Maia got up and half-lowered the slatted blind against the mid-day sun. An air of inattention, she had found, often worked in bringing Ogma to the point.
"Well, this man has friends down Thettit way, miss, and they sometimes come up here on business-buying glass, only that's what he makes and there's none at Thettit, you see-and these men said this woman, that's to say my friend in the shop as I was talking to, they asked her did
she know why Lord Erketlis had declared against Bekla and started fighting?"
"Why, has there been any fighting?" asked Maia. "I thought Lord Erketlis was lying low in Chalcon. He hasn't got all that many men, has he?"
"Oh, well, that's right, miss-at least, I think so-but I mean the real reason why he's started making trouble and declaring against the Leopards an' that."
Maia waited.
"It only shows, miss, doesn't it, as there's justice above?" pronounced Ogma sententiously. "I mean, there's some as brings down judgement on their own heads. That wicked man-of course I know you and Miss Occula had to do what you did; you hadn't got no choice-well, we none of us had, had we? And Miss Dyphna-"
"Ogma," said Maia, "what are you trying to tell me?"
Ogma leant forward, round-eyed. "Miss Milvushina!"
"Milvushina? What about her?"
"Well, we all knew, didn't we, miss, why the High Counselor was at the trouble of getting Miss Milvushina for himself? Because she was what she was-a lady-that's why. And he persuaded the Lord General-it's my belief he did-to send those soldiers to kill her father and mother just so he could have her for-well, for his horrible ways and that. Only I was there in the house all that night when you and Miss Occula was at Lord Elvair-ka-Virrion's party- the night when the soldiers first brought Miss Milvushina; and even the tryzatt, he was that disgusted by what he'd been made to do, like, and Terebinthia told me I wasn't to say a word outside and if I did she'd have me whipped and sold-"
"Ogma, what is it you want to tell me?"
"That was his own death, miss," whispered Ogma, stabbing with her fore-finger, "what he done then, the High Counselor. This friend of mine in the market had it all from her husband's friends down in Thettit. Miss Milvushina, see, she was promised in marriage to Lord Santil-ke-Erketlis-"
"Great Cran!" said Maia, startled at last into full attention. "Ogma, are you sure? She never said a word about it to me or Occula."
"Well, no, miss, likely not," said Ogma. "I mean, Miss Milvushina wasn't never one for telling a great deal at all, was she, if you know what I mean? But now it seems as
Lord Santil's made a proclamation down in Chalcon and Tonilda, telling everyone what he's doing and why, and all such things as that: and the chief of it is, he says that it was all arranged between him and Lord Enka-Mordet that he was to marry his daughter, and it was going to be a public thing as soon as the rains ended, only for what happened to poor Lord Enka-Mordet. And he says-that's to say, in the proclamation he says-that he was the one as had the High Counselor murdered, and that he'll never rest until he's revenged Lord Enka-Mordet and the dishonor that's been done to himself by Miss Milvushina being taken away."
Maia, sitting in the sun-dappled window-seat, considered this in silent wonder.
"It only shows, miss, doesn't it," resumed Ogma, "as the gods above-"
"Where is Milvushina?" interrupted Maia. "I remember now-that's to say I heard-that after the murder Lord Elvair-ka-Virrion took her into his own household, although by law she ought to have gone to the temple. The Sacred Queen was very angry about it."
"She's still with Lord Elvair-ka-Virrion," said Ogma. "He's said as he won't give her up. But that's not all, miss, either." She paused for effect.
"Well?" asked Maia.
"They say-that's to say, there's them as are saying, miss-that the Sacred Queen was for sending her back to Chalcon," said Ogma. "The rumor is that the Sacred Queen told General Kembri that Bekla had enough troubles as it was and to send the girl back and good riddance, But it seems Miss Milvushina said as she didn't want to go, and when the queen said she-was temple property and to be disposed of as such, Lord Elvair-ka-Virrion said no, because she shouldn't never have been enslaved in the first place, so by rights she wasn't a slave at all. So then Queen Fornis got very angry, but when she told General Kembri to see to it, he said he was too busy and anyway it wouldn't make any difference, because Lord Santil wouldn't want her back now she's been-you know. So that's it, you see, miss, and it only goes to show, doesn't it-"
"Then you mean Milvushina's living with Lord Elvair-ka-Virrion now?"
"Oh, yes, miss," said Ogma, "and what's more, they say he's going to command a special band of soldiers they're
raising, to go to Chalcon and put down Lord Erketlis; that's as soon as they're ready. And Miss Milvushina, she's said all along that he's been that good to her in her trouble that she means to stay with him here in Bekla."
And what did all this matter to herself? thought Maia, dismissing Ogma to go and set about cooking dinner. Once, there had been a time when she would have been wild with jealousy and full of resentment against Elvair-ka-Vir-rion. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." "Thank you for my pleasure. It was much the best I've ever had." This was not disillusion on her part, however: it was sheer lack of interest. With her new understanding, her opened eyes, she knew that Elvair-ka-Virrion was no man for her. He had once bedded her; she had enjoyed it; it had been a step up. He was the son and heir of the Lord General, while she was now the most celebrated, acclaimed woman in the empire. And that was all-that was the size of it. What could she and Elvair-ka-Virrion possibly create together, apart from mere physical pleasure? Milvushina was welcome to him. She did not want him. She wanted her Zenka.
She was in a situation of success and wealth such as she could never have dreamed of, and she had been warned that she had powerful enemies-potential enemies, at all events. She had betrayed the confidence of the man she loved, and by doing so had saved thousands of lives. She was revenged on Bayub-Otal as thoroughly as she or anyone could possibly have desired; yet now she only regretted it and pitied him. What a tangle of contradictions!
Ah! she thought, if only I could go and tell it all to that old Nasada! She could see him so clearly in her mind's eye-his fish-skin robe, his bushy eyebrows, his kindly, penetrating stare, his way of really listening to what you told him and then answering something you'd never have thought of for yourself.
"Oh, if only I could talk to Nasada!" she said aloud. "He'd make sense out of all this: he'd help me to know myself. Only I shaH never see him again, that's for sure. And Zenka? Never see Zenka again? Oh, nol"
She burst into tears; but, as is so often the way, having given rein for a time she felt better, and was able to enjoy entertaining Nennaunir to dinner and showing off her new furniture and other possessions.
Nennaunir's news was all of the forthcoming Chalcon expedition.
"There won't be anyone left here, you know, to go to bed with," she said, shaking her head with mock concern and smiling mischievously at Maia across the table. "You've saved the city and ruined the shearnas, Maia. Soon ev-eryone'll be off to stick spears into Santil instead of zards into us."
"But no one's got to go as doesn't want, surely?" asked Maia. "Not from the upper city, anyway?"
"Well, the thing is," answered Nennaunir, "that Kem-bri's doing all he can to make them feel they ought to. As a matter of fact," she went on, dropping her voice and looking over her shoulder for a moment to make sure Ogma was not in the room, "I believe he's more worried than he cares to let people know. Galatalis-you don't know her, do you? A sweet girl, and so pretty; you'd like her, Maia-she was with him a few days ago and she told me he really didn't seem himself at all."