there's little arable land, and little useful mineral wealth at hand, apart from first-rate building stone. So far, I am at a loss.'
'You have spies?' I asked, astonished. Chumley had always seemed to be the most straightforward person I knew.
'It's a jackal-eat-jackal world, old chap,' he said. 'You never know when a problem will turn up unexpectedly. Best to have all the warning one can.'
'So,' a voice said, from approximately my waist level, 'you know our esteemed wise man.'
I jumped at the sound. Gurn leered up at us. I wondered how much he had heard.
'Yeah,' Aahz said, casually. 'Turns out that his mama used to koochie dance at the bar my father owned. Shove off, pal. Didn't anyone ever tell you it was rude to interrupt other people's conversations? Ugly like yours is a major short-circuit.'
To my surprise, Gurn looked hurt. It occurred to me that maybe he couldn't help looking like an annoying know-it-all. It might be a function of his misshapen face.
'How long have you been in Queen Suzal's employ?' I asked politely. Gurn regarded me with deep suspicion.
'My life is hers,' he said.
I was touched. Gurn was a complicated guy, in everything except his devotion to his queen. I could respect that.
'We'll do everything we can to make this the best pyramid ever,' I said. 'Won't we, Aahz?'
Aahz regarded the interloper with distaste. 'Yes. Of course.'
'Do not make empty promises, Klahd,' Gurn snapped, the soft moment ended.
'I don't make empty promises,' I said, liking him less with every syllable. 'If there's anything I can do, I'll do it.'
'The word of Klahds has no weight here.'
I felt my temper rising. 'How about stones? If you want to step outside, I can drop one on you.'
'Like you did to your so-called partner yesterday?' Gurn leered from me to Aahz. 'The earthquake was a nice touch, distracting all of us from the attempt upon your friend's life. Very subtle! And will your next attempt be directly underneath her majesty's nose?'
All four of us stopped for a moment to contemplate that very pretty nose. Chumley sighed, breaking the spell. I growled down at Gurn.
'How do I know it wasn't you trying to mess things up?' I snapped.
'How dare you?' Gurn squealed. 'I am the queen's trusted advisor!'
'I took a flight with you last week, remember? I can tell you like Diksen's pyramid better, and so does she. Maybe you want to convince the queen that she should try again to get in on it.'
'You do not understand the function of a courtier at all, Klahd!' he exclaimed.
I bent down until we were nose to nose. 'Yeah? So why don't you explain it to me?'
Behind him, Chumley was making the pat-down gesture again. Gurn spun around.
'Your education will be completed whether or not you like the teacher! And her majesty will be curious about the conspiracy that seems to be fomenting between her builders and one of her court officials. Is it a coincidence that you seem to be quite old friends—old fellow?' he demanded, throwing his head back to look Chumley in the eye.
'Maybe he's just easier on the eye,' Aahz said. 'Don't let the door hit your ass on your way out.'
'Your misfortunes are not over!' Gurn snarled. He stalked off.
'Nice exit, what?' Chumley said. 'Rather like an old-time movie villain. But he does bask in her majesty's favor.'
'You can't put all your exits in one bask,' Aahz said. 'I don't care who favors him. It sure wasn't Mother Nature. The Pharaoh likes Samwise because he's doing what she wants, and by extension, she likes us.
I'll settle for that, for now. By the time he comes up with a way to interfere with us, I hope to be back in Deva.'
'I am afraid that he can cause us rather more trouble than we can cause him. He's an insidious little creature, and a very powerful magician. Keep your eye on him, Aahz.'
Aahz made a face. 'If I have to. I've got prettier things to look at.'
As if on cue, in sashayed Miss Tauret with a tray full of goodies.
'I have brought you your lunch, O noble-faced Aahz,' she said, twitching her ears fetchingly. 'Shall I set a place for your friend and your honored guest?'
'No, thanks.' Aahz turned a gaze full of meaning upon the two of us. 'They were just leaving. Nice to see you, Wat-Is-Et. Come back any time.'
Chumley let out a laugh. 'Come, Skeeve, let us take a tour of this marvelous construction.'
In his persona as the queen's wise man, Chumley attracted plenty of attention from the locals on site. Samwise shook his hand enthusiastically and invited him to check out the second and third stones just being placed on the new fourth tier. Chumley duly admired them and praised the carvers for their hard work. The Ghords bowed to him. As soon as he left one station, I heard hasty chiseling noises, then glyphs went flying toward the other Ghord emplacements. We stopped to see how the injured Scarabs were getting along. While their small limbs were wrapped in plaster like Aahz's leg, Beltasar had them sorting out different sizes of sand and gravel, some pieces so small I could barely see them. Chumley praised them on their diligence in four- and five-syllable words that were bigger than they were. Everyone was very impressed.
'You seem to have established a good working relationship with the staff,' Chumley observed. He glanced backwards toward the office building. 'Dare I say too good?'
'Maybe,' I said. I kicked a small stone. 'Say, er, Wat-Is-Et, have you noticed anything different about Aahz?'
'Not at all,' Chumley said. 'He is a man of strong appetites, as I have always observed, but does not usually let them interfere with his business acumen. Still, he won't miss a chance to indulge himself.'
'You can say that again.' There I was, trying to learn the ins and outs of good dating, and Aahz was going for girls right in front of me—and they were letting him. Perhaps Tananda was right, and I was overthinking things.
'Why do you ask?' Chumley interrupted my reverie.
'Well ...' I was reluctant to bring up my fears. It was unfair to Chumley, who was in Aegis on an unrelated mission. He had his own worries, but he must care what happened to Aahz. Yet I had asked, and Chumley was waiting for clarification. 'Does he seem sick or troubled to you?'
'Aahz? No, not at all.' Chumley laughed, then cut it off when he studied my face. 'You are worried. Why?'
I lowered my voice. It wouldn't keep magikal eavesdroppers from hearing me, but it would discourage those who were merely listening. 'Well, you know what we're selling here.'
'Elaborate tombs for the well-heeled.'
'Aahz bought one. Not just one, the top of the pyramid in Phase Two.'
Chumley's shaggy purple eyebrows went up. 'Really, old thing? Shell out for a, well, castle in the air? Why? Does he fear that mortality is imminent?'
'That's what we're trying to figure out,' I said. 'I don't think that he's sick—but I don't know that much about Pervish health. He might have gotten a dire prediction from a fortuneteller, but he has never really believed in them.'
'Hmm.' Chumley stroked the fur on his chin. 'Well, he's not above status symbols, and you must admit that the peak of a pyramid is a mighty one.'
'It's not just that,' I admitted. 'He's paying people compliments—with absolutely no self-references attached.'
'Dear me!' Chumley exclaimed. 'Well, that is a different matter. Aegis, you may well guess, is full of soothsayers, including many in the employ of the queen. I will make delicate enquiries to see if they have performed a reckoning for a visiting Pervect. Beyond that, I can do little else. I can't go abroad. My presence is required here for the near future.'
'I understand,' I said. I knew I was asking him a favor that could interfere with his own task based on our
