He smiled at her concern and reached up to poke the worried lines between her eyebrows. “I am positive.”
Her worry melted into a matching smile that soon grew with excitement. “What did you snag?”
As’ad held up both hands. “Don’t get too excited. I don’t know yet.”
“How don’t you know?” she asked, curling her hands in the front of his robes and shaking them in her impatience.
“I couldn’t look at it in the square”—she released him with a nod—“and I wanted to examine it with you.”
Rahma beamed at him. “That is an excellent reason. Where is it?Whatis it?”
“I think it might be a letter,” he said as he liberated it before she could take it upon herself to search him.
Despite her eagerness, she didn’t snatch it from his hand but waited until he passed it to her. Then she unfolded it and leaned into his space so they could both see it as she read aloud.
“Well done.
The latest shipment was more than satisfactory. You will be compensated accordingly.
We have had requests for specific stock. Fill these orders before the next shipment leaves J at the end of the month for a bonus payment.
—P
Wanted:
(1) 13–15 m woodworking
(2–3) 12–16 f sewing
(1) 13–15 m/f cattle”
The P used in place of a signature had a very distinct embellishment that turned his stomach to lead. That symbol was used by Pozik, a dwarf with more underworld connections than Aladdin.
He leaned away as Rahma reread the letter to herself. Pozik’s involvement was bad. Potentially life-threateningly bad.
“But what does it mean?” Rahma sounded frustrated, and the paper crumpled a bit where she clutched it. “Clearly, Hadia is getting paid by this ‘P’ person, but the rest is mud.”
As’ad looked her in the eye. He could tell she understood more than she wanted to. Because if the letter said what she thought, Suha was in far more trouble than she originally knew.
He pushed her braid off her shoulder to rest his hand there. “I recognize the signature.” His thumb traced up and down her neck. “Pozik the dwarf has his fingers in just about every criminal pie in Mafur. I haven’t heard anything about him since I left the capital, but Hadia is mixed up in something far more dangerous than I think she realizes.”
Rahma let the letter fall to her side. She reached up to hold his hand against her neck and shoulder.
“The specific stock he wants is . . . people, isn’t it?” Her voice wavered, and tears filled her eyes.
He gathered her into his arms. “I’m afraid so,” he whispered into her hair.
After a few moments, Rahma took a shuddering breath and straightened her spine. As’ad reluctantly let her pull away.
“C’mon.” She snagged his hand and led him to a tree with decent shade. “Let’s sit while we figure this out.”
She shook out the sheet as he settled in next to her. As he sat closer than he needed to, he spared a thought to be grateful that his rats were still snoozing.
“Should we suppose that the bracketed numbers indicate an amount?” she asked.
“I think that’s a safe assumption.”
“Then on the first line, Pozik wants one something to do with woodworking.”
