“Just commenting.” He smiled. “I believe I can tolerate our arrangement.” He suddenly turned to look at Dalai. “Did you really toss her in a trunk down here?” He watched as Dalai froze, her gaze fixed on him. “I believe you did,” he said softly. “When you start choosing your half, save the trunk for me.”
“If I get my statue,” Zahra said. “And you make sure I’ll have no more trouble with Robaku. Then you’ll get everything I promised.”
“I’ve already paid my dues to you. I did it the day I destroyed that schoolroom for you. Consider everything else as a bonus.” He met her eyes. “And you know I’ll do it well. You’ve watched me do it before. There won’t be anyone left alive when I’ve finished here.”
“And how you enjoy it.” She chuckled. “You should pay me.”
“Not amusing.” He glanced around the room overflowing with treasure. “And if I don’t get what I consider my fair share, I’ll have to take it. Now show me how I get to that tunnel you said would take me to the museum from here.”
The tunnel! Dalai froze. Why was he asking that? Dalai’s eyes widened in panic as she whirled to Zahra. “The tunnel you had started when you had the museum built? But remember, you decided not to finish it. You said you liked the idea of linking them to have a way to get the treasure out, but then you realized thieves could also get into the treasure room through the museum.”
“Of course, I remember,” Zahra said coldly. “But necessities change. Varak said he needed a way to get into the museum undetected. The tunnel was over two-thirds done, and Varak said that he’ll have no problem setting off an explosion that will allow him to blow the rest of it. He said one blast, and he’d be inside the museum.” She smiled. “Won’t that be an interesting surprise for Eve Duncan?” She turned to Varak. “I don’t mind your blowing her up, but you bring me my statue intact. I’m making it easy enough for you.”
“You forget that there’s more than this little surprise to think about,” Varak said sarcastically. “It’s only a way to get in without being seen. I also have to worry about what happens once I hit that area with the second round of explosives. Where’s that tunnel?”
“Behind that granite rock to the left of the ladder. Show him, Dalai.”
Dalai was already moving toward the ladder. This was all going wrong, she thought desperately. Who would have thought Zahra would remember this old tunnel? But Dalai should have thought about it. Eve Duncan might die because she hadn’t considered the possibility it might be used.
“Get out of my way.” Varak was striding out of the treasure room and heading toward the ladder. “You’re shaking. Why are you scared? It’s no wonder I find you such a bore.” He was working at loosening the rock behind the ladder with the pick he’d yanked from his backpack. “Maybe I should take you with me and show you something to be really afraid about.” The rock came free, and he rolled it aside and peered into the damp darkness. “Stinking mess.” He put on his backpack. “I’m going to have to crawl most of the way. You’d better not have lied to me, Zahra.” He disappeared into the darkness.
Dalai watched for a moment before she whirled around and turned back to Zahra. “Did you lie to him? Can he get through?”
She shrugged. “He thinks he can. I wouldn’t lie when it means my statue. I want him to get to the museum.”
“But you lied to him about the Minister of Police. I wasn’t sure he’d believe you.”
“Neither was I. But it worked, didn’t it? Not bad for a ‘stupid’ woman.”
“Do you think that he’ll actually get you the statue?”
She shrugged. “I believe he’ll kill Duncan and take the statue from her. Whether he intends to give it to me won’t be clear until it happens. But at least he will have done what I needed him to do as far as Duncan is concerned. Once he gets back here, I’ll know what I need to do about him.” She tilted her head as she gazed critically around the treasure room. “Pity. I might actually have to give him some of Kiya’s treasures if he does everything he promised he’d do here. As he said, he’s quite lethal, and he could succeed.” She added cheerfully, “But I can