Waterborn

'What did you have to promise them for that?' Apad asked caustically. 'Our heads?'

Ngangata shook his head. 'No. They think Human Beings amusing. They like to tell stories about them. If they travel with us, they will have many stories to tell.'

'And you? Do you tell them stories about us?'

'I do.'

'I thought as much.'

Ngangata ignored that. 'They say we may make camp on the ridge above this place,' he said. 'They said we may take a small branch of their fire if we wish.'

'Thank them for me,' the Kapaka said.

'They have no such word,' Ngangata told him. 'I can tell them 'It is enough' or 'You can share our camp, too.' '

'Tell them it is enough, then.'

Perkar was glad that they were sleeping at some distance from the Alwat camp, though he had no illusions about being safe from them, should they decide to attack. It was just good to be out of their sight, out of that strange regard, the kind a child or a very old man might hold upon you. As he closed his eyes, he wondered what an Alwa might dream about, if dream they did. He might ask Ngangata, who must surely have dreams of both kinds, Human and Alwat.

INTERLUDE

In the Court of Black Willows

She'lu Yehd Cha'dune, Chakunge, Lord of Nhol, emperor of five domains and the desert hinterland, stared at Nyas—his vizier—with drooping eyes. The deep orange light slanting in through the chamber's high, narrow windows identified the hour as late, nearing sundown. He had been transacting the business of Empire since it had lanced through from the other side of the room at a similar angle. Soon, hopefully, he could snatch a moment of rest, some food in private. He need only focus his attention for a bit longer on the items of the day. Hard to do sometimes, when so many of them were so boring. For instance, Nyas was just finishing a tabulation of tribute received from the sixteen quarters of the down-River port of Wun Yang. She'lu hoped the next matter—whatever it was—would be a bit more interesting.

'Next, my lord, I have a somewhat personal item, a possibly distasteful matter.' Nyas peered around his nearly round nose with wide-set eyes, awaiting She'lu's leave to continue.

'Go on,' She'lu said, his attention fully focused again.

'It concerns your daughter Hezhi.'

'It isn't another complaint from the librarian, is it, Nyas? I thought we had settled that matter.' He picked at his robe, frowning.

'Perhaps so, my lord. That is not what I must speak to you about.'

'Good.' She'lu frowned as Nyas actually looked around him—as if every person within earshot had not been Forbidden to speak anything they heard. As if anyone he did not know about could approach this throne. This must be a delicate matter indeed.

'You remember the incident in the Hall of Moments, just outside of the Leng Court.'

'Of course. Three of my elite guardsmen and a priest were killed before they banished the thing. Apparently the priesthood has become complacent—more intent on playing politics than keeping dangerous ghosts out of the Hall of Moments.' He aimed this remark, with a flash of his eyes, not at Nyas, but at the pale, pudgy man who occupied a lower seat to his right. The man—today's representative from the priesthood, one De Yehd Shen—colored visibly but did not respond verbally. Not here, anyway, and not without the support of a more eminent priest.

Nyas, of course, caught the exchange, and so shook his head. 'Our records show that the hall was swept the day before, in preparation for court, and was being swept again when the attack occurred. It is hard to find any fault…'

'Something was not done right. I still feel the track of the damned thing whenever I walk there. It was strong, more demon than ghost. Almost like something summoned. But I did not summon it.'

'Perhaps it slipped through or awoke when you called the Riverghosts,' the priest suggested, his little-boy voice clear and piping.

'I would have felt that,' She'lu retorted, narrowing his eyes. 'Do you think I have no more sense or control than to summon such a thing?'

'Perhaps if some other person took advantage of your summoning, however…'

'Stop,' She'lu snapped. 'Darken your mouth! I've been through this, and with members of the priesthood far more competent and knowledgeable than you. I don't wish to discuss this further. And what does this have to do with my daughter?' he demanded, suddenly realizing, to his chagrin, that he was somehow missing the point.

'Your daughter,' Nyas said, 'was seen in the Hall of Moments with her bodyguard at the time of the creature's appearance and attack.' He looked meaningfully at She'lu.

The emperor glared back at him. 'And?' he asked.

Nyas sighed. 'If you remember, Lord, Hezhi is nearly of age— some twelve years old.'

'Oh? Oh.'

'Indeed. It may be a coincidence, but it could be something more.'

'Is my daughter being watched?' he asked. Was the priest actually hiding a smirk? She'lu trembled with the sudden exertion of not striking the simpering fool down. The urge to reach out, slap his soul a bit, was overwhelming. He was emperor, he reminded himself, because he could resist such temptations. His brother, after all, had been born with more power—but no self-control at all.

'She has been watched diffidently, my lord. There has been no formal assignation to her.'

'I suppose we should make one then, just in case, though I find it inconceivable that my daughter…'

'Even you are not completely apprised of the River's will,' his vizier reminded him.

'Yes, yes. Assign someone to watch her, then.'

'My lord,' the priest chirped. 'That is the business of the priesthood.'

'I suppose it is,' She'lu grudgingly admitted.

'If you will permit me, I will bring this to the attention of the order.'

She'lu drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne, looked tiredly around the chamber. The black columns that supported the roof and gave the court its name seemed to mock him, somehow. Like the priest; nothing he could overtly do anything about. Yet. 'Very well,' he said at last. 'But I want to know who it is.'

'I suspect I know who will be assigned, my lord, if you will permit me.'

'Go on.'

'A new Jik has recently been initiated. He shows enormous potential. He will be very discreet.'

'Why a Jik?' She'lu asked irritably. 'I see no reason for an assassin to watch my daughter.'

'Please, my lord. The Jik are not assassins. They are priests.'

'Yes. The sort of priests who assassinate people.'

De darkened again. 'It is common practice, my lord, when the child is a direct descendant of the Chakunge. You yourself were certainly watched over by a Jik.'

She'lu aimed a smoky stare at his vizier. 'Is this true, Nyas? You were my father's vizier.'

Nyas nodded yes.

She'lu ceased tapping his fingers and glowered at the priest. 'Very well. Send him to me, and tell him to have a care. I have high hopes for a good marriage for the girl.'

'Very good, Lord,' the priest acknowledged. 'If you would but give me your leave…'

She'lu sighed heavily, drank some power from the River, felt it course and shimmer in his veins. He sent a finger of it out to the priest, touched his tiny, fragile soul. He stroked it a bit harder than necessary; the man shuddered and his eyes rolled up.

'You may speak of the matter of my daughter, and that only,' he commanded. He