The first thing I noticed about him was how tall he was. He was about half a head taller than myself, which was tall to begin with. The second thing I noticed was how strange his eyes were. The irises shown like gold. I only noticed them because it was the only part of his face that I could actually see. I had only heard of the sultana's "toymaker," but I hadn't arrested anyone who warranted such a sentence… until now.

Not many had the nerve to assassinate the sultana. She was fair to those who didn't cross her. But there had been whispers from those who were bitter with the world and wanted someone to blame. Unfortunately, the scapegoat was the most powerful woman in Persia. The would-be assassins were woefully unorganized. It had been too easy to catch them.

The toymaker's office was as gloomy as one could expect. I knew he didn't operate from the palace dungeons, but we were instructed to bring the traitors there anyway. I only hoped that my men and I didn't have to watch. There were dozens of rumors about the toymaker's methods, each more ghastly than the last. Seeing him before me, eyes wild, each one was seeming more true by the second.

"Ah, right on time. Welcome." His voice was surprisingly clear. Its deep baritone was… unsettling. "Gentleman, thank you for delivering my new test subjects. This will be fun. You may go now, thank you." My men released their prisoners, but I had to stay to give my report to the sultana.

"Daroga, would you excuse me for a moment?" All I could do was nod. I handed the chains to him and he led the prisoners to untold horrors. About two hours passed, yet I didn't hear anything. The toymaker arrived as suddenly as he had left.

"Thank you for waiting. Twenty men is a rather large specimen. Some unexpected things were bound to occur." As he spoke, his eyes never left me. His face was still covered. I'm not one to scare easy, but he terrified me. Allah knows what happened to those men, and Allah help anyone who crosses him.

"Do you have what the sultana asked for?"

"Patience, Daroga. There's no rush. Have a drink. You seem… uneasy." He was right. Against my better judgement, I accepted his offer. I had no cause to think he'd kill me save for the hell of it. But our employer wouldn't be too pleased with that.

His movements were fluid, almost like a dancer. More like a European. His Persian was near perfect, but there were hints of a French accent in his words. Despite my fluency in the fluency in the language, I'd never been to France. The wine the toymaker had given me was French. It tasted too rich for my tastes, but I still drank it.

"You handle your nerves well."

"… I beg your pardon?"

"I frighten you, no?"

"Not frightened. I'm just separating fact from fiction."

"And your verdict?" There was a smug look in his eyes. He thinks he knows what I'm going to say.

"What exactly did you do to the prisoners?" His eyes widened in shock. I guess the toymaker wasn't used to having his methods questioned. Or hearing French in Persia.

"I merely released them in a maze of mirrors. Everything that happened to them, they did themselves." There was a new tension in the air. Being stared at so intently was spurring a warm feeling throughout my body. I had to learn everything about this masked toymaker. He was a mystery I couldn't dare leave unsolved.

"Tell me, monsieur Toymaker, how on Earth were you able to get French wine here? It tastes ridiculously expensive."

"That's because it is ridiculously expensive. The sultana is kind enough to allow me my more… eccentric tastes."

"I have a feeling those tastes go beyond wine."

"All men's tastes extend beyond wine, Daroga." He stood and began to circle my seat like a vulture. Strangely, I felt… aroused? This toymaker was unlike any man I had been attracted to. But was this intentional? Was he seducing me for a laugh? Or was he even seducing me at all? Had he put something in that wine?

He ended his circling and began approaching me from behind. Thin, gloved hands grasped my broad shoulders. I had to remember to keep breathing.

"Where do your tastes lie, Daroga?" His voice, barely a whisper, tickled my ear. Whatever he was offering, I was willing to take it. But I was not brave enough.

"In getting my job done. The sultana's tokens, if you please." The toymaker remained still for several moments. Then, he removed his hands and returned to his side of the desk in the blink of an eye. He grabbed a blue pouch that I hadn't noticed before and tossed it to me. I had to check its contents, so I opened the pouch to find twenty pinky fingers. I had what I needed.

"Thank you, monsieur."

"Always happy to serve the sultana." With a small bow of my head, I turned to leave. However, a small cat decided to make my acquaintance. Its blue eyes stared at me with a rather curious look.

"Ahh, I see my mother wanted to meet you."

"The cat?" The cat in question sauntered over to the toymaker and allowed him to lift her in his strong arms.

"Yes. Ayesha takes care of me the way a mother should. I would wither away from starvation if not for her… I hope to see you again soon, Daroga." All I could do was nod before leaving that dungeon.