Maia (Beklan Empire 1)

"He was on telling me about his father and mother."

"That old tale again," said Kembri.

"Well, I thought 'twas very sad, my lord, the way he told it to me."

"I'm sure it was," said Kembri drily. "You enjoyed listening to him, then?"

"Well, reckon I did, my lord, yes. He told me how he'd grown up in Suba and how he'd been promised the rule of it by his father; and then how it had been given to this King Karnat."

"It's time you understood a little more about this matter now, Maia," said Kembri. "If Bayub-Otal wanted Suba badly enough, he might--mightn't he--offer to rule it as some sort of vassal of King Karnat? Offer to pay him tribute and so on, if only he'd let him rule the country his father promised him?"

"I s'pose he might, my lord." She frowned, plainly perplexed and out of her depth: then suddenly laughed, showing her white, even teeth in the lamplight. "More 'n I'd want, I know that! Strikes me 's nothin' but a peck of trouble--"

"Never mind," said Kembri brusquely. "King Karnat, if he were to give Bayub-Otal the rule of Suba, would want him to give something in return. And it might be something we wouldn't want Karnat to have, mightn't it?"

The girl frowned again. "Don't see what he's got to give him, my lord."

"He could order his Subans to fight for Karnat," said Kembri. "He could persuade them that it would be in their own best interests to help Karnat to conquer Paltesh or even Bekla itself, in return for giving them back their freedom. Now tell me, did Bayub-Otal tell you where he'd been since he was last in Bekla?"

"No, my lord. Nor I didn't see how I could ask him without him getting suspicious of me, like."

"He didn't tell you he'd been across the Valderra, or gone into Suba, or anything like that?"

"No, my lord."

"Now that you know what I've explained to you, can you remember him saying anything that makes you think he might be in touch with King Karnat?"

"No, my lord. But you see, he kept on saying he expected I was going to tell everything to the High Counselor, so he wasn't going to say anything as everyone didn't know already. He was very much on his guard, as you might say."

"Did he bed you?" asked Kembri.

"No, my lord. He told me--well, he kind of said as he didn't go in for such things, like, on account of his father and mother an' that--"

Kembri waved a hand. "All right. Now listen, Maia. I want you to get to know him still better. Tell him you go along with these ideas of his and that you think he's a sadly-wronged man. You must get still further into his confidence. Tell him you hate the Leopards, hate being a slave and so on. But don't overdo it, or he'll get suspicious. You're to go on being a simple, country girl. But above all, get him to talk about Suba. Tell him it sounds a wonderful place--that you'd love to go there--anything you like. He's up to something or other; of that we're certain. Find out what it is, Maia, and from that day you shall be a free woman. Do you understand?"

The girl's face lit up. "So soon, my lord?"

"So soon. But don't try making anything up for my benefit, or saying what you think I might want to hear: I should only find out in the end. Now there's your lygol. What are you going to say to your saiyett?"

"Why, as the governor of Lapan basted me, my lord."

She gave him a mischievous smile, but Kembri only nodded and turned away. The girl raised her palm and went out.

When the door had closed behind her Durakkon came forward into the room.

"I can't see that that poor girl's found out anything of importance to us about Bayub-Otal."

"What I suspect is this," said Kembri. "He's been secretly in touch with Karnat, who's promised him the rule of Suba in return for getting the Subans to fight on his side; helping him to cross the Valderra and attack us. From his point of view it's a case of half a loaf being better than no bread. But there could be more to it than that. For instance, suppose Sencho knows about it too, and Bayub-Otal's the go-between? Sencho agrees with Karnat to give us misleading information and so on. Karnat crosses the Valderra with Suban help, conquers Bekla, puts us out of the way and then gives Sencho all he wants to gorge and baste himself to death--pensions him off. Meanwhile Bayub-Otal retains the rule of Suba as a vassal of Karnat and everyone's happy."

"Oh, this vile business of playing games with people's lives!" burst out Durakkon. "To think there was a time when I believed the Leopards were going to bring prosperity and happiness to the common people!"

To this Kembri did not trouble to answer. "Well, let's hope this girl can find out something more. We've nothing whatever to lose by letting her try."

"She seemed a nice little thing," said Durakkon. "You mean to free her, then, when she's done her job, and send her back to Tonilda?"

"Well, if she finds out anything of real importance, of course, she'll probably have to be done away with," answered Kembri. "These people outlive their usefulness, you know, once they're known to have been agents; and once they know more than we want to risk them talking about elsewhere." He shrugged.

"There are always plenty more where she came from, after all. But now, another thing, sir. I beg you, please, while I'm absent from Bekla, and as long as the High Counselor's still not himself, to make sure of obtaining frequent reports about the state of affairs in Chalcon: and particularly as regards Santil-ke-Erketlis. There's not a doubt that in spite of our killing Enka-Mordet, he's still a very real danger. Here's a report I received only this morning, for instance, about a man named Tharrin--"

Upon her return Maia, pushing open the door that led to the women's quarters, was startled to see Milvushina standing in the passage immediately behind it. Before she could speak the Chalcon girl took her by the wrist.

"Maia, listen--"

"What's up, then?" Maia, alarmed, replied sharply.

"It's Occula. I've been waiting for you--"

"What about Occula?" Then, in sudden panic, "He hasn't sold her?" Her voice rose, and Milvushina hastily motioned her to silence.

"No, no! We'd better whisper--"

"Where's Terebinthia?" asked Maia.

"With--" Milvushina, who never referred directly to the High Counselor unless it was quite unavoidable, made a movement with her head. "Is that door quite shut?"

"Yes, yes! Come on, what about Occula, then?"

"She's--well, she seems frightened and upset--not like herself. She's in her room--"

"Occula frightened? I don't believe it! What on earth of?"

"I don't know, Maia. But either that or else she's ill. She came back from--" again the movement--"abo

ut an hour ago and she seemed--well, as I say--upset. I've never seen her like that before. I asked her whether I could help, but I'm not sure whether she even took in what I was saying."

Maia, entirely forgetting that her first duty was to send Ogma to tell the saiyett that she herself had returned, hurried through the pool room and down the short corridor beyond.

Occula, dressed only in her shift, was lying face down on the bed, her arms stretched in front of her.

Between her hands was the black image of Kantza-Merada. She was breathing heavily and slowly, as though struggling to endure some inward pain. Each time her shoulders rose, the muscles contracted as she clutched the goddess more tightly.

Maia, who had never once seen her friend unnerved since the night at Khasik when she herself had stolen the Ortelgan merchant's golden bear, stood perplexed, anxious to help but at a loss to know how.

After some moments she sat down on the bed and laid a hand on Occula's arm. At once the black girl looked up quickly, revealing tear-stained eyes and a face covered with sweat.

"What day is it? Have I been asleep?"

Maia stared in fear, for Occula seemed scarcely to recognize her. She had heard tell of people being driven out of their minds by sorcery and curses. The dreadful thought occurred to her that her friend might perhaps have been bewitched or poisoned.

"Asleep?" she faltered. "I--I don't know. I only just got back, Occula. Are you sick? What's the matter?"

"Ah, nothin', my pretty banzi," said Occula. "Nothin', nothin' in the world! Oh, if only I could get out of here somehow! Out of Bekla! Out of this whole bastin' empire! Get me out, banzi--if you love me, only get me out! I can' go on with it! I've lost my nerve!"

Drawing Maia to her, she kissed her passionately. Maia felt her tears against her cheek.

"I don't understand! What is it? You're frightening me, Occula!"

"I'm not frightenin' you, banzi," whispered Occula, releasing her and stroking her shoulder. "I'm more frightened myself than ever I've been since the Govig."