Unhurriedly, she crossed the room and then motioned to her woman to drag Kembri's heavy, carved chair into the sunlight by the window. Having seated herself, she remained gazing towards the Lord General with a slight smile and an air of complete composure. Looking at her, Maia received an overwhelming impression of assured, self-seeking potency. It was as though she were possessed by an intense, ruthless force, at this present moment less evil than simply inhuman; a force which, like an animal, would unthinkingly and of its very nature pursue its object with no thought of anything beyond self-interest. The mere sight of her was disturbing, conveying as it did a sense of one possessing both more and less than normal human nature.
Maia realized furthermore that the three men, now seating themselves once more in response to her gesture, also felt-to some extent, at any rate-the same disquiet as herself.
"Well, Kembri," said the Sacred Queen at length, with a certain air of having waited long enough to be sure that no one was going to have the temerity to speak first, "have you found out the truth about the High Counselor's death?"
"Partly, esta-saiyett. But before we can be sure we shall need to examine several of those about to be arrested in the eastern provinces."
She spread her hands. "You have to do all this in order to work yourselves up to kill Santil-ke-Erketlis? Why not simply go and kill him?"
"I've already considered that, esta-saiyett, but Chalcon is remote, difficult country. We shall need to raise a special force for the purpose. In my view the real question is, once we openly declare Erketlis to be an enemy, how much support will he be able to attract to himself? We don't want to turn him into a heroic victim of Leopard tyranny throughout the eastern provinces. If only we can get positive proof that it was he who planned Sencho's death, then we've got law on our side: we can declare him a traitor and call him to account. Many more people will think twice about supporting him then."
She nodded absently, as though bored with all this reasoning, and merely waiting for him to be done. While he was still speaking she made a gesture of dismissal to her woman, who raised her palm to her forehead and went out.
"The High Counselor's house-his property-that's being guarded, I suppose?"
"Naturally, esta-saiyett: there are soldiers there, and the domestic slaves have been left in the house for the time being."
"Including the woman Terebinthia?" asked the Sacred Queen.
Kembri looked embarrassed. 'She-er-she left the city very suddenly the day after the murder, esta-saiyett. We don't know where she's gone. However, she's not under suspicion, for we know she never left the High Counselor's house at all that day."
"Perhaps not," replied the Sacred Queen, "but I think
you know very well why she left the city so quickly, don't you?"
Before the Lord General could reply she went on, 'Wnd the High Counselor's girls?"
"Two of them were with him in the gardens that night, esta-saiyett-"
"I know that."
"Naturally, we're holding them for questioning."
"Naturally. But there was a third girl: I don't mean Dyphna, the one who bought her freedom that morning. Whom do I mean?"
Kembri hesitated. Maia could see that he was uneasy. The extent and accuracy of the queen's knowledge had evidently taken him by surprise. Fornis, now looking directly at him, spoke a little more sharply.
"I mean a girl named Milvushina. Where is she now?"
"She is-just at the moment-that is, while the household is being fully inventoried, you understand, esta-saiyett-she is being looked after by my son."
"Yes. What you mean is that Elvair-ka-Virrion bribed Terebinthia and helped himself to the girl before any inventory of the High Counselor's property had been submitted to the temple or to the High Baron?"
"Well-er-I dare say you know, esta-saiyett, that the girl is well-born-she came from the baron Enka-Mordet's family in Chalcon; a family we unfortunately had to destroy for sedition. I was quite unaware that the High Counselor had issued private instructions to the soldiers and enslaved her. Had I known, I would never have agreed. I think it's very doubtful in law whether she can be held to be a slave at all. In all the circumstances my son took pity on her. He thought that she-well, that she ought to be properly cared for."
"How very considerate of him! He probably also thought that I wouldn't come to learn of it. You know, of course, that by law all slaves in the household of a man who dies intestate without heirs belong to the temple?"
"Well, strictly speaking, esta-saiyett-"
"Yes, I am speaking strictly," replied she. "But perhaps Elvair-ka-Virrion consulted the chief priest before he helped himself to this girl, did he?"
The chief priest said nothing. The queen stood up.
"What a strange empire this is! Santil-ke-Erketlis must have every benefit of the law, but for the god Cran it's
