"What?"

"Get the owl, Pez."

A sudden chill shivered through him. "The owl?"

"Zafira has it. Get it now!"

"I will, I promise," he replied, baffled.

And then Ana's grip relaxed from his wrist, her body became limp again, and she slumped into deep sleep, her lips slightly parted, her expression no longer troubled but serene. "The owl," he said quietly to himself, not understanding any of it. What should he do? He had orders to remain, but if he sneaked away, the Elim would just think he was being his usual contrary self. However, these orders came from Boaz, and Pez didn't want to disappoint his friend. And yet somehow Ana's need felt more desperate, and that searing heat through his body had been too strange and frightening to ignore. And besides, he had good reason to visit Zafira. She was going to tell him one way or another how he would find Ellyana. He had an oath to keep to Jumo.

BOAZ HAD SPENT the last hour steeling himself for this confrontation. It hurt him to think that he might have to deal severely with a man he admired while ignoring the one he despised. Boaz couldn't fully believe Salmeo and yet he could not disbelieve him outright. The fact of the matter was that if Horz admitted to this shocking deed, Boaz would have no choice but to bring the full weight of his crown behind the punishment. It was treachery of the highest ordera"not just the slaying of a man of rank but a man close to the Zara"the Zar's absolute protector, in fact. The people would demand no less than death and nothing honorable about it either. More serious than all of this, of course, was the betrayal from within. That Boaz could be treated so traitorously by one of his own, especially one in the prestigious Elim, demanded the most punitive retaliation. If he did not act with the utmost severity, it would set a poor tone for his reign.

Bin somberly announced the arrival of the Grand Master Eunuch and the head of the Elim.

"Bring them in," Boaz ordered.

Bin disappeared momentarily to the study and returned with the two visitors. Salmeo bowed low but Horz fully prostrated himself.

"Stand," Boaz ordered. The head of the Elim returned only to his knees, head bowed. "Horz," he began, glad his voice was free of all the tremors he had feared, "the Grand Master Eunuch has shareda"most reluctantly, I might adda"some information that has devastated my feelings about the Elim. I gather you know to what I refer?"

"I do, my Zar. I beg you not to blame the Elim for this deed. Its honor is intact, for the act you refer to is all my own doing."

"So you admit it?"

"I admit that it was my sole doing, High One."

"What exactly are you admitting to, Horz?" Boaz asked quietly.

The man swallowed hard and Boaz could see his hand trembling. "I killed Spur Lazar with poison that I stole from the apothecary. Without the Inflictors' knowledge, I dipped the tips of the Viper's Nest into the lethal potion known as drezden." He fell silent. Salmeo nudged Horz with his toe and the man began speaking again. His voice was detached, as if he were reciting from a prepared script. "I had already blackmailed the head Inflictor into leaving his post on a pretend excuse; the deputy, Rah, was ill. That left only the apprentice, Shaz, who I was sure would botch the flogging, particularly using the snake whip which I insisted he use."

"Stop!" Boaz commanded. "Grand Master Eunuch, would you leave us for a short while. I wish to speak with Horz alone."

Salmeo gave a soft, bouncing bow and departed. Boaz did not miss the glare he threw toward the Elim on his way out.

"Look at me, Horz," Boaz said gently, and the man reluctantly lifted his head. Boaz looked at the angry eyes and defiant set of the mouth that belied the humble tone and willing confession. It didn't take much to put the scenario together and he regretted deeply not sending a runner to fetch Horz far earlier and confronting him with Salmeo's claims as he stood before the Grand Master Eunuch. He felt suddenly empty. "I thought as much," he said sadly. "What has he got over you, Horz, that you would lie for him? It can't be loyalty, for what you're admitting to surely goes against everything you stand for, have always stood for."

Horz took a moment to compose himself, and when he spoke his voice was even, no wrath flavoring his words. "I am not lying, Highness. I am honorable in this confession." His eyes silently said something different.

It broke Boaz's heart but he was helpless. It was obvious that Horz had somehow been compromised but the man was openly and determinedly confessing to a murder and it was he alone who must take the full blame. Boaz called for Bin and asked him to readmit Salmeo. The eunuch flounced in confidently but was careful to keep his expression somber as he bowed yet again.

"Is everything all right, my Zar?"

"Yes, everything is exactly as you described it, Grand Master Eunuch," Boaz replied smoothly.

Salmeo inclined his head in thanks and Boaz had no choice but to allow the head of the Elim to continue to weave his sad lies.

