"There," I whispered. "Do you want me there?"

"Oh yes," she said. "Yes. There. In me. Now, Damastes, now!"

I pushed, and there was resistance, then her ring relaxed, then clenched firm as I slipped into warmth. I cared nothing more about Nicias, generals, or anything else as we spun higher and higher into the heavens.

Every boat that had ever been built came to meet us as theTauler thrashed its way up to the flag-bedecked dock. People were cheering, blowing whistles and horns, beating on drums. There were more organized bands ash.o.r.e, each playing a different melody, although as we neared sh.o.r.e they reached some kind of agreement and broke into the Numantian anthem. Unfortunately none of them began at the same moment nor in the same key, so the cheery cacophony continued.

All of Nicias was behind the rope barricades at the end of the dock, barely held back by a cordon of brightly uniformed cavalrymen. These were the Golden Helms of Nicias, parade soldiers whose panoply was reserved for the greatest events.

The twin gangplanks banged down, and the crowd bellowed. I thought the line of soldiers would give way, and wondered if our fate was to be trampled in reverent honor.

Jacoba stood beside me, her two cases at her feet.

"Well," I began, looking for exactly the right words.

Jacoba put her arms around me, kissed me once, then pulled free from my embrace.

She picked up her cases and ran swiftly up the gangway to the dock. She glanced back, then vanished in the crowd.

A piece of my soul went with her.

FOURTEEN.

The Rule of TenIf I'd thought being a hero in Sayana was overwhelming, now we were drowned. The cheering crowd swept down on us and caught Seer Tenedos and myself up in their arms.

They began carrying us off, where I knew not. I think we were lugged through every street in the capital, whether boulevard or alley, and everyone wished to touch us, throw flowers at us, or shout offers to pleasure us in as many ways as existed, from food to bed.

I managed to keep a smile on my face, and to pretend as if I were greeting people, although in the hubbub I couldn't be heard and was able to save my voice.

Tenedos bowed, waved, gestured as if he were a priest instead of a seer. His eyes gleamed with pleasure.

For a moment, the naked adulation was seductive, but then the thought came, What would it be like if next time the crowd hated you? These same loving hands would tear you apart in seconds.

Eventually we were brought to the bridge that crosses a branch of the Latane River to the moat-surrounded Rule of Ten's palace. The crowd would have carried us over the bridge, but there were three lines of dismounted Golden Helms blocking them, and two lines of the city's wardens in front of them. We were grudgingly let down. Tenedos waved for silence, and eventually the yammering died away a bit.

"Great people of Numantia and Nicias," he shouted, and then the crowd bellowed its pleasure, and I heard no more, although his lips kept moving. He motioned-back away, toward the bridges-and I obeyed. When we reached the wardens I sagged in relief, and realized I'd been terrified of what could have happened in that crowd. They swiftly escorted us through the cavalrymen and across the square to the broad steps that led into the palace.

Waiting for us was a man in robes faced with multicolored embroidery, who carried a staff of gold and ivory. "I bid you welcome," he shouted so the crowd behind could hear. "I am Olynthus, chamberlain for the Rule of Ten. In their name, I grant you the freedom of the city and the grat.i.tude of all Numantia. We shall see you are properly honored." His voice went down to normal. "The journey and your, er, most tumultuous reception by our citizenry must have been tiring." He waved the staff, and two bowing servitors appeared. "Since you are high in the esteem of the Rule, we wish to offer you our own hospitality, and bid you follow these men to rooms which I trust will not disappoint."

I saluted, and Tenedos bowed. Hidden trumpets blared, and the two servants beckoned.

I wondered what sort of quarters we would be lodged in. Since this was the third palace I'd guested in, I felt I was becoming a bit of a connoisseur. I'd expected this to be the grandest of them all.

I was somewhat disappointed. I noted that the carpet we walked on, while still magnificent, was beginning to show a bit of threads at the center. The paintings on the walls had begun to fade somewhat, and the inlaid wallpaper was stained here and there. I saw that the uniforms of the various palace servants we pa.s.sed were immaculate, but just a little shabby.

