"However, we'll leave that for the moment," interposed Kembri, in a tone which brought to Maia an immediate sense of relief. "I want to talk to you again, Maia, about this conversation you say you had with Lord Bayub-Otal in the gardens that night. Are you sure that he said that if you wanted to leave Bekla you had only to tell him?"

"Yes, my lord; I'm absolutely certain about that."

"And do you like Bayub-Otal?"

"No, that I don't, my lord. One time I thought I did; but now I hate him!"

"Why?"

Maia hesitated. She could hardly reply, "Because I offered myself to him and he rejected me."

"Well, never mind," said Kembri briskly. "If you hate him that'll be all to the good, as long as you never let him see it. He's almost certainly a secret enemy of Bekla. We believe he may very well have entered into some sort of agreement with King Karnat, and that's what we need to learn more, about, do you see?"

"Yes, my lord."

"We're going to let it be known publicly that both you and the black girl are being held here for further questioning, and in fact it will be made to look as though you've been questioned in the usual way. Then, late tomorrow night, you'll make your way to Bayub-Otal's lodgings. Do you know where they are?"

"No, my lord: I've never been much in the lower city at all."

"No matter. It'll be very late-after midnight. Someone will guide you there and leave you outside. Then you'll wake Bayub-Otal, tell him that you've escaped from the temple and beg him to help you to get away from Bekla. After that you'll have to rely on your own wits."

"You mean, he'll take me away with him?"

"That's what we hope."

"But, my lord-" She was perplexed. "Suppose I do find out something-say he gets a message from this king or something p' that-how'm I to pass it on to you?"

"That'll depend entirely on yourself. You'll have to find the best way you can. It's a matter of keeping your head. You may have to get back here alone. You may even have to kill him first. I repeat, this is risky work, Maia. But it's of great importance; and if you succeed-whatever success may turn out to be-the reward will surprise you-your freedom and more besides, I assure you. But don't try to run away or betray us, do you see? because that would turn out very badly for you in the long run: very badly indeed."

"No fear of that, my lord: I'll do all I can. Only could I-?" She stopped uncertainly.

"What?" asked Kembri.

"Could I sleep now, my lord? Only I'm that tired, I can't hardly think."

"Very well," said Kembri. "I'll tell you more tomorrow."

The girl, about to get up, suddenly hesitated.

"Occula, my lord! Occula never done anything! You'll let her go?".

"We ask the questions, not you," interposed the chief priest. "She's being held here for questioning. That's enough!"

The girl half-rose, gripping the edge of the table. Kembri was about to call in the guards to remove her when the door was opened from outside by a soldier who, raising his palm to his forehead, announced "My lord, the Sacred Queen!"

Next moment Queen Fornis, attended by the same dark-haired woman whom Maia had seen with her by the Barb, entered the room. The three examiners rose to their feet, Kembri motioning to Maia to go and stand against the further wall.

The Sacred Queen was dressed in a clinging robe of vivid purple, the crimson hem of which fell almost to her silver, bead-embroidered sandals. Her amazing hair, now piled on her head, was held in place by two jewelled combs and by a gold chain wound in and out of the tresses. Round her neck, on a second, finer chain, hung a silver leopard as big as her thumb. Her finger-nails were lacquered crimson and on her left forefinger was a spiral ring in the form of a gold serpent with ruby eyes.

Unhurriedly, she crossed the room and then motioned to her woman to drag Kembri's heavy, carved chair into the sunlight by the window. Having seated herself, she remained gazing towards the Lord General with a slight smile and an air of complete composure. Looking at her, Maia received an overwhelming impression of assured, self-seeking potency. It was as though she were possessed by an intense, ruthless force, at this present moment less evil than simply inhuman; a force which, like an animal, would unthinkingly and of its very nature pursue its object with no thought of anything beyond self-interest. The mere sight of her was disturbing, conveying as it did a sense of one possessing both more and less than normal human nature.

Maia realized furthermore that the three men, now seating themselves once more in response to her gesture, also felt-to some extent, at any rate-the same disquiet as herself.

"Well, Kembri," said the Sacred Queen at length, with a certain air of having waited long enough to be sure that no one was going to have the temerity to speak first, "have you found out the truth about the High Counselor's death?"

"Partly, esta-saiyett. But before we can be sure we shall need to examine several of those about to be arrested in the eastern provinces."

She spread her hands. "You have to do all this in order to work yourselves up to kill Santil-ke-Erketlis? Why not simply go and kill him?"

"I've already considered that, esta-saiyett, but Chalcon is remote, difficult country. We shall need to raise a special force for the purpose. In my view the real question is, once we openly declare Erketlis to be an enemy, how much support will he be able to attract to himself? We don't want to turn him into a heroic victim of Leopard tyranny throughout the eastern provinces. If only we can get positive proof that it was he who planned Sencho's death, then we've got law on our side: we can declare him a traitor and call him to account. Many more people will think twice about supporting him then."

She nodded absently, as though bored with all this reasoning, and merely waiting for him to be done. While he was still speaking she made a gesture of dismissal to her woman, who raised her palm to her forehead and went out.

"The High Counselor's house-his property-that's being guarded, I suppose?"

"Naturally, esta-saiyett: there are soldiers there, and the domestic slaves have been left in the house for the time being."

"Including the woman Terebinthia?" asked the Sacred Queen.

Kembri looked embarrassed. 'She-er-she left the city very suddenly the day after the murder, esta-saiyett. We don't know where she's gone. However, she's not under suspicion, for we know she never left the High Counselor's house at all that day."

"Perhaps not," replied the Sacred Queen, "but I think

you know very well why she left the city so quickly, don't you?"

Before the Lord General could reply she went on, 'Wnd the High Counselor's girls?"

"Two of them were with him in the gardens that night, esta-saiyett-"

"I know that."

"Naturally, we're holding them for questioning."

"Naturally. But there was a third girl: I don't mean Dyphna, the one who bought her freedom that morning. Whom do I mean?"

Kembri hesitated. Maia could see that he was uneasy. The extent and accuracy of the queen's knowledge had evidently taken him by surprise. Fornis, now looking directly at him, spoke a little more sharply.

"I mean a girl named Milvushina. Where is she now?"

"She is-just at the moment-that is, while the household is being fully inventoried, you understand, esta-saiyett-she is being looked after by my son."

"Yes. What you mean is that Elvair-ka-Virrion bribed Terebinthia and helped himself to the girl before any inventory of the High Counselor's property had been submitted to the temple or to the High Baron?"

"Well-er-I dare say you know, esta-saiyett, that the girl is well-born-she came from the baron Enka-Mordet's family in Chalcon; a family we unfortunately had to destroy for sedition. I was quite unaware that the High Counselor had issued private instructions to the soldiers and enslaved her. Had I known, I would never have agreed. I think it's very doubtful in law whether she can be held to be a slave at all. In all the circumstances my son took pity on her. He thought that she-well, that she ought to be properly cared for."