Shayne noticed he remained silent all the way back down into his home. He reached a door and revealed a small kitchen. There was a sink and a large cast iron oven. He had a fire to the side that held a cauldron for making stews and soups. A round wooden table sat to one side of the room in a corner. It was worn with scratches and chunks missing on the top.
He swung the cauldron out from over the fire and grabbed two bowls, "Do you want something to eat because the food is ready."
She shook her head yes knowing she would be hungry later if she didn't eat. He set two bowls down on the table and threw down some spoons. He found some bread and cut two large slices to go with their meal. He sat down in front of her and ate with no sound although she noticed he struggled with the process. She watched him momentarily and started eating herself so he wouldn't think she was judging his eating etiquette. She finished after a few minutes of steady eating.
She leaned on her elbow and stared into space. She was with him everyday and she saw more and more of him. She had actually come to like him, like a friend. She sat there for a long time and didn't even hear Erik the first time he asked her a question.
"Shayne did you hear me?" he said waving his hand in front of her.
"What?"
He pointed to her bowl, "I said do you want me to take your bowl?"
"Oh, yeah that is fine," she said as she stood up.
She strode to the door and asked, "Will you show me how to get back?"
"Yes Shayne let me put these bowls away."
They went off to the right and headed back towards his lair. The velvet that hung over the opening came out in an alcove that was hidden between his table and a large shuffle of papers. Her feet felt like lead as she trudged up the steps to the room. Effortlessly she fell into the bed her mind elsewhere. The air around her felt cold and lifeless making goose bumps form on her legs and arms.
A knock sounded throughout the place Erik called home. He opened a door and grimaced, "What do you want Nadir?"
"Just coming to see how you were doing," he replied shortly.
Erik turned back around and said with disdain, "Here I am. Now you saw how I was, leave."
"Yes, I would love some tea," Nadir walked into the middle of the room.
"That's not what I said."
"I know."
Shayne peeked around the corner and saw a short middle sized Persian man. His hair and skin was dark and his eyes were gentle and brown. He was a handsome man a mustache covering his top lip and wrinkles creased around his eyes. She descended the steps and put on a smile.
Erik caught white out of the corner of his eyes and spun around. Sweet Shayne stood in the shadows her hands clasped in front of her like a young child. Her hair haloed around her face in fresh ringlets of copper fire. Her eyes were rimmed in red but the colors were so bright that he had to look away. The man with the dark features creased his forehead and looked to Erik.
Erik grimaced, "Nadir this is Shayne, Shayne this is Nadir. I'll meet you in the living room with some tea."
Nadir shook Shayne's hand and proceeded to walk through a curtain closest to the water and entered a room filled with pillows. A fireplace sat at to side and large red and gold pillows were strewn everywhere. Some were piled up and others sat around a round table in the middle of the room. Nadir sat down close to the table on a large throw that was draped over the pillow. She felt like she was in an Persian palace as she plopped down across from Nadir.
Erik entered the room with a silver tray. On top were three cups and a teapot. He placed them on the table and sat down in between Shayne and Nadir. After he poured the tea they sat silently with the cups in hand.
"So, Nadir, How do you and Erik know each other?" Shayne started the conversation since it seemed that no one else was going to.
Nadir lifted an eyebrow, "I met him in Persia."
"I didn't think Erik had any friends," she said not able to resist.
Nadir coughed on the tea as it went down his throat. Erik turned an evil glance her way. She just smiled.
"Where did you find her Erik?" Nadir questioned as he took another sip of tea.
He rolled his eyes, "I stole her."
Nadir once again almost choked on his tea, "You what? Stop trying to get a rise out of me."
"No I didn't steal her. She found her way down here somehow."
"Oh. Where did she come from?"
"Why don't you ask her that?"
Shayne glanced at both of them, "Well I came from the year 2015."
Nadir turned back to Erik, "Is she crazy?"
"No, I'm not crazy," she shrieked.
Erik nodded, "She's not crazy."
"Oh, and you would know," Nadir mumbled.
"I heard that."
Nadir shifted on the pillows, "Erik, I need to talk to you about something. Something private."
Erik glanced over at Shayne, "Would you please leave?"
Shayne stood up and left but had no intention of missing this conversation. She closed the drape and moved behind another curtain to hide. Erik peeked out the curtain a few minutes later. Even though she felt bad she also felt good because she had tricked him.
She tiptoed over to the water and stood silently up against the wall straining to hear. Her eyes closed so she could concentrate on the private conversation.
Erik turned around and looked at the curtain. He didn't hear a sound. Nadir faced him and started to whisper, "Do you think she is gone?"
"I'm pretty sure she is. I don't think she would disobey me."
Nadir sighed, "Well then. Let's get back to business. I'm not sure as of yet but I have been hearing rumors about some men. Men from Persia. They have a picture of you without your mask, and they are looking for you. Far and wide they are searching."
"Who sent them?"
"I think that Sultana Sherab sent them," Nadir said solemnly.
She heard Erik moved across the room, "Well, they will never find me here. Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Time for you to leave then."
Nadir did not stand up, "What about that girl? What are you going to do with her? Are you not teaching Christine also?"
"I'm not going to do anything with her. Now if you would leave I would appreciate it because I have things that I need to do."
Nadir stood up defeated knowing he would not get any more answers tonight.
Shayne ran across the room and up the stairs quickly before Erik and Nadir could leave the room. She sat up on the bed until she heard the shutting of the door. She did not see Erik for the rest of the night. After a short while she wandered to the library where she fell asleep reading one of his books on Persia.