Despite her
enthusiasm the night before, Sahra had been worried about having
Goblin along, playing Sawa’s role. The little man was not
reliable. He was bound to do
something . . .
She did not give him enough credit. He had not survived so long
by doing stupid things in tight places. He was determined to be
more completely Sawa than ever I had played the role. He did
nothing on his own. Minh Subredil guided him completely. But over
his conservative role-playing he laid a glamour of disinterest.
Jaul Barundandi and everyone else merely gave the idiot woman a
glance and concentrated on Shiki, who appeared particularly
attractive this morning. Who carried her flute hung on a thong
around her neck. Anyone who tried to use force would suffer a cruel
surprise.
The flute was not new but the Ghanghesha that Shiki carried was.
Today even Sawa carried a statue of the god. Jaul Barundandi mocked
Subredil. “When will you start carrying a Ghanghesha in each
hand?” This was after he had been threatened because of Shiki
and he was not feeling kindly.
Subredil bent and whispered to her Ghanghesha, something about
pardoning Barundandi because at heart he was a good man who needed
help finding his anchor within the light. Barundandi heard some of
that. It disarmed him for a while.
He turned the madwoman and her companions over to his wife, who
had developed an almost proprietary interest lately. Subredil, in
particular, made her look good because she got so much work
done.
Narita, too, noted the Ghanghesha. “If religious devotion
will win you a better life next time around the Wheel, Subredil,
you’re headed for the priestly class for sure.” Then
the fat woman frowned. “But didn’t you leave your
Ghanghesha here yesterday?”
“Ah? Ah! Ah! I did? I thought I lost that one
forever. I didn’t know what had become of it. Where is it?
Where is it?” She had prepared for this, though the
Ghanghesha had been left behind intentionally.
“Easy. Easy.” Subredil’s love affair with her
Ghanghesha amused everyone. “We took good care of
it.”
There was a lot of work scheduled for the day, which was good.
It helped pass the time. Nothing else could be done till much
later, and even then, luck would have to play a big part. Another
dozen Ghangheshas would not have been out of place where the need
for luck went.
During the noon break, over kitchen scraps, Subredil’s
party heard rumors of the Protector’s rage over someone
having stolen some books from the royal library. She was out there
now, investigating personally.
Subredil shot warning looks at her companions. No questions. No
worrying about the people they could not possibly help.
Later in the day there were more rumors. The Purohita and
several members of the Privy Council, along with bodyguards and
hangers-on, had been treated to a wholesale slaughter on the very
steps of the Kernmi What, in what sounded like a full-scale
military assault supported by heavy sorcery. Reports were vague and
confused because everyone but the attackers had been trying to find
somewhere safe to hide.
Subredil tried to take that into account but could not control
her anger entirely. Kendo Cutter was too violent a man to have been
in charge. And too devout a Vehdna. The Gunni were not going to be
pleased about bloodshed happening on the very steps of a major
temple.
There was much talk about the signs and portents thrown up as
cover and diversion while the attackers faded away. There would be
no doubt who had been responsible, nor even who was next on the
list of the doomed. Any smoke cloud that did not declare
“Water Sleeps” thundered “My Brother
Unforgiven.”
It had been rumored only for a day that the Great General had
been summoned to Taglios to deal with the dead who refused to lie
down. To the people in the street, it looked like the Company would
be waiting.
Sahra was worried. Soulcatcher was sure to abandon the library
when she heard about the attack. If she returned to the Palace
extremely agitated, Sahra’s operation might have to be
abandoned because the sorceress would be too alert.
The Radisha stormed through not long after the news began to
make the rounds. She was distraught. She headed directly for her
Anger Chamber. Sawa looked up from the brasswork she was cleaning,
just for an instant, apparently badly troubled. Subredil set her
mop aside and went to see what was wrong. No one else paid them any
attention.
Not much later, when Jaul Barundandi dropped in to see how the
work was going and somehow got into an argument with Narita, Sawa
wandered away when no one was looking. No one noticed right away
because Sawa almost never did anything to be noticed and today she
wore charms reinforcing that.
