"But Randronoth, you said?"
"Well, you see, even what I've told you's not the worst of it. It seems that after the battle Elvair-ka-Virrion, with the choice of falling back on Thettit or Bekla, chose Bekla, and his force is retreating now through eastern Lapan. But Erketlis has given out that what he intends, in the light of this victory, is nothing less than to take Bekla and destroy the Leopards--the slave-traders, as he calls them. He's had it proclaimed everywhere from Ikat to Herl."
Ogma appeared to announce dinner, and Maia, taking her guest's arm, led him back up the garden.
"What it comes to, Maia, I'm afraid, is that the whole empire's riddled with disaffection against the Leopards. Erketlis is the most serious, of course, but there's a slave rising half out of control in Belishba--or that's what it sounds like. Fornis has taken over Paltesh to play her own game---whatever it may be--and that damned Lenkrit's sneaking up and down in western Urtah, making all the trouble he can."
He slit his trout, took out the tail, backbone and head and put them on the plate Ogma was holding ready.
"I'll tell you, I honestly wonder whether Durakkon and Kembri will be able to keep a roof over their heads in this storm. I say this to you, Maia, though I wouldn't say it to anyone else. I believe all the provinces are hanging back, waiting to see which way it's going to go. If Erketlis isn't beaten soon--" He shrugged his shoulders.
Could she herself make any use of this? thought Maia. If it were really the beginning of what Occula had called "the biggest shine for a thousand years', did it offer her any practical hope of getting to Dari--to the fortress--and then---? Perhaps someone--perhaps even Durakkon's son, if he had such a kind heart--could be cajoled or bribed? Yet she felt, desperately, the limitations of her youth and inexperience. Might Occula be persuaded to take the risk and escape with her? After all, Occula's chances of killing the Sacred Queen might very well be as good in Dari as in Bekla. Oh, ah, she thought, and as deadly dangerous too. Occula's wits, Occula's experience, Occula's help-- the price to he paid for these, like enough, would be a share in the appalling venture to which Occula had devoted herself.
Well, so be it. Now that she knew he was alive, she was ready to go to any lengths for Zenka.
She realized that Eud-Ecachlon had apparently asked her some question. He was looking at her inquiringly and seemed a little put out.
"I said 'I wonder what you think': or weren't you listening?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Euda, I'm afraid my thoughts had wandered a bit, just for a moment. But after all, it's understandable, isn't it? You've told me enough this morning to worry anybody."
It would have been nice, she thought, if he had tried to give her some reassurance; spoken a few comforting words-- yes, even if they'd been so much moonshine--something like "he was sure everything was going to turn out all right; she mustn't worry"--the sort of thing men usually said to girls when things were looking bad. However, he didn't.
"I was saying I thought it would all depend on the response Kembri gets from the various provinces. He's summoned every provincial governor except Randronoth-- Randronoth's got his orders already, of course--to come to Bekla and renew their oath of allegiance to Durakkon. They've been told to be ready to tell him how many men they can send. What I asked was whether you had any idea how many Tonilda might be able to send. You come from down that way, don't you?"
"Yes, but--well, my lord, I mean, I wouldn't know about a thing like that; not someone like me."
"Paltesh won't help, of course--not now Forms is there. But Bel-ka-Trazet's already on his way from Ortelga, so I've heard; and believe it or not, there's someone coming from Suba."
"From Suba, my lord? Why, how can that be? Suba still belongs to King Karnat, doesn't it? You don't mean to say as he's allowing someone to come to Bekla to talk about helping the Leopards?"
"Well, I don't know any more than I've told you," answered Eud-Ecachlon, as Ogma took away the remains of his fish plate and put in front of him a dish of pork, with shallots and spiced brillions. "The man who's coming-- Kembri told us this morning--he isn't a baron or a governor at all, and he certainly hasn't been sent by Karnat. He's some sort of old medicine-man, or something. But apparently he commands such enormous respect all over Suba that when he said on his own account that he wanted to come to Bekla and talk to Durakkon, Karnat wasn't prepared to go the length of stopping him."
"An old-- medicine-man?" asked Maia, staring. "Euda, what's his name, do you know?"
"Yes, I did hear it--wait a minute--yes; Nasada, that's it. Someone said that the Subans--why, what's the matter, Maia? Do you know him, or something?"
"Yes. Yes, I do!" She collected herself. "Well, it's only just that when I was there I was taken bad, sort of, and he put me right, that's all."
"Well, it's a small world, isn't it?" said Eud-Ecachlon. "Did you like him? Is he really anything out of the ordinary or not?"
"If he's coming to Bekla I wouldn't--oh, no, I wouldn't want to miss the chance of meeting him again. Yes, I liked him very much."
"Well, that won't be difficult," replied Eud-Ecachlon. "Our betrothal will have been announced, so of course you'll be able to meet any of the provincial governors and delegates you wish. In fact, I'm sure they'll all be very anxious to meet you. We ought to give a banquet, really. I'll mention it to Kembri--"
"Just a moment. Ogma, would you leave us, please, and shut the door behind you? What did you say, my lord?"
"I said I'd mention it to Kembri--"
"No, before that."
"I said our betrothal will have been announced--"
"I'm afraid not, my lord. You never asked me for my answer, did you? I'm sorry if you took it for granted. I very much appreciate the honor you've done me, but I'm afraid my answer is no."
He stared at her incredulously, looking completely non-plussed. "What, Maia?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't feel able to accept your offer, my lord."
"You mean--you mean you're seriously rejecting the prospect--the certainty, that is--of becoming High Baroness of Urtah?"
"I'd really rather not discuss it or argue about it, my lord, if you don't mind. And I hope you won't ask me for reasons. I've thought about it very carefully and I don't feel able to become your wife."
"Maia--I'd like to say 'dear Maia'--you're very beautiful; and everyone knows that you're very brave, too. But you're also very young and--I hope you won't mind my saying this--not at all exper
ienced. Have you talked this over with anyone and taken advice?"
"Forgive me, my lord; I don't have to answer that."
"No, you don't have to: but I'm sure any sensible friend and well-wisher would tell you that you'd be going very much against your own best interests to refuse an offer-- a future--like this."
"Then I'm going against my own best interests, my lord. Don't let your pork get cold. Be a shame to waste it."
"Maia, believe me, if you insist on this you'll be wasting a lot more. I don't want to frighten you, but it could prove a fatal mistake."
"Fear would be a very bad reason for marriage, my lord."
- "Oh, Maia, I didn't mean that! But you're so young and you see everything--well, so black and white. This marriage would be much the best thing for you--and for me, too. You realize, don't you, that if you were an ordinary girl living in Bekla with her parents, they could tell you whom you were to marry and you'd be obliged to obey them?"
"Maybe, my lord; but as things are that doesn't happen to be the case."
"Kembri might order you to marry, though."
She paused a few moments, looking straight back at him. "If you was to take me that way, my lord, I'm afraid I wouldn't reckon such a great lot to it; or to you, either."
He was silent, toying with his pair of knives, first one and then the other. She got up and herself served him cheese and fruit, then went out to the kitchen and brought back the tray of little sweet dishes with which a Beklan dinner customarily ended. As she came in and closed the door he said, "Maia, I must ask you this seriously. Is your real reason that you intend to become Sacred Queen? Because if it is--"
She answered him instantly and firmly. "No, my lord, it's not."
"But if you're still living here now, in this same way, at the end of this year, there's not the slightest doubt that the people will acclaim you, whether you wish it or otherwise. Have you thought of that?"