“Why do you want to know this information?” asked Rhoda. “Is Aakuta in trouble?”
“Aakuta has been in trouble since he set foot on that island,” nodded Fisher. “I believe that he has taken another person’s body. That is why his voice was not recognizable.”
“Why would he do such a thing?” Rhoda asked with disgust.
“I can only speculate,” shrugged the spy. “I suspect that he was discovered spying on Vand.”
“What does that have to do with where he stands when he contacts me?” asked Rhoda.
“Because I have to talk to him,” replied Fisher. “If he contacts you again, tell him that I am looking for him.”
“Should I have him contact you directly?” asked Rhoda. “Where will you be?”
“On the Island of Darkness,” answered Fisher.
“On Motanga?” gulped Rhoda. “You can’t mean that? Why not talk to him the next time he contacts me? You can wait here safely.”
“He might not use an equalized air tunnel ever again,” replied Fisher. “I cannot take that chance. The information that he is sending is excellent, but we need more. I must talk to him in person.”
“But you don’t even know what he looks like,” argued Rhoda. “You just said that he is someone else now. How will you recognize him?”
“I won’t,” admitted Fisher, “but he will recognize me.”
“You are going to die over there, Fisher,” warned Rhoda as her eyes dampened. “You have no idea what it is like there. Everyone is suspect, and everyone jumps when an order is given. You cannot pretend to be a messenger or a merchant over there.”
“There is no other choice,” shrugged Fisher. “Aakuta knows me and trusts me. I must go.”
“He also knows and trusts me,” Rhoda swallowed hard as she realized what she was offering to do. The thought of returning to the Island of Darkness sent a shiver down her spine.
Fisher’s eyebrows rose as he stared at the petite mage. He smiled broadly and wrapped his arms around Rhoda and hugged her.
“You have more courage than a thousand warriors,” Fisher said softly. “When I get back from the Island of Darkness, I want to talk to you about being a spy. I think that you would make an excellent one.”
“So you are still going to go?” questioned Rhoda.
“I must,” nodded Fisher as he broke the embrace. “I have already arranged to have the Sprite readied to sail at a moment’s notice. You are needed here to receive Aakuta’s messages should I not find him. I have arranged with your lord to free you of all duties from now on. Your only task is to handle messages from the Island of Darkness. I hope their frequency increases greatly.”
Without further speech, Fisher turned and walked away. He followed the beach back to the estate and walked out onto the docks. Captain Mynor immediately came to greet him.
“Everything is ready as you requested,” smiled the captain.
“Did the package I requested get put onboard?” asked Fisher.
“It arrived a while ago,” nodded the captain. “We need to leave promptly if you wish to arrive under the cover of darkness.”
“That is the only way we will be able to approach the island unseen,” nodded Fisher as he climbed aboard the Sprite. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Ukaro used the secret doors to arrive in the temple at StarCity. He peered through the spy hole and saw that the library was empty. He silently moved the bookshelves and slid out from the small alcove. After he secured the bookshelves, the Chula shaman transformed himself into a black kitten.
The kitten padded softly towards the exit from the library. He halted as he sensed the guards just outside the door. Not wanting to walk past the guards, the kitten reversed course. He jumped up on a chair with a small table beside it. On the table were a book and a reading candle. The kitten slowly pushed the book towards the edge of the table until he felt the rear end of it start to lift up. Next the cat took the reading candle and placed it on top of the book, closest to the tableside. Bracing himself against the chair, the kitten lightly batted the candle, causing it to roll slowly towards the edge of the book hanging off the table. As soon as the candle started rolling, the kitten leaped off the chair and darted to the opposite side of the doorway.
As the candle rolled across the book, it shifted the balance, causing the book and the candle to fall to the floor. The noise was not loud, but it shattered the silence of the empty room. Both guards instantly entered the room, their eyes scanning the darkness and their swords swinging free from their sheaths. The kitten silently exited the room, hugging the walls so that the movement would not be noticed.
Moving swiftly through the dimly lit corridors, the kitten made his way to the office of the Star of Sakova. The door was closed, and no light appeared through the crack underneath the door. Ukaro berated himself for waiting too long into the night to make his appearance. He wanted to come late enough to avoid the bulk of the Sakovans, but not so late that he missed Lyra before she went to bed. He had no idea where she slept.
The kitten found the nearest stairwell and climbed to the second level. He walked around corridor after corridor, and all he found were closed doors. He suddenly decided to go up on the roof and transform into a human. There he would contact the Kywara using an air tunnel and ask them to weave another air tunnel to the Sakovans requesting to speak to Lyra. He would transform back into a cat and follow the mage that went to wake Lyra. It was not the best way to find the Star of Sakova, but it would work.
The kitten climbed the steps to the roof and decided to walk around to make sure that his transformation would not be observed. When he passed by the doors to the prayer chamber on the roof, he heard a voice. He silently padded towards the voice and recognized Lyra’s voice as she prayed. He backed out of the prayer chamber so as not to intrude on Lyra’s privacy and waited in the darkness.
An hour went by before the Star of Sakova emerged from the prayer chamber. The kitten silently followed her down the stairs and to her room. Just as she was closing the door to her room, the kitten darted through it. Lyra noticed the motion and immediately grabbed her rapier.
“Don’t even think that I will mistake you for a cat,” warned Lyra. “Reveal yourself immediately.”
Ukaro immediately transformed back into a human and bowed to the Star of Sakova.
“How did you know?” he asked.
“I know all the cats around here,” smiled Lyra. “Why are you sneaking into my room?”
“I carry information from the Torak that is for your ears only,” explained Ukaro. “I do not even want anyone else to know that I am here.”
“The Torak does not trust my people?” Lyra asked with a hint of a scowl.
“He does not,” answered the Chula shaman. “In fact, the message is that your inner circle has been compromised.”
“Inconceivable,” Lyra shook her head as she sheathed the rapier. “What would cause Marak to think that?”
“Your father said so,” Ukaro replied softly.
Lyra’s eyes opened wide, but her gaze was not focused on the shaman. She stared right through him. Slowly, she nodded and sat down on the bed.
“Tell me everything,” she demanded.
“There is little to tell,” responded Ukaro as he handed the note to Lyra. “This message has only been seen by Rhoda, Fisher, and Marak. Now you and I must be added to that list. We five are the only ones to possess this knowledge other than those on the Island of Darkness.”
Silence filled the room as Lyra read the message. Her facial muscles tightened as she read the note.
“This information is accurate,” sighed Lyra. “There is no doubt that I have a spy nearby. What do I do now? Our cause is lost if I cannot depend upon my own people.”
“I have had the benefit of time to think about this problem,” replied Ukaro. “I think there are three things that we must do. We must develop two new strategies for defending the Sakova, one for real, and one to divulge to others.”