IT WAS DONE. Boaz imagined Salmeo was inwardly gloating, although his expression betrayed nothing but intense sympathy for the kneeling figure.

"We will require a formal witness from my council for sentencing," Boaz said. "Bin?"

The manservant stepped forward from the recesses of the chamber. "My Zar?"

"Fetch the Vizier, and I suppose you had better fetch the Valide Zara too."

The servant bowed and left the room, urgently calling for runners. Boaz excused himself without much courtesy. He could no longer bear to look at Horz or the smug Grand Master Eunuch.

But, as his father had constantly counseled, information is power. Boaz knew only too well how Salmeo's mind worked and the eunuch no doubt understood this. Salmeo's eloquent presentation of the role of Horz in this murder was plausible, and given the circumstances of the Elim's hollow-sounding confession, he could hardly accuse both men of lying. Why Horz might go along with such a grave untruth he couldn't imagine, but Boaz was sure Salmeo understood that his Zar suspected the lies. It gave Boaz some satisfaction to know that the fat man might never again feel comfortable in the Zar's presence.

BIN WAS SURPRISINGLY SWIFT in rounding up the Vizier and the Valide prior to supper, and Boaz returned to the study quickly. Horz had not moved from his kneeling position, although Salmeo had deliberately distanced himself from the criminal. Boaz felt the flutters of anger again at the chief eunuch's audacity but he damped them down, knowing them to be a useless waste of energy.

"Mother, Tariq," he acknowledged. As both bowed, Boaz was once again struck by the new posture of the Vizier. His eyes must be deceiving him, for the man seemed ever straighter, taller than he had just a few hours beforea"even his complexion looked less pasty. His mother, by comparison, looked deeply unhappy. Dressed in dark garments with no adornments whatsoever, she looked almost as though she were in mourning.

Boaz wasted no further time on courtesies. "You are here to witness the sentencing of Horz, head of the Elim, who has confessed to the premeditated murder of Spur Lazar." Herezah uttered a soft sound of shock. Not much surprised the Valide but this statement had. Tariq, Boaz noted, said nothing and in fact barely flinched at the news, suggesting either that he didn't care or, more likely, that the man knew more than he was sharing. "Grand Master Eunuch has assisted in winning this confession," Boaz continued, his words couching a silent threat to Salmeo.

"And what reason, my Zara"if you don't mind my inquirya"has Salmeo wrung from Horz for wanting to murder our Spur?" It was said innocently enough but Boaz looked sharply at the Vizier. It seemed Tariq too had already discounted Horz's involvement in Lazar's death.

The eunuch demurred. "It is not my place. I shall leave that to our Zar to explain."

Boaz briefly explained the connection between Horz and Ana to his mother and Tariq.

"Because of that girl!" Herezah exclaimed, angry now. "She is more trouble than she's wortha"first the escape, then the Spur's flogging, and now we learn he's been slain because of a father's anger on the girl's behalf."

"Mother, please," Boaz soothed.

But Herezah would not be appeased. Her anguish at the realization that she would never again look upon the Spur had crystallized her feelings during the past couple of hours and her sense of self-pity at losing him had turned to anger. She could not forget Joreb's counsel to her to keep Lazar close to their son. Now she was fearful for her young liona"and for her position and the power she had worked so long and so hard to attain. Her emotions spilled over. "She's a goatherd's daughter, a peasant! We've lost Lazar because of her."

Boaz knew his mother was grieving for Lazar, but he also felt the many underlying agendas in the room. The intense feelings emanating from the various people he now faced had very little to do with sorrow that a good and senior man had lost his life to deceit. "Silence!" Boaz snapped, more harshly than he intended. "Bin, you will record this and name the Valide Zara, Vizier Tariq, and the Grand Master Eunuch, Salmeo, as witnesses. Horz, please stand."

As the tall man finally stood, Boaz declared, his anger rising at being forced to punish what he deeply believed was an innocent man, "You have confessed to the murder of Spur Lazar and thus you will be taken from here to the Palace Pit, where you will await execution. You are hereby denounced as a traitor to Percheron and will be accorded the appropriate punishment." Boaz no longer minced his words. "Horz, you will ride the needle at the bell of midday tomorrow. Until then you will be given no food, water, or companionship. You will not address the Elim, and you will not be permitted to speak with any family members. You have betrayed your Zar and your country, and therefore your corpse will rot on the needle as a warning to all who choose to betray me."

Boaz could hardly believe the vehemence in his own voice, although the pain reflected in Horz's face almost undid him.

