Turning, he started back toward the stairs when one of his servants, a tall hairy Jinn with skin as black as soot, approached him. “O master, forgive this bearer of bad tidings, but there is chaos loose in the castle. In the course of their escape the impostors left the door open at the bottom of the stairs and the winged tigers have come through. Your loyal servants have been fighting them, but the beasts are fierce and we have suffered many injuries.”
Akar frowned. This was one more crime for which Jafar al-Sharif would pay heavily. “Go into my upper storeroom and bring me the ebony wand with the emerald insets. It will be on the eastern shelves, third shelf down from the top, seventh item from the left.”
“Hearing and obeying,” said the Jinn, and vanished quickly upon his errand. He re
