuhar Zorg and his wife must have traveled into the future, when there’d be a new calendar, and your bus pass must have come through the time warp in the other direction. As far as anybody knows, Nuhar Zorg hasn’t been seen since. However, another thing that has been kept secret is the bride was a Yohoist, glidac, anavah Holy Woman and I rather think she has been seen, especially by you!”

“You’re claiming Clindar’s glildac associate is really Nuhar Zorg’s wife?” asked Flaannin.

“Yes that’s exactly what I believe,” said Nuharglend.

“I find it difficult to believe she’s even an anavah,” said Flaannin. “They’re extremely rare.”

“So are Nuhara magi and I’m sure Clindar knows the truth about this. Don’t you?”

“Sorry to break this to you,” I said, deciding to use what was common knowledge about wormholes, “but time warps are a type of wormhole, notoriously unreliable, and are destabilized by things going through them. They very seldom stay open long enough for more than one person to get through, if that.”

“This one was clearly an exception, sent by Ahmaza to transport Nuhar Zorg to this time and there’s also that special ability anavim have.”

I decided I had to be more honest as Nuharglend was clearly a mind reader, “Dwendra hated Zorg and was lying about the marriage being consummated.”

“Where is Nuhar Zorg!” screamed Nuharglend.

“Sorry but he didn’t make it.”

“You’re lying! He wouldn’t have allowed her to refuse consummation!”

“Yes, he tried to rape her.”

“A husband having sex with his wife isn’t a rape!”

“Nor is a man having sex with a slave or captured woman,” I said, sarcastically.

“Of course not! I’m glad we agree.”

“Tell me,” I asked the Trulist priest, “do you use anavim, of either sex, as Temple Prostitutes?”

“No,” said the Trulist priest, “they’re too dangerous. If we get any, we hand them over to Haprihagfen, I’m not sure what they do with them.”

“Zorg wasn’t in very good shape when he came out the tent was he?” I asked.

“Ahmaza rules!” shouted Nuharglend as he reached out his hand and I felt pain surge through me. I decided I could use date rape spells on them later and teleported to the toilets of the hotel were I’d met Dad and Attan in Targrath.