The Palace of the Rule of Ten, in short, looked like the residence of a respected uncle, someone who'd gotten rich years earlier, arranged his manse to please himself, and then let things slide quietly downhill.

But most of these perceptions came later, when I thought about what had happened. Now my nerves were on edge, waiting to see what the morrow would bring.

It was even more disastrous than I'd feared.

The hearing on "The Recent Regrettable Incidents in the Border States, called by Its People the Kingdom of Kait" began after midday. We were told the Rule of Ten little liked to conduct public business in the morning, devoting that to their own private concerns.

"Which means," Tenedos muttered, "making money or sleeping late."

We waited outside the audience chamber in full regalia. I wore the full-dress uniform of the Lancers, as did Lances Kar-jan, Svalbard, and Curti. Legate Yonge wore his best civilian garb, but with the sash of a legate in the Numantian Army wound around his waist. None of us were armed except Yonge, even though custom dictated that Lancers wear arms with any uniform. But we'd been told by the palace's head guard that no one, absolutely no one, was permitted to carry instruments of death into the presence of the Rule of Ten. Yonge had growled and given up his saber, but when a guard reached for his dagger he'd clapped his hand on its hilt and said no one could touch that and live. The guard began to object, looked into Yonge's cold eyes and hard features, and decided he never saw the blade.

Tenedos was garbed not as a Numantian resident-general, but in seer's robes, as if disdaining any part of the Rule of Ten's policies.

We were ushered into a large room, its walls paneled in dark wood. There was a railing near one end of it, and behind it the long raised dais where the Rule of Ten would sit. There were benches for those who would speak to the rulers of Numantia, a place for a note-taker, and seats for spectators. It looked more like a trial chamber than anything else.

The room had little room for the merely curious; every Numantian broadsheet that could find a writer in Nicias had sent a representative. The other observers were richly dressed, obvious members of the government. Some of them, I found later, were from the city's own rulers, the Nicias Council. It was generally considered as rock-bound as the Rule of Ten.

After half an hour's wait, we were ordered to rise and the Rule of Ten entered. They wore black ceremonial robes and dignified expressions. A priest blessed the gathering, and invoked Irisu and Panoan. As he did, Tenedos prayed briefly to himself in a low whisper, and I caught the name of the Destroyer and Creator, the G.o.ddess few had the courage to invoke, Saionji.

The speaker, a man in his early sixties named Barthou, welcomed us in a cordial tone, asked if we had been treated acceptably since our return to Numantia, and if we wished anything.

Tenedos rose and said we did not-we had been treated most cordially.

"I hope so," Barthou said, his voice drenched in sincerity, "even though nothing can compensate for those terrible events I now wish you to tell us about."

Tenedos began his tale.

I watched the Rule carefully. Tenedos had cast a Square of Silence spell-four identical objects at the corners, then words I couldn't understand, and it would take an experienced seer some time to break the spell and listen to what was being said-and told me much about who we'd be facing. The two members of the Rule whom Tenedos counted as in his camp I readily recognized from his descriptions. The first, quite old, was Mahal. Tenedos had said he was less convinced of the seer's philosophy than his new, very young and beautiful wife from a shopkeeper's family who was, like most of her cla.s.s, intensely patriotic. She also prided herself on keeping current with every new idea that came to Nicias, "so,"

Tenedos said, "perforce Mahal must be dragged along with her into the embrace of the new, untried, and radical."

Our second friend was Scopas. He was middle-aged, and enormous. He was hardly a jolly fat man; his face showed the hard lines of intelligence and hard ambition.

Only the speaker, Barthou, and two others were worth worrying about, Tenedos had said. Those two, Farel and Chare, were young, in their late thirties, and had only been on the Rule for a few years.

Tenedos warned me not to misjudge them by their years; they were as hidebound and reactionary as the most doddering ancient.

