Rix was prepared for the question, though he did not imagine his answer would satisfy her. ‘After the enemy’s cowardly attacks on Gullihoe and half a dozen other places, I feared for Tali’s safety if I revealed her presence.’
‘Nonsense. Parby is a prudent man and would have recognised her value. Where is she now?’
‘I don’t know,’ Rix said truthfully. Tobry had found no sign of her, nor Rannilt, and he was terrified that the chancellor had captured them. He was a hard man who would do anything to protect his country — even torture secrets out of a girl and a child.
‘Lagger does. Where did he take her?’
‘To Abbess Hildy.’
Lady Ricinus smiled. ‘But Hildy turned her away.’
‘Well, I haven’t seen her.’
So that’s why she was so agitated. His mother thought he was having a scandalous affair with a Pale traitor. One that, if it got out, would ruin the Honouring and all she had been scheming for these past years.
‘Liar! You sneaked out of your tower last night.’
He nodded stiffly, afraid to speak. How did she know so much?
‘Where have you hidden her?’
‘I don’t know where she is.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘I went to see Luzia, if you must know, and I found her dead. Murdered!’ It came out as a wail.
She rearranged her face into the appropriate expression. ‘I’m sorry. I know she meant a lot to you.’
And she meant nothing to you.
‘Rixium,’ she continued, softly now, almost wheedling, ‘if you have a liaison with this treacherous Pale, it could ruin your father’s Honouring.’
‘The Pale have been slaves ever since Hightspall abandoned its hostage children a thousand years ago,’ said Rix. ‘Tali is the first to escape. She’s strong and brave — and she saved my life. You should be thankful to her.’
‘I’ll show her how thankful I am when I meet her.’
Rix did not like the sound of that.
‘What matters is not what she is,’ said Lady Ricinus, making a meaningless concession, ‘but what the Pale are universally believed to be — traitors. Nothing you or I can say will change that belief, and any relationship with her could ruin us.’
She put on a smile worthy of a jackal queen. ‘But if we can make her over to the chancellor for use in the war, it will double our power and confound our enemies. We have powerful enemies, Rixium, and they will do anything to bring us down.’
‘I worry about them all the time,’ said Rix.
‘Leave the worrying to Lord Ricinus and me. All I want from you is her hiding place. And the finished portrait.’
‘I have no idea where she is.’ Rix rose. ‘The portrait will be finished on time, if you’ll allow me to go back to it.’
‘I am most disappointed in you, Rixium.’ Lady Ricinus waved him away.
‘Mother will never give up,’ Rix said that evening. He was in his studio, dabbing at the portrait, which he hated more every time he looked at it. He wanted to hack out his father’s image and burn it in the fireplace.
‘I’ve never seen her so upset,’ said Tobry, who had come in without finding any signs of Rannilt or Tali. ‘This morning she seemed almost hysterical.’
‘You must have imagined it,’ said Rix. ‘Lady Ricinus is the epitome of control.’ But he had noticed it too. He laid the brush down. ‘I can’t do any more. Let’s have dinner, a bottle of wine, and then I’m having another go at the sketch. I’ve got to see the faces.’
Tobry took a measured breath. ‘After what happened to Luzia, are you sure you want to know?’
‘I have to know. It’s killing me, Tobe.’ He changed the subject. ‘Is there any news about the war?’
‘Nothing good.’
Every enemy assault led to their victory, every counterattack by Hightspall’s forces resulted in another crushing defeat. Rix had begged Lady Ricinus and pleaded with Lord Ricinus to be allowed to fight, but neither would relent.
One bottle turned into two, for Tobry had sneaked another in with him, and it was after midnight by the time they returned to the studio and Rix brought out the whited-out sketch. This time he did not have to look at the canvas — the scene was so familiar that he could have sketched it with his eyes closed.
‘It’s just the same,’ he said, slumping onto the settee once the creative fury had run out.
‘There’s a bit more,’ said Tobry. ‘Look at the little girl.’
Rix stood up. ‘Her face is blank. I can’t read anything into her.’
‘I can. Look at the way she’s jamming her fist against her mouth, as though strangling a scream.’
Worms squirmed in Rix’s belly. ‘Where’s all this coming from?’
Tobry shrugged. ‘No idea. I’ve never seen this chamber before.’
‘I don’t recognise it either — ’ Rix broke off, head cocked. ‘What was that?’
‘I didn’t hear anything.’
‘Sounded like someone yelling in the west hall.’
Remembering Luzia’s fate, Rix grabbed his sword, ran down and opened the door. The passage was empty. ‘Where the hell are the door guards?’
CHAPTER 64
The carpet came up to Tali’s ankles and her bare feet made no sound. Could this possibly work? The drunk was a large man and if he caught her she would be lucky to get free. But if she could push him over and smash the bottles, the distraction might give her a chance to check the door.
She was only a few steps away when he turned, raising the second bottle to drain it. He gulped and gasped, dropped it to the carpet and was levering out the cork of the third bottle when he saw her.
The drunk choked and swung the bottle as if to knock her out of the way. ‘No!’ he slurred. ‘You’re — ’
She thrust him hard in the chest. The bottles fell together and broke, then he staggered backwards and his head made a soggy thud as it hit the corner of the wall. He collapsed into the servants’ passage, blood pouring down his neck.
Tali stared at him, appalled. Had she killed him? The hall reeked of blood, urine and wine. She bent over him, not knowing what to do.
‘Tam?’ one of the door guards said loudly. ‘Sounds like the Lord’s done it again.’
Had they seen her? No, she was fully in the cross-passage, out of sight, but if she remained here they would find her in seconds. She ran down to the next corner and stopped to check.
The guards were bending over the drunk. ‘Is he dead?’ asked the second guard.
‘Wish the pig was,’ said the first. ‘If we’re to survive the war, the sooner the young master takes charge the better.’
‘Shh! That kind of talk can get you flogged. Get a pad on that gash, quick.’
Tali went cold inside. The drunk must be Rix’s father, Lord Ricinus, and if he died, she would have killed him. But if he survived they would turn the palace upside-down looking for her.
She hobbled down and was hesitating outside the door when it was opened by Rix. ‘What the blazes are you doing here?’ he hissed. ‘If you’re seen — ’
He caught her wrist, yanked her inside and locked the door.
D i-DA- doh?Di-DA- doh? It was coming closer. Tali clamped down on her shell but the pressure was trying to force it wide open.
Rix took her by the shoulders, holding her so tightly that it hurt. ‘Why have you come here? It’s not safe.’
She glared up at him. ‘Let — me — go.’
‘Sorry.’ Rix released her and stepped back, rubbing his hair until it stood up in tangles. ‘What am I supposed to do?’
‘Do you want me to go?’ she said stiffly.
Go where? Back to the manor, which was probably being searched at this moment? She looked around. She was in a broad hall. The tiles underfoot were polished white marble, large paintings were hung down either wall, and through an open door she glimpsed a bed the size of ten slaves’ cells in Cython. The one imperfection was a faint, rotten-egg-gas smell from the hissing gas lanterns.