accustomed to applause, she asked, that you've already begun to question it?'
'Come on, Safar said. I'm not the only one. Elgy said the last time he played before an audience like this it turned out his troupe had wandered into the middle of a plague.'
'The fear of death, Methydia said, does have a way of exciting people's interest in life.'
'Do you know something the rest of us don't? Safar asked, growing irritated.
'Only this, Methydia said, passing him a large ornate card with a distinctive seal of gold wax. We are to give a command performance tonight for Queen Arma and her royal consort.'
Safar looked at the card, an honor at any other time, and said, Why is this bad news?'
'Because it was accompanied by a chest of silk, Methydia said. And that silk, according to the messenger who delivered it, is an advance payment on a week's worth of free performances for the queen's subjects.'
'A morale booster? Safar asked.
'I'm talking about a dozen bolts of the finest Sampitayan silk, Methydia said.
Safar, who'd spent his life on a caravan route, had a good idea what that was worth. How much morale- boosting do they need? he said. And why?'
'I don't know, Methydia answered. The messenger was quite polite, but he worked hard to avoid answering my questions. It was as if he expected us to pack up and leave at the slightest hint of trouble. He went on for an hour about what a wonderful ruler Arma was, the excellent health of her children, the esteem all her subjects hold her in. And the soundness of her kingdom.'
Safar winced. In Walaria he'd learned to read fear on the face of royal posture. Maybe we'd better go, he said.
'I've arrived at the same conclusion, Methydia said. I told the messenger we had pressing business elsewhere. And we couldn't stay longer than the week purchased by Her Majesty.'
Safar, remembering the incident at Kyshaat, said, What if we slipped off tonight?'
'I've also considered that course, Methydia said. Much can happen in a week. But I don't think we dare cut our visit too short. We might bring down the wrath of Queen Arma by making a hasty exit. I think it'd be best if we gave the queen the command performance she asked for, then quietly loaded the circus back on the Cloudship. We can do without some of the sets. And make it look like we're unloading things while we're actually putting them aboard. Three nights, no more, and we'll be on our way.'
'But the queen paid in advance, Safar pointed out. What about all that silk?'
'I'll leave it behind, Methydia said. It's bad money and I don't want any part of it.'
As it turned out three days was too long. The circus overshot its luck the night of the command performance.
Knowing she was going to abandon Sampitay as soon as possible, Methydia roused the troupe to put on its best show ever.
Safar, drawing on his years of schooling in Walaria, had created a new kind of magical lighting. The circus tried out his ideas for the first time the night Queen Arma held court in the main tent.
A blazing full moon greeted the royal visitors as they entered the tent. Safar made the moon a spotlight, picking out the grand moment of each performance, then dimmed it with onrushing clouds during costume changes. Flares burst up in the arena during the featured performances, turning all into a mystical herky-jerky of amazing motion.
To close the first half Safar and Arlain debuted a new act they'd been working on for some time.
From the time of its inceptionwhich had merely been to improve on the old saw the maid in half gagthe trick had grown into a full-blown tale. Safar cast himself as the villain of the piecean evil wizard. Arlain and Biner were the odd loversthe ugly dwarf and the beautiful creature who was part woman, part dragon.
In the story Safar hunts the lovers in bleak otherworlds full of swirling lights, fountaining smoke and spurting flames. Eventually he corners them, appears to slay Biner, then captures Arlain. She fights off his attempts to ravish her but is punished by being put into a deadly trance. In that trance Safar levitates her, then proceeds to slice her in two with his sword. Defiant to the last, Arlain breathes fire. Then the fire is gone. Suddenly Biner is aroused. He heals Arlain. A fight commences. And in the end the two lovers defeat Safar and embrace. Then a lovely note piped by Elgy and Rabix brings the lights down.
Tears and cheers greeted the three performers when they took their bows.
Despite his worries, Safar was feeling mightily pleased with himself as he rushed off to get ready for the second act. The high wail of a herald's horn brought him up short. He turned, alarmed at this sudden interruption of circus routine.
In the royal box Queen Arma was on her feet. In front of her was a boy dressed in the elaborate livery of a court herald. At a signal from the queen he raised his horn and blew againcommanding all present to be silent and attend to the queen.
Arma was a middle-aged woman, running to fat. She had a round pleasant face made to seem rounder still by the tall forepeaked crown she wore. Sitting beside her was her consort, Prince Crol, a handsome, silver-haired man in the glittering dress uniform of a general. The queen drew in her breath to speak and just before the first words issued from her lips Safar saw the soldier gesture and felt the sting of magic. He knew immediately the man was a wizard and the gesture was a magical spell to amplify the queen's words so all could hear.
'Citizens of Sampitay, Queen Arma said, high-pitched voice filling the main tent. I am sure we are all having a lovely time tonight, are we not?'
The richly dressed crowd answered with loud applause. Arma turned her head, nodding at Methydia who stood near the performers exitregal-looking in her own right in a dazzling red gown and slender tiara, decorated with a tasteful spattering of gems.
'We have the good Lady Methydia and her talented troupe of entertainers to thank for bringing a bit a joy to Sampitay during its crisis, the queen said.
Methydia bowed low, but from the stiffness of her bow Safar could see she was as surprised as he at the queen's remarks. And what was that Arma said about a crisis?'
'As you all well know, Arma continued, your queen and her representatives have been in almost constant communication with King Protarus and his emissaries for over a month now.'
The crowd murmured, troubledas was Safar at the mention of his old friend's name.
'We have kept you all well informed regarding the nature of those communications, Arma said. The first message was a demand that this kingdom end its long and historic policy of neutrality. Protarus commanded itand it would be wrong of us to use a weaker word to pretty up his barbaric diplomacy. Our answer to that outrage was a firm although courteous reply that this queen is not his to command!'
A thunderclap of applause greeted this statement. Safar thought of Iraj and knew it would have been unlikely for him to take the queen's refusal well.
'Shortly afterward, Arma went on, Protarus emissaries arrived with new demands. He was no longer asking us to ally ourselves with him against his enemies. Instead, he commanded our immediate surrender. He even gave us this… and Safar saw her raise up a familiar banner, bearing the red demon moon and silver comet that was the sign of Alisarrian…to hoist over the palace, marking our subjugation.'
The crowd reacted angrily, shouting words of defiance.
Queen Arma waited until the shouts died down, then said loudly, We refused!'
More shouts and thunderous applause. The queen waited, then at a key moment she signaled for silence.
'It would dishonest of me, my loyal subjects, Arma said, if we didn't admit our nights were long and sleepless with worry after we made that reply. King Protarus, whose armies now range at will across the Plains of Jaspar, is not known to brook any defiance from any kingdom or monarch whom he deems to stand in his way. Fearing reprisals, we put our own troops in a state of readiness. We were prepared to die to the last defending the sanctity of our realm.'
Pandemonium reigned for many long minutes as the crowd roared its approval.
When they had quieted, Arma said, Tonight it is our supreme pleasure to announce to you the gods have stood firm with the good and righteous people of Sampitay.'
She'd dropped the banner and was now holding up a long slender parchment roll.