The other five would be counted on to vote whichever way they thought safest, which gave Barthou a solid majority.

"All we can hope to do is shame them into taking some action," Tenedos said. "Now is when I'd prefer to have more of the talents of the demagogue than the magician.

"I wish to several demons-haunted h.e.l.ls Idid know some spells to warp the Rule's vote. But even if I did, they have the palace so surrounded by protective spells I'd never be able to finish the casting. And that would mean my death-it's the ax for anyone attempting to use sorcery against our leaders."

Tenedos's testimony was peppered with constant questions from the Rule, which were more to make sure the questioner appeared alert and interested than actually seeking knowledge, so the seer had just reached the point of our meeting at the ford and the ensuing skirmish when the meeting was adjourned.

Of course Tenedos said nothing about why he thought my orders to join him had come as late as they had, nor did he make any mention of the safe-conduct that didn't exist, nor why he believed the Rule of Ten had actually sent him to Kait.

The broadsheets that night were filled with the day's testimony, and accompanied by sketches of Tenedos and myself.

"Quite impossibly good-looking," Tenedos said, looking at one. "No doubt the morrow will find several marriage proposals, my young friend."

So it did, but more than several, and only a few of them were concerned with matrimony, but rather more immediate pastimes. There were nearly fifty, and they came from everyone from grandmothers who certainly should have known bet-

ter to pa.s.sionate scrawls from girls just out of the nursery. A number of women enclosed small gifts with their missives, mostly sketches or miniatures of themselves. Some of them were surprisingly good-looking. I puzzled over three letters: Each of them contained a tiny tuft of eurly hair, and I Slushed and felt like a fool when Tenedos dryly explained their obvious origin.

"So what do I do with these letters, sir?" "You could answer them." "I don't think so." "Not even this one?"

I looked at the intaglio. "She's certainly pretty," I agreed. "With nothing to hide. But I've got to wonder-if she was so suddenly taken with me, as this letter says, and I must bed her this very night in the spirit of Jaen... when did she have time to get the engraving made?"

"Hmm," Tenedos said, gravely. He picked up the metal plate and pretended to examine its blank reverse closely. "Ah yes. You have a much sharper perception than I. On its back this says it's number forty-seven of a set of three hundred." "Should I return the letters?"

"Damastes, sometimes your brain fails you. Why bring heartache? How many of these fair women have husbands, lovers, fathers? Not to remind you that some of them might think it wasyour fault their loved ones were so suddenly stricken with l.u.s.t."

Yonge wanted to read them, but I fed them into the fire that night.

On the second day, we were able to move more swiftly, and I was asked to narrate some incidents as well. Once more, the broadsheets screamed of the monstrosities of Achim Fergana, and the horrors of Kait, and there were twice as many proposals.

But after the third day's appearance, by which time we'd reached the point of Achim Fergana's victory banquet, the defection ofJask Irshad, and the killer fog, there was nothing whatsoever, except a brief mention that the hearing was continuing.

i*"This bodes very poorly," Tenedos said. "The Rule of Ten strictly control the broadsheets. I suppose they've decided we've become entirely too popular, or what we're saying is likely to so inflame the populace they'll be forced to take strong action against Kait.

"I fear we're doomed, Damastes."

The next, the fourth, day, the broadsheet writers were still in attendance, although I saw that none of them were writing down our testimony. The members of the Nicias Council weren't present, and had allowed underlings to appear in their place for amus.e.m.e.nt. Then Tenedos mentioned the Tovieti. Instantly Bar-thou was standing, the rod of office held before him.

"This has now entered the realm of state secrets," he said. "Resident-General Tenedos, please cease speaking until the chamber is cleared."

Guards hastily hustled the audience out.

Tenedos, looking very unhappy, continued his tale. When he'd finished, there were no questions or comments, and Bar-thou adjourned the session.

