Huge Ajax's Arc

Chapter 91 of 619

They rode out of the farmyard by mid-morning with the ledger in Ajax's saddlebag and two names left on the list. The scrying ring sat cool on his finger. He had the day and no more. Ajax pushed the group north along a cart track until the sun stood high, then called a halt at a dry wash for water and rest. Tucker slid down and pulled his satchel around to check the take from the house. He knelt in the dirt and laid it out. Coin. A folded strip of silk. A small ring with no stone, plain and gray. He turned the ring in his fingers, shrugged, and dropped it back in the bag. Chalam had been watering his horse ten paces off. He stopped. He walked over slow and set his staff against a stump. He crouched beside Tucker and did not look at him. "That ring," Chalam said. "Give it here a moment." Tucker fished it out and passed it over. Chalam turned it in the sun. His mouth tightened. He glanced up the wash to where Ajax stood with Grayson, out of hearing. "Keep your voice down," Chalam said. "This is not nothing." Tucker sat back on his heels. "Talk." "It makes a man especially appealing to anyone within ten feet of him. It also makes him charming enough to extract information from them." Chalam set the ring back in Tucker's palm and closed his fingers over it and said, “I will secretly tell Ajax of it and assure him of your prudence in using it.” Tucker put the ring back into his satchel for future use. He nodded once. Chalam stood, picked up his staff, and walked back to his horse. Ajax whistled from up the wash. "Mount." Tucker got up brushing dust from his knees. He caught Ajax's eye across the wash and gave him the easy half-smile he gave everyone. Ajax nodded and swung into the saddle.