"Down the path of red stone, past the statue of the sea god," the soldier gasped.
Miro took no pleasure in the man's pain, but he knew the Emir would kill Amber if he discovered she was an enchantress, and he would never allow them to return to Altura.
Miro hit the soldier's temple and he rolled back, unconscious.
Miro examined both men. He knew it would be some time before either woke.
He looked down at himself. He still wore the fine white clothing he'd been wearing when presented to the Emir. Fortunately, the clothing was free of blood.
Miro opened the door and walked out, sword in hand.
The palace was a scene of tranquillity. Miro saw some soldiers in the distance, but they were walking the other way.
Miro was desperate to free Amber, but he knew he needed to go to the library first. If he was caught, Amber would be innocent and only Miro would be punished. He could have ignored the library, but he knew that if he missed this chance and they made it home, Amber would never forgive him. Nor would Miro forgive himself.
He remembered where he'd seen the statue of the sea god, a tall man of marble holding a trident. Keeping to the shadows, Miro fought to control his laboured breathing and weaved from one column to the next. He had to cross a spacious courtyard, but fortunately heard no sound of alarm. Finding the red stone of the path, he began to walk down it, thankful for the silence of his soft shoes.
Miro froze as he heard voices ahead. He looked left and right, finally jumping into some shrubbery beside the path. He burrowed into the bushes, cursing his white garments; they would stand out to even the most cursory glance.
Fortunately, the three soldiers who approached were deep in conversation and paying little attention to the path.
"It is dire news, we must tell the Emir immediately," a man with golden epaulettes on his shoulders said.
"I still cannot believe it," second a second man.
"Our sources are reliable."
"Who will tell him? It should be you, General."
"We will tell him together. No one could have seen this coming."
Their voices softened to a murmur as they departed the area where Miro lay in hiding. He wondered what they were discussing, but he had greater concerns.
Miro emerged from the bushes and continued down the path, finally coming to a temple-like structure. The grand columns and peaked roof were a brilliant shade of light blue, while at the top of the wide stairs Miro saw a set of double doors.
He crept up the doors and pushed at them, breathing a sigh of relief when they fell open.
Miro entered the library, immediately awed by the tall shelves, reaching high to the ceiling and stretching back to the end of the cavernous interior. Where to begin? He walked along the shelves, seeing the books were categorised alphabetically by subject, and within that by author. Miro passed the letters until he came to the letter he was looking for. A moment later, he found his subject.
"Poisons," Miro muttered.
He scanned the books, running his fingers down the bindings until he came to a volume that sounded promising.
"Poisons of the Alchemists' Guild," Miro read the title aloud.
He took down the volume and began to read.
~
MIRO tried to hurry, but there was so much material to go through. Fortunately the Alchemists' Guild was secretive about its arts, and the author spent more time on historical uses and symptoms than ingredients and formulae. He read about poisonous liquids and powdered glass, mushrooms that caused visions and poison used on clothing.
Finally, Miro came to a section describing a poison that could be combined with black powder to devastating effect. The author only knew of the one poison, but it was the one Miro was looking for.
Arsenic can be combined with black powder, making an already deadly substance even more so. Symptoms are spots on the fingernails, vomiting, paralysis and eventual death. I have heard it said there is a cure, but if there is, only the alchemists know what it is.
Miro put the book down and looked once more at the shelf.
A voice behind him made him rigid with shock.
"Interesting reading?"
Miro turned around. Emir Volkan stood alone, his head tilted as he watched Miro with curiosity.
Miro's hand went around the hilt of his sword.
"Need I remind you we have your wife in custody?" the Emir said, regarding Miro with his piercing gaze. "Ah, but you're thinking that you can kill me and rescue her before the alarm can be raised."
Emir Volkan waved an arm, and soldiers appeared from around the distant shelves, watching Miro warily. "I visit this library often, but I am afforded little privacy. Drop your weapon."
Miro looked around him, counting more guards than he could take alone. He threw the sword to the floor, suddenly realising that he had doomed both himself and Amber. He'd had to try.
"So, Miro Torresante, tell me, what were you looking for?"