The small, oval room contained only the bare essentials: a bed, a chair, a small table and a large chest. The shabby walls with their small windows were a little eerie, but above all, they bore witness to the state of everything in Bushtabhar.
‘Nice place.’ Darius tried to be as polite as possible.
‘It needs a bit of a refurbishment, but everything is kept in good condition nonetheless.’
‘A keep by the lake.’ Drius walked over to one of the small windows and looked down. The view of the lake and the savannah would have been breathtaking, were it not for the heat pouring in through the opening.
‘Part of the first fortification built here, successively expanded into the shape of the present citadel.’ The lieutenant looked around, pausing for a moment to glance at the Guards accompanying them. ‘The entire tower is at your disposal, Colonel. There is only one entrance here.’ He pointed down at the staircase. ‘It is also impossible to get inside through the windows or any other openings. The roof is solid, topped by a decorative dome.’ The officer listed the features.
‘Thank you for pointing out these advantages. Unfortunately, I understand they may be necessary?’ Bleist neither asked nor stated.
‘Please forgive me, but… there have been all sorts of things happening in our enclave recently.’ Al-Satar let out a sigh and slumped, as if he’d suddenly aged. The weight of his responsibilities and lack of sleep were etched on his face. When he stopped putting on a brave face, he looked like a man weighed down by a multitude of problems. ‘The murder of that... boy you asked about isn’t the first, nor the most horrific incident of its kind.’ He looked at Darius and, encouraged by a nod, continued. ‘I won’t claim that everything has been running smoothly since Sean Murphy became governor here. Quite the contrary. Everyone soon began to miss Kamal Solimal, a very cautious diplomat and conservative. At first, Murphy was just a paranoid man who trusted no one but his own subordinates. In fact, it was they
