“Bin Abou seems to be telling the truth, more or less,” she replied. “At least, he’s told us no outright lies that I can pin down, though his statements are all ragged around the edges. He was also telling the truth, though, when he tried to shoo us away; the fear and the warning were genuine enough.”
Prince Ahmad also overheard her remarks, and nodded. It gave them all cause to think about as they passed through the open portal of the copper castle.
Despite the warmth of the day, the castle’s interior was as cold as its metal walls. Even in the few places where tapestries had been hung to prevent drafts, a preternatural chill pervaded the air. There was no stone here, no brick, no marble, no alabaster. The high arched ceilings were copper, the walls were copper, even the floor was coppe
