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The echo of a falling rock cascaded through the damp space long after the actual rock had ceased to move. With that echo came the voice of Erastos who stood nearby. She could sense him somewhere to her right, but the thick silk scarf that he had tied gently over her eyes prevented her from seeing where she was and where he stood.
“We are here, my Queen.” He said, “May I remove the blindfold?”
Zenobia was eager to look around, but she was also cautious. She, more than anybody, knew that it was important for her to be ignorant of the details of her loyal guard’s findings. “Yes, if you are sure there is nothing here that I will recognize.”
Erastos touched her right shoulder reassuringly before he untied the scarf. “We are deep within the cave now, my Queen, and I have only one torch li
