~ ” You cannot recall what you said, Najiyah?” Kaniel incredulously repeated the Sorceress’s words, making a small warding sign with his hand as if the Vizier was somehow touched by the Evil Eye or something worse.” You could sense Easifa, it seemed. You declared that he had been in our presence the entire time, and you looked as though you were about to attack the Djinn. It was … most unlike you.”
Kaniel looked Najiyah over, placing a large hand of his upon her shoulder with a softness to his yellowed eyes.
” Are you sure you are alright? Forgetting things that happened mere minutes ago does not seem to be a trait a Vizier would have. You recall nothing?”
That alone was most unsettling, but that was not the only thing that troubled the Half-Orc.
” As for Easifa, Salahuddin,” he addressed the sha’ir, ” To keep an agent of the Djinn hidden from us as we conduct this investigation? Within the house of The Sheikh? As we discuss matters vital to Tajar and the rest of this area? I accept your apology, Wind-Called Consort, as I truly believe you meant no harm in keeping Easifa by our side, but even you must admit that This One must wonder where your allegiance falls: to the Mortal Realm, or to that of your Mistress? We are in the service of The Grand Caliph, not the Caliph of The Djinn, Son of Hamid.”
Djinn were a … tricky sort. On the one hand, Kaniel knew full well that of most Genies, it was those touched by Wind that were often the most helpful. Yet, they were still Genies, with their own whims and their own desires. With Kaniel’s blade pledged to The Grand Caliph of Zakhara and The Sheikh of Tajar to investigate issues with Janni and now possibly Efreeti, the Half-Orc did not relish the idea of the Djinni becoming involved as well. They oftentimes did not understand the needs and concerns of mortals. Speaking of …
” How … did you sense Easifa, Najiyah?” he asked, curious in that the Vizier, for her insight, did not bring this up earlier, before the Gen had revealed himself, ” I would assume if your arcane gifts had alerted you to Salahuddin’s familiar prior, this aggressi- … Reaction, of yours, would not have been so fiery. If it was not something born of Magic, then what?”
” And has anyone ever been left without their memory after encountering your Gen, Salahuddin?” he asked of The Consort, ” I am not very familiar with these matters and yet I recall the incident with clarity. Nothing like this has ever happened before? At all?” ~
At the vizier's unexpected statement, Nimar's poise falters, his eyes flitting over his men who are haranguing Derafsh but keeping their ears peeled to what happens is said over the chess match. He harbors no love for the Sheikh and perhaps has lingering allegiance to the deposed wicked Sultan, but he also feels a duty to look out for his family and fellows. In negotiations as with the chess match, Akilah has put Nimar al-Solak in a bind. "You are indeed the daughter of nobility," he says with a touch of irony and uncharacteristic awe, his second mouth ruefully enunciating 'nobility.'
