Disguises

"You folks sure stirred up a pandorwasp nest. The whole blessed city is under martial law." Sister Margaret told them once Winlay and Mika joined them in the sitting room. "Master Templar Raistlor and Sir Werner have had the the convent buildings locked down for the past two days and the whole place has been searched systematically three times. First by the Templar, then by Sister Bernadette's disciples and finally, yesterday afternoon, by Beldan's personal guard."

Adam could just imagine how panicked the Master Templar and Warden Major Werner must be. Lord Raistlor might survive this kind of failure, but the Warden-Major's days were numbered. Even if the Oracle was somehow recaptured, (he shuddered at the thought) the High Priest was not likely to forgive or forget. Sir Werner would do well to ask for a reassignment to a very remote Templar station and pray that his application be accepted.

Adam wondered if a Chevalier agent could find a way to make contact with the Warden-Major, by all accounts Sir Warner had been a decent man before Beldan's rise in power and much more importantly would have a wealth of valuable information about Templar operations. Deep in thought, he missed much of Sister Margaret's description of the searches but paid more attention when she mentioned the sewers.

"... your trail, so they know you came out through the sewers." Adam wondered if somehow Sir Werner or Beldan could connect their escape to Sister Margaret and her next words did not help ease his worries. "I'm one of the three people in the convent who has a key to that gate so I've had a few intense conversations with both the Warden-Major and Sister Bernadette."

"But anyone could have picked that lock!" Exclaimed Mika in surprise.

"Perhaps dear," Replied Margaret with a smile that made the wrinkles at her eyes deepen "but I doubt pointing out the lapses in the convent security at this time is likely to endear me to either Werner or Bernadette." Adam suspected that Margaret was a little more worried than she let on, and he wondered if it was time for her to disappear as well.

"The searchers of course didn't know that they were looking for the Oracle, just that they were searching for two women pretending to be initates and a sick old man." Sister Margaret told them the news from the convent.

"The official story is that you two" she nodded at the two initiates "attempted to **** the High Priest two nights ago." Turning to the Oracle she added "And that you are the Cryn spy-master that coordinated the attempt. No word yet about your involvement Adam, but they are looking for you too." Adam had no illusions that he might be able to keep his cover, the fact that the Templar had not publicly identified him was no doubt an attempt on their part to avoid embarrassment.

"Unofficially though, rumors are circulating that the attempt on the High Priest was made in conjunction with the treacherous **** of the Oracle as he landed in Cryn." Adam nodded to himself, it was the logical thing to do. He didn't like it, but Beldan knew what he was doing; soon it would become official that the Republic of Cryn had killed the Oracle of Xelta. After that it would be difficult for the Chevalier to use the Oracle to discredit the High Priest. He turned his attention back to Sister Margaret just in time to hear her outline the plan of escape.

"Periodically I bring fresh vegetables from the gardens to the folks who are packed into the slums by the outer harbor." Sister Margaret told the four fugitives "Tomorrow you will make that trip with me. And so you aren't recognized..." Margaret paused with a twinkle in her eye "... I brought a few gifts for you." She carefully took a pair of sharp looking shears, several small vials and a pile of worn clothes from the bag at her feet. Turning to Mika she picked up the shears apologetically.

"I'm sorry dear, but that hair will have to go. Nearly everyone in all of Telnon is looking for a mischievous girl with a head full of golden curls." As her deft hands cut handfuls of Mika's hair with smooth precision she continued "However the streets are full of teenage boys with short ragged haircuts and insolent grins." Sister Margaret rubbed a dark smudge of mud onto Mika's cheek and chin to complete the effect. With her dirty face, short hair and wearing the oversized shirt belted at her waist Mika did look more like a street waif than the beautiful initiate that Adam had known for over a dozen years.

"My turn?" Asked Winlay and Adam admired her determination to do whatever was needed, even if it meant the loss of her beautiful hair. Sister Margaret just chuckled at the curvy initiate.

"Child, it would take a lot more than a haircut and a bit of mud to make anyone believe you are a teenage boy." Margaret set down the shears and picked up a small clear vial nearly full of a dark viscous fluid. "You Winlay, will be a prostitute - a pretty caramel-skinned native of the Barrington Islands working in one of the harbor's brothels." Margaret deftly dabbed the dark fluid onto Winlay's fair skin using a ball of cotton fiber. With each touch Winlay's pale complexion darkened into a rich golden brown.

"It's the juice of walnut husks among other things." Margaret explained "The smell will disappear in an hour or two, but your skin will stay this color for at least a week, maybe more." It took almost twenty minutes to darken Winlay's face, arms and long smooth legs. Sister Margaret next applied the liquid around Winlay’s long neck and delicate collarbones.

Adam had to look away when Winlay slipped the shirt off her shoulders so Margaret could tint them and the rounded tops of her pale breasts where they swelled above the cotton binding strips. Was it really just two days ago that he had lovingly carressed those perfect globes. Adam ached with need, but he knew that as painful as it was for both of them that this was the best solution.

It took a while and the little vial was only one third full when Margaret sat back with a smile on her face. "We'll braid your hair later too to perfect the look, but go try these on. You too Mika..." She gave each girl a bundle of clothing and passed hr the rest of the darkening liquid "...and take this, make sure I didn't miss and spots."

"Your Holiness." Adam swore the grey haired sister's smile was as mischivous as Mika's when she handed the Oracle a brightly colored dress and headscarf "You are now Madame Wanda, (retired). You used to run the Golden Hook where Winlay currently works, but you now spend your life trying to atone for your sins of years past." She drew an eligant pair of long white gloves that would cover his calloused knuckles and broken fingernails. "It was you who asked me about bringing fresh food to the wretched poor in the slums behind the Hook in exchange for a sizable donation the the Church coffers."

Adam could hear the girls giggling as they walked out of the room, and he wondered what Sister Margaret had in mind for disguising his 185 centimeter frame and 110 kilos of muscles that it carried.