"I know, my lion. I know. But you were not present for Joreb's funeral or the festival to commemorate his life, and your absence was noticed."

"I was still very upset by his death."

"And I wasn't?" Herezah challenged. Her son's defiant gaze faltered. "No matter what's happening in here"a"she pointed to his heart and then to his heada""you must always do your duty and appear strong."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Though Herezah looked to her son to give permission, she knew she had won today's battle.

"Enter," Boaz said, distracted.

His private servant, a young man called Bin, stepped in and bowed. "Your High One, Valide Zara." As both royals nodded, he continued: "I'm sorry to disturb you, Zar Boaz, but the Grand Master Eunuch wishes to speak with the Valide. He says it is urgent."

"Show him in," Boaz ordered. After the servant had disappeared again he looked quizzically at his mother. "Trouble?"

She had no time to answer, for Salmeo entered immediately. He too bowed and acknowledged both his superiors. "Forgive my interruption, High One. The Valide Zara asked for this news as soon as it was available."

"Ah, the girl," Herezah said. "She's been found?"

"Yes, Valide. At the bazaar."

"By the Spur?"

"Yes. They were sharing a kerrosh."

"Oh?" she replied, stung. "How cozy."

"She was cold, we were told, and the Spur felt it was necessary to offer some nourishment. They shared pastries too." Nothing in Salmeo's bland expression suggested that he was enjoying baiting Herezah.

"So thoughtful of him," she said in a contrived tone of boredom. "Where are they now?"

"Awaiting you, Valide Zara."

"Dismiss the Spur. Leave Ana in the harem. She can suffer the wait a little longer at my pleasure."

"As you command, Valide." Salmeo bowed and departed, relishing the chance to send the arrogant Spur packing.

"Mother, what is this about?"

"Nothing I can't handle, dearest one," Herezah assured her son breezily.

Boaz recalled Pez's warning. It was vital that he begin to impress upon his mother whose throne she served. His tone bristled. "If you want me to be more visible, Mother, then I demand to be included in all matters relating to the palace. Is that clear?"

Herezah turned, surprised by his sharp tone. This she had not anticipated. "Why, yes, of course." She felt her own anger stoke but pulled it back just in time. "Forgive me, my son. I just didn't think it was of importance."

"I will be the judge of what is important. Tell me what this is about."

"There is a girla""

"That much I gathered."

For the first time Herezah saw Boaz clearly, and as a rival. This journey back into his affections might take longer than she'd thought. She tempered her tone. "I'm sorry, darling. Let me start from the beginning. Last night we made the selection of young women who will form the new harem." She could not know how he held his breath, relieved beyond belief that she would never know he had been present. "And there was one particular girl called Anaa"quite a remarkable child in looks and composurea"who obviously hasn't taken to our hospitality." She chuckled.

"She ran away?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes, silly girl. Disguised herself with a eunuch jamoosh, blacked up her face with ash, and somehow sneaked out of the palace." Though Herezah feigned nonchalance, she noticed how her tale fired her son's imaginationa"how his dark, intelligent eyes lit up with interest.

"How ingenious," he said. "I should like to meet this Ana."

Time to get her own back. She knew how squeamish Boaz could be. "Well, now, that's a fine idea, Boaz. I shall include you in her interview."

"For what?"

"For punishment later today," she said, and smiled demurely at her son as she took her leave.

LAZAR SEETHED SILENTLY, glowering at the all-too-polite Elim guard who reassured him that the Grand Master Eunuch would not keep him long. Jumo, of course, had not been invited into the waiting chamber, and Ana had been whisked away by the red-draped guards who insisted it was their role to escort her into the harem. His only consolation was that Herezah was not there to gloat.

Salmeo must have dropped in on his thoughts, for the Grand Master Eunuch entered at that moment and smiled condescendingly, the smell of violets wafting about him. "Sorry to keep you, Spur." It had already been two bells since they had arrived. Lazar glared at him.

"This is a delicate matter for the harem, Spur. You must show patience."

"I think I have."

"Indeed," Salmeo replied dismissively. "We have kept you from your duty long enough, which is why we no longer require your presence."

Lazar could hardly believe what he'd heard. "What sort of jest is this, eunuch?"

"Grand Master Eunuch, if you please," the huge man corrected, which only served to infuriate Lazar further. "No jest, Spur. The Valide's orders."

"Orders? I wish to see her."

Salmeo closed his eyes and shook his head. "Impossible. She is not seeing anyone today."

"Then I shall speak with the Zar."

"He is unavailable," Salmeo replied curtly.

Lazar forced back his wrath. "This will not do."

"Spur, if you please, this is no longer a matter for your consideration. The girl is returneda"we thank you for aiding in that but she is the property of the Zar. She belongs to the harem and the harem alone will decide her fate."

"Fate? What are you talking about?" Lazar demanded, hoping to buy some time.