Three more days went the same, and we were finished. During our story of the final retreat from Sayana, Barthou and his lackeys had urged Tenedos and myself to speak more succinctly--there were other matters requiring their immediate attendance.

Then we were done.

The Rule of Ten said they would announce what action they planned to take as soon as possible, and thanked us once more for appearing.

We'd barely returned to our rooms when we were summoned by the guards. Before I met Tenedos, and was still innocent about the ways of government, I would have thought this meant their ire had been righteously roused, and there'd be an immediate declaration of war against Kait But now I knew better.

And so it was. The room was empty except for the recorder, ourselves, and the Rule of Ten. Mahal would not look at Tenedos, and Scopas's expression was completely unreadable.

In smooth, measured tones Barthou said that Kait had erred most grievously, and there would be a most harsh diplomatic note sent to Sayana, "as soon as circ.u.mstances permittea its transmission." That meant they weren't even brave enough to send a full regiment of cavalry down the Sulem Pa.s.s and shove the note down Achim Fergana's throat.

Anger grew within me.

"We further proclaim mercantile sanctions against Kait," Barthou went on. "These, which will be announced within a week, will be maintained until Baber Achim Fergana makes appropriate rest.i.tution to the victims of the Sulem Pa.s.s horror."

Mercantile sanctions? What punishment was that? The men of the Border States took what they wanted at swordpoint, or traded surrept.i.tiously in remote villages.

"Finally," Barthou said, "it is our decision that the matter of the Border States and their dissident natives has been ignored too long. Therefore, we are summoning a Great Conference, to be attended by the rulers of all states who touch on their lands, to be held in the Tenth Day of the Time of Births to discuss the matter.

"The Rule of Ten has spoken! Proclaim this word throughout all Numantia!" He started to set the rod of office down.

Tenedos was on his feet, speaking even before he was recognized: "But what of Thak? What of the Tovieti?"

Two of the Ten looked at each other.

"Local phenomenon," Chare said. "Not worth concerning ourselves about."

"Then why was I ordered to report on them when I first went to Kait? You seemed most concerned about the matter then."

"We were unaware of the nature of the ... phenomenon," Chare said. "Now we are satisfied it is of little consequence."

"I declare this meeting over," Barthou said hastily, before Tenedos could challenge them any further.

Now rage took me like a mastiff shakes a kitten, and I was standing. All that I could see was that stormy pa.s.s, and hear Captain Mellet's last words: "Tell them there are still men on the Frontiers who know how to die!"

"Are you all cowards that-" I managed, then gasped asI*Tenedos kicked me on the ankle, hard enough to make me stumble back against the bench. Before I could recover, the Rule of Ten had stood and swept out, so many crows walking a limb.

I almost went after them, and I saw alarmed guards start toward us. Tenedos and then Karjan had me by the arms, and were moving me out of the chamber as quickly as the Rule of Ten had fled.

I found enough self-control not to break away, or snarl at my two friends, and I let myself be taken to my rooms. I paced back and forth like a caged tiger, staring at the door, wishing one of those cowardly b.a.s.t.a.r.ds would come through it But the only one who did, and that after two hours, was Laish Tenedos, who tapped softly, then entered without waiting for an invitation.

He held two ornate crystal goblets and a great decanter of brandy.

"This is seventy-five years old," he said. "It's supposedly good for soothing wrath. At any rate the palace's vintner says it will make you amazingly drunk and free of worries."

"I'll be blasted if I want anything from them, especially not their d.a.m.ned drink!"

"Tut, tut," soothed Tenedos. "Never turn down a chance to drink an enemy's liquor. It can be the sweetest of all, while you plan for the future."

He poured the goblets quite full and handed me one.

I took it, started to drain it, then stopped. I took two deep breaths, then pulled the stopper from the decanter and began pouring the liquor back. If you drink, it should only be when times are good.

But before the gla.s.s was emptied, I had a second thought, and left a single swallow.

I lifted it in a toast.

'To Captain Mellet," I said. "I, at least, shall not forget him."