Chapter 41 Jemel
JEMEL
THE ROSE PALACE, ATTAR
Jemel stares at the parchment before him. The light from his small oil lamp flickers on the words. He has been struggling with this sentence for half the day. It is only short. Six words. But he cannot decipher two of them.
He’s puzzling over it when Gelen Zain walks in.
Jemel lifts his veil from where it lies on his desk, and replaces it.
He does not need to cover the horror of his face before Gelen, only in public, but he is so used to having his face covered, he prefers to wear his veil before anyone.
Jemel stands, sliding the papers he has been working on under some other documents.
Gelen wears his fine robes as the High Word of Zai. At least he does not have blood on them today. But there are sooty marks on his fingers.
He’s been branding someone.
Gelen enjoys nothing more than inflicting pain.
Unlike some men in the Order of the Enforcer, who find causing pain rousing, who have clearly been drawn to the calling by their own cocks rather than the whispering of Zai, Gelen seems to enjoy pain purely; simply for its own sake.
Jemel has witnessed it often enough when he has watched Gelen giving instructions in his preferred sharp methods.
“Ah, Jemel. I have a job for you.” Gelen says as Jemel bows.
“I am yours to command, Sire,” Jemel says as he straightens.
“There is an envoy arriving from Plumia. He speaks only Plumian and will need a translator. I understand you speak Plumian.”
“It is not one of my stronger languages, but I believe I have enough.”
“Very well,” says Gelen. “I don’t have to impress upon you, I am sure, that this role is sensitive. I will expect you to accompany this man everywhere. And report to me about anything he does that you think is notable.”
“Very well, Sire.” Jemel feels quite proud. His abilities with languages are rarely prized in the Order of the Enforcer.
When Gelen has left, instructing Jemel to wash, change his clothes and come to the Hall of Twelve, he takes a moment to look again at his translation.
Thinking of something. He checks another page he translated some days ago. He does know that word. But he looks again at the sentence. Has he got this right? Perhaps both translations are wrong.
Because what can it mean?
The thief will be the traitor.