Baqir laughs and gestures broadly, looking over at Rana. His gaze is in the complete opposite direction. 

He detects very faintly as Evil.

It's as she suspected, then.

She sweeps the caravan with the power just in case. There are no other auras of evil.

Well. That will need talking over with Rana.

Hang on just a moment, there's a standard Bestow Curse wording for infertility?

Calistria, you've been holding out on me.

You never asked, darling. And it is one of the things that gives my hetaera their stranglehold on the brothel trade. That's not free to give out. 

You should have realized already. One of your own priestesses had it cast on her, after all. How do you think that Kumi didn't fall pregnant before you accepted her?

She wasn't a spellcaster herself. She just enjoyed the benefits that every Absalom courtesan does by virtue of their membership in the Guild.

I see. Any chance you'll popularize that wording once birth control becomes more widespread and you start to lose your monopoly?

I'll think about it. In the meantime, I think you have other business to attend to. In Tian Xia.

Right. 

We'll talk about this more later.

A few minutes later, Rana and Layla reconvene. 

"So," Rana asks. "Is he evil?"

Layla sighs. "Yes."

"I'm not very surprised. He's an ass to women. But given that he's using contraception and that he's been killing evil things for a living, I'm a little surprised he's not Neutral."

"I feel we should talk to him about it. He's got to know, right? If he's strong enough to have an aura..."

"Do you really expect that conversation to go well?"

"I know, I know." Layla sighs. "I'll think about it. For now, watch him."

"Of course."

She keeps Baqir posted on guard duty over lunch. It's only a temporary solution but it will buy her a little time.

The mood in the camp is tense. Yasmin and Munir are still hiding further down the column and everyone misses their presence. More than a few looks are cast Baqir's way by Fayruz and Hayat.

They eat, and depart once more.

The sun beats down on the caravan, and the sands wend on. 

Baqir doesn't talk much, and when he does talk it's to Rana. 

Eventually the sun starts to set. It's time to rest for the night.

Back to dealing with Baqir in the camp. She could post him to guard duty again or she could let him join them for supper. 

She's going to have to bite this bullet eventually. Better to do it now while she can still keep an eye on him. 

"Make camp!" She calls back down the line.

Then she goes and grabs Kamil.

 "You're on watch," she tells him. "Stay sharp."

"Of course." He nods to Layla and takes Baqir's place.

"Finally time to rest, hm?" Baqir stretches. "No gnolls today, more's the pity. Alright. Let's eat."

He wanders into the center of camp, by where the cookfire is being set up, and makes himself at home. 

Rana joins him. She seems to have decided not to make alcohol tonight.

Fayruz is managing the cookpot, as usual. 

She looks up at Baqir. "Hospitality," she says. "Koshari will be ready in a few minutes."

"Hospitality," Baqir replies. "I'm eager to try it."

He looks over at Rana and raises an eyebrow. "Been a while since I last saw you," he says. "How's it been? We didn't really have time to catch up in town earlier."

"You know, the usual travel up and down the river. That close gnoll encounter I told you about."

She interlaces her fingers. "What have you been up to?"

"The usual contract work. Giving the local gnoll tribes reason to steer clear of travelers. Killing the occasional hydra in the river. That kind of thing."

He settles in. "I needed to get back to Sothis anyway, so this is fairly convenient for me."

"Still not able to hang a Teleport, huh?"

"I'm working on it." 

Baqir slips a hand into the inside pocket of his coat and pulls out a small notebook. "I got you something in town, actually." He offers it to Rana. "Open it."