That night he could not help raising a question with Queen Mir-Kasa. «Is it altogether wise, to send so many warriors and other able High People down among the Low People? After all, they do not lose their abilities simply by being degraded. It would seem to me that there is some danger of their someday getting together, finding a leader, and raising the Low People in that revolt you fear so much.»

Mir-Kasa laughed harshly. «You do not understand how the minds of the High People work, Blade. To go down among the Low People kills their spirits and whatever abilities they may have possessed as High People. They are only shells of their former selves, perhaps less than the Low People who have lived down there all the days of their lives.»

To Blade's trained ear, however, those words did not carry complete assurance. Mir-Kasa sounded as if she were addressing a public meeting rather than stating what she knew-or at least felt-to be true. He could not help wondering, and being silently suspicious.

His suspicions proved justified. One night a week later Mir-Kasa herself led Blade down into the low levels. And that night Blade finally learned the details of Mir-Kasa's plans-for Melnon, for her tower, and for the High People and the Low alike.

Chapter ELEVEN

Blade and Mir-Kasa were lying in the queen's great bed, amid tangled sheets and tumbled pillows. The queen lay sprawled on her back in a gloriously wanton pose, eyes glazed and dark hair spread out in a fan against the white sheets. Any stranger looking at her would have called her an absolutely satiated woman, beyond all thoughts of sex.

Blade knew better. He knew that those glazed eyes were deceptive. The real clues lay in the quivering red mouth and the long-fingered hands that plucked at the sheets-and occasionally wandered over to pluck at Blade's flaccid organ. He hoped it would not stay flaccid long. One of these days Mir-Kasa was going to demand of him more than he had it in him to give. That might easily be the end of his power in Melnon and perhaps even of his life. Certainly it would be the beginning of the end.

There was a peculiar five-beat knock on the door. Blade rolled out of bed, reaching under his pillow for the short sword he kept there. «Who goes there?» he called out sharply.

His voice awoke Mir-Kasa from her erotic daze. She sat up and shook her head, then made a placatory gesture with one hand. «Do not worry, Blade. It is the man sent by Bryg-Noz. Clothe yourself and bring me my black robe from the closet.»

Blade did as he was ordered, but the name «Bryg-Noz» started his mind churning. Bryg-Noz, the elder brother of Kir-Noz, sent down among the Low People some years before? It could hardly be a coincidence. But then what was a disgraced and degraded former warrior doing sending messengers to the queen herself? Blade had a feeling that the mysteries were getting more instead of less numerous.

When both he and Mir-Kasa were fully clothed, she signaled him to open the door. A Master of the Third Rank entered, bowing deeply.

«Blessings of the night upon Your Splendor,» he said. «Bryg-Noz bids me say that all is in readiness.»

«Good.» Mir-Kasa went to a cabinet and drew out a broad green belt with two daggers on it. «Blade, arm yourself. We go to the lower levels now. I think most of your questions about my plans for Melnon will be answered there.»

«I will follow where you lead,» said Blade. It was a polite remark, carefully chosen to conceal his own excitement. Now perhaps he could start to make some sense of the mad ways in which the Towers of Melnon ran their affairs.

Following where Mir-Kasa led meant following her out of the bedchamber, out of the queen's chambers, and into the shaft of the queen. The car there was smaller than the one in the shaft of the warriors, and decorated in Mir-Kasa's favorite silver gray. But it dropped just as fast. Only a few minutes later they were at the level of the balcony, in the center of the network of corridors that ran out from the shafts to the doors that led on to the balcony itself.

Blade expected Mir-Kasa to lead the way down one of those corridors and out on the balcony. But instead she went only a few yards before turning into a side passage that led off into total darkness. Both the queen and the master seemed to know the way, but Blade could not fight back a moment's uneasiness. Could this be a trap for him?

Then he shook off the thought. Mir-Kasa would hardly have needed to roam about the tower in the middle of the night to get rid of him if she had so wished. No, she was telling the truth. Tonight he would find out her plans-or at least as much of them as she chose to tell him. And perhaps a little more besides, since he was determined to keep his eyes open.

After perhaps fifty feet the master came to a stop, and walked over to the wall of the passage. Again that peculiar five-beat knock sounded. This time a section of the wall moved aside with a faint hiss. A dim greenish light flowed out of the opening. In the glow Blade could see a long flight of well-worn steps spiraling downward.

«Do not fear, Blade,» said Mir-Kasa. «What I plan to do must be prepared altogether in secret.» Blade nodded and followed the master and Mir-Kasa down the stairs.

He expected that the stairs would come to an end after about two hundred feet, when they reached the level of the Waste Land. But they did not. They kept on going, and Blade realized that they must descend deep into the foundations of the tower.

Very deep indeed, for it was at least another two hundred feet farther down before another door opened in front of the party. Again the master knocked, again a door slid open with a faint hiss. But this time a human figure was visible in the dimness beyond the doorway. As they stepped forward toward it, Blade saw that it must be Bryg-Noz.

The family resemblance to Kir-Noz was unmistakable. Bryg-Noz was two inches or so taller than his brother, though, and some pounds lighter. Good living was hard to come by among the High People in Melnon, let alone among the Low People. His hair showed more gray and his eyes showed more strain than his brother's but they might otherwise have been twins.

Bryg-Noz's voice was cool as he addressed the queen. Obviously he stood in no awe of her, for all his low station and ragged and soiled garments. «So this is the mighty stranger who bested my brother. Are his wits as fast as his swords?»

«You have my word for that, Bryg-Noz. You know well that I am a good chooser of men.»

«Of men for one of the uses of men-yes. Of men who can think as well as please you-we shall see.»

«You bandy words with me, Bryg-Noz,» Mir-Kasa's voice held a note of gentle reproach. That was surprising. Had anyone else attempted to «bandy words» with her this way, Mir-Kasa would have flown into a screaming fury and had them punished memorably and painfully. But with Bryg-Noz she was almost gentle. Well, they had been lovers once. Some of the old bond must still link them.

Bryg-Noz shrugged. «I try to make sure you see clearly, Your Splendor. But I can only do so much. Now-is this man Blade-Liza to see tonight's test?»

«Yes. I suspect that he may be able to give good advice about using the Great Wands. His own people, the English, have strange ways of war. I believe they use such devices commonly.»

Bryg-Noz looked inquiringly at Blade, who nodded. He could not have understood less of the conversation if it had been in Mongolian. But it seemed wiser to say yes when in doubt.

«Good,» said Bryg-Noz. He turned his head away and called softly into the darkness. «Kun-Rala, prepare the testing.»

«That I will do,» came a clear female voice from the darkness. Then the master shut the stairway door behind all of them. In the next moment another pale green light glowed in the darkness.