‘You were right.’ Kheda smiled at Risala. ‘A good few among the household will take her for zamorin without being told. They’ll spread the word among servants who’ve never encountered such an unusual slave.’
‘Such slaves that are coveted by many warlords.’ The woman startled him by speaking in slow, careful Aldabreshin as she set down the armful of books she carried. ‘What do you intend to do if you get an impressive offer for me?’
Kheda found himself retreating back behind his table as the magewoman studied him with equally frank appraisal. ‘I will decline, with thanks,’ he said with calm precision.
‘You’re looking very well.’ Dev strolled slowly around behind Velindre. ‘And very fine, in those trousers,’ he added, running his tongue along his upper lip as he brushed a hand across her rump.
She rebuffed him with a blow from the leather bag she had slung over one shoulder and set a hand on the dagger hilt at her belt. ‘Lay another finger on me, Dev, and I’ll cut it off’ She sounded more bored than angry as she switched to their barbarian tongue.
Kheda noted that the barbarian woman’s voice was naturally pitched quite low.
Further strengthening the illusion of this disguise. Is that an omen in our favour, that she can play this part so convincingly?
Dev stepped back, hands raised in mock apology. ‘You can’t blame a man for being tempted.’
‘He says she’s looking well.’ Risala translated tactfully as she crossed the room to stand close to Kheda. She deposited her burden of books and let her own bag fall to the floor.
‘I know.’ Kheda saw that she had found time on her travels to have the infant shark’s teeth mounted in silver and made into a necklace. She was wearing the ivory dragon’s tail as well and he felt his heart miss a beat. ‘Dev’s been teaching me their barbarian tongue while we’ve been waiting. Though she looks tired to me, and so do you.’
Risala’s dark skin didn’t show the same weariness bruising Velindre’s eyes but her face looked as washed out as her old blue tunic and trousers.
‘You should see the Green Turtle’s oarsmen.’ She tried to make a joke of it. ‘We wanted to get back as soon as possible.’
‘Your Aldabreshin’s coming along, Velle.’ The bald mage closed the door and leaned against it.
‘And I’ve been learning a good deal about Archipelagan customs and beliefs.’ She leaned towards Dev and sniffed. ‘Including the many good reasons why they despise indul—
gence in alcohol. I didn’t expect to find you three parts drunk’
‘You just be grateful I haven’t soused myself insensible,’ the bald mage retorted. ‘All the while you’ve been dallying your way down here, I’ve had to take their poison to dull my magic’ He flung an accusing hand at Kheda.
‘As have I,’ snapped Velindre. ‘But I found more constructive uses for my time—’
‘We can use this barbarian tongue among ourselves,’ Kheda inten-upted, but elsewhere you should speak Aldabreshin as best you can. Your accent is unusual but so is your presence here, as a northern-born zamorin.”
‘I told the shipmaster she was a little hard of hearing,’ Risala broke in, ‘to explain her hesitancy in speaking and to cover some misunderstandings.’
Kheda nodded. ‘Dev can tell Jevin the same.’
‘What’s one more slight after so many?’ commented Velindre acerbically.
‘You’re the one who wanted to come here,’ Dev taunted her.
‘When I didn’t know what it would entail.’ The mage-woman turned on him with a forced smile of vicious satisfaction. ‘At least you’ve been neutered, too.’
The two wizards stood, motionless, studying each other. Both were drawn, the skin tight on their bones, flesh beneath melted away. Their eyes betrayed the fearful, incomprehensible hunger gnawing at them from within.
Kheda looked on with a shiver of unease and felt Risala slip her hand into his. He held it tight. ‘What do you think?’ Dev challenged Velindre. ‘Shouldn’t we take this curious nostrum back to Hadrumal? Shall we offer its relief to all those snotty newcomers who weep and wail and wish they’d never been cursed with magebirth? The first thing they do is beg someone to take their affinity away.’ Velindre slapped Dev’s face, taking them all unawares. ‘Don’t you dare make light of this.’ The magewoman’s voice was husky with emotion. She turned on Kheda, face accusing. ‘Why have you poisoned him? If you think you can force us to do your bidding like this—’
‘He didn’t force me,’ Dev inten-upted sourly. Do you honestly think he could? It’s been the only way to stop the dragon searching me out and biting off my head.’ He laughed without humour and crossed to the table, bending to recover his cup and bottle. ‘I got a better deal out of it than you. It’s not quite white brandy, but a glass of oblivion from his lordship’s medicinal still dulls the pain better than some tedious history treatise. Though your father would approve of your choice—no problem can’t be solved by the application of intellect, isn’t that it?’
‘He wouldn’t be surprised at your solution.’ Velindre’s attempt at contempt didn’t quite come off. Kheda broke into the ensuing uncomfortable silence, choosing his words carefully in the awkward barbarian tongue. ‘As soon as we’re rid of the dragon, we’ll send you back with every recompense it’s in my power to give. Have you brought us the lore we need?’
‘Let’s sit down.’ Risala bent to fish under the table for a stool and Kheda let her hand go with reluctance. ‘I found Azazir.’ Velindre addressed herself to Dev as they both sat on the far side of the table. ‘He had a lot to tell me about dragons and I’ve learned how to summon one, like Otrick used to do.’ Her Tonnalin speech soon became too rapid and strange for Kheda to follow.
‘Sounds fascinating,’ Dev inten-upted, but how do we find the wild mage behind this? We’ve seen no sign of the bastard!’
‘I imagine he’ll show himself soon enough if I summon a dragon to fight his creation,’ said Velindre with distaste. ‘It’ll take both of us to put an end to this,’ she went on reluctantly. ‘Summoning the dragon will have drained this savage of most of his magic. That’s doubtless why he’s been hiding. But that’s only the case for as long as the dragon lives. Of course, I’ll be as drained as him if I create a dragon to fight his. You’ll have to subdue the wild wizard, Dev, while he’s vulnerable, before either dragon is dead. Once the creature dies, the element that makes it is freed. The mage’s full strength will be restored.’
‘Subdue him?’ queried Kheda sharply. ‘We want this savage wizard dead.’
Velindre slid a sideways glance to Dev. ‘If we did capture him, we might learn a lot from him.’
‘All I want is this evil gone from my domain.’ Kheda felt Risala take his hand once again under the cover of the table and held it tight. ‘And I’m not interested in replacing one evil with another. How will it benefit Chazen to simply summon one dragon to kill the first? How will you stop this new beast from terrorising my people?’
‘Just how much control would you have over the creature?’ asked Dev thoughtfully.
‘You like the idea of a dragon at your beck and call, do you?’ Velindre was unwillingly amused. ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you. These dragons aren’t real.’
‘It was real enough to sink a heavy trireme and kill most of the men aboard,’ objected Kheda, exasperated.
‘And to sink my Amigal,’ agreed Dev in a rare moment of accord.
Velindre paused before continuing. ‘The creature has physical substance woven from the element that supports it but it cannot live for more than a few days.’
No, that’s not right.’ Kheda shook his head. ‘This beast has been prowling these islands for five full cycles of the Greater Moon by now.’ Sick disappointment threatened to rise and choke him. After all this, after all this risk and the danger of exposure for us all, I’ve got a wizard who doesn’t know what she’s talking about.