Shiki drifted closer to her mother. She looked pale and troubled
and kept touching her flute. She whispered, “Shouldn’t
be we going?”
“It isn’t time. Place your Ghanghesha.” Shiki
was supposed to have done that hours ago.
Rumor rushed through, pursued by uglier rumor still. The
Protector had returned and she was in a frothing rage. She was
visiting her shadows now. It was going to be another night of
terror in the streets of Taglios.
The women started talking about the possible wisdom of finishing
work before the Protector decided she had to see the Radisha. The
Protector would not respect the privacy of the Princess. She made
no secret of her contempt for Taglian custom. Even Narita seemed to
hold the opinion that it would be best not to be where you could be
seen when the Protector was in a mood.
At that point Shiki discovered that her aunt was missing.
“Damn it, Subredil!” Narita fumed. “You
promised you’d watch her closer the last time this
happened.”
“I’m sorry, mistress. I became so frightened. She
probably decided to go to the kitchen. That was what she was trying
to do when she got lost last time.”
Shiki was going already. Not more than a minute later, she
called, “I found her, Mother.”
When the rest of the women arrived, they found Sawa seated
against a wall, brass lamp in her lap, unconscious, with vomit all
over her. “Oh, no!” Subredil cried. “Not
again.” And in a whirlwind of nonsense and apparently vain
efforts to get Sawa’s attention, she got across the hint of a
fear that Sawa might be pregnant after having been abused by one of
the Palace staff.
Narita was away in seconds, fuming. Subredil and Shiki were
right behind her, supporting Sawa between them, heading for the
servants’ postern. Nobody noticed that none of the women were
carrying their Ghangheshas, not even the one that Subredil had
forgotten the day before.
Because of the state Sawa was in, and the state Narita was in,
and the imminent explosion of displeasure expected from the
Protector, the women managed to draw their pay, then to escape
without having to deal with Barundandi’s kickback lieutenant.
Again.
They were able to lay Sawa inside a covered ox cart not long
after they got into the twisty streets downhill from the Palace.
Subredil had to caution Shiki repeatedly against celebration.
Despite her
enthusiasm the night before, Sahra had been worried about having
Goblin along, playing Sawa’s role. The little man was not
reliable. He was bound to do
something . . .
She did not give him enough credit. He had not survived so long
by doing stupid things in tight places. He was determined to be
more completely Sawa than ever I had played the role. He did
nothing on his own. Minh Subredil guided him completely. But over
his conservative role-playing he laid a glamour of disinterest.
Jaul Barundandi and everyone else merely gave the idiot woman a
glance and concentrated on Shiki, who appeared particularly
attractive this morning. Who carried her flute hung on a thong
around her neck. Anyone who tried to use force would suffer a cruel
surprise.
The flute was not new but the Ghanghesha that Shiki carried was.
Today even Sawa carried a statue of the god. Jaul Barundandi mocked
Subredil. “When will you start carrying a Ghanghesha in each
hand?” This was after he had been threatened because of Shiki
and he was not feeling kindly.
Subredil bent and whispered to her Ghanghesha, something about
pardoning Barundandi because at heart he was a good man who needed
help finding his anchor within the light. Barundandi heard some of
that. It disarmed him for a while.
He turned the madwoman and her companions over to his wife, who
had developed an almost proprietary interest lately. Subredil, in
particular, made her look good because she got so much work
done.
Narita, too, noted the Ghanghesha. “If religious devotion
will win you a better life next time around the Wheel, Subredil,
you’re headed for the priestly class for sure.” Then
the fat woman frowned. “But didn’t you leave your
Ghanghesha here yesterday?”
“Ah? Ah! Ah! I did? I thought I lost that one
forever. I didn’t know what had become of it. Where is it?
Where is it?” She had prepared for this, though the
Ghanghesha had been left behind intentionally.
“Easy. Easy.” Subredil’s love affair with her
Ghanghesha amused everyone. “We took good care of
it.”
There was a lot of work scheduled for the day, which was good.
It helped pass the time. Nothing else could be done till much
later, and even then, luck would have to play a big part. Another
dozen Ghangheshas would not have been out of place where the need
for luck went.
