"Nice bastin', banzi?" asked Occula as they plodded uphill in the wake of the litter. Her sarcasm was no more than teasing, but Maia, sweating and uncomfortable, was quick to resent it.
"Yes, it was!" she replied sharply. "And you needn't be so damned spiteful, either. I was sorry for the poor boy, that's what. He's a prisoner in that place, isn't he? He was desperate for it."
"He wasn' the only one," said Occula. "Cran! you were like a damn' cat on a roof--just with watchin' that cruel, wicked woman, that's what."
Maia was about to retort when something in Occula's voice checked her. Turning her head, she saw that the black girl was on the verge of weeping. She took her hand and kissed it.
"I'm sorry, dear. I don't wonder it upset you. You hate her, don't you?"
"Of course I hate her!" cried Occula. "Didn' she murder my father--"
"Hush, love, hush! Someone'll hear--"
"And you mark my words, banzi, one day I'll--"
As the black girl bit on her fingers, Maia could see the tears falling on the back of her hand.
"Seven years! Seven years, and Zai's spirit--"
"Try not to take on, dear! You're not yourself--it's the sun and all the standing about. Anyhow, thank goodness here's the gate, and about time, too. Oh, I shall be glad to go in the pool when we get back, won't you? I hope he'll let us have a bit of a rest, seeing as we've got to go to that Barb party tonight. I wonder whether-- O great Cran! Occula! Look! That's Meris over there! Meris! And the pedlar man--what's he called? Zirek. Look! going through the gate now!"
"Strikes me you're the one's been in the sun, banzi. How the hell can it be Meris when you know perfectly well she's been sold into the back of beyond?"
"But I tell you it was Meris, Occula! They've gone now, but--"
"Banzi," said Occula, gripping her wrist and turning upon her with a look of desperation, "shut up! Doan' ask me why--just shut up! Tell me about your lake in Tonilda, go on! Tell me about Tharrin--tell me about any damn' tiling you like!"
Maia, frowning with vexation, made no reply, and together with two or three other groups of nobles and attendant slaves they passed on under the arch into the upper city.
"Banzi," said Occula presently.
Maia went on humming the wine anthem without replying.
"Banzi."
"Well?" Maia felt tired and sulky. "Got yourself into a better temper?"
"There's somethin' else I've just thought of, and it's very, very important. Piggy may sleep this afternoon-- probably will, I dare say. But if he sends for you, doan' let him have anythin', d'you see? Tell him it's the wrong time of the month, tell him you've broken your wrist, hurt your mouth--tell him anythin' you like. But whatever you do, doan' let him have anythin'! You can get away with it. He'll take it from you."
"But why, Occula?"
"Never mind. Just do as I say. Anyway, p'raps you woan' have to."
In the event this last proved correct, Sencho, carried to the small hall, told Terebinthia that he would sleep until sunset, when he was to be awakened for the supper party. He confirmed that Maia and Occula were to accompany him. The following day he wished to see Lalloc about buying a girl to replace Dyphna.
39: BY THE BARB
By sunset Maia was feeling refreshed and ready for the evening. Despite Occula's reproach, she felt neither shame nor regret about what she had done with Sednil. His famished necessity and corresponding ardor, his being a person of much the same station in life as herself (which had made her feel delightfully relaxed) and (perhaps most pleasant) the knowledge that she had enjoyed something illicit which could not now be taken away--all these, adding up to a real sense of satisfaction, had left her in a happy, confident mood, so that Terebinthia, while looking through the wardrobe with her, thought fit to remark that she had better take care not to let her high spirits run away with her at the Barb party; to which Maia replied pertly that she felt sure Terebinthia would like her to do all she could to bring back a good, big lygol.
"I doubt there'll be any lygols tonight," answered Terebinthia. "I rather think the High Counselor will want to keep you both to himself. And you'd be well-advised to remain content with that. Remember Meris."
"Why isn't he taking Milvushina, though, saiyett?" asked Maia. "I mean, I thought he liked to show what a lot of everything he's got, and we've been out in public once today already."
"I rather imagine--" Terebinthia hesitated. "A lot of provincial barons will be there tonight and I think that possibly he may not want to ran the risk of anyone recognizing her. But you're not to repeat that."
"No, saiyett, 'course I won't. Oh, look! Can I wear that?"
It was a yellow-and-white tunic, broad-lapelled and buttoning down the front, with flared, embroidered lappets doing duty for a skirt. The buttons were topaz, as were the eyes of the leopards embroidered on the flapped pockets. Maia tried it on. It fitted well, and Terebinthia nodded approval.
"You'll need to wear a low-cut shift underneath, and short enough in the hem not to show beneath the lappets, too. With legs like yours that will do very well."
Neither Terebinthia nor Maia could have had the least inkling of how well it would have to do--or for how long.
At this moment Occula appeared. She seemed edgy and preoccupied. She was wearing her orange metlan and leather hunting-jacket, her gold nose-stud and necklace of teeth-- the costume which Maia had first seen in the slavers' depot at Puhra. It certainly did suit her, she thought; and it was nice that as a result of her own widened experience of clothes during these last months she had come to think more and not less highly of Occula's taste.
"Do you think that's quite suitable for the High Baron's party, Occula?" asked Terebinthia. Once, thought Maia, she would simply have told her to go and take it off.
"I'd like to wear it, saiyett, if I may," answered Occula. "Yes, I think it suits me and I always feel confident in it."
"Well, I don't know whether the High Counselor's going to agree with you," said Terebinthia. "But if that's how you-- What is it, Ogma?"--as the club-footed girl came hurrying in.
"The High Counselor's awake, saiyett, and wants you to go and see him at once," said Ogma.
"Banzi," said Occula, as Terebinthia went out, "just come back to my room for a minute."
Once there she closed the door and then, taking out of her box the squat, black image of Kantza-Merada, placed it in Maia's hands.
"Keep her safe, banzi," she said. "Either keep her yourself or if you have to, destroy her--burn her--