The Zar hoped he might privately make retribution on behalf of the head of the Elim, but sadly not while the man lived. Horz would have to enjoy his satisfaction in Zarab's Kingdom. "Begone from me," Boaz added. "May Zarab offer you the sanctuary that your Zar cannot." His one consolation was that he knew Horz understood his careful words of regret.

25.

She turned at the sound, rising from her chair. "Oh, it's you."

"You knew I would come, Zafira."

"Can I offer you something?"

"Information only this visit. I can't be away long."

"Then sit, Pez. You're making me nervous."

"Have you reason to be?"

He noticed how she rubbed her hands against her robe. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Because you're uncomfortable and I've never known you to be anything but entirely relaxed in my presence."

"Sit, Pez." The priestess sighed. "This has been a difficult few days."

"I know," he replied, seating himself on the only comfortable chair in the room.

Zafira lowered herself into one of the harder, upright chairs at her table. "You want to know where Ellyana is," she said, reading him accurately.

"I gave my word to Jumo."

"Please, Pez, I can't answer any more questions."

"Why, Zafira? What are you scared of?"

"You would be scared too," she groaned, turning to face him now.

"If I knew what?" he demanded.

"Why I have been told to give you this," she replied quietly, reaching into her robe and bringing out a small gold sculpture. Her hand trembled as she held it out to him.

Pez frowned. "An owl? It doesn't belong to me."

"It does. It always has. It just has to find you each time."

Pez shook his head. "I don't understand you, Zafira."

"This statue was given to Ana in the bazaar before she was formally taken into the palace. She asked Lazar to look after it for her because she knew she would not be permitted to keep it in the harem. Ana told Lazar that it was to remind him of her. She did not expect to see him again."

"She was wrong." He didn't mean to sound so petulant but he was feeling frustrated and scared.

Zafira nodded. "Lazar kept the owl. He planned to keep it close as Ana had begged, but at the islanda"" she faltered slightly, suddenly pausing.

"Yes?" Pez prompted.

"He tried to give it to Ellyana."

"Because he knew he was dying?"

Zafira shrugged.

Pez tried not to show his frustration at her evasiveness. "You're going to tell me she refused," he guessed.

"She did. Ellyana said the owl makes its own journey to whomever it seeks. She told Lazar that Ana had made her choice who to pass it to and Lazar must now make his choice. She cautioned that it must pass forward, never backward."

"I see. How was Lazar to know who was the next recipient?"

"Ellyana said his heart would tell hima"he must follow his instincts."

"Lazar chose me," he said flatly.

She nodded slowly, her eyes locking now with his.

"I have no idea why," Pez said airily. "I've never seen it before and I'd prefer not to keep something so obviously valuable about me."

"Pez," she urged, her voice hard. "Do you know in whose image this statue has been crafted?"

He knew he didn't want to hear what she was going to say. He heard the warning bells in his mind, felt the beat of his heart warning him to flee, but he was trapped in the chair as if the weight of the world was pressing him down into its cushions. He also knew who the owl was.

"This is Iridor. And he belongs to you."

As if mesmerized, or under some sort of hypnotic spell he'd witnessed Yozem practice against gullible folk, Pez reached out his hand. Everything inside him screamed at him to refuse it but he watched in dread awe as the red jewels of the eyes sparkled with what seemed to be their own fire.

Accept me, Pez, it urged in his mind, and whether he thought he was imagining that voice or not, he answered its call, taking the owl into his palm and closing his fingers around its searing warmth.

Then he vanished.

HE WAS IN THE DESERT, could hear his own panicked breathing, but he could not see anything. It was night, dark and starless, and it felt as though the Samazen was whipping up about him. He didn't feel frightened, though; strangely enough, he felt comforted by the warmth burning within him.

What just happened? Feeling stupid, Pez called out Zafira's name but his voice was fractured and carried away on the shifting sands that seemed to swirl about him.

He wasn't sure whether he was still sitting or whether he stood. He couldn't move but somehow he felt oddly safe here. Slowly the noise of the sand and wind died away. The moon appeared, a great silver orb hung low and beautiful in the night sky, while millions of stars winked at him. Pez sighed out a long breath of pleasure. Wherever he was, he wished he could remain here.

Pez.

He replied instinctively. Iridor?

Thank you for knowing me.

Why am I here?

To fight her battle once again.

The Goddess's?

He imagined whoever owned that voice nodding. Lyana must prepare for her war but the Messenger must rise first.

And I am the Messenger?

Yes.

I don't understand.