Reflections on the Dįvonësë War: The Dįvįnë Will Bear Witness to Fate

Chapter 27 - You-Know-Who

25th Day of Ojo Didi in the Fourth Month of Snow's Fall
4380 A.G.G. (253 Years Ago)

The Township of Euuil Village, North of the Great Desert
The Continent of Alphava

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Samahdemn

Midday was thankfully warmer, though more snow was threatening to fall. Jeruian and I shared a corner table in the Rassani Blue near its flamboyant windows which gave us a commanding view of the immediate area. Waimund, wanting to give us more options and versatility in the case that Further rabbited, opted at the last minute not to join us. He instead camped up the street in a miscellaneous dive some three blocks away whose more modern atmosphere acted as a draw for the younger crowd. He hated the place, but its placement gave him the ability to cut off any possible escape from the opposing end of the street.  

As we ate our way through the time from our floor pillow seats, I noticed Jeruian shamelessly drinking in the sights of the numerous dark skinned Malani women who filled the restaurant. Jeruian always had a thing for the desert women, and it showed. He spoke often of their rich, dark hair which they covered with silky headscarfs; the bright bindi which decorated their foreheads; their accents.

Inevitably, I had to nudge him to get his attention back as I observed Nanci Further finally entering the building.

Good. I thought to myself with relief. I was starting to think this was going to be a bust.

She maneuvered through the sporadic patrons, ignoring their questioning gazes. Past the decorative furniture, colorful liquors and local objet d'art that decorated the room she went as she breezed right past the segregated seating areas where someone of her lineage would have been expected to sit. She continued toward a set of stone stairs toward the rear of the establishment which were adorned overhead with a wooden sign reading "to smoking lounge" in stylized lettering.

A large man, a Malani wearing a long, dark coloured, single breasted coat with a high neck stopped her at the cusp of the stairs. I thought for certain that the bouncer was going to brutally toss the cocky girl for all but daring to be so bold as to walk towards him as if her skin wasn't white. But, to both my and J's surprise, instead of witnessing a violent confrontation, she whispered something to him and showed him a piece of paper which he read thoroughly while looking back and forth into her face.

Reading...looking.

Reading...looking.

Reading...looking.

Finally, seemingly satisfied, but not happy, he allowed her to pass and continue down the staircase.

"Still think there's nothing suspicious about this girl?" I asked Jeruian as he sat dumbfounded.

"Unbelievable. Seems like your gut may have been onto something."

"Now what?" I asked. "How's your comfort level?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Well, if you ask me, there's no point in stopping now. We've got a lead, we follow it."

"What about Ray?"

"No doubt he saw her enter. He'll be ready to cut her off when we leave."

We lingered a few minutes longer, paid our tab and followed her downstairs where our senses were accosted by the smells of all manner of flavoured shisha and incense, which permeated everything around us.