“Viron’s reunited. It’s been our calde’s dearest wish, and I’m delighted to say we’ve realized it.”

Potto rocked with mirth. “Wait till he finds out we’re on the same side! I can’t wait to see his face.”

“He’ll be radiant with joy. If you understood him as I do, you’d know it.” Maytera Mint spoke to Siyuf, “Let me explain, because all this hinges on your understanding what your troops are up against. We’ve not only made peace among ourselves, but given the city a new government. There are two main provisions to our agreement. One is that ours is a Charterial government, which means there must be a calde and an Ayuntamiento. We agree mutually that calde Silk is—”

“My prisoner,” Siyuf interrupted.

“Hardly.” Oosik leaned forward, his elbows upon the old deal table, his bass voice dominating the room. “He may be a prisoner of your city. We don’t know that yet. It is one of the things we need to discuss.”

Siyuf looked back to Maytera Marble. “You wish to tell me of the Charter of your city, before this man have interrupt you. I find this of interest.”

“I think it’s vital. If we’re to secure the favor of the gods, we have to govern according to the Charter they gave us. We’ve been trying from the start. Now we’ve succeeded.”

“I would ask who it is who rule this government, but you say Silk, who is not here. Who is commander here? You?”

Maytera Mint shook her head. “In military affairs, my own superior, Generalissimo Oosik. In civil, Councillor Potto, the Presiding Officer of the Ayuntamiento.”

“In this case you are not needed,” Siyuf told her, and turned to Newt. “Neither you, I think. Yet both sit at this table where is one chair more. You take our custom that each bring a subordinate? Is that the explanation I require? You for Potto, Mint for Oosik, Violet for me, perhaps? I do not think this I have say.”

“I’m breaking in,” Newt told her. “I’m the new boy.” He sounded anything but humble.

“I’m here,” Maytera Mint explained, “because we think you may listen to a woman when you won’t really hear a man.”

Oosik rumbled, “You’ve the quickest mind I know. You are present because we are likely to succeed because you are here.”

“I’m less apt to kill him, too,” Potto confided.

“He’s only joking,” Newt assured Siyuf.

“Not, I hope. You are a new councillor, you say. Where is it they find you?”

Maytera Mint said, “In the Juzgado. Councillor Newt was a commissioner there, the one who bought supplies for the calde’s Guard, made out the payroll, and so forth.” She paused.

“When I began, when Echidna called me her sword, I thought all we had to do was fight. I’m learning that fighting is the smallest part of it, and in some ways the easiest.”

Smiling, Siyuf nodded.

“Quite often it’s the other things that count most. You have to get supplies to the people who need them, and not just ammunition but food and bedding, and warm clothes. At any rate, part of our agreement was an acknowledgement by all of us that the Charter demands an Ayuntamiento.”

Potto made her a seated bow.

“But not just an Ayuntamiento, an elected one with a full compliment of councillors. We can’t hold elections because of the state things are in, so we’ve promised them after a year of peace. Meanwhile the present members will continue to serve, with Councillor Potto as Presiding Officer. New councillors are to be appointed as necessary by the calde, or in his absence by a de facto board of those who have his confidence. It consists of the current Ayuntamiento, including Councillor Newt now, with Generalissimo Oosik, His Cognizance, and me. I wanted a woman councillor—”

“You will not have her,” Siyuf put in. “They are all men.”

“So we appointed Kingcup. She’s not here because she’s out explaining all this to our people. I felt we needed—” Maytera Mint groped for words. “An ordinary woman with extraordinary gifts. Kingcup’s from a poor family, but she built a successful livery stable from scratch, so she’s used to managing. Besides, she’s the bravest woman in Viron.”

Oosik muttered, “No one but you would say that, General.”

She brushed the compliment aside. “So Kingcup for the people and Newt for the Juzgado.”

“With such as these you prepare to fight me,” Siyuf mused, “but I am not there. This is sad. I beat you, I think. Does my General Rimah beat you also? I do not know. She is a good officer. You ask of love for my horde. Why is this?”

“Because we hope that you will want to preserve it,” Oosik told her, “as I want to preserve the Guard. There has been some skirmishing already. If we fight in earnest, your horde will be destroyed and my Guard decimated.” Maytera Mint added, “To say nothing of what will happen to our city,” and Oosik nodded.

“We wish victory. None but cowards count life more high.” Maytera Mint started to speak, but Oosik silenced her with a gesture. “I am confident General Rimah is an able officer. You’re not the sort to tolerate anything less. There is a gulf, however, between an able officer and an exceptional leader. The ranks sense it at once, and the public almost as quickly. I will not ask if you care about your troops. We’re too close for that, you and I, so close I can hear my own voice in everything you’ve said. You long for victory, and you know, as I do, that it would be more probable if you were in command of your troops. Wouldn’t you agree that for any other—”

Potto interrupted. “A subject of the Rani’s.”

“That for another citizen of your city,” Oosik continued, “to prevent you from resuming your place would be treason? It is not an idle question.”

“You think someone does this? I wish to know.”

“Let me.” Maytera Mint’s small, not uncomely face shone with energy and resolve. “You want to fight me, Siyuf, because of what you’ve heard about me. I don’t want to fight you, and in fact it’s the last thing I want. I want peace. I want to end this foolish fighting and let everybody in our city and yours go back to their proper lives. But it’s been clear ever since your spies tried to arrest us that as long as you have our calde there can be no peace. I’m going to assume you understand that, because if you don’t there’s no use talking.”

“I am captive also.” Siyuf touched her chest.

“Exactly! You’ve saved me a lot of time. We’ve got you, but in a very important way we don’t want you, since your city will fight to get you back. Clearly the sensible thing is to exchange you for our calde. Peace would be possible then, but if we still couldn’t make peace, you and I would be fighting each other, which is what you want. Now if—”

Siyuf made a quick motion, the gesture of one accustomed to instant obedience. “I have pledged to your Sand that I will free Incus the holy man and Marble. She is your friend?”

“Yes, she is.” Maytera Mint glanced at Oosik, but he did not speak. “You cheated Sergeant Sand and Corporal Hammerstone. You know you did. You knew those prisoners were already on your airship when you promised to let them go.”

“Over this we fight a duel, perhaps, if I am free. It may still be so. I did not know, Mint. If you have deal with Saba and her airship as I, you know that what is to be at shadeup may not be until midday, or not this day or the next. Let me go. I get them again and free them. Calde Silk also.”

For a second or two Maytera Mint studied her with pursed lips. “All right, I’ll accept that. I apologize.”

Potto tittered.

“But your airship doesn’t seem to have reached Trivigaunte yet. Does that bother you?”

Siyuf shook her head. “Tonight, or I think the morning.”

Oosik rumbled, “Suppose I were to say tomorrow afternoon, Generalissimo. Your knowledge, I contend, is not so deep as you pretend. Tomorrow afternoon!”

Siyuf shrugged. “If you say. Perhaps.”

“In that case I proffer a further supposition. Not before shadelow next Phaesday. What would you say to that?”