The massive head lolled on its delicate stalk of spine. The eyes narrowed at Blade. A hand came slowly up to stroke the shining bald dome.

«I understand your words. They are plain enough. If there is a concealed meaning in them I will in time understand that also. If you speak truth or not I do not yet know — but I will know. At this moment I only accept. I do not believe or disbelieve. Let us leave it that way then. I have no wish to be your enemy unless it is to my gain to be so. It may be that you do speak truth, and I would be a fool indeed not to accept that and learn from you. I am not a fool. And I am not afraid of you. Not now. If you were going to kill me you would have done it at once.»

Blade raised the bloody sword. «There is still time.»

The little mouth smiled. «No. Not now. Because it is plain that you have come to make a bargain of some sort. So get to it. We will leave all explanation and questions for later. What do you want of me? And how are you called?»

«My name is Richard Blade. It will mean nothing to you.»

Nizra blinked. «A man must be called something. Richard Blade? Two names? We in Jedd have but one. Did you come alone into our world?»

Blade kept his face impassive. «I came alone. I will leave alone.» Ooma must be protected at all costs. He would not have her questioned, probably under torture. Nor the aunts, for that matter. Not even the fat drunkard, Mok, must be placed in danger. They had nothing to do with all this.

Nizra said once more, «What do you want of me, Richard Blade? It will be dawn soon with people astir and if we are to be friends and work together there are preparations and explanations to make ready. So what do you expect of me — and what do you offer me in return?»

Blade answered a question with a question. «How long will the old Empress, the Jeddock, stay alive?»

Nizra blinked three times. The scant brows over the lashless eyes raised in slight surprise, but he only said, «I am called the Wise One by the Jedds, and it is true that I am wise in many things, but I cannot answer that question.»

«Guess, then. An estimate.»

The tiny mouth pursed, then: «A minute — an hour — a day — a month or a year. That is my guess.»

Blade glared, but gave it up. He tried another tack. «Is she senile? What is her mental condition?»

Nizra smiled faintly and interlaced his long, white fingers. «Her mind is filled with mists of the past. She is in a stupor and understands very little of what is said to her. But one thing — if the music halts but for an instant she knows it and complains.»

Blade nodded and was silent for a moment, thinking hard. Nizra took advantage of the silence. «How got you past the Api, Blade? I speak of the main post at the valley entrance. I know how you killed Porrex and got past the frontier station, for I received signals, but then you vanished and now here you are. How did you avoid the main body of the Api?»

No mention of the girl. Just as well. Blade said, «I came around, over the mountains.»

For the first time, Nizra showed clear disbelief. «That is impossible, Blade. No one can cross those mountains. Nobody ever has in all the history of Jedd.»

«I did,» Blade said curtly. «I am here, am I not? Threatening your life and giving you orders. But enough of that— Would you say that the old Empress, in her dying state, is highly susceptible to suggestion?»

The great head lolled and the little mouth twitched in understanding. «Yes,» Nizra answered. «I would say that she is. At least I hope so. I have been suggesting many things to her these past few days and she has seemed amenable.» Dryly he added, «She signs any document I put before her.»

Blade gave him a knowing grin. «That will be many documents, I wager. All designed to perpetuate and consolidate your power when she is dead, Nizra? All designed to give you control over the Child Princess, Mitgu?»

The dark eyes met his without flinching. «It would seem,» said the Wise One, «that we are men who think alike in certain things. Perhaps we can be friends after all, Blade. Or at least not enemies. Now suppose you tell me — what is it that you wish me to whisper into the old Jeddock's ear about you? And what document must be signed pertaining to you?»

Blade leaned closer to the bed.

«You read me well, Nizra, to a point. You will have a private audience with the Empress and you will tell her that, on this very night, you had a vision—»

The huge head rolled on its frail backbone and the mouth smiled in dry derision. «That will be no lie, Blade. I did. I am having a vision. A most grotesque and horrible vision — and visitant.»

Blade made an impatient motion. «Listen. Listen well. You will tell your Jeddock that in this vision I came to you, in my very person, as I now stand here, and proclaimed myself as the avatar come to save Jedd. As the savior of your people. There is such a promise, I think, in the Books of Birkbegn? Mention is made of someone who will arrive one day to lead the Jedds to a better way of life?» He leaned to stare hard at the man in the bed.

This time the little eyes avoided him, but not before Blade had seen the surprise and the beginnings of respect and even fear in them. Blade, of course, was only remembering what he had extracted from Ooma and Mok.

«You are most well informed about the Jedds, Blade.»

He nodded shortly. «I am. It would be well to remember that, Nizra. But answer my questions. Am I right?»

«Yes. To a point. There is some vague reference in the Books to the coining of a — of such a personage as you mention.»

Blade leaned back and crossed his thick legs. His thigh muscles ached and quivered and he began to realize how tired he was. He must sleep soon. When it was safe to do so.

He grinned at Nizra. «I see. You, my friend, are not a true believer in the Books?»

For the first time, the tiny mouth opened in a genuine laugh and he saw that Nizra was toothless. The shrunken gums snapped at Blade. «I have told you,» said Nizra sourly, «that I am not a fool. I see what is in your mind and I will do it. I foresee no difficulty there. I will do it because, if you keep your word to me, it will be to my advantage to do so. I will gain by it. When you return to your own world — if indeed you spoke the truth about that — I will have gained even more. I am a practical man, Blade, and not so much interested in methods as in results. We have a bargain, Blade.»

Blade smiled at him. «A good one for you, Nizra, as well as for me. If I am accepted as the avatar promised by the Books, and I am on your side, you will have a powerful ally against the captains who plot against you and who plan a palace revolution as soon as the old woman is dead. Not so?»

Once again respect glinted in the dark eyes. Respect and a degree of puzzlement.

The great head swayed in a nod. «I could almost think, Blade, that you are the avatar spoken of in the Books of Birkbegn.»

Blade laughed. «Do not begin our partnership with more lies than you must, Nizra. You do not believe a word of it.»

Nizra did not answer. He was getting out of bed. Blade retreated a few steps, sword ready, and watched. It was in its own way fascinating, this little scene within a scene, this mere act of watching Nizra disrobe and dress again. For the man was no more than a skeleton, a walking corpse whose bones showed clearly through the stringy, discolored flesh. Nizra was about five feet tall and Blade doubted that he weighed a hundred pounds. It was as though all the substance of the body had gone to the great head and the brain it encased.

Nizra wore a tent-like gown of a cloth that Blade thought of as tussah, a crude silk. This he took off before Blade without hesitation and with no shame. Then he donned a single undergarment of the same material. Over this he donned the same rich robe he had worn when Blade first saw him. Then the scarlet skullcap to partially hide the bald head. Lastly he took from beneath his pillow the chain of office.