Voice of the Gods

recalling details about the clan that he had learned before and after they had arrived in Chon. He also kept his eyes on the other people at the table, aware that he was an extra pair of eyes to Ella.

At some signal from Gim, servants began to bring plates of food out to the table. Gim sliced a haunch off a roasted yern with a knife shaped like a miniature sword, and then the other guests began to help themselves and chatter. An argument broke out between two boys, one of whom had taken an entire girri for himself. When the boys began to shove each other one of the men got up, hauled them both out of a door and told a servant not to let them in until they’d fought it out. Returning to the table, he took the girri for himself.

Danjin then felt Ella’s elbow press against his arm. He realized he’d lost track of her conversation with Gim.

“... know the Pentadrian way of life appeals to many of your people,” she said.

Gim’s eyebrows rose. “What is so appealing about the way they live?”

“Only criminals are enslaved there.”

The clan leader frowned at her. She shrugged.

“That is how they see it.”

“Are you saying we may have spies among our servants?”

“Probably.”

He glared at the servants in the room. “I shall question them all.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “That would disrupt your household unnecessarily. A clever spy deflects attention from himself to others when he knows there’s a hunt on, and you could end up executing innocent and useful people. Better to set a trap.”

Gim grunted his reluctant agreement. “What do you suggest?”

“Obviously we can’t discuss the details here,” she said, smiling. “Someone who knows your household well would be better able to suggest an effective trap than I. You must have a few servants that you trust?”

The clan leader scowled, then changed the subject. As the night grew older, Danjin was sure he detected a change in Ella. She seemed more genuinely cheerful than she usually was during these dinners.

:I am, her familiar voice said in his mind. I’d never give Gim the satisfaction of knowing this, but his habit of treating his servants badly has worked in our favor. There are plenty of Pentadrian sympathizers here, and more than one of them has decided it’s time to make his escape. Tomorrow we shall see who aids them.

Progress at last, he thought. No wonder she looks happier.

Gim belched loudly, then called for more fwa.

:Yes. And I have to admit, I’m finding Gim more entertaining than I thought. He’s every bit the cliched warrior brute Dunwayans are made out to be. Eating with his hands, talking with his mouth full, making crude jokes and drinking too much. What next?

He’ll probably call in the dancing girls, or some wench to fondle.

:I don’t think even he would... oh.

Danjin smiled as two men walked into the room playing pipes and drums, followed by four Dunwayan women wearing a lot of jewellery, but not much more.

At least that answers one question that’s been on my mind, Danjin thought wryly. Their tattoos really do go all the way down.

This time Ella’s elbow somehow managed to reach his ribs, and with considerably more force than before.

17

The rosy light of dawn tinted the sky beyond Reivan’s window when she woke. She felt a mingled relief and disappointment. Relief that she hadn’t slept late again, but disappointment that she didn’t have cause to.

Rising, she went to the basin of water and washed herself down. The moisture on her skin was pleasantly cool, but dried quickly. Soon she would be sweating in the heat of another midsummer day, but at least she would stink of fresh sweat rather than stale. She wished she could say the same of the merchants and courtiers that she had to deal with.

Dressing in her robe, she left her rooms and started for her office, pausing only to tell a domestic to have food brought to her. Several Servants were about. They nodded respectfully at Reivan as she passed.

Suddenly her sandal loosened and nearly tripped her. She stopped and steadied herself with one hand on a wall while she inspected it. A strap had come apart from the sole.

“... why he chose her. She’s not beautiful, or even pretty,” a voice said.

Realizing that the voice belonged to one of two female Servants she had just passed, she paused to listen.

“She’s supposed to be smart. Former Thinker, they say. Maybe they play mind games while they’re... you know.”

“I don’t want to think about it.”

Reivan found herself smiling. So the other Servants had heard about Nekaun’s nocturnal visits to her rooms. Were these two jealous?

“From what I hear, his attention is hard to keep. He gets bored easily.”

“She’s wise to keep it quiet, then. It’ll be humiliating enough when he moves on. Wouldn’t want the whole Sanctuary to know, if I were her.”

“The whole Sanctuary does know.”

Reivan felt her stomach sink. She drew off the sandal and took a few steps, no longer wanting to eavesdrop. But with only one sandal, walking was awkward and ungainly. She stopped to take off the other.

“... rather have him for a little while than never,” one of the Servants said.

“Me, too.”

That ought to have cheered her, but it didn’t. Her stomach sank further. He’s been visiting me for months now, she thought. If he was only doing it for entertainment, surely he would have grown bored after a few nights? I’m not exactly a goddess of the bedroom.

Days. Weeks. Months. Years. What did it matter? He was immortal, powerful and beautiful. She knew she could not expect to hold his attention forever, yet she could not imagine life being any different than how it was now. Sometimes she struggled to comprehend how she had existed before.

I’ve never been this happy. Or this anxious. I must be in love.

With sandals in one hand, she continued on. When the next domestic appeared she stopped him, gave him the sandals and told him to arrange for someone to bring her a new pair. He made the sign of the star and hurried away.

Though she tried to turn her thoughts to the work ahead, the words of the Servants kept creeping into her mind.

“He gets bored easily.”

Maybe Nekaun was growing bored with her. He hadn’t visited last night and the previous evening his visit had been brief.

Too brief, she thought. He seemed distracted, as if his mind was elsewhere and only his body was present.

“Companion Reivan.”

She stopped and turned, surprised to see Imenja striding toward her.

“Second Voice,” she replied, making the sign of the star.

Imenja smiled. “Come with me. I want to ask you something.”

They were only a short distance from Reivan’s office, yet Imenja walked to a stairwell and began to climb. Reivan followed, conscious that her feet were still bare.

They climbed up into one of the towers in the lower levels of the Sanctuary. The stairs led through a hole in the floor of the topmost room. Open arches gave a view all around.