When she found whoever it was that had set her up, Shalina would have a few words with them, she thought. Although she’d let a knife in the kidney do most of the talking, perhaps.
But that was for later.
She had to admit it, it had been a pretty good trap. Simple, but effective. When it came to plans, she had learned by experience, simple usually was better. And here she was, trying to get back to her boat through the myriad smelly alleys of Tanger.
There was always the chance that her boat would be guarded of course. On the one hand she hadn’t landed anywhere near the docks, but on the other hand whoever had set her up knew a lot about her habits and it was not an impossibility that they knew where she had hidden her boat either.
The clever thing would be to find a hiding place outside the city and lay low, but her livelihood was in that boat, not to mention a bundle of priceless books.
Her mind was boiling over with thoughts as she crept along. The books… there was the possibility they and not she was the target. It wouldn’t be the first time she was robbed of her cargo, but these books were a little too special to lose if she wanted to live for very much longer…
She recognized the tower of the Tanjah mosque and turned left, only to nearly bump into a guard. Shit! Even here? Or was he just on a regular patrol? She quickly ducked back around the corner and thought of alternative routes. She could go south around the mosque and duck across the street, but it would mean a detour, or she could go east and then across the roofs.
She hesitated for a moment, but the setting moon made the decision easy, and she went for the rooftops.