The Lotus Thief novel · Chapter 4 of 32

Chapter 4: Two Liars on One Horse

They rode north with Ton behind the saddle and his bag across his lap.

The horse was well-bred and hated the weight, and let them know for the first hour.

Bua rode without talking.

The road narrowed and the fields gave way to scrub and then to low trees.

Around noon they came to a stream and Bua stopped and let the horse drink.

Ton slid down and washed his face.

He stayed standing while he did it, in case.

"You can sit," Bua said.

"I'm fine."

"You've been gripping the saddle horn for two hours."

"Your horse doesn't like me."

"He doesn't like anyone. Sit down."

Ton sat down with his back against a tree, where he could see the road both ways.

Bua sat across the stream from him and pulled off his boots and put his feet in the water.

"Tell me about the map," he said.

"Tell me why you're following a thief."

"The thief is going somewhere I need to go."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the beginning of one."

Bua leaned back on his hands.

"Three months ago my father was healthy. He rode with me every morning."

"Then he started sleeping late. Then he stopped riding."

"Now he's in his bed and the physicians say it's his age."

"He's sixty-one. He can still lift a sword."

Ton looked at the water.

"Poison," he said.

"That's my thought."

"Then say it out loud."

"To whom? My uncle runs the household. My uncle chose the physicians."

"If I accuse my father's brother of poisoning him, and I'm wrong, I lose everything."

"If I'm right, I start a war in the family while my father's still breathing."

He picked up a stone and turned it over.

"So I've said nothing. For three months."

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Lotus Thief from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.