«You do not have to see,» said Blade. «Just do as I ask. You will form a little secret society, not more than five or six of your trusted friends, and they will listen and report to you and you will report to me. I will send for you when I am ready, and if anything of great importance arises you can reach me through Ogier. All this is understood, Valli?»

She left the bed, sensing dismissal. «It is understood, Blade. I will try not to fail you.»

«Goodnight then, Valli. Ogier will be waiting to get you back to the harem unseen.» He kissed her and patted her behind lightly and, with a sense of some relief, saw the guard on the door take her arm and lead her away. Blade went to the bed and flung himself on it naked. It was warm and he needed no cover. He needed sleep. As much as he had needed Valli an hour ago. He had had her and it had been pleasant and he hoped that all went well and she did have his child, since she really did seem to want it. Valli's role was already well established in his mind; she would never be a consort, but she could be quite comforting. It was enough.

He was nearly asleep when he noted a faint movement behind the drapes. He came instantly alert. The drapes were heavy, of some stiff material that hung straight from rods along the cornice of the ceiling. Their purpose was to add warmth to the cold marble of the room.

Blade rose swiftly and snatched his sword from a chair. There was a slight bulge in the arras where it edged near a window. Blade put his swordpoint against the bulge and pressed firmly, just hard enough to pierce the material, and said, «Come out. Or get this steel through your gut.»

A voice came muffled from behind the hanging. «You would not dare. I am the Princess Hirga.»

Chapter 7

Her voice was deep, husky, a rich contralto. Blade took three paces back, his rapier still pointed at the arras, and commanded, «Come out, Princess. I would have a look at such a royal eavesdropper.»

The hanging moved, swayed, parted. She stood before him. Blade stared and the point of his sword dropped. He had not expected such beauty. If this was indeed the Princess Hirga, the last of the Izmir's get, then the old man had wrought well on a long-ago night and bed.

She was the first woman he had seen in Zir who covered her breasts. She wore a high-necked doublet of gold cloth and trousers of silver on long, slim legs. She was regally tall, near to Blade's height, and her hair was flaming red and piled high on her head in the Zirnian fashion. Instead of the usual combs, her hair was held in place by a small coronal in which gems sparked. Blade was impressed but sought to conceal it. He retreated another step and bowed, gesturing with his rapier. «Princess. I am glad that we meet at last, though I had not thought it to be in this manner. How long have you been behind my drapes, and how came you there?»

She stared at him. Her eyes were large and a deep sea green. He noted that her breathing was fast and there was a swollen, puffy look around her mouth and eyes. She had been there long enough. She had seen and heard everything and it had excited her.

When she spoke, her voice quavered a bit. «Simple enough to come there, Blade. Your guard is faithful, but even faithful men must void their water now and then. I watched and waited and, when he was gone for a moment, I was in the window. There is a secret way into the grounds which I know well. I should. This palace was once mine.»

«Oh? I did not know that.» Blade pointed to a chair with the rapier. «A princess should not stand.»

She ignored the chair. She went to the bed and sat on the edge. She put a hand on a pillow and looked at Blade and half smiled. Her teeth were small and very white. As she stared and stared, as though she could never see enough of him, she caught her nether lip in her teeth and bit it and there was no mistaking the speculation in her glance. Beneath the golden doublet her bosom swelled and moved, and he plainly heard the rasp of breath in her throat.

Blade knew that he could tumble her in an instant if he chose. This was a sensual woman and she was aroused to a high pitch by what she had seen and heard.

Hirga put her hand on the pillow again. «Still warm from your harem whore.»

Blade took the chair and with great show of nonchalance put his feet on the table and regarded her with a mocking smile. She was aroused now, and available, but it did not please him to take her. For one thing, he was at the moment satiated and, for another, he knew she had not come to his chambers with sex in mind. That had been incidental. There was method here and a motivation deeper than the achievement of a spasm.

«Valli is not a whore,» he said, «and the matter is no concern of yours. What do you want with me? Or, rather, what does Casta want, for it is my guess that he sent you.»

The green eyes widened and he knew he had struck true. She looked away, at the small hands in her lap, much bejeweled and with scarlet-painted nails.

«That is true,» she said at last. «Casta did send me. He wishes to meet with you, to speak of matters to our mutual interest.»

«Why did the priest not come himself?»

«He is too busy at the moment. He has much to do.»

Blade smiled and tapped the table with his rapier. «I can believe that, Princess. Busy plotting against me, no doubt. And against the Izmir, even while he waits for the old man to die. Tell him not to be impatient-the Izmir may die at any moment. Then he will have only me to deal with.»

Hirga clasped her hands over her breasts and looked at Blade again. She was calmer now and Blade admitted that if she was a liar she was a good one.

«You misjudge Casta,» she said. «You have heard only one side of the story, you have listened only to the Izmir and his friends, and the old man is in his dotage and his friends are sycophants. You cannot know the truth about Casta until you see and meet him and judge for yourself.»

He nodded gravely. «There is some truth in that. And I am willing to meet your priest. When and where?»

She stood up and came close to him. A faint fragrance of flowers came from her and her skin was like milk. He sought for blemishes in that face and found none. Her brow was high, the nose straight and fine with flaring nostrils, her mouth firm and full and moist. Blade felt a renewed stirring in his loins and invoked his will. This woman was dangerous to him in some manner which, at the moment, he did not fully understand. But dangerous she was.

Hirga did not preen for him, did not simper or invite. She stood close and watched him and waited, offering herself with her eyes, and when she saw that he would not succumb she laughed and moved toward the arras and the window.

«Tomorrow when the sun is at the highest. Do you know the Plain of Pyramids?»

Blade nodded. «I have glimpsed them. Nothing more.» He had caught an occasional glance at the great level stretch of land to the south of the palace, dotted with white marble pyramids built as monuments to past rulers of Zir.

«You have seen the unfinished block that the Izmir builds for himself?»

He nodded again. «Once I saw it. I have had little time to explore Zir.»

The old man had explained to Blade: «All the others built small pyramids to themselves. I shall build a square, a stone block that towers to the sky and will cover many cubits. There will be a maze so cunningly wrought that, when I am buried, none will be able to find me and dishonor my bones.»

He thought of this now and smiled. Vanity. Hirga mistook his smile and said, «You need not fear. Casta does not plot treachery. The truth is that he fears you a little, as do I, and he wishes only to talk and come to terms.»

«I will not come alone,» said Blade. «But I will come-to the unfinished monument?»