Page 1541

((The 14 pages of Valentine's Day + Double Wednesday -- Page 9 of 16))
Zeff and Axiolis visited the last place where Axiolis had sensed them, which turned out to be some kind of empty moat around a stone monument. But without any idea of what to look for or visible traces of where they might have gone, Zeff soon started consulting the Hun’Sho for information.

At first, he’d been polite. Then he’d gotten steadily more assertive.

Now he was angry and looking for Torveis, the Hun’Sho who had spoken to the group the most during their first day in Himmekel.

A different Hun’Sho approached him first, however. It was a physically brighter and larger man, hands held out in front of him as an apparent sign of peaceable intention.

“Please,” the molten man said, “you are scaring my people, Kare’Hyomen.”

Zeff’s expression twitched. ‘What did he just call me?’

‘It’s not an insult,’ said Ax. ‘It’s their name for those from the surface. The same way that Hun’Sho is our name for them.’

And it took concentrated effort, but Zeff tried to steady himself. He had no proof of their guilt. And he knew that treating them like criminals would not aid him in acquiring their assistance.

Willingly, anyway.

“I apologize if I have been causing you alarm,” said Zeff with a stiff jaw, noticing that more Hun’Sho were gathering around them. “But my kin are missing, and I must find them as soon as possible. Can you help me?”

“I will do all I can. My name is Lemoros. Might I ask yours?”

“Zeff.”

“Then, Zeff, let us go somewhere more private and speak there.”

“Let us not. Let us speak right here, right now.”

That was obviously not what Lemoros wanted to hear, and the Hun’Sho man looked around at the open street and increasing amount of onlookers.

Zeff just tried not to feel like they were gathering around to lynch him. “If you have any idea where they might have gone, please stop wasting my time and tell me.” Then, more loudly, he addressed the crowd “That goes for all of you. If you have anything to tell me, anything that might help me find my kin, then do so now, and I will leave you alone.”

‘Please,’ Ax added, ‘we are very worried about them. They are as precious to us as I am sure all of you are to one another.’

Someone laughed.

Zeff’s attention was drawn instantly. “Who was that?” he said. The voice had come from his left. He knew that much and took a step toward it. “Who laughed just now?”

Dead silence.

“Who laughed?!” he growled, no longer in control of his anger.

“Please, Mr. Zeff--” tried Lemoros.

“Step forward now or be hunted down!” said Zeff, taking another step.

The crowd was perfectly still now. Beings of magma, frozen. Not even daring to look at one another, apparently. And why weren’t they? Weren’t they confused? He couldn’t read Hun’Sho expressions and so didn’t know if they were frightened, but surely, they should have looking around at one another in confusion, no?

Was it because none of them were confused? Was it because they all knew exactly what was happening here?