I am going to find him. That little rat Belshazzar has scampered between the shadows of this palace for far too long. But tonight – that idiot Emperor's years of misrule will come to an end. By tomorrow, a new head will wear the Golden Diadem of Power, that of Cyrus the Persian- my employer.
Our preparations have been exacting. His close bodyguards have been threatened,
then bribed to look the other way. Of course, they will then be blamed for the
assassination, but intelligence and anticipation was never their strong point. The
normal palace guards have either been distracted with drink, or sent out on
spurious missions to keep them busy elsewhere. Afterwards, it will be blamed on an unfortunate and regrettable breakdown in the Emperor's personal security.
