‘Because I wasn’t going to do any such thing, you fool! It was a token. It merely told the merchant who he was dealing with, assured him we had the means to pay whatever his message was worth. He was to use it to identify himself when he came to me, and give it back to me then. Then he’d get his pay — his cloaks, gold quills, copper axe heads, whatever it was. I didn’t want to trust him even that far — oh, I wish I hadn’t!’
I flinched: her voice had risen until it filled the room, and I was afraid it would be audible outside, despite the wall-hangings. However, there was one word in her shrill outpouring that had caught my attention and drove even the fear of discovery from my thoughts for a moment.
‘Who’s “we”?’ I asked quietly.
‘What?’
‘You said “we”. Mother of Light. “ We had the means to pay.” Who else is there?’
She was dumbfounded. ‘Nobody. I didn’t say “we”, did I? I must have been confused. I meant…’
‘I think you meant what you said.’ I leaned forward, staring impolitely into her eyes, which were blinking furiously. ‘It’s not you this message was intended for at all, is it? You’re a go-between, like Lily. Who are you working for — Black Flower, is that it?’
‘No!’
‘Then…’
For a moment I felt that I had overpowered her, that she would drop her gaze or turn aside and shamefacedly mutter that it was true, she was spying for Maize Ear’s brother and his enemy, and plead with me not to give her away. Of course, then I would have promised to say nothing provided she started telling me the truth about Hare’s message.
I scented victory, only to have it promptly snatched away.
She stopped blinking and returned my stare steadily. When she spoke, she had lowered her voice, but her tone was as hard as flint.
‘Just listen to me. All you need to know is that that ring has to be found. If it isn’t, if it’s seen by the wrong people — by people who know what it represents — then it means death for all of us. For you, me, Lily and anyone else who’s ever seen the thing. Do you get that, slave?
10
You’re making progress, Yaotl, I told myself bitterly as I walked back towards the hall of the Council of Music, hoping to find a way from there out of the palace. This morning you were only looking for a mysterious message. Now you’ve got to find a mysterious ring as well, and you don’t even know why. Good work!
I had left Mother of Light in the little audience room, with the feeling that I had been dismissed from her presence. I wondered at her imperiousness. She may once have enjoyed the attentions of a King, but he was dead, and she had been only a concubine, and not, by all accounts, one of his favourites. Where, I wondered, had she got the authority and self-confidence to take charge so easily?
I was mulling this over as I found myself walking through the little courtyard where the poets had gathered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two men lounging on one of the stone benches. I caught a brief glimpse of their hair, noticed that they both wore it piled up in the fashion of experienced warriors, and quickly looked away so as to avoid catching their eyes. I did not want to attract anybody’s attention now; I just wanted to get out of the palace before anyone connected me with the missing, heavily armed and dangerous lawyer they were all looking for.
I bustled onward, getting almost to the far side of the courtyard before a familiar voice called out after me: ‘What kept you, Yaotl? We’ve been waiting ages. Did you find Mother of Light?’
I froze. I wanted to take to my heels but my legs suddenly refused to move. It would have done me no good anyway, as I could never have run fast enough. Instead, I turned around slowly, to see Rattlesnake unfolding himself from his seat and standing up. His companion did the same. They were both grinning.
I said nothing. I could not think of anything to say.
‘Not very polite, is he, Hunter? I’d have thought at the very least he’d have asked you how your head was!’
‘Um — look. I’m sorry about your head, but…’
‘No need to apologize,’ Hunter rumbled. ‘Grovel and beg for mercy, yes.’
‘I didn’t have any choice!’
‘Me neither,’ remarked the warrior drily.
They both stood in front of me. Neither of them was armed, but then they did not need to be: they could easily have hammered me into the floor with their fists.
‘You would not believe the fuss you’ve caused this morning, Yaotl,’ Rattlesnake said reprovingly. ‘Squads of warriors running around all over the place, all of them armed to the teeth, because they think they’re after some sort of demon with the power to change how he looks, produce weapons out of thin air and vanish without trace. I bet they’ll call in sorcerers this afternoon to try to make you disappear. But me, when I heard who they were all after and realized it was someone connected with Lily, I thought: That doesn’t sound like the Yaotl I know. He’s just a weedy little slave. Can’t see him coming here disguising himself as a lawyer. Surely there must be some mistake. So I thought I ought to check. Lucky for you I did, really. If any of those nervous youngsters had seen you first, I expect they’d have killed you on sight, just to be on the safe side.’
‘How… how did you know where to look?’ I croaked through
