As they wound their way upward through the green dimness, Blade was turning the night's events over and over in his mind. Obviously his guess had been right-Queen Mir-Kasa was interested in upsetting the Melnonian applecart to increase her own power, not to help anybody. And she was playing a more dangerous game for much bigger stakes than he had ever realized.

But there were still some pieces missing from the puzzle.

Where were those Great Wands stored-and did he dare ask? And did Bryg-Noz and that hot-tempered Amazon Kun-Rala really see eye to eye with Mir-Kasa on the goal of the whole «revolution?» The looks he had seen passing between the two made him wonder. That was another point that needed exploring, before he took any active part in the affair.

Fortunately, it looked as though he would have plenty of time.

Chapter TWELVE

He did not.

In fact, he had only two days. That would not have been much time to find out anything new, even if he had been able to move freely around the Tower of the Serpent, and ask questions wherever he wanted to. In fact, he spent most of the two days in bed. At the end of the two days, he had finally brought Mir-Kasa to the point of satiation, exhaustion, and collapse, where she neither could nor would make any more demands on him. At least if his position in the Tower of the Serpent depended on his virility, it was safe.

But his position depended on a great deal more than that, as Mir-Kasa reminded him the morning of the third day. They had risen and were dressing in their best to attend the meeting of the Council of Wisdom. Mir-Kasa seemed more withdrawn and strained than usual, and Blade asked her if she were ill.

«Not in my body. At least,» she added with a wicked grin, «no in those parts of my body that you have not tried to wear out these past two days. No, it is just that I am concerned about today's council meeting. It is an open meeting.»

«How does that differ from a regular meeting?»

«As the name says. It is open to any member of the High People who wishes to sit on it and speak at it, about whatever may be in his mind. It gives the mass of the High People the notion that they have some influence. Usually it produces nothing except a mass of gossip and troublemaking. Fortunately they only come twice a year.»

«Couldn't you postpone this one?»

Mir-Kasa shrugged her bare shoulders, making her breasts wiggle in a most interesting fashion. «Such a cure would be worse than the disease. It would warn all the High People of the Tower of the Serpent that there is something I wish to conceal. No, we try to survive this one, as best we can. Two seasons will go by before the next one. And before two seasons more have gone by..» Her eyes showed what she did not care to put into words.

They finished dressing. With the Queen's gray-clad Guards escorting them before and behind, they descended to the level of the council chamber. There was already a considerable crowd in the listening chamber outside, waiting to hear the council debates coming over the far-speakers on the walls. The list of those citizens who wished to speak to the council was already posted by the door to the council chamber. Blade and Mir-Kasa inspected it carefully, and neither could hold back a sigh of relief when they did not find Nris-Pol's name on it.

«That is good, but not perfect,» said the queen. «He or someone of his party can still invoke the Law of Treason.»

«How is that done?»

«One proclaims that one wishes to put a matter of treason against the Wisdoms before the council. That at once puts one on the speaking schedule ahead of anyone else. Of course, if one brings a false accusation under the Law, one is forever dropped from speaking at the Council.»

«No doubt,» said Blade «But the council tends to panic at any matter of violating the Wisdoms. I do not imagine that there is much real inquiry into the justice of the charge, however mad it may be.»

«You are quite right, Blade. Is that the way it is in England?»

«Sometimes,» said Blade, thinking of witchhunts and the like. «But I have traveled in many other lands besides England. I have often seen what people in power are likely to do, so not much surprises me-or escapes me.» He hoped she might take the last words as a warning.

Mir-Kasa led the way into the council chamber and took her seat. Blade took his at her right hand. They waited-Blade trying not to yawn or twiddle his thumbs in boredom-while the rest of the council marched in with as much pomp and circumstance as they could manage. Many of them looked ridiculous, and Blade found himself now trying not to laugh out loud.

Eventually everybody ran out of ways of showing off and sat down, and the council actually got through the day's business. In fact, it seemed to Blade that some of the members were almost too concerned with getting through the agenda at a dead run. It was as if they were eager to get on to something else. Two of the women and the First Warrior seemed to be the most eager. Blade kept an eye on the First Warrior, trying to read the expression on the wrinkled face. Several times his eyes met the First Warrior's, and it was always the other man who dropped his gaze first. Blade did not like that at all. He decided to find a moment to warn Mir-Kasa.

But he did not get the chance before the day's agenda was completed. Mir-Kasa rose and intoned the formal words that declared the council open:

«Let all who have business before this open council come forward, in the order of their listing in the book of the council. Let their voices sound clear in the ears of the council. And let their words be heard and taken as wisdom for the better conduct of the Tower of the Serpent in accordance with the War Wisdom and the Peace Wisdom.»

She sat down and turned to look at Blade. He met her gaze and reached out to squeeze her hand under the table.

As their fingers met, the sound of shouts and crowd murmurings burst into the room from the listening chamber outside. Blade stiffened, and he saw the First Warrior do the same. Unmistakably, there was a look of triumphant anticipation on the old man's face.

Before Blade could do anything more than say «Oh damn!» to himself, the door of the council chamber burst open. Nris-Pol strode through, dressed in flaming red armor from head to foot, and wearing not only his two regular swords, but an extra long sword slung over his back.

«He is going to invoke the Law of Treason,» whispered Mir-Kasa. «The red armor is the traditional garb of a man who is going to make a capital accusation. It symbolizes his willingness to shed blood in defense of his tower-or of his accusation.»

Blade nodded, but his mind was not on Mir-Kasa's explanations. Inch by inch he was shoving his chair back from the table. He wanted room to run or defend himself, just in case. And as he did this, he was also cautiously checking both his swords, to make sure that he could draw quickly-again, just in case. He didn't know how far Nris-Pol might want to push this matter.

Nris-Pol strode up to the council table and thrust out his right hand in its red glove, straight at Blade. He held that pose until he was certain that all eyes in the room were on him. Blade had to admit that Nris-Pol had a fine flair for the dramatic, whatever his other faults.

«Councilors!» shouted Nris-Pol, in a booming voice that could have been heard all over a room ten times the size of this one. Blade saw the First Warrior wince as the blast went off practically in his ear, and grinned.

«Councilors,» Nris-Pol repeated, speaking now in a voice that was only normally loud. «I invoke the Law of Treason, that I may speak before this open council.» He looked at Mir-Kasa, as if daring her to deny him the right to speak.