They passed through the Slave Market, with its carved reliefs along the bases of the rostra, and Maia remembered as though it were long ago her shocked embarrassment when she and Occula had first seen the platform for the girls.
"What you said back there," said Sednil after a little, as they turned out of the Khalkoornil and entered the tangle of narrower streets near the western clock tower. "Said you didn't like being alone. But that's when you're safest, when you're alone: there's no one to twist you or let you down then, is there? Just remember that, and you might come back safe."
She nodded, blinking back tears. Sednil stopped and looked about them for a moment. "It's only just round the comer now." Suddenly he gripped her arm. "Here's a night-patrol coming, see? I've been wondering when we'd meet one."
Two soldiers in light armor, swords at their belts but without shields, were approaching at the unhurried pace of sentinels or watchmen. One carried a lantern, its flame barely visible in the moonlight. Sednil stood still as they crossed the street and came up to Maia and himself.
"What are you doing out at this time of night? Where are you going?"
"I'm a temple servant on business for the chief priest," replied Sednil. "Here's my token."
He drew out of his pocket a flat piece of wood about two inches square, which bore lettering and a painted Leopard cognizance. The soldier, taking it from him, examined it.
"Never seen one of these before."
"Keep it; I'm carrying several. That's what they're for. Take it to the temple if you want. They'll tell you I'm authorized."
The man paused and shook his head, clearly in two minds.
"This young woman-is she a temple servant too?"
"I'm escorting her to where she has to go."
The two soldiers looked at each other. "The fun sometimes gets a bit rough in the temple, does it?" asked the second soldier sardonically. "How did her face and clothes get in that state?"
"I've no idea," answered Sednil, "but I know what my orders are, and if you hinder me you'll have to answer to the temple for it."
There was another pause. Then the first soldier, pocketing the token, said curtly, "All right, not so much of your damned lip. 'Way you go."
Round the next corner, standing in the shadow of the western clock tower, Sednil pointed to one of a row of small, stone-built houses opposite.
"That's it; the third one, see? But how you're going to wake him-" Suddenly he gave a low whistle. "Why, there's a light, look, shining through the ground-floor shutters- see it? Either someone's up or else they've forgotten the lamp. Were you told he'd be up?"
"No," said Maia.
"We'd better have a look, then," said Sednil. "Quiet, now."
Maia followed him across to the front of the house. In the room behind the shutters she could hear someone moving quietly about. After a few moments Sednil plucked her sleeve and pointed silently to a chink. Shutting one eye and peering through, Maia saw Bayub-Otal pass across her line of vision carrying a folded garment. A moment later he came back the other way, empty-handed.
Sednil, leading her back to the opposite side of the street, took her in his arms and gently kissed her swollen mouth.
"Good luck! And don't forget what I told you. Keep a jump ahead of the bastards-whoever they are-and maybe we'll meet again yet."
Maia was filled with sudden panic.
"Oh, Sednil!" She looked at him piteously. "Come with me! Come on! You could be free! You could escape! I'll tell him-"
"Don't be daft! The guards on the gate have been told who they're to let through. You know they have."
With this he turned and walked away, leaving her alone.
Now that there was nothing to do but go on, Maia felt a sudden access of resolution. Pausing only a few seconds, she ran across the road and knocked rapidly three or four times on the shutters.
There was a sudden, startled movement in the room, but no one spoke. She knocked again.
"Who's there?" said Bayub-OtaJ's voice sharply.
"My lord, it's Maia! Maia! Let me in, for pity's sake!"
"Maia!" A panel of the shutter opened and she saw him standing before her. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, let me in, my lord! Please let me in quickly!"
Swinging back a second panel to widen the opening, he helped her into the lamp-lit room. As he closed and barred the shutters behind her, Maia sank down on the floor as though exhausted. Bayub-Otal supported her to a bench by the table.
"I heard you'd been taken to the temple for questioning." Then, for the first time catching a clear sight of her face, "Gods! What's happened? What have they done to you?"
"Oh, my lord, there's no time to explain! Won't you
help me? You promised-you promised you'd help me to get out of Bekla if ever I asked you."
"But I don't understand," replied Bayub-Otal. "How do you come to be here?"
"I escaped, my lord; from the temple; not an hour ago."
"From the temple? How?"
"One of the guards-I gave him-I gave him what he wanted, to let me go."
"I see. And do you think they've found out yet that you've escaped?"
"I don't know. Not yet, perhaps, but they're bound to soon. Oh, please help me, my lord!"
"But how did you know where I was?"
"I knew where your lodgings were, my lord. Sencho knew-he knew everything like that. You will help me, my lord, won't you? If they catch me now-"
"Yes, I'll help you," said Bayub-Otal, "but we'll have to be quick. You're lucky to have found me here. I was warned, not an hour ago, to leave the city at once. I was intending to leave tomorrow anyway, but apparently they mean to arrest me on suspicion of having to do with the murder."
Kembri must have arranged this, thought Maia, to make sure that Bayub-Otal would be up and setting about his own flight when she arrived. That would make him less likely to question her too closely.
"I was just putting some things together." He pointed to a half-filled pack lying on the floor. "We must be off at once, before they know you're gone."
"Can I wash, my lord? Is there time? I'd feel so much better-"
"Yes, of course. Are you injured-wounded?"
"My shoulder hurts."
"Let me see."
She pulled the tunic to one side so that he could see the burn.
"O Shakkarn!" he said. "The brutes! This damned city! One day- Did you tell them anything?"
"I couldn't, my lord, 'cos I don't know anything; not about the High Counselor's murder."
"Neither do I, but I wish I did. I'd gladly have played a part in it. That's why I'm suspected, I suppose."
Crossing to a door on the further side of the room, he called in a low voice, "Pillan!"
There was no response and after calling once more he went out into the passage, returning a minute later with a grizzled, stooping man carrying a towel and a pail of water.
"This water's not very hot-the fire's been Out an hour or two-but at least it's not cold. You can wash in here- we'll leave you-but be as as quick as you can. And here's something to tie round your shoulder. At any rate it's clean-better than nothing."
Maia, in the act of taking the cloth from him, suddenly saw that the servant was staring at her with an expression of fear and amazement, making the sign against evil with a hand held before his face. She had not imagined that her appearance could be so grievous as to give rise to feelings of this kind, and herself felt frightened to see him muttering and gesticulating.
"Anda-Nokomis," stammered the man, turning to Ba-yub-Otal and speaking in an Urtan argot that Maia could barely understand, "what does-what does this mean? Who is this girl?"