unattractive in her own way.’
‘Must you continue to talk about her?’ Samuel said quite irritably.
‘There,there. No need to get into a fluster,’ Alahativa responded. She still smiled,as if Samuel’s every reaction was to her delight. ‘We Paatin are much more open about these things than your people are. I have never understood why you of theWest are so guarded about such natural things.’
‘It is just our manner, I suppose. It does not seem right to talk about such things. Still, I am sure I am not capable of fathering young.’
‘Then you should have nothing to fear,’ she told him.
She could sense his reluctance, and she began to stroke his neck gently with her finger and returned to kissing his ear. ‘Then one more time, Samuel. Let me see if you can give me a gift worthy of a queen.’
She entwined herself with him and he quickly forgot whatever they had been discussing, seduced entirely by her embrace. They kissed each other and Samuel was thankful for the large fans that moved back and forwards on the roof, manned day and night by Alahativa’s tireless manservants, moving cool air onto their hot skin. She touched him in ways that had colours exploding in his mind and,each time she stopped, he begged her to continue. She seemed to like that most and she teased him constantly, making him want her all the more.
‘Tell me what you want, Samuel?’ she whispered into his ear.
‘I want you,’ he replied.
‘Is that so?’ she said and he could feel that she was doing something behind his back.
He could not see what she was doing, but when she brought her top arm before him, she was holding her magical ring between her fingers. She placed it onto one of the pillows not far from him and then returned her arms around his neck. ‘There. The ring is yours if you want it. It is within your reach, if you were just to release me and take it. You can have it…or me. The choice is yours to make, my darling.’
Samuel looked at the ring-a band of glinting silver on her pillow-but somehow it was hard to ignore what she was doing to him. His body reacted so much to her touch it was difficult to keep his mind on anything else. He closed his eyes as a wave of pleasure overwhelmed him but then opened them again as she paused and prised herself away so a tiny space appeared between them, letting cool air rush in and between their heated bodies.
‘What is your intent now, Magician? Do you really want me?’
A tiny voice of reason called out to him that he should grab the ring and kill the Paatin Queen as quickly as he could, but it was a soft and feeble sound, so dim and far away that he could barely hear it. All he had to do was listen to it and their mission would be accomplished.
The warmth of her svelte body radiated upon him and she looked at him hungrily and with total confidence that she was irresistible. And she was right.
‘Yes,’ he said. He pulled her back against him and they locked tightly together.
The little voice damned him and he knew it was right, but it was quickly pushed aside and forgotten. As they rolled about on her expanse of cushions and sheets, she smiled to herself knowingly, like the cat thathad wonthe cream.
He awoke with bright sunlight streaming in, for the veils had been drawn aside and Alahativa wasbeingwashedin the great,steaming bath that was set into the floor of the room. Her servants were washing her as she stood waist-deep in the soapy, petal-strewn water.
‘I have a gift for you, Samuel,’ she called to him, ‘to thank you for your efforts.’ Samuel sat up and looked out at the blazing,blue sky outside. ‘I will send you to meet your Empress,’ she told him and he looked at her with interest. ‘Go now. I have business to attend to after my bath. Utik’cah will arrange for everything.’
With that, Samuel clambereddownfrom the bed and drew on the Paatin-style clothes that had been left for him. Somehow, he did not notice or care that he was naked, as he dressed in front of a score or more of Alahativa’s servants. Eager to be away, he rushed from her chambers, intent on telling the others.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The procession of laden camels wound out from the splendid city of Hol and passed across the fertile pasture lands. They reached the edge of the desert, where the pale dunes had begun creeping in and smothering the crops, and they started up the sliding sands without a pause.
Samuel was unhappy with being burdened by the Koian woman behind him, as she clung onto him with white knuckles,crushing him tighter with every loping step of the animal. Utik’cah had refused to let her ride behind another Paatin and so Samuel had been left with no choice but to put up with her.
She had seemed equally unhappy with the situation and complained long and loud before even the patience ofUtik’cah began to wear thin andhestarted using terse language. Her arms gripped aroundSamuel’swaist tightly, but he could feel the stiffness in her body as she fought to keep herself separated from him. The arms of Alahativa had snaked around his torso with warm caresses, but the Koian woman’s embrace was clammy and stiff. It was a mystery as to why Utik’cah had insisted that she come, yet the Emperor, who had been overjoyed at the news of his wife’s presence, had been forbidden. Samuel had argued long and loud with Utik’cah about this, but the Desert Queen’s servant was adamant about what could and what could not be done.
The Emperor, too, had hurled abuse at the apologetic Paatin, but it seemed pointless to argue. Utik’cah was bound by his orders, and they could not risk alerting the man to the fact that the one they called Sir Ferse was, in fact, the Empress’ very husband. Reluctantly, the Emperor had asked Samuel to pass his love and best wishes to his wife and child, and to give them the news that he was alive and nearby, waiting for them.
After half the day had passed, a tower became visible, rising from amidst the sands and,as they crested the final dune, they found a walled settlement built around a tiny sprig of green oasis. White-stoned walls surrounded the tiny town and the dunes had blown up against them on one side, forming a ramp against the lip of the wall. Scores of dark-skinned workers were in the midst of clearing the sand awaywith scoops. Laboriously, they filled the woven baskets that had been affixed to the sides of sitting camels; each waiting idly and chewing with their great,bucked teeth. Inside the walls, small clusters of trees and neatlyprunedshrubs struck out vibrantly from the bland surrounds. Several domed towers overlooked the sands. Most obvious of all, the place was saturated with the scent of Paatin magic.
Paatin wizards, dressed in all the numerous ways of the desert people, sat about in the shade. They sheltered from the heat of the day, fanning themselves as they watched the strangers shamble along the boiling street. There were dozens of them sitting in clusters, smoking from chambered,multi-piped implements. Some played or gambled with wooden pellets that they slapped down loudly upon their tables. There must have been several hundred of them just sitting around, and who knows how many inside the buildings.
Most surprising of all was the number of women. They sat beside the menfolk, dressed modestly,quite unlike their promiscuous city-dwelling sisters. Samuel was shocked, for they had the nerve to sit in full view, unashamed of the shimmering fields of magic that surrounded them. Aseach one that gawked at him, he stared back in utter amazement. If only the Lords of the Order could have seen-they would have had fits!
‘They have witches!’ Samuel said to the Koian women behind him, for lack of anyone else to tell. ‘I was just getting used to their healers, but I did not think it would be as bad as this.’
‘You make it sound so terrible. What is wrong with women using magic anyway?’
‘It is forbidden; that is enough. It is against the very nature of magic.’
‘Then someone forgot to tell the Paatin. Perhaps it is your Order that is mistaken.’
‘You don’t know what you are talking about, woman. In your country, all magicians are forbidden.’
‘In my country, we recognise the strengths of men and women both. To us-and to the Paatin,it seems-the sexes are equal in manyrespects. It seems to be your people who are the ignorant ones.’
Samuel gave up arguing with her, as she would not listen to reason. Apart from that one problem, there was also no doubting Om-rah’s effect on the place, for the odour of the magic was tainted and sickly. Nearly every one of his underlings was also streaked with the same repugnant, corrosive stain.
