The guy looked puzzled but pleased. "Of course! This way!"
Kalugal followed him, but instead of going into his cramped office, he herded their entire group toward the back door. "Everyone out. Now. Act natural."
"What's wrong?" Fenella whispered.
"Suspicious company about to enter." He pulled the shop door shut behind them and turned to the confused proprietor who'd followed them out. "You're closing early today and going home. Lock the door."
"Yes... Yes, of course." The proprietor fumbled for his keys, moving like a sleepwalker.
"This way," Kalugal directed, leading them not back into the main bazaar but down a narrow side alley. "Quickly, but don't run."
They followed, packages rustling, trying to look like a group of lost tourists, except for Ahmed and his two companions, whose eyes darted in all directions.
"Are they following?" Max asked, his hand drifting toward where Fenella knew he had a weapon concealed.
"Not yet, but they might once they realize—there." Kalugal grabbed a door handle seemingly at random, only to find it locked. A quick twist of immortal strength broke the mechanism, and he ushered them all inside what appeared to be a carpet shop's storage room.
They emerged into a different section of the market, and Kalugal kept them moving, taking seemingly random turns until Fenella had no idea where they were.
"Why didn't you just shroud us?" Din asked quietly as they paused in the shade of an archway. "You can make us look like different people to whoever was following us."
Kalugal gestured with his chin at Ahmed and the guards. "Because my security team would not understand what's goingon and might run off screaming about dark magic or djinn. As I said earlier, it's hard to find reliable security in Cairo."
"Fair point," Din conceded.
"Who was watching us?" Fenella asked. "Brotherhood goons?"
"I'm not sure," Kalugal admitted. "They were watching us through the display window, so I couldn't sense if they were immortals. They could have been just common thieves who zeroed in on tourists who are buying everything in sight." He gave Din a pointed look.
"Hey, I was maintaining our cover," Din protested, shifting his armload of packages. "And nothing in here is particularly valuable."
"You bought the lamp," Fenella said flatly.
"It's a nice lamp, and it was well priced."
"We don't have a house!"
"We will, and I want us to decorate it. I could see this lamp over a reading chair."
He was so cute that she felt like kissing him right then and there, but it really wasn't the time or the place. "You're impossible."
"I prefer adorable."
"If you two are done," Max interrupted their banter, "maybe we should focus on the fact that we just got actual intelligence? This Isa character in the City of the Dead sounds promising."
"That's true," Kalugal said. "I peeked inside the shopkeeper's mind and, surprisingly, he was telling the truth about that. Butwe can't go there today. We need to lose the tail, go home, and explore the place tomorrow."
"The City of the Dead," Jasmine mused. "That's the cemetery district where people live among the tombs, correct?"
"Indeed," Kalugal confirmed. "Many thousands of people make their homes there, some families for generations. It's a maze of mausoleums, crypts, and improvised housing. Easy to get lost in, easier yet to disappear in."
"Sounds perfect for someone who wants to stay hidden," Ell-rom observed.
"Right then," Ahmed said, finally finding his voice. "Professor, please, we should return to the cars. This is becoming dangerous."
Kalugal turned his most charming smile on the man. "Ahmed, my friend, I apologize for the excitement. Academic passion sometimes overrides common sense. You're right, of course. Let's return to the house."
The security chief looked mollified. "The vehicles are parked near the Khan. We'll need to backtrack carefully."
