Because of heightened security, the illumination bank was turned off.
The darkness was absolute. Luck was with them, Qui-Gon thought. He crouched with Tahl in the trees by the shoreline of the lake. He could barely make out the glint of the water.
“At last we’re even,” Tahl murmured when Qui-Gon told her how dark it was.
They had calculated that another theft would happen that evening. They had seen the thefts fall into an escalating pattern. It was time to follow up on the stunning theft of the crystals with another crime. The thief would need to conceal what he or she stole, and would come to the lake.
Or so they hoped.
Tahl would not stay behind. He had argued with her and lost. If Qui-Gon saw who the culprit was, she could get the news back to Yoda.
Qui-Gon might need to follow the thief. Tahl had argued that they should not rely on corn-links for communication. This was too important. And they needed to do everything as silently as possible. It was best not to tip off the thief.
“All right,” he finally agreed. “Just leave TooJay in your quarters.”
They had been waiting for five hours. Every so often they would stand and stretch each muscle in a Jedi exercise known as “stationary movement.”
That kept them awake and their muscles fluid.
The lakeside was so still that it was no more than a flickering of a leaf that alerted Qui-Gon to the presence of another. Tahl had heard it; perhaps she had even heard a disturbance earlier, for her head was already turned toward the sound.
Qui-Gon called on the Force to help him. He was dressed in a dark robe and blended in perfectly with the vegetation. He kept himself perfectly still.
A figure emerged onto the beach from their left, not from the path he had anticipated. The figure was hooded, but Qui-Gon saw that it was a boy.
Judging by his height, it was one of the older boys. The stance was familiar, too, Qui-Gon did not have to wait until the hood fell back to reveal the gleam of a white ponytail to know that it was Bruck.
He leaned over and put his lips to Tahl’s ear. He whispered Bruck’s name, and she nodded.
Bruck sat on the shore and took off his boots and outer cloak. Then he tied a waterproof parcel around his neck, lit a glow rod and waded into the lake. He took a deep breath and disappeared.
“He’s underwater,” Qui-Gon said in a low tone to Tahl. “When he comes out, I’ll follow him. You wait here. Don’t move a muscle. He must not realize that he’s being followed.”
“All right,” Tahl agreed. “If you’re not back in fifteen minutes, I’ll get help.”
In minutes, Bruck resurfaced and swam with a strong stroke to shore. He walked out of the lake and pulled on his boots, then pulled the cloak around him. Instead of heading back to the turbolift, he chose an overgrown path.
Qui-Gon knew it well. It led through the undergrowth toward the utility buildings that held floaters and hydrocrafts.
Qui-Gon followed behind. Bruck could be heading for a meeting. He could be heading to where he’d stashed the other stolen objects. Either way, they would learn something important tonight.
Bruck was being careful, but Qui-Gon was more so. He had more practice in moving silently than the boy did. He followed Bruck by sound rather than sight.
The overhanging trees blocked out the surroundings as the path wound farther away from the lake. Soon they would be at the utility sheds. Would someone be there to meet Bruck? Qui-Gon picked up his pace slightly so that he could see the boy.
“Tree root, two centimeters ahead.” A well-known voice split the silence. “Leaf frond, three centimeters straight ahead at eye level!”
TooJay! Qui-Gon stopped and went perfectly still. Bruck turned, his ponytail whipping around. He could not see Qui-Gon in the darkness. But he turned and ran.
It was no use following him. He would most likely double back and return to the turbolift. He knew someone was out here.
Disgusted, Qui-Gon turned back. Tahl was waiting on the path a few meters back. TooJay stood next to her.
“Qui-Gon Jinn approaching,” TooJay said pleasantly.
Furiously, Tahl reached over and shut off TooJay’s speaking mechanism.
The droid waved its arms, but could not speak.
“Qui-Gon, I’m sorry,” Tahl said rapidly. “I didn’t realize that TooJay was looking for me. As soon as I started down the path, she was behind me.”
“Why did you follow me?” Qui-Gon asked irritably.
“Because someone was following you,” Tahl explained. “They moved so quietly you might not have heard them. I was worried.”
“Someone from the Temple?” Qui-Gon asked. “Could you tell?”
“I don’t think so,” Tahl said hesitantly. “Students and teachers, even workers, wear soft-soled boots. This person wore heavier boots. And the clothes had a whispery sound. Not like the sound of our cloaks or tunics. I think it’s a man. The footfalls were heavy, and he brushed the icus leaves. He has to be close to your height.”
“So there is an intruder,” Qui-Gon said. “That was who Bruck was going to meet.”
“Yes,” Tahl agreed. “But not only that. He didn’t hide in the bushes or try to track you through the trees. He knew the way. This intruder felt at home here. And he was not afraid.”
A sudden chill ran through Qui-Gon. This was the scariest news of all.