Maia (Beklan Empire 1)

Pokada returned. "Yes, I have these two men in my charge, saiyett."

"And you'll release them to me for that sum?"

He made no reply, so that at length she repeated it.

He shook his head. "It's not possible, saiyett, for that money; no, nor for any money, I'm afraid. I'm answerable for them to the Sacred Queen, you see."

"The whole city's upside-down," she said. "You could always say they escaped."

"No one escapes from here: I'd be the one upside-down, saiyett, believe me."

"I'll pay you generously. Perhaps I could just manage a little more than ten thousand meld."

He sat down. "Well, shall we talk about it, saiyett? I don't mind talking about it, you know. Yes, let's discuss it for a little while."

But there was a kind of temporizing in his manner, a lack of conviction, which puzzled and disturbed her.

"You mean, talk about how much?"

"Well, yes; and about what you'll do with them--where they go and so on."

"But I can't see that that's anything to do with you, U-Pokada. Why should you want to know that?"

"Well, you see, saiyett--you see-- Have you ever been to Ikat Yeldashay?"

"No, never. But what's that got to do with it? U-Pokada, please--"

"Well, I was there once, you know. Yes, I was there once. Oh, some years ago, now. A nice city. Yes. But now it's in the hands of Santil-ke-Erketlis, they say. That's not good, is it? But of course General Kembri will beat him. No doubt of that--"

"U-Pokada, what's all this got to do with the prisoners?"

"Well, you see, saiyett, if you were going to Ikat Yeldashay, now--"

"U-Pokada, I don't want to appear rude, and I know as I can't afford to offend you, but I'm in great haste. If we're going to come to an agreement, for Cran's sake can we do it quickly, because--"

The door was flung open and two soldiers came into the room, their swords drawn in their hands. Maia, jumping up from where she was sitting, started back against the wall. Pokada also rose, but he showed no surprise, merely standing with folded arms as one of the two soldiers looked from him to herself.

"Is this the girl?" asked the soldier, and Pokada replied, "Yes."

Staring at them in the lamplight, Maia wondered what it was that seemed unfamiliar. The older was a tryzatt, the younger a common soldier. Both had an outlandish appearance, and their uniform, too, was unusual. Then, with an even worse access of fear, she saw that both were wearing the Fortress cognizance of Paltesh. These men were Palteshis.

The tryzatt seized her arm. "Are you Maia Serrelinda?"

She struggled, and he gripped her tighter. "Yes, yes, she is!" said Pokada, rubbing his hands. "You came quick. You came quick. That's good! That's very good!"

"Who are you?" she whispered.

"Guard commander at the Gate of Lilies: I'm arresting you on the Sacred Queen's instructions."

"What for?"

"She'll tell you that when she sees you."

Itt dread worse than ever she had known she stood, her legs almost giving way under her, while they tied her hands behind her back. Then the tryzatt, nodding curtly to Po-kada, followed the soldier as he pushed her out into the yard.

"Will you--will you let me go for ten thousand meld?" she asked, as they approached the gate.

"Not for twenty, neither," answered the tryzatt in his grating, Palteshi accent. "You're going to Queen Fornis, that's where you're going."

Suddenly both soldiers stopped, peering ahead of them towards the gate of the gaol. There was a flurry of tossing torches, their resinous, smoky smell drifting across the yard. Together with this came a sound of voices, stamping boots and the clink of arms and accoutrements. Evidently a considerable body of men had just entered the gate.

The two Palteshis stood irresolute. However, they did not have to wait long. Four torches detached themselves from the mass and came quickly towards them. Within a minute they were surrounded by a group of ten or twelve soldiers, led by a heavily-built man wearing the insignia of a captain.

"You belong to General Han-Glat?" asked the captain brusquely.

"We serve him and the Sacred Queen, sir. Tryzatt Nethik, acting on orders from--"

"Save your breath and you might even save your life, if you're lucky. Hand over your arms."

The tryzatt hesitated. "May I respectfully ask, sir--"

"Who I am? Captain Mendel-el-Ekna of Lapan, that's who I am. In case you didn't know, Bekla's now under command of Lord RandronOth."

"Sir, with all due respect--"

"Respect my venda." He drew his sword. "Hand over your arms, or you won't even have the chance to wish you had."

The two Palteshis, having no alternative, obeyed.

"Right," said the captain. "Now, I've taken over this gaol; have you got that? Are there any more of you Pa-tleshis here?"

"No, sir."

"If that turns out to be a lie you'll be killed. Where's the prison governor?"

The tryzatt pointed across the yard.

"Who's this girl? What were you going to do with her?"

"The Sacred Queen gave orders that she was to be arrested wherever she might be found, sir. I was appointed guard commander at the Gate of Lilies this evening, and I received a message from the governor of the gaol, that she was here. 'Cordingly I came and arrested her."

"Why are you wanted by Queen Fornis, then?" asked the captain, turning to Maia. "Untie her hands," he added to one of his own men.

"I'm Maia Serrelinda," she answered. "Queen Fornis--"

"Maia Serrelinda, the friend of Lord Randronoth?"

She hesitated no more than a moment. "Yes."

Disconcertingly, the captain dropped on one knee and proffered the hilt Of his sword. Smiling, she laid one hand on it and he stood up.

"And what can we have the honor of doing for you, saiyett?"

"I came here to ask the governor for the release of two prisoners--my friends; victims of the queen--but he kept me talking in his room so that he could betray me to these Palteshis."

"Did he?" replied Mendel-el-Ekna. "Fearon," he said to his own tryzatt, "go back and take over at the gate. The rest of you, come with me."

When they thrust their way into his room Pokada--for he was still there--sprang up and cowered against the wall, grasping quickly enough that these were no friends. Men-del-el-Ekna was about to run him through when Maia caught his arm.

"Don't, captain! Spare him, for my sake!"

"But you say this is the man who betrayed you to the Palteshis?"

"Yes, but I can't bear to see anyone else killed. I've seen--oh, I've seen that many today, I'm half mad with it! Please spare him!"

"You dirty bastard!" said the captain, hitting Pokada across the face. "Think yourself lucky! Now go and fetch the saiyett the men she asked you for, and basting quickly, too! You three go with him, and if he tries any nonsense, kill him!"

They waited, eight or nine of them crammed into the little room. The smell of unwashed, sweating men was overpowering. Her wrists smarted where the cord had chafed them. I can't stand much more, she thought. Reckon I'll faint in a minute.

"Stuffy in here," remarked Mendel-el-Ekna suddenly. He pulled open the wooden shutters, wrenched them off the hinges and threw them out into the yard. "That's bet-ter." One of his men caught Maia's eye and winked.

"Will you be needing an escort?" went on the captain. "You and your friends--where are you going?"

"I just want to get them out of Bekla," she answered. "Anywhere'll do for now."

He frowned, puzzled. "Were you going to return to Lord Randronoth alone, then, across the city?"

"There was a man with me before I was arrested by the Palteshis--a man and another girl--only in all the confusion we got separated, see?"