Tetrarch

She planned to keep watch on the amplimet while he was away, but could not find it anywhere. Did he not trust it, or her?

On the first morning, Tiaan became so immersed in the disassembly of an intricate part of the thapter that she did not notice the absence of the servants. After lunch, driven by an urgent need to use the privy, she rang the bell beside the door. It was not answered, even after twenty pulls.

There was no trouble getting the walker into the privy chamber, but getting out of the machine by herself proved to be a nightmare. She ended up falling, bruising herself from shoulder to knee. This privy, no more than a squatting hole, was disgusting and using it by herself proved impossible. She ran a piece of cord from a cloak hook on the wall to the door handle and tried to hang on to that. She fell twice, ending up so soiled that it took half the water barrel to clean herself up.

Fortunately no one came by to see her in that state. Weeping with humiliation, she pulled herself into the walker and went to her room. Getting out again, she fell and bruised her other side. Too sore and worn out to heave herself into bed, Tiaan slept on the floor and swore she would overcome her disability. Never again would she endure such helplessness.

She managed to dress herself in the morning, and shortly after, Fley happened to pass by and helped her into the walker. She did not plan to get out until Gilhaelith returned.

As always, her escape was work. Tiaan kept going all day, all night and into the following day, until she could no longer keep her eyes open. At midday she went to her room, locked the door and slept in her harness. She did not use the privy again. When she simply had to urinate she did it outside, which took rather a lot of coordination.

Tiaan, woken one night by a need to relieve herself, crept the walker towards the undulating walkway. She always went that way, knowing she would not meet anyone. As she went through the front door, voices came echoing down the wall.

'… heave her, and her wretched thapter, out the window into the lake.'

Tiaan recognised the voice but could not put a face to it.

'There's a price for her, and it,' said another. It sounded like Gurteys.

'I'll not listen to that kind of talk,' snapped a third. 'Gilhaelith has looked after my family for four generations, and I'll -'

'That'll count for naught if the scrutators find it here. We'll die horribly, Iryle. Well, not me!'

'Master has been good to us.'

'And I'd risk my life for him,' said Gurteys. 'Even my family's lives, should it come to that. But I'll not risk so much as a little toe for her.'

'And if we do chance everything,' came an unknown voice, 'where's the reward?'

'Ten thousand gold tells is the price for her,' said Gurteys. 'And the same for her flying machine. Imagine that – two thousand each!'

Tiaan heard a sharp intake of breath, a door banged and the voices were cut off. She headed in the other direction, out behind the skeet houses. Ten thousand gold tells was the worth of a town. No one could resist that kind of temptation. Unable to sleep, she went the long way to the basement to work on the thapter, and made sure she had a long knife within reach at all times. Despite her efforts, the repairs were going slowly. Tiaan had begun to despair that the thapter would ever be finished. Vithis would return, search Nyriandiol and find it. And her.

The servants did not come after her – perhaps they hadn't yet found the courage to betray their master, or perhaps too many remained loyal. She knew Fley had, for she saw Gurteys abusing him outside her door. Mute Fley said nothing, but the look on his face was savage.

In the morning, Tiaan heard that Gilhaelith was coming up the mountain. She had missed him and was surprised to discover it. She now found it impossible to concentrate on her work and was constantly clacking up the ramps to see if he had arrived. The servants gave one another bitter, knowing glances.

That checked her. Her impulse had been to go flying down the hall, to show how well she could control the walker. Instead she made her face impassive, staying back until he had greeted his servants and handed them a variety of packages.

Gilhaelith turned to her. Tiaan stood where she was, rocking the walker like a boat on the sea. He seemed drawn.

'You look thin, Tiaan.'

'I've been working hard. The walker has done a lot for me. But you appear tired… Gilhaelith.' She rarely used his name and it always sounded strange.

'A long journey, and hard bargaining, and bad news at the end of it. The Aachim are preparing to move at last. I believe it means war.'

'On us?' she cried.

'On humanity! But we could well end up casualties.'

'Oh.' She moved the machine back and forth on its spindly legs, conscious that she had not had a bath in a week.

'I must make preparations for the security of Nyriandiol. How goes the thapter?'

'Slowly, though I have spent weary hours at it. It may take another week.'

'I pray we have that long. What assistance I can render is yours to command, though I have many calls on my time. Still,' he smiled tiredly, 'I'm sure we'll find a way. I'd better get started.'

Tiaan wondered if he was putting on a show for the house, for the smile did not reach his eyes and his brow was furrowed.

Late that evening he came to her room, where she sat by the bed in the walker, waiting for him. Tiaan's hands were clenched in her lap. The servants' talk about the reward had so terrified her that she had to take further steps to protect herself. She planned to do something quite foreign to her nature and was not sure how to go about it.

'You look exhausted,' she said. 'Is there more than you have said?'

'There is. The lyrinx are massing in south-west Meldorin, just across the sea from Taltid, where the scrutators have their largest army. Vithis's Aachim are moving down into Almadin. If Aachim and lyrinx unite, they will destroy an army and a civilisation.' He rose.

'G-Gilhaelith?'

He stopped with his hand on the latch. 'Yes, Tiaan?'

'Could you help me?'

'Of course. What can I do for you?'

'Could you help me to get… to get ready for bed?' She blushed.

The smile vanished. 'I'll call Gurteys.'

'No!' she cried.

'What's the matter?'

'We don't get on very well,' Tiaan said lamely.

'Sanya then.'

'Sanya?'

'The woman who helps you with your toilet.'

'She and I – don't get on either.'

'Who would you would like to attend you?' said Gilhaelith with a trace of irritation.

'I don't want to be attended by any of them,' she said, determined to get it out at last. 'They hate me.'

'They will do what they are told.' Gilhaelith strode back and forth, casting her sideways glances. 'What's the matter with…?' He seemed to be reassessing her.

'They resent me. They don't like it that you and I are together a lot. They don't want things to change, and they don't think anyone is good enough for you, least of all a cripple and a foreigner like me.'

'What do you mean good enough?'

Did he really have no idea what they were thinking? She looked into his eyes and saw that he did not. He could read strangers but was blind to his own staff. 'They think,' she said slowly, because just to say it was embarrassing, 'that we will become lovers… if we are not already. That I am after you.'

'After me?'

'And that when I get you, and become mistress of Nyriandiol, I will dismiss them and bring in my own people.'

'That's absurd. I've never had a lover. Why would I start now?'

You might have put it a bit more kindly, she thought. 'Do you really know so little about human nature? They have never seen you with a woman. Now you are constantly with me.'