“I don’t know. Something, temple-like
I guess. This looks like a house , or a shop. It could be anything.
Other than the word 'Drendari' and the silver handles on the door,
it looks like any other building on this street.”
“Other than us I don’t see anyone paying much attention
to it either.” Mac Anu said.
“Sure would be nice to be paranoid for a reason.”
Naill said, “Just for a change.”
“There is always a reason.” Mac Anu responded.
The inside of the temple was just about as plain as the outside.
Small oil lamps lined the main room wall, giving just enough
light to see the pillows on the floor and the white hand painted
on the far wall to the left as they entered. A small alter,
with a statue shaped vaguely as a woman wearing gray was in
front of the painting. Sitting in front of the statue was a
wide silver bowl.
There was also a small group of men and women sitting on the
pillows, and meditating on the painting, and the statue. Mac
Anu turned to Naill and lifted an eyebrow. Naill shrugged her
shoulders, letting him know that she didn’t know what
they were doing either.
“Can I help you?” A woman asked from behind them.
She was wearing a grey robe and a small plate made of silver
hung from a chain between her breasts.
Mac Anu was at a loss. The worship of Drendari was in action,
not in contemplation. Temples were not on streets, nor did gate
guards know where they were. They were in back alleys, and in
the back rooms of stationary stores, and if you didn’t
know who to ask or what to look for, then you weren’t
going to find them.
“Ah, yes.” Mac Anu started, feeling his way, trying
to find the shadow path in this mixed up city. “I need
a map. Yes, a map of the city. Do you have one?” He was
going to pull the copper coin out the pickpocket had given him,
but decided to go more traditional, and instead, pulled out
two silver coins. “It doesn’t have to be anything
too fancy, but accuracy is important.” He continued, showing
the coins in his hand.
“Yes, I think we have something that might be what you
are looking for.” The woman answered, “Would you
mind coming back to the office so that we don’t disturb
the worship of these others?”
They followed her into the backroom, which was in fact an office,
with two desk areas.
