strong.'
'Needlers're no good 'gainst the soldiers,' Blood puffed. He
brushed off the front of his tunic and reached beneath it. 'So I'm
giving you this, Calde Silk.'
'This' was an azoth, its long hilt rough with rubies and chased
with gold; its sharply curved guard was more elaborate than that of
the one Doctor Crane had given him at Hyacinth's urging, and
diamonds ringed its pommel.
Silk resumed his seat. 'I should have anticipated that. Doctor
Crane told me you had two.'
'Don't you want it?' Blood did not trouble to hide his surprise.
'No. Not now, at least.'
'It's worth--'
'I know what it's worth, and how effective a weapon it can be in a
strong hand like yours. At the moment, I don't have one, though
that's the least of my reasons for refusing.'
Silk settled back in his chair. 'I asked your daughter to sit down,
and she was good enough to oblige me. I can't invite you to sit in
your house, and I'm very aware that I'm occupying your former
seat; but there are many others.'
Blood sat.
'Thank you. Maytera--'
'Cat come!'
It did, almost before Oreb's agitated whoop, springing lightly
over the windowsill to land noiselessly in the middle of the room and
glare at Blood with eyes like burning amber. Maytera Marble
gathered her skirts as if it were a mouse; Silk asked, 'Is that Lion? I
seem to remember him.'
The lynx turned its glare on him and nodded.
'Patera's been making everybody sit,' Maytera Marble told
Mucor. 'It would be nicer if you had your big kitty sit too, Darling. I
wouldn't mind him so much then.'
Lion lay down obediently, dividing his attention between Blood
and Oreb.
'Sphigx bless you.' Maytera Marble traced the sign of addition.
'I--it's rather amusing now that I come to think of it, the sort of thing
the children enjoy. Patera thought I wanted this window open so
your Papa could come in, and I said, no, I hadn't even thought of it,
which was the plain truth. I wanted it opened because you told me
the first time, Darling, not to stay in rooms with the doors and
windows shut, because you might have to drop in again, and that
would make it harder. So I was happy when he opened this one, and
now you've come in through it, and your long-legged kitty, too.'
'I didn't know she could take over an animal like that.' Blood had
his thumb on the demon. 'We didn't know she had any power left till
Lemur taped the calde talking to Crane, but it sounds like she's
been paying visits to both of you.'
'Sneaking outside the window, Bloody? You shouldn't do that.'
'I didn't.'
'A listening device.' Silk sighed. 'I'm disappointed. I'd thought
there might be a secret door behind one of these big paintings.
When I was a sprat, boys' books were full of them, but I've never
actually seen one.'
'You knew I'd come?'
'I surmised you might. Do you want the entire thing?'
Maytera Marble sniffed loudly. 'I do, Patera.'
'I wish you wouldn't make that noise,' he told her.
'Then I won't, or at least not very often. But Bloody's my son,
and I meant I have a right to know.'
'All right, the entire thing.' Silk leaned back in his chair, eyes half
closed. 'On Hieraxday, I walked some distance through the city with
His Cognizance, and from the East Edge to Ermine's; it was about
evenly divided between Maytera Mint's insurgents and the Guard. I
slept at Ermine's for a few hours, as I told you; when I woke up, half
the Guard seemed to have gone over to Maytera Mint.'
Maytera Marble said, 'All of it but the Second, I'm told.'
'Good. Before I was brought here, I was in the tunnels or in the
cellar, so I didn't see much; but there were councillors here. It
seemed likely they were directing their forces in person, and I didn't
think they'd do that unless the situation was critical. Then too, you
told me you'd walked out here with the children and mentioned a
general from Trivigaunte--'
'General Saba. A very good woman at heart, from what I saw of
her, though quite large and rather prone to obstinacy.'
'I assume it was her airship that attacked us when His Cognizance
and I were riding in Oosik's floater.'
'Her airship's been over the city, certainly. It's been shooting and
dropping explosives. It's huge.'
'Your Doctor Crane was a spy from Trivigaunte,' Silk told Blood.
'You must know that by now. He told me once, joking, that if I were
in need of rescue all I'd have to do was kill him. He had a device in
his chest that let others find him and told them whether his heart
was beating. He was shot Rieraxday morning, due to a misunderstanding.
I imagine the attack on us resulted from a similar mix-up--the
Trivigauntis had been told the Guard was opposing us. When
they saw a Guard floater surrounded by officers on horseback, they
attacked it.'
'I don't see what this has to do with me,' Blood grunted.
'It has everything to do with you,' Silk told him, 'and I was right
about it, too--the only thing I've been completely right about. You
were fighting in a losing cause; this house was about to be
destroyed, and you might easily be wounded or killed. You knew
about the tunnels, and no doubt you've been down there. So have I,
as I've said--more than I like. I couldn't imagine your leaving this
house in flames and trudging off underground unless there were no
alternative.'
'I worked shaggy hard to get this place.'
'Don't swear, Bloody. It doesn't become you.'
'I did! Your kind thinks it's easy. One wrong move and you're
