Chapter 18: The Assassin and the Prophet
Abdel ibn Zaid, high priest of the rimahniya temple, remained closeted in his private quarters long after Shammara had left the caves to return to the city of Ravan. He knelt on the hard stone floor of his cell, facing the niche that held his personal shrine. In the niche was a piece of solidified tar half the size of a man’s fist; it was said to be a small piece of pitch taken from the Pits of Torment, domain of Rimahn and his daevas. This was a symbol of ibn Zaid’s master, a token bequeathed to each high priest of the rimahniya in his turn. It was to this black rock that Abdel ibn Zaid now fervently prayed.
The rimahniya had tried before at Shammara’s request to kill Prince Ahmad, and each previous attempt had failed. Ibn Zaid was convinced the
