Maia полностью

into the water-just to strike out into the moonlit emptiness for a good, long swim. Of course, this silly old Barb was nothing to Lake Serrelind. How long was it, she wondered-half a mile? Not much more. The further end was only two or three hundred yards away from Sencho's house. What fun it would be to swim down there-she could do it in half an hour, easy-oh, yes, less-and then just climb out, like one of those water-nymphs in old Drigga's stories, and walk in. Ah, and she could just see Terebinthia's face an' all-

"Maia! All alone? What are you doing now-just going to bathe, were you?"

It was Elvair-ka-Virrion, sauntering alone, apparently at a loose end. As she turned and smiled at him he took her in his arms and kissed her warmly, fondling her body up and down through the smooth, supple material of the tunic.

"Why, my lord, I thought you said as you were going off to see Milvushina?"

"T'maa and his sister have gone. I'm joining them there later. But never mind about that. A moment ago, before you saw me, you were looking as if you'd love to dive in."

"So I would, my lord. Nothing I'd like better!"

"It's deep, you know-deeper than you think. The Pool of Light's more than three times as deep as a man."

"Wouldn't worry me, my lord. Deeper the better!"

"You really can swim, then?"

"In the lake, back home, I used to swim-oh, ever so far."

"Did you?" He stooped cjuickly, drew one of her arms round his neck and then, with the other under the crook of her knees, lifted her bodily.

"Oh, please don't throw me in, my lord! Not in these clothes-that'd make a right old lot of trouble for me, that would!"

"I'm not going to."

He was carrying her easily along the shore in his arms. Although she had no idea what he had in mind, she could not help enjoying it. Within a minute they had reached the outskirts of the frolic going on round the Pool of Light! About twenty or thirty young Leopards, together with perhaps half as many girls, were gathered along the shore, shouting with laughter as they pelted and cheered on a young man who had plunged in fully clothed and was la-

boriously splashing his way across the pool, supporting himself on a floating wine-cask. Looking at him, Maia could feel only contempt for his stupid clowning. He was, she felt, merely spoiling and uglifying the whole notion of swimming. It was like as if he'd started hopping about while Fordil was playing the music for the senguela.

Elvair-ka-Virrion put her down.

"Can you swim better than that?"

"Than that, my lord? Dear oh law, that's not swimming! Why, I could dive out of that zoan tree there and be halfway 'cross the pool 'fore anyone'd seen me go!"

"Could you indeed?" said Elvair-ka-Virrion. "Well, if you really can, I'll-"

He stood laughing down at her, his teeth very white in his shadowed face. A girl ran past, calling "Elvair, come on! We're going to pull him out!" Elvair-ka-Virrion ignored her and she disappeared among the bushes.

"Can you?"

"Whatever you say, my lord. But's anyone going to mind if I'm naked? Only-well-all these old heldril, and the High Baron's not far off, either. I don't want no trouble-"

"Trouble-you-naked?" said Elvair-ka-Virrion. "Ha! Don't worry; I'll see to that."

Maia, drawing the combs out of her hair and pocketing them, unbuttoned the embroidered tunic and took it off, together with her shift. Elvair-ka-Virrion stretched out his arms to her, but she smiled and shook her head.

"One thing at a time, my lord. On'y this is serious stuff, see?"

With this she ran across the grass to the foot of the zoan not thirty yards away. No one seemed to notice her, for they were all watching the young man struggling out on the further bank. In a moment she had seized a low branch and pulled herself up into the fork. Having taken stock of the tree, the pool and her potential audience, she began edging up a long, sloping bough which extended over the water.

From one branchy hand-hold to another she inched her way outward, until the thinning bough began to sag under her weight. Go out any further, she thought, and I won't have enough support for a dive. Ah, here was a good place, though-nice and open, no other branches to get in the way and the water-oh, eleven or twelve feet down, per-

haps; hard to tell in this light, but it looked deep enough.

At this moment two young men walking along the bank looked up, saw her and stopped in amazement. Pointing, they called out to others further off. People began running towards the zoan, staring and exclaiming.

"Careful-you'll fall!" "No, she won't!" "What a pretty girl!" "Why not come down and go to bed with me?" "Who is she?" "Look out!"

"It's the senguela dancer!" cried a voice.

"She's going to dive!" shouted Elvair-ka-Virrion at the top of his voice.

At this there was some derisory laughter and someone shouted "When? Next year?"