Pez smiled. "I am. You must keep it our secret."

"The Zar knows too, doesn't he?"

"He lied to you only to protect me. He has known since he was old enough to talk," Pez said. "And now you know as well."

The boy's grim countenance was brightened briefly with a grin. "I am privileged to share such information with you and my Zar."

"So you will keep my secret." It was a statement, not a question.

But Kett nodded solemnly, his hand touching his forehead before settling over his heart. "I shall take it to my grave."

Pez knew he could not keep Lazar's death from the boy any longer. "I have some news," he said solemnly. "You have been recuperating, so I presume no one has told you yet what has happened to Spur Lazar."

The boy shook his head. "What do you mean happened? Is he hurt?"

"Worse," Pez answered grimly, and he proceeded to tell Kett the entire sordid tale.

When Pez had finished, Kett remained silent for long moments. He stared at the ground, clearly deeply upset. Finally he spoke. "He tried to have me spared," he said, his voice trembling.

"Yes, Lazar would not tolerate anyone's suffering. He would have thought your punishment grossly out of kilter with the sin."

"As was his own. At least I'm alive."

Pez swallowed his own sadness. "Good, Kett. That's the spirit, child. You are alive. The gods have spared you; perhaps there is good reason for this."

"I have a purpose?" the boy asked with bitter disdain in his voice. "I'll grow fat and act like a woman."

"I don't notice any fat Elim, and none of them could be accused of acting in any way other than fearsomely and loyally."

"Not their leader, it seems," the boy countered angrily.

Pez's own temper flared at the boy's quick presumption. "Don't be so sure, Kett. There are things in motion here that you cannot understand. If you believe that Horz is guilty of murder, then I feel disappointed by your judgment and thus more sorry for you than I already do. You did know Horz, I gather?"

The boy, duly reprimanded, nodded. "He is as worthy of death as I was to be gelded."

"That's right. He is taking the blame for someone else's dark deeds."

"Do you know that for a fact? Why don't you say something?"

"Do you suppose that people haven't already guessed as much? Horz has admitted his own guilta"that's impossible to counter. And anyway, no one would listen to the ravings of a lunatic."

"But you're not mad!"

"Very few know that, Kett. As I said before, it is our secret, one I need you to keep for me."

"Why do you trust me?"

Pez shook his head. "In all honesty, I can't really say. I feel compelled. I think we were meant to meet, though I wish it had been under different circumstances."

"Will you be honest with me, now that we share this secret?"

Pez nodded slowly. "I promise."

"How is it that the guards saw me but neither you nor our Zar?"

The dwarf had been expecting this question. "That's another secret. Can I trust you with it?"

"You can, Pez."

"I have the Lore."

The boy's eyes widened. "The Lore," he repeated, slowly and carefully, as if the very word itself were precious. "Why didn't you hide me then too?"

Pez grimaced sadly. "I couldn't. Sustaining the invisibility for two was hard enough and I knew it would only last for a few moments. The guards knew someone was behind that screen and I couldn't risk them lingering to search. I couldn't risk the Zar being found. I'm sure you understand."

"So I was sacrificed," Kett said sadly.

"You shouldn't have been there," Pez answered mildly.

"Neither should you. I know you're allowed, but you were still spying, Pez."

"I had the Zar to consider. It was my fault he was present in the first place."

Kett frowned. Then he locked eyes with Pez, a serious expression on his face. "What are you here for?"

"I honestly don't know," Pez replied. It was partly true, which was more candid than he'd been with many others as of late.

"Who else knows about your sanity?"

"Oh you're part of a very elite few. I can list them on one hand," Pez said, counting off on his fingers. "Lazar knew, of course. And his servant Jumo, Zar Boaz, Odalisque Ana, and a priestess called Zafira."

"And now me."

"Yes."

"Why do you keep your sanity a secret?"

"Each who knows of it has asked this same question. I answer the same way every time: I don't know. I have acted this way since the moment I entered Percheron as a prisoner. My antics caught the attention of the men who buy slaves for the palace, and I was fortunate that the old Zar happened to be traveling through the slave market one afternoon. He saw me, laughed, and had someone buy me for him. I've been at the palace ever since. That was two decades ago."

Kett's eyes widened with surprise. "How old are you?"

"Ancient," Pez replied wryly, knowing he spoke more truthfully than Kett would know.

"I will not betray you," promised Kett.

"And that faith will be rewarded."

"How?"

"You will see."

"YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED to be present, Boaz," Pez advised.

"But I must be, don't you see. Horz is lyinga"and he knows I know."

"I still don't understand."

"Yes you do. This is about honor. I will honor Horz for his noble sacrifice. What the Elim don't realize is how loyal he is. He is giving his life to protect his leader."

"So you accept this is Salmeo's doing?"

