Nevertheless, if your reeves might investigate, I'd be grateful. I want justice for my dead soldiers, as any captain would.'
Joss nodded. 'We have our ears and eyes open. Are you ready, then? I'll call Scar.'
'I'm ready.'
Joss raised the bone whistle to his lips, but lowered it before he blew. 'You never answered my question about the Ri Amarah, and the oil of nay a.'
The dimple flashed again. 'Marshal, don't you know that I leave all trading arrangements to my wife?'
Mai placed flowers on the altar, a table raised on bricks and covered with a red cloth. An image of the Merciful One gazed upon them with a gentle, almost detached expression of compassionate enlightenment, an upraised hand to signify awakening and another hand cupped at the belly to signify comfort. The colors in the painting glowed, not quite yet dried. The features and robes had more straight lines than curves, reflecting the style of the Hundred, but the artist had done a decent job in a short time with an unfamiliar subject.
'I offer these flowers at the feet of the Merciful One. Through the merit of offering may I walk the path of awakening. The color and fragrance of flowers fades, so does the body wither and disintegrate. Receive this with compassion.'
She sat on the floor beside Priya. Sheyshi and several of the younger Qin soldiers sat behind them in the small room, while at the open doors several soldiers and a few of the local women watched. Priya led the chanting.
'I go to the Merciful One for refuge. I go to the Truth for refuge. I go to the Awakened for refuge.'
As Priya chanted on through the Four Undertakings, the Five
Rewards, and the Six Virtues, Mai heard voices elsewhere in the house punctuated by the clack of doors slapped open and shut. Men shuffled by the entry, rustling and murmuring, and she lost track of the thread of Priya's prayer. A little annoyed, she looked over her shoulder to see who had the audacity to disturb them.
The onlookers made way as Anji stepped into the room. With only the barest flicker of a glance in her direction, he knelt at the back of the room, sitting with hands open on his thighs. He closed his eyes. The disturbance raised by his entrance stilled. Priya had not faltered, and she worked on through the Seven Candles, lighting each stick of incense, and the Eight Truths, while Mai struggled to regain the momentary peace she had felt when she placed the flowers before the image of the Merciful One.
'Merciful One, your wisdom is boundless. Excuse me for the transgressions I have made through thoughtlessness, through neglect, through fear. May the rains come at the proper time. May the harvest be abundant. May the world prosper, and justice be served. Accept my prayers out of compassion. Peace.'
Mai rose and walked out of the chamber to her private sleeping chamber where no person but Anji or Priya would dare follow. As Anji did. She turned to face him as he slid the door closed. He remained by the door, she by the wide pallet and its neatly piled coverlets.
He studied her with a frown. 'You are well? Unharmed?'
As with a cloudburst, the sky opened. 'She had only to look at me, and it was as if she ripped free every terrible memory I ever had. There was one time I was not more than six or seven, and Uncle Girish wasn't more than thirteen, and he sat down beside me in the garden and started stroking my hair in a way that made me feel dirty. When I tried to get up he dragged me back by the wrist to sit beside him. Then Father came out into the garden, and he beat Girish until his nose bled and one of his teeth cracked, and told him that if he ever touched any of the household children again that he would kill him. Afterward when Grandmother saw I fncle Girish's bruises she went crazy yelling and screaming at everyone because she never liked Father even though he was her eldest. He was Grandfather Mei's favorite so she hated him because she hated Grandfather Mei, and anything Grandfather
Mei liked, she hated. It was an arranged marriage, but the matchmakers weren't careful enough, and it poisoned her. So because Grandfather Mei thought Girish was too fussy and spiteful, she loved Girish best even though it spoiled him until he fermented. Well, she loved Hari, too, but everyone loved Hari. And then after Grandmother's tantrums, Girish tried to lord it over Father, and Father made all of us little children come into his office and then he choked Girish until he blacked out, and then he said to us, if he ever touches one of you, tell me. So Girish left us alone except to say ugly things to us, but of course now I see he must have gone elsewhere where folk weren't so particular about what he did to children. Cornflower poisoned him, and then tried to poison herself, but the poison didn't kill her. Mother and Aunt wanted to sell her, and Grandmother was delirious with grief, but the men refused to sell her away. They couldn't let her alone. In a household like that if there is one female who gets special attention from all the men, then usually the other women are jealous of her, but no one hated her. They wanted to be rid of her — which is how she got sent with Shai — but they didn't envy her. Maybe they were grateful to her for killing Girish.' She was in a sweat, mouth dry. 'Merciful One! I'm babbling.'
'No, you're making a good deal of sense.' Still, he did not approach her. 'She is a demon, Mai. That you resisted her testifies to your strength. Chief Tuvi says you saved O'eki's life, when everyone else was helpless. Let us hope she has taken her revenge and will leave us alone.'
The knot that weighted her heart unraveled in a scalding explosion of tears. 'B-B-But she's going north to kill Shai! Because of what I said.'
She sobbed so hard she was only vaguely aware of Anji drawing her down to the bed, sitting with arms around her, holding her close as she wept. As the storm faded, he wiped her running nose with a cloth, pressed a cup of juice to her lips. She sipped, and hiccoughed. He wiped her eyes with a finger, kissed her, explored the curve of belly with a tentative touch.
She hiccoughed again, and blew her nose. 'Isn't there any way to warn Shai? Couldn't the reeves look for him?'
'The demon has to track him down first. I'll talk to Marshal
Joss.' He startled, sitting straight, and pressed a hand against her belly. 'What was that?'
She shifted his hand to a lower spot. 'Did you feel him move?'
'A boy? How can you be sure?'
'It's what the Ri Amarah women say. Oh, Anji, now I've gotten Miravia into all sorts of trouble. The men came crashing into the courtyard — breaking everything — the new doors aren't in place yet — and Keshad came running from the office, not to mention the Ri Amarah guards and O'eki. All those men who aren't her kinsmen saw her unveiled. That won't be forgiven, you know. They'll never let her come here again. Because of you, and the oil of naya, they've let me visit her once there. She's so unhappy'
'We cannot interfere with the customs which the Ri Amarah hold among themselves. There, now, Mai.' He flicked a finger against her chin, smiling softly. 'Did you get it all out?'
She took in a shuddering breath and let it out as a shuddering sigh. 'I suppose so.'
'I will stay in Olossi for a few days. The marshal and the Hieros mean to call a council meeting to address this business of the demon. I've words to speak about the formation and disposition of the militia.'
'Then you'll leave again?'
'I will.'
'Why must you be gone so much?' She hated the way her voice sounded, and with an effort, finding her market face and her market voice, she pressed two fingers to his lips to silence his reply and went on in the tone she would use toward customers, light and cheerful. 'I know you must. It's just that I miss you. I got accustomed to being with you every day'
He kissed her fingers, grasped her wrist, and drew her hand away. 'I'll keep you beside me every waking and sleeping hour while I am here. But these matters will need my attention for some time. We have to prepare. You're going to the Barrens.'
'I don't want to go to the Barrens!'
'It's the only way I can know you are safe. We've seen it's impossible to guard you here. I don't know who killed Tam, or who sent the demon to kill Chaji, Umar, and Eitai.'
'Demons walk on their own feet, as it says in the songs. They
have volition, and thought, and they can hate and love, just as humans can. Maybe no one sent Cornflower. She walked on the trail of her own grievances. Anji! If I'm sent to the Barrens, there'll be no market, nothing but grass and sheep like out on Dezara Mountain back home. I won't be able to see Miravia!'
He released her, stood and, after a moment, extended a hand. She considered pleas and protests, but
