*
Dusk could not come quick enough. But when it did, it brought a gentle and calming breeze with it. The earth seemed to hush as the sun set, almost as though it was paying its last respects to the brightest star in the galaxy. Night fell swiftly afterwards, so that everywhere was dark by the time Fareed returned from the mosque.
At the gates of the mansion stood two other people, one of them towering over the other. A small pile of bags lay on the ground before them, and three horses were tied up behind them.
"Do we have everything we need?" he asked as he approached them.
"I have checked everything, Sahib," Lukman bowed his head as he spoke. "Everything is accounted for."
"Adequate," he said. "And the map?"
"It's right here with me," Noor said.
"Good," he said. "Wait for me