"She is to be punished. It will be private. Look, Spur, you have exchanged the girl for gold; your business here on this matter is concluded. We shall look forward to welcoming you to the palace on your other official duties, but now I must ask you to leave. My men of the Elim willa""

"Don't bother." Herezah had put Salmeo up to this, Lazar was sure. He could see her delight flashing in the man's triumphant gaze. "You may tell the Valide, when she is available, that I wish to speak with her about my position as Spur."

"I shall do that," Salmeo promised as Lazar stalked away.

Lazar found Jumo waiting in an open-air walkway that led out to the Moon Courtyard.

"I see it went badly," Jumo said, hurrying to keep up with the Spur's long, angry strides.

"That fat lump of dung!" Lazar muttered.

"Where are you going?" Jumo asked as his companion swung down a hallway.

"To find Pez," was the gruff reply.

THE DWARF WAS SINGING to himself in the library, turning pages of books far too quickly to be reading them. Lazar noticed, however, that Pez was not looking at the books he held and discarded but one volume that lay open on the floor.

"Pez!" he hissed.

The little man looked at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Yellow?"

"Don't play with me. This is important."

"Well, keep your voice lower, then."

Lazar crouched by Pez on the floor between dusty books and two vast rows of tomes rearing up toward the ceiling. "I need your help."

"What can I do?" the dwarf whispered, eyes watchful for Habib, the library caretaker.

Lazar understood his worry. "Don't worry, Jumo's keeping watch."

Pez nodded. "Let us speak plainly then. What's wrong?"

"There's a girl called Ana who joined the harem last night."

"Yes, a very special child."

"You know her?"

"Only by what I gleaned from eavesdropping."

"Where?"

"Hidden in the corridor during the presentation ceremony."

"You were there!"

Pez nodded. "So was Boaz."

"What?"

"They caught the slaveaKett. We escaped."

It occurred to Lazar to ask how the guards had missed the peeping Zar and his jester, but he had more pressing things on his mind. "That savory episode aside, Ana took fright and escaped last night." He was pleased that the dwarf didn't bother with asking how she had done such a thing.

"And Salmeo wants blood?"

"Herezah, of course, is pulling his strings."

"Of course. How can I help?"

"Just speak to Ana if you can. I don't think they'll hurt her. They'll try to frighten her more than anything. But let her know she has a friend in you. I've been banished. They want me nowhere near her."

"Until you sleep with Herezah, this persecution will continue."

"In that case, let it continue!" Lazar scorned. "I must go."

"I shall see if I can find Ana now," Pez assured. "Boaz is smitten, I'm sure. He hasn't said much but he'll get around to talking about it soon enough."

Lazar didn't know if this pleased him or not, but at least it protected Ana. "Good, perhaps he can offer her the sanctuary I couldn't. Thank you, Pez."

"Don't mention it. I've needed an excuse to meet this fascinating creature. Now go, or you'll get us both into trouble. I'll send word, I promise."

"I shall be leaving the city in a few days," Lazar warned as he left.

Pez adopted his vacant expression and went in search of the child who was at the center of the harem's controversy. He found a group of girls crying as they were led out of one of the main chambers behind two eunuchs. Another pair of the men brought up the rear. Pez deliberately skipped past the line, twirling and whistling. It didn't do much to improve the girls' mood but it cracked a smile on the faces of the lead eunuchs.

"Where do you go?" Pez sang, although he could not see the child he sought among them.

"Even you won't cheer this lot, Pez," one man answered. "This is the second group headed for their Test of Virtue."

Pez reeled away, making odd and senseless rhymes with the word virtue. The girls did not laugh and he couldn't blame them. He weaved his way among the halls of the harem hoping the girl wasn't bathing, the water pavilion being the one place from which he was excluded. It seemed strange to be roaming this area, normally full of whispering or excited giggling, plotting or sighing, now so devoid of noise. He found Ana alone in a room of divans, curled up in a window seat and staring out through the lattices.

He sang her name into the silence, and when she turned he saw that she had been weeping.

"Who are you?" she asked, not at all discomfited by his appearance.

He skipped up to join her, hefting his short body onto the seat. "I'm the court idiot. Are we completely alone?" She nodded. "I belong to the Zar. Do you know his name?"

"Boaz?"

"Good girl. Well, I am a friend of Boaz but I am also a friend of yours."

"Why are we whispering?"

"Because I cannot risk anyone knowing that I am not a fool."

"Oh." Her eyes shone. "No one knows?"

He put fingers in the air as he whispered the names of those who shared the knowledge, pasting a manic grin onto his face in case anyone should walk in on them. "The Spur, his shadow Jumo, the Zar, and a priestess called Zafira. No one else except you now."

"Why can't people know?"

"Too dangerous," he mouthed, suddenly leaping up to spin around the room.

She couldn't help but grin at him. "And you trust me with such a secret. Why is that? You don't know me. I don't even know your name."