Max began explaining in a low voice.
As he spoke, two figures emerged from the nearby passage.
One took up a position near the mouth of the lane to keep watch, while the other crouched beside Max and used a small piece of charcoal to sketch a rough layout on a broken board.
Arthur studied the markings.
The outer wall.
The service entrance.
The guarded approach to the ruined temple.
Max pointed out a narrow route used by workers transporting supplies between the Church's storehouses and the restricted grounds.
A delivery was scheduled for that evening.
His companions had spent days learning its schedule.
They knew where the carts stopped.
They knew which stretch of the route passed beyond the busiest streets.
They had even obtained enough discarded work clothes to make an attempt at blending in.
Arthur listened without interrupting.
The longer Max spoke, the less impressed he became.
At last, Max finished explaining the plan.
Arthur looked up from the rough sketch.
