Still confused, still angry, Husu and the two human guards left the house. "You do know the custom that you may not leave the city," Chebeya said.
"Oh, yes," said Shedemei. "I've already been advised of that."
"We've got to go home, Mother," Luet said. "We have to tell Father what's happened."
Mother turned to Shedemei. "This morning I didn't know you. Tonight I'm bound to you by cords of love as if I'd been your friend for years."
"We are bound together," said Shedemei, "because we both serve the Keeper."
Mother looked at her with a wry smile. "I would have thought so until the moment you said that, Shedemei. Because there was something about what you said that is ... not a lie ... but... ."
"Let's just say that my service to the Keeper hasn't always been voluntary," said Shedemei. "But it is now, and that's the truth."
Mother grinned. "You seem to know more than I do about what a raveler can see."
"Let's just say that you're not the first I've known." Then Shedemei laughed. "Not even the first named Chveya."
"Nobody can pronounce her name the old way like that," said Luet. "How do you do that?"
• "Humans can say it," said Shedemei. "Chvuh. Chveya. It's only angels that can't, and that's why the name was changed."
"It's silly, isn't it," said Luet. "The person I'm named for and the person Mother is named for were also mother and daughter, except the other way around."
"It's not a coincidence," said Mother. "After all, I'm the one who named you."
"I know that," said Luet.
"I thought the names were appropriate myself," said Shedemei. "As I said, I once had dear friends with those names. I knew them long ago and far away, and they're dead now."
"Where are you from?" Chebeya demanded. "Why have you come here?"
"I'm from a city that was destroyed," said Shedemei, "and I came here in search of the Keeper. I want to know who she is. And the closer I stay to you and your family, Chebeya, the better my chances of finding out."
"We don't know any more than you do," said Luet.
"Then perhaps we'll find out together," said Shedemei. "Now go home before the sky gets too dark. The evening rains are about to begin and you'll be soaked."
"Will you be all right?" asked Mother.
"You must believe me when I say that I am the only one who is perfectly safe." With that, Shedemei hustled them out the door. Impulsively Luet stopped at the last moment and kissed the schoolmaster on the cheek. Shedemei embraced her then and held her for a moment. "I lied," she whispered. "I didn't just come here for the Keeper. I also came here because I wanted a friend."
"I am your friend," said Luet. Later she would think of how passionately she said those words and wail to Edhadeya that she must have sounded like a schoolgirl. But at the time, looking into Shede-mei's eyes, they seemed the most natural words she could have said.
EIGHT - TRIALS
As soon as Didul reached the court, Pabul ushered him into his private chamber. "Did you see how many guards were stationed around the court?"
"I assume you've been getting death threats."
"I'm flattered by them-not a single bribe. They know I can't be bought. They're going to find out I can't be terrified."
"I can."
"You know what I mean," said Pabul. "I'm afraid, yes, of course, but my fear won't make me judge any differently than I would have."
"This trial is famous already," said Didul. "And it doesn't even begin till tomorrow."
Pabul sighed. "Everyone knows what's at stake. All the laws protecting the old order are being used to block the new. I have no idea what kind of defense Shedemei is planning, but I can't imagine what she'll say that can overbalance the plain truth that she's guilty."
"Guilty," said Didul. "Guilty of being a remarkable woman. Among the Kept in Bodika, she's already being touted as a martyr."
"I keep hoping that Motiak will take the matter out of my hands by simply announcing that the old laws are repealed."
"He won't," said Didul. "He's trying to stay above the whole thing."
"He knows he can't, Didul." Pabul fumbled through some of the barks lying on his table. "No matter what I decide, the loser will appeal."
"Even if you give Shedemei no penalty at all?"
"Have you met her?" asked Pabul sharply.
Didul laughed. "This morning, before coming here."
"Then you know she'll appeal even if I pay a fine to her. I think she's enjoying this."
"Poor Pabul."
Pabul grimaced. "We've dedicated our lives to being the opposite of Father. And now I have to sit in judgment on a follower of Binaro, just as Father sat in judgment on Binaro himself."
"Nobody will be burned to death this time."
"No-the treason charge is the one I can dismiss easily enough. But I still have to convict her of all the others."
"Isn't there some law about bringing false charges maliciously?" asked Didul.
"The operative word there is false. These charges are true."
"Malicious mischief. Trying to disrupt the public order of the kingdom. And as you said, the treason charge is there only to make it a capital crime."
"What are you suggesting? That I bring charges against the people who are charging Shedemei?"
Didul shrugged. "It might induce them to drop their petition against her."
"I don't know how likely that is," said Pabul. "But if I could find a way to complicate things further, so that there's no possibility of a clearcut victory or defeat for anybody... ."
Didul waited for a while, watching Pabul read bark after bark. Finally he patted his older brother's shoulder and made his way to Ak-maro's house. He came to the back, as he usually did, and waited in silence in the shade of a tree until someone inside the house noticed him. It was Luet who finally came out and greeted him. "Didul, why don't you just come to the front of the house and clap your hands like anyone else?"
"And what if it's Akma who answers the door?"
"He's never here. And so what if it is?"
"I don't want a quarrel. I don't want a fight."
"I don't think Akma does, either," said Luet. "He still hates you, of course-"
"Of course," said Didul dryly.
"But it's not... he's concentrating on other things."
"What I want to know is, does he have anything to do with these charges against Shedemei?"
"Isn't she wonderful?" asked Luet. "Have you met her?"
"This morning. It was rather grueling, actually. She practically held me to the fire before she'd finally believe that I wasn't a jaguar dressed as a turkey."
"She knew about your past?"
"As if she'd watched over my shoulder. Everything. It was terrifying, Luet. She asked me... ."
"What?"
Didul shuddered. "Asked me if I especially enjoyed it when I knocked you around."
Luet laid a hand on his shoulder. "That was unkind of her. I've forgiven you-what business is it of hers?"
"She said she was trying to determine whether it was really possible for a person to change. She was trying to find out if I was really vile before, and became a truly virtuous man now, or if I was vile and now merely pretended to be good, or if I was good all along, and merely misguided."
"What good would it do her to find that out?"
"Oh, I can think of several uses. Anyway, she's a moral philosopher. That's one of the great questions, whether human beings are really capable of change, or if all seeming changes are really a matter of framing the existing character in a different moral situation... you know. Philosophy stuff. I've just never had anybody actually try to test their ideas against the real world like that. At least, I've never been the real world they were testing against."