During the noon break, over kitchen scraps, Subredil’s
party heard rumors of the Protector’s rage over someone
having stolen some books from the royal library. She was out there
now, investigating personally.
Subredil shot warning looks at her companions. No questions. No
worrying about the people they could not possibly help.
Later in the day there were more rumors. The Purohita and
several members of the Privy Council, along with bodyguards and
hangers-on, had been treated to a wholesale slaughter on the very
steps of the Kernmi What, in what sounded like a full-scale
military assault supported by heavy sorcery. Reports were vague and
confused because everyone but the attackers had been trying to find
somewhere safe to hide.
Subredil tried to take that into account but could not control
her anger entirely. Kendo Cutter was too violent a man to have been
in charge. And too devout a Vehdna. The Gunni were not going to be
pleased about bloodshed happening on the very steps of a major
temple.
There was much talk about the signs and portents thrown up as
cover and diversion while the attackers faded away. There would be
no doubt who had been responsible, nor even who was next on the
list of the doomed. Any smoke cloud that did not declare
“Water Sleeps” thundered “My Brother
Unforgiven.”
It had been rumored only for a day that the Great General had
been summoned to Taglios to deal with the dead who refused to lie
down. To the people in the street, it looked like the Company would
be waiting.
Sahra was worried. Soulcatcher was sure to abandon the library
when she heard about the attack. If she returned to the Palace
extremely agitated, Sahra’s operation might have to be
abandoned because the sorceress would be too alert.
The Radisha stormed through not long after the news began to
make the rounds. She was distraught. She headed directly for her
Anger Chamber. Sawa looked up from the brasswork she was cleaning,
just for an instant, apparently badly troubled. Subredil set her
mop aside and went to see what was wrong. No one else paid them any
attention.
Not much later, when Jaul Barundandi dropped in to see how the
work was going and somehow got into an argument with Narita, Sawa
wandered away when no one was looking. No one noticed right away
because Sawa almost never did anything to be noticed and today she
wore charms reinforcing that.
Shiki drifted closer to her mother. She looked pale and troubled
and kept touching her flute. She whispered, “Shouldn’t
be we going?”
“It isn’t time. Place your Ghanghesha.” Shiki
was supposed to have done that hours ago.
Rumor rushed through, pursued by uglier rumor still. The
Protector had returned and she was in a frothing rage. She was
visiting her shadows now. It was going to be another night of
terror in the streets of Taglios.
The women started talking about the possible wisdom of finishing
work before the Protector decided she had to see the Radisha. The
Protector would not respect the privacy of the Princess. She made
no secret of her contempt for Taglian custom. Even Narita seemed to
hold the opinion that it would be best not to be where you could be
seen when the Protector was in a mood.
At that point Shiki discovered that her aunt was missing.
“Damn it, Subredil!” Narita fumed. “You
promised you’d watch her closer the last time this
happened.”
“I’m sorry, mistress. I became so frightened. She
probably decided to go to the kitchen. That was what she was trying
to do when she got lost last time.”
Shiki was going already. Not more than a minute later, she
called, “I found her, Mother.”
When the rest of the women arrived, they found Sawa seated
against a wall, brass lamp in her lap, unconscious, with vomit all
over her. “Oh, no!” Subredil cried. “Not
again.” And in a whirlwind of nonsense and apparently vain
efforts to get Sawa’s attention, she got across the hint of a
fear that Sawa might be pregnant after having been abused by one of
the Palace staff.
Narita was away in seconds, fuming. Subredil and Shiki were
right behind her, supporting Sawa between them, heading for the
servants’ postern. Nobody noticed that none of the women were
carrying their Ghangheshas, not even the one that Subredil had
forgotten the day before.
Because of the state Sawa was in, and the state Narita was in,
and the imminent explosion of displeasure expected from the
Protector, the women managed to draw their pay, then to escape
without having to deal with Barundandi’s kickback lieutenant.
Again.
They were able to lay Sawa inside a covered ox cart not long
after they got into the twisty streets downhill from the Palace.
Subredil had to caution Shiki repeatedly against celebration.