As they began to move, Din was glad to see the alley widening ahead and branching off in several directions.
Jasmine declared the spot perfect for scrying, and when they stopped and gathered around her, she reached into her bag and pulled out a stick that was about a foot long. It was just a simple twig, which she must have stripped and sanded down herself.
That was what she used as a scrying rod?
Din had never seen one used outside of academic discussions about ancient divination practices, and the ones he'd seen were much more intricate, carved with symbols and other decorations.
Jasmine held the stick loosely in her hand, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the tip of the rod began to dip, pulling downward and to the left.
"Until not too long ago, I would have called it mumbo jumbo," Max muttered. "But she found Ell-rom and Morelle using this stick."
"The proof is in the pudding," Fenella said.
They chose the alley that Jasmine's stick indicated, winding deeper into the cemetery. The tombs here were even older, some partially collapsed, while others had been reinforced with modern materials in haphazard attempts at preservation. The residents were fewer, and the alleys quieter.
"We're being watched from all over," Ahmed said quietly. "I don't know if they are curious or hostile."
Din had noticed it too. Faces in windows that disappeared when he looked at them, shadows that moved just at the edge of vision. The locals were tracking their progress, probably wondering what had brought such an unusual group to this corner of their domain.
"Just keep moving," Kalugal advised.
They turned another corner and found themselves in a small courtyard surrounded by ancient tombs. Unlike the rest of the cemetery, this area had been kept relatively clean. The stones had been swept, and the worst of the decay had been repaired. It felt almost cared for.
Jasmine's rod pointed firmly toward a tomb entrance sealed with a steel door. Unlike the improvised barriers they'd seenelsewhere, this one looked professionally installed, complete with multiple locks and a security camera mounted above it.
"This is it," Kyra said with certainty. "The one we're looking for is in there."
"The good news is that we are in the right place," Max said. "The bad news is that we need to figure out how to get in without starting an international incident."
"In front of a crowd of onlookers," Din added, noting movement in his peripheral vision.
They'd attracted quite an audience along the way, but everyone was maintaining a careful distance and doing a good job of staying hidden.
Kalugal studied the door. "How about I just knock?"
"Wait," Fenella interrupted. "Look."
She pointed to a small brass plaque beside the door, so tarnished it was barely visible against the ancient stone. Arabic script had been etched into the metal, along with a symbol that looked familiar.
"That's the same mark that was on Tula's figurine," Jasmine said. "The one the Clan Mother couldn't identify."
Excitement thrummed through Din. They'd actually located Esag's workshop.
"Can I knock now?" Kalugal asked.
"With five locks and security cameras, the owner is well aware of us standing out here," Max said. "There is no need to knock."
"We could just wait," Ell-rom suggested.
"In this neighborhood?" Ahmed shook his head. "We shouldn't stay here. Word has already spread about a group of tourists with private guards, which indicates that they are wealthy. The hoodlums are assembling while we stand here, exposed."
He was right. They were attracting too much attention. But they'd come too far to leave empty-handed.
"I'm going to knock," Kalugal said. "And if no one responds, I can get us in quickly and quietly. Ahmed, have your men secure the perimeter. The rest of you, stay with me and get ready for anything."
Din did not agree with Kalugal's plan. What right did they have to break into someone's home or workplace?
"We shouldn't," he said as Kalugal knocked. "I mean, we shouldn't enter if he doesn't open the door."
