Isaacmade a face.
“We’regonna need that coin, love.Both of us got manhunts comin’ our way, and theonly way we’ll survive them is turning our tails.That costs money, if only forbribes, and not food and passage.”She shrugged.“And don’t tell me it won’tfeel a little nice, carving off some of that ill-gotten wealth from the clawsof your wizards.They’ll notice what you done, and it’ll just be more piss intheir porridge.”
Isaaclet his gaze fall on a marble bed frame, its every post glimmering with gems.After a moment, he said: “Sure.”
Zarialeaned down into his vision.“That’s fine, then?”
“I saidit was.”
“Well.If you’re sure.”
With agrunt, Isaac shrugged off his pack, holding it out to her.
Shedidn’t take it.“Not gonna help?”
Heraised his other arm, still in the sling.
“Right,”Zaria said.She took his pack.“‘Scuse me.Mighta got...carried away, seein’ all this.I promise, Iain’t bein’ cruel, by acting eager.”
Isaacdid not answer.
“Course,”Zaria continued, ears flattening.“Never you mind.I’ll pinch the sweetestbooty.You just ...rest a spell.”
He madeto leave through the concrete doorway.As he turned, she grabbed his arm.
“Hey.”
Isaacdid not look back.His wounds were beginning to ache.The numbness wassubsiding.The pain seemed to come from everywhere, all at once.
Shesqueezed his arm.“You don’t wanna look around a bit?”
“Whywould I?”He grunted, shifting his weight.“It’s not like it matters.Most ofit will never be ours.”
“Aye,no, but....”When he finally spared a glance, she was gesturing.“This ishistorical, love.I mean, biggest treasure pile there ever was, and by quite amargin.There’s jewels and swords and thrones and probably everything else youcould imagine.I’m liable to try a swim.”
“It’snot a liquid.”
“Andthat ain’t the point.You and I are never gonna see anything like this again.No one will.It’s once in a lifetime.”
Hegazed around the room.The walls often vanished beneath mounds of coin androyal furniture.There was nowhere in the vast chamber that was not tinged withthe distinctive luster.Wherever he looked, his vision was swallowed by gold.
“Irealize—” She cleared her throat.“I mean, don’t you want to just ...savorit a bit?”
“No,”Isaac said.“I don’t.”
Shelooked down at his pack, then back at him.
“I’llbe outside,” he said, and walked through the door.
Heclimbed back up the stairs, limping at every step.The air was suffocating.Thewalls were pressing in.He needed to breathe.
As hepaused at the top of the stairs, feeling winded fromthe short climb, he saw the open door of the sorcerer’s chamber at the end ofthe hall.Beside him, there was another door.It seemed completely plain,though he caught a similar glint of gold through a gap in the hinge.
Breathinghard, feeling the lack of blood in his veins, Isaac pushed open the door.
Theroom was small and littered with tools.Most of the surrounding shelves werecovered in dissected machinery.There was a bench in the center, scarred withlines of solder.On the workbench, there was a thin sheet of metal.It wasgreen and highly corrugated—Isaac had only a basic knowledge of voltaics, buthe managed to recognize certain sections of the metal as the gated channels forthe flow of lightning, as well as slots and sockets for the addition ofmodifying devices.Whatever it was, the green metal sheet seemed like somehighly advanced device for channeling electricity.He could not say what itspurpose had been.At the moment, the study of voltaics was a novelty, more thananything.
After amoment’s examination, he noticed flakes of gold next to the wafer-thin metal.Judging by the welding tools on the wall, and some black residue on the sheetitself, it appeared as if the sorceress had been attempting to inlay the metalwith gold.From his studies, he knew that gold held an exceptional affinity forthe transfer of power.
