The man walked somberly away. Reith asked, "Was he in truth a fraud?"
"One never knows, but the line must be drawn somewhere. Let us eat; I have a good appetite after weeks of steamed pulses and pilgrim plant."
They took seats in the dining room: actually a vast airy arbor with a glass ceiling admitting a pale ivory light. Black vines climbed the walls; in the corners were purple and pale-blue ferns. The day was mild; the end of the room opened to a view of the Dwan Zher and a wind curled bank of cumulus at the horizon.
The room was half-full; perhaps two dozen people dined from platters and bowls of black wood and red earthenware, talking in low voices, watching the folk at other tables with covert curiosity. Traz looked uneasily here and there, eyebrows raised in disapproval of so much luxury: undoubtedly his first encounter with what must seem a set of faddish and overcomplicated niceties, reflected Reith.
He noticed Ylin-Ylan staring across the room, as if astonished by what she saw.
Almost immediately she averted her eyes, as if uncomfortable or embarrassed.
Reith followed her gaze, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He thought better of inquiring the cause of her perturbation, not wishing to risk a cool stare.
And Reith grinned uncomfortably. What a situation: almost as if she were cultivating an active dislike for him! Perfectly comprehensible, of course, if Anacho's explanations were correct. His puzzlement regarding the girl's agitation was now resolved by the sardonic Dirdirman.
"Observe the fellow at the far table," murmured Anacho. "He in the green and purple coat."
Turning his head, Reith saw a handsome young bravo with carefully arranged hair and a rich mustache of a startling gold. He wore elegant garments, somewhat rumpled and well-used: a jacket of soft leather strips, dyed alternately green and purple, breeches of pleated yellow cloth, buckled at knee and ankle with brooches in the shape of fantastic insects. A square cap of soft fur, fringed with two-inch pendants of gold beads, slanted across his head; an extravagant garde-nez of gold filigree clung to the ridge of his nose. Anacho muttered,
"Watch him now. He will notice us, he will see the girl."
"But who is he?"
Anacho gave his fingertips an irritated twitch. "His name? I do not know. His status: high, in his own opinion at least. He is a Yao cavalier."
Reith turned his attention to Ylin-Ylan, who watched the young man from the corner of her eye. Miraculous how her mood had altered! She had become alive and aware, though obviously twitching with nervousness and uncertainty. She flicked a glance toward Reith, and flushed to find his eyes on her. Bending her head she busied herself with the appetizers: dishes of gray grapes, biscuits, smoked sea-insects, pickled fern-pod. Reith watched the cavalier, who was unenthusiastically dining upon a black seed-bun and a dish of pickles, his gaze off across the sea. He gave a sad shrug, as if discouraged by his thoughts, and shifted his position. He saw the Flower of Cath, who feigned the most artless absorption in her food. The cavalier leaned forward in astonishment. He jumped to his feet with such exuberance as nearly to overturn the table. In three long strides he was across the room and down on one knee with a sweeping salute which brushed his cap across Traz's face. "Blue Jade Princess! Your servant Dordolio.
My goals are won."
The Flower bowed her head with an exact modicum of restraint and pleased surprise. Reith admired her aplomb. "Pleasant," she murmured, "in a far land to chance upon a cavalier of Cath."
"'Chance' is not the word! I am one of a dozen who went forth to seek you, to win the boon proclaimed by your father and for the honor of both our palaces. By the wattles of the Pnume's First Devil, it has been given to me to find you!"
Anacho spoke in his blandest voice. "You have searched extensively, then?"
Dordolio stood erect, made a cursory inspection of Anacho, Reith, and Traz, and performed three precise nods. The Flower made a gay little motion, as if the three were casual companions at a picnic. "My loyal henchmen; all have been of incalculable help to me. But for them I doubt if I would be alive."
"In that case," declared the cavalier, "they may ever rely upon the patronage of Dordolio, Gold, and Carnelian. They shall use my fieldname Alutrin Stargold." He performed a salute which included all three, then snapped his finger at the serving woman. "A chair, if you please. I will dine at this table."
The serving woman somewhat unceremoniously pushed a chair into place; Dordolio seated himself and gave his attention to the Flower. "But what of your adventures? I assume them to be harrowing. Still you appear as fresh as ever-decidedly unharrowed."
The Flower laughed. "In these steppe-dweller's garments? I have not yet been able to change. I must buy dozens of sheer necessities before I dare let you look at me."
Dordolio, glancing at her gray garments, made a negligent gesture. "I had noticed nothing. You are as ever. But, if you wish, we will shop together; the bazaars of Coad are fascinating."
"Of course! Tell me of yourself. My father issued a behest, you say?"
"He did indeed, and swore a boon. The most gallant responded. We followed your trail to Spang where we learned who had taken you: Priestesses of the Female Mystery. Many gave you up for lost, but not I. My perseverance has been rewarded! In triumph we will return to Settra!"
Ylin-Ylan turned a somewhat cryptic smile toward Reith. "I am of course anxious to return home. What luck to find you here in Coad!"
"Remarkable luck," said Reith dryly. "We arrived only an hour ago from Pera."
"Pera? I do not know the place."
"It lies at the far west of the Dead Steppe."
Dordolio gave an opaque stare, then once more he addressed himself to the Flower. "What hardships you must have suffered! But now you walk under the aegis of Dordolio! We return at once to Settra."
The meal proceeded, Dordolio and Ylin-Ylan conversing with great vivacity. Traz, preoccupied with the unfamiliar table implements, turned them dour glances, as if he suspected their ridicule. Anacho paid them no heed; Reith ate in silence.
Finally Dordolio sat back in his chair. "Now, as to the practicalities: the packet Yazilissa is at mooring, and shortly departs for Vervodei. A melancholy task to take leave of your comrades, good fellows all, I'm sure, but we must arrange our passage home."
Reith spoke in an even voice. "All of us, so it happens, are bound for Cath."
Dordolio presented his blank questioning stare, as if Reith spoke an incomprehensible language.
He rose, helped Ylin-Ylan to her feet; the two went to saunter on the terrace beyond the arbour. The serving woman brought the score. "Five sequins, if you please, for five meals."
"Five?"
"The Yao ate at your table."
Reith paid over five sequins from his wallet. Anacho watched in amusement. "The Yao's presence is actually an advantage; you will avoid attention upon your arrival at Settra."
"Perhaps," said Reith. "On the other hand, I had hoped for the gratitude of the girl's father. I need all the friends I can find."
"Events sometimes display a vitality of their own," observed Anacho. "The Dirdir teleologists have interesting remarks to make on the subject. I recall an analysis of coincidences-this, incidentally, not by a Dirdir but by a Dirdirman Immaculate..." As Anacho spoke on, Traz went out on the terrace to survey the roofs of Coad; Dordolio and Ylin-Ylan walked slowly past, ignoring his presence.
Seething with indignation Traz returned to Reith and Anacho. "The Yao dandy urges her to dismiss us. She refers to us as nomads-rude but honest and dependable."
"No matter," said Reith. "Her destiny is not ours."
"But you have practically made it so! We might have remained in Pera, or taken ourselves to the Fortunate Isles; instead-" He threw up his arms in disgust.