The Thief of Shagrim

Like anyone in Afeek's profession invariably did, the young Katrin had often wondered what it would be like to die. Of course, his imagination in that respect usually only stretched as far as dying peacefully in his sleep; but seeing the Sultan's Palace, gleaming like a jewel in a huge pile of dung, brought far more vivid images to mind.

He was sitting on a roof opposite the palace, and considering once again the benefits of becoming a baker. Or maybe even a sewage worker, although such a job in Shagrim was probably more dangerous than being a thief. It had been three days since he had left the Sheikh's home, and he was still no nearer to finding a way to gain the sceptre.

Getting in was not the problem. The Sultan worked on the principle that there was nobody stupid enough to try and gain access to the Palace in the first place, and in most cases he was right. The big problem would be getting into the chamber of the Sceptre with all his pieces intact. The Sultan of Shagrim was a naturally paranoid ruler, and he had guards to watch his guards. And even those had one or two others watching them, just to be sure. Trying to understand the complex system of security was like trying to understand why the Gods had seen fit to make Minotaurs. It was a problem he might never solve.

He frowned and chewed on a furry lip absently. The Palace was a sprawling heap of turrets, minarets, towers, walkways, bridges, and a dozen other protrusions that Afeek could not think of a name for. Just looking at the place was enough to give the casual observer a headache. Half a minute of close inspection revealed a dozen potential entrances. Of course, any one of those might lead into a room full of armed guards who would cut him to ribbons in seconds and return to their game of cards without batting an eyelid. He just had no way of knowing for sure.

At last he came to a decision. He would just have to leave Shagrim. The city had lost what few charms it had anyway, and the penalties for being caught thieving were reason enough to get out while he still could. He wondered why he had even come here in the first place.

But of course, leaving would mean going somewhere else, and Afeek was becoming dangerously low on options. Keldabar was out; he was still wanted by the Broken Dagger Clan for saying their leader had fewer brains than a Halfling after a barroom fight with a Ogre. Half the guards in Phatep wanted him for one misdemeanour or another, and only showing his face in Aina would bring all the pirates in the land down on him.

He sighed and turned his attention back to the Palace. Like it or not, he had to get the Sceptre, and quickly.

He decided to approach the situation from a different angle. He knew that the Sultan was a careful man, and certainly not a stupid one, but he was arrogant, and prideful. That meant that he would put the Sceptre in a place that was safe, but could also be seen by visitors to the palace. That, unfortunately, left few places, and none of them seemed very likely.

He scratched at his neck absently, wondering if the fleas had returned, and stared in frustration at the Palace. The Sceptre was in there somewhere, and a thief with his skills should have no problem gaining access. Of course, a thief with his skill should not have been put in a position like this in the first place, but that was not the point. He took pride in his work, and in his ability to steal anything, anywhere.

A sudden idea came to mind, and Afeek sat upright quickly. It was said that the Sceptre was kept in a case somewhere deep in the Palace, and most people believed it. But that would not conform to the Sultan's overly inflated ego. Keeping something so precious, in a place that could not even see the light of day, was like suggesting the Sultan take only one wife. It was ridiculous. His conceited arrogance would not allow it.

Afeek rewarded himself with an evil chuckle, which always made him feel better. He now knew where the Sceptre was!

The chuckle naturally brought a fresh wave of intelligent thought, and the Katrin's face dropped even lower than it had been before, if that was possible. The job had suddenly become even harder. Impossible sprang to mind…

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