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“Better that we leave it for now,” you tell Misty, “I want to see what Cato has to say about all this. There's something I need to tell you all about. Better that we don't do anything hasty just yet.”
“You know, I'm so glad you said that,” Misty admits, “I really didn't want to get in another argument with Lucian, so-”
“But before we go, there's something I need to ask our friend over there,” you interrupt, nodding back to Steiner. Misty shrugs, letting go of your sleeve and allowing you to walk back over to him. “How are your people holding up, Steiner?” you ask him, with a vague gesture back towards the dig site, “I couldn't help but notice that we're missing a few.”
“Ah, that's the problem with getting ignorant peasants. They handle manual labour well, and they come cheap, but they can be awfully suspicious,” he answers, waving the subject away with a casual flick of his hand, “I reckon that a few of them took one look at that statue and sneaked out on us. It's fine – now that we know where to dig, we don't need quite so many men.”
“I see,” you pause, “And it doesn't strike you as strange that they disappear like this while Lucian is talking about sacrifice?”
Steiner's eyes widen. “Hey, hey. Let's not jump to conclusions!” he insists, lowering his voice, “They haven't, ah, disappeared. I know exactly where they are. Nothing to worry about, kid. Better that you don't know where they went.”
You don't answer this, merely fixing him with a cold glare.
“Okay, so you want to know where they went. You're not going to cut me any slack, are you?” Steiner sighs, “I sent them to talk business with a few of my contacts, see what this statue might be worth. Just as a precaution, you know?”
You let out a sigh of your own. It's certainly better than the alternative, but you don't like this idea much either. It's all too easy to imagine some wealthy trader sending his thugs to try and take by force what Lucian won't sell them.
-
When you return to the dig site, you see that the rest of the statue has been uncovered. The workers have pulled it upright with ropes, allowing the statue to stand upright for the first time in uncountable years. They seem fascinated, but just looking at it causes your stomach to churn with unease. One of the statue's arms is raised towards the sky, but your eyes are immediately drawn to the other hand, held coquettishly over her navel.
“Ugh,” Misty mutters, “Maybe we should cover it up with a sheet or something.”
“You could suggest it, sure,” you joke, forcing a smirk, “But I think you'll be outvoted.”
“Ugh,” she repeats, turning away and hurrying up towards the church. You start to follow, only to glance back as you see Lucian out of the corner of your eye. He stares at the statue with a cold intensity, his face almost as hard and impassive as that of the statue himself. With a faint shudder, you turn and follow Misty to the church.
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