"I never doubted it, Pez. I just can't prove it."

"And now Shaz is to die as well. Must it be so?"

"If I don't act harshly, Salmeo will spread word throughout Percherona"as cunningly as we know he cana"that I did not punish the co-conspirator. He has hatched this plan to cover his tracks; now he has rid himself of two of these people who might have revealed him. The third, Rah, has been coerced to the point where he would rather lie to me than risk whatever Salmeo has threatened him with."

"Justice must be seen to be done?"

"Precisely."

"Someone else somewhere will know something of the truth."

"I can't imagine who, but if you can find that someone, bring him to me." Boaz sighed. "What if I let myself down?"

"You won't, child."

"How can you be sure?" Boaz paused, then whispered, "The Lore?" At Pez's nod, he took a long, slow breath. "I thought you said you never wanted to use it."

"I didn't. I don't. But you've had so much on your shoulders, I wanted to make sure you'd remain strong," Pez lied.

"All for me?" Boaz asked, still obviously fascinated with Pez's skill.

"All for you. But now I must beg a favor in return."

The Zar gave his friend a look of gentle warning. "What?"

"We've talked about it before. I want you to give Ana her own servant when the time is right."

"Kett, you mean?"

Pez nodded. "Salmeo's told him to report to duty tomorrow. I'm not sure how much he's capable of just yet but the Chief Eunuch insists he be given his tasks."

"And you want him trained in the harem? What's your interest in Kett?"

"I feel responsible for him," Pez answered, not altogether untruthfully.

"As you should," Boaz grumbled. "I hear you've been visiting him while he's been recovering."

"Yes. I've shown myself to him."

"Zarab save us, soon you'll be sharing it over quishtar with my mother and I'll no longer have the worst-kept secret in Percheron! All right. I shall see what can be done for hima"I too feel responsible for his unhappy situation."

Pez gave a brief bow. "Thank you, my Zar."

"It cannot happen immediately," Boaz warned. "Give it some time. You must let him fully heal. Let all of us fully heal from these recent tragic events. Give me up to three moons."

Pez nodded. It was longer than he had hoped but he was not in a position to argue. "Until autumn, then."

"You have my word."

"Thank you, my Zar."

"Just stay close today, will you? I'm filled with dread and you're the only one I can admit it to."

"I will protect you."

THE ZAR WAS TRANSPORTED to the executions in the curtained, slave-carried karak. He wasn't traveling far but his journey passed through countless manicured gardens and various gatewaysa"six in alla"that took him at last to the main courtyard that accessed the city itself. He would not leave the palace grounds proper but rather stop in the Moon Courtyard, where, for centuries, Zars had climbed a special royal stairway that led to the parapet from which they could view public exhibitions, processions, entertainments, and executions.

Boaz did not like traveling in the karak, having never quite outgrown the childish nausea that resulted from the swaying sensation. It niggled at him now like an unwelcome but familiar visitor as he sat unhappily on silk cushions. Next to him sat Pez, dressed in silks identical to the Zar's.

"Bit scratchy, aren't they?" the dwarf commented in an effort to divert his Zar from the ordeal ahead.

"Wardrobe thought it fitting that you be seen fully as the fool."

Pez spoke softly so he could not be overheard. "Is that so? You should be cautious that they don't inadvertently make you look the fool, my Zar."

Boaz found a small grina"what felt like his first in an age. Then his expression darkened again. "How bad is it going to be, Pez? Tell me honestly."

Pez pursed his thick lips. Honesty was probably the last thing Boaz needed right now but it was also necessary. "Worse than you can possibly imagine. You know about Riding the Needle but, Boaz, you have no conception of how truly shocking a death it is. And Shaz is to be gancheda"is this right?" Boaz nodded mournfully. "Have you ever seen that occur?"

"No. My father maintained there was more than enough time for me to see sights of this magnitude."

"Joreb was right to protect you. He no doubt hoped you wouldn't have to deal with such things until much later in life. Spiking is cruel beyond belief, Boaz. They haul the victim up on pulleys on a special scaffolding from which are hung terrible, sharpened hooks. The victim is dropped without warning and the fun of the spectacle for the crowd is to see where on his body the vicious hooks snag. If he's lucky, it's across an artery, then death is relatively swift."

"And if not?" Boaz asked, his feeling of nausea suddenly much worse.

"If it's through his belly or chest, he takes a long time to die."

"I'm not going to be able to watch this," Boaz moaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"You have no choice."

"What if I can't help but close my eyes or look away?"

"I won't let you. My magic can compel as skillfully as it hides, my Zar." The swaying karak halted. The sound of the people's excited murmuring from the other side of the thick walls was loud enough to tell them that a large crowd had gathered for the executions.

"Why do they want to watch this?" Boaz murmured.