pointed overhead, where the witch's pebbles were scour- ing a fresh set of grooves into the coffered ceiling.
'Please to stop magic before it ruins Princess Wei Dao's apartment.'
The man who had pulled Ruha out of the floor released her hands and stepped back, but the witch did not even consider casting a spell at the mandarin or any of his men. Although Tang had ordered his guards not to harm her, Hsieh's soldiers had received no such instructions and would undoubtedly strike her down at the first sign of danger to their master. Ruha gestured at the ceiling and spoke a single sibilant syllable. The pebbles fell out of the air, dropping through the hole to clatter off the dungeon's brick floor.
'So much better.' Hsieh kneeled at one of the room's low tables and waved Ruha to the other side. 'Please.'
Ruha allowed herself to be escorted to the table, then sat cross-legged on one of the reed mats. Although she was not overly fond of the chairs that Heartland hosts always thrust at their visitors, she found the Shou habit of kneeling even less comfortable.
Hsieh waited for her to arrange her aba and veil, and then said, 'Please to explain your return to Ginger Palace. I am under impression that Vaerana Hawklyn takes me hostage to get you out.'
'She came too soon.' As the witch spoke, she was frantically trying to calculate how much she should tell Hsieh about events in Elversult. Though he lacked the same reasons as Prince Tang and Wei Dao to conceal Lady
Feng's abduction, he might easily conclude that the best way to recover her was to let Cypress have what he wanted. 'I had not concluded my business.'
Hsieh nodded thoughtfully. 'And this business-what- ever it is-do you finish it now?'
Ruha shook her head. 'No, I was… interrupted.'
Hsieh allowed himself a tiny smile, but made no remark about the interruption involving a trip to the dungeon. 'Perhaps this business is something I can help you conclude.'
Ruha lifted her brow. 'Do you not wish to know what I am doing?'
'You are spying,' Hsieh replied simply. 'I have need of spy.'
After a moment's consideration, Ruha asked, 'And who am I to spy upon?'
'I come to speak to Lady Feng, but she is not here.' He leaned forward and spoke so quietly that Ruha could barely make out the words. 'I understand she is in Elver- suit. Perhaps she dishonors Peerless Emperor of Civi- lized World.'
Ruha frowned, confused by the mandarin's implication and uncertain what he wanted from her. 'What do you think she has done to dishonor your emperor?'
The mandarin flushed and looked at the tabletop. 'Perhaps she takes lover.'
'A lover?' Ruha scoffed.
his guards. 'For spy, you are most imprudent.'
'She is more than spy!' accused Wei Dao's voice.
The witch turned to see the princess pushing her head out of the hole in the floor. Her hair was disheveled and there was a red mark on her brow where Ruha's heel had glanced off, but otherwise she showed little sign of their battle.
Wei Dao allowed two of Hsieh's men to help her into the room, then pulled Ruha's jambiya from her sash and pointed the curved blade at the witch. 'Lady Ruha is insidious assassin!'
The accusation caused several of the guards to reach for the witch, but Hsieh raised a finger and waved them off. 'If Lady Ruha wishes me dead, she has many chances better than this to attack.'
Ruha inclined her head to the minister. 'I am grateful-'
Hsieh warned her off with a scowl and quick shake of his head. 'Must wait for princess. To Shou, form is all.'
The mandarin looked at Wei Dao, then gestured at one of the mats beside their table. 'Please.'
The princess slipped the jambiya into her sash, then took several moments to straighten her hair and collect herself. For a time, Ruha thought she might be stalling until her own guards entered the room, but no one climbed into the room after her, nor did Hsieh's men give any indication that they expected-or would welcome-any of the princess's soldiers to join them. At last, Wei Dao came to the table and bowed to Hsieh, then calmly kneeled on a mat beside Ruha as though she had not just accused the witch of being a murderess.
'Esteemed Mandarin, please to forgive Prince and me.'
By the continuing blare of Wei Dao's voice, it was clear that her ears were suffering from the detonation even more than Ruha's. 'We do not tell you all.'
'Then do so now-more quietly,' Hsieh urged.
Wei Dao kept her eyes lowered, 'Lady Feng does not visit sick friend in Elversult.'
Hsieh barely kept from smirking. 'Truly?'
'Truly. Prince Tang learns of plan to kill Third Virtu- ous Concubine, and he sends her into hiding.' Wei Dao raised her chin and glared at Ruha. 'Treacherous witch is assassin.'
Ruha could not stomach the lie. 'That is-'
Hsieh waved a cautioning finger at the witch. 'You ignore form. Lady Ruha.' Though his voice was stern, his face remained as blank as ever. 'Please to let Princess explain why someone-presumably Vaerana Hawklyn-wishes to kill Lady Feng.'
Wei Dao was ready with another lie. 'To stop trade in poisons. Vaerana threatens many times to'take mea- sures' if we do not stop, but Honorable Husband does not let savages dictate business of Ginger Palace.'
'How wise.' Hsieh's tone was as flat as his expression was blank.
Wei Dao continued, 'After we must exchange witch for person of Esteemed Minister, we think she give up and leave-then we find her hiding in ylang blossoms.' The princess peered at Ruha from the corner of her eye. 'She is most resolute killer.'
Hsieh nodded sagely. 'Most.'
'We are taking her to Chamber of One Thousand Deaths when she makes lamp explode and escapes again,' Wei Dao continued. 'Please to lend me sword. I promise Honorable Husband that I kill barbarian before he returns with Virtuous Mother.'
Yu Po immediately reached for his sword, but Minister
Hsieh quickly raised a hand to restrain him. The adju- tant's jaw fell slack, as did those of several guards.
'Do you not wish to hear what Lady Ruha says?' Hsieh asked.
Yu Po and the guards glanced at each other as though the thought had never crossed their minds. 'But Lady
Ruha is barbarian!' Yu Po gasped. 'Princess Dao is wife of son of Third Virtuous Concubine.'
Hsieh nodded as though he were in complete agree ment with his adjutant, then bit his lips as though strug- gling with a difficult decision. 'What you say is most true. It does not matter that Lady Ruha saves our lives when dragon attacks Ginger Lady.'
The mandarin allowed his gaze to linger on Wei Dao, who took several quiet breaths and tried not to look con- cerned as the color drained from her face.
'If Shou princess claims barbarian witch intends to kill Lady Feng, then we must believe her.' Hsieh contin- ued to glare at the princess. 'If she feels certain we understand her correctly-and if she is certain she says what she means.'
Wei Dao's painted lips began to quiver, but she did not look away from Hsieh's penetrating gaze. 'I… I am certain.'
Yu Po placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, but cast a questioning look at Hsieh and stopped short of drawing it. The mandarin remained as motionless as a statue and continued to glare at Wei Dao. Ruha hardly dared to breathe. She did not understand all the nuances of the exchange, but it seemed clear enough that the minister was trying to save her life-whether because he wished to repay her or because he needed a spy, she did not know. It hardly mattered, and the witch sensed that even the slightest movement on her part might well bring the contest to an unfavorable end.
As frightened as Wei Dao appeared, it was Hsieh who looked away first. 'It appears the princess is most confident of herself.'
Yu Po drew his sword. Before Ruha could summon the incantation of even a simple spell to mind, two guards
