Both the young men, smiling, stood in front of Bayub-Otal, raised their palms to their foreheads and then offered him their daggers, holding them by the blades. Bayub-Otal, also smiling, took each in turn for a moment and then returned it to its owner. Pillan, who had uttered no word since he was woken, was now standing behind Bayub-Otal with folded arms.
"And the wench?" asked the dark man.
Bayub-Otal, as though recollecting himself, went quickly across to Maia, put his arm round her and supported her to a low rock near the cave-mouth.
"You've frightened the life out of her, Lenkrit. She's still trembling and can you blame her? What happened, Maia? Did they rush you or didn't you hear them coming?"
"I-I was asleep, my lord: I'm very sorry."
"That's right!" cried Lenkrit, with another great laugh. "All the damned lot of you, sound as toads in a winter ditch! Lespa's stars, Anda-Nokomis, it's lucky for you she is a wench: else we'd likely have knifed the lot of you in your sleep and that would have been that. What's she doing here, anyway?"
"Either you're rather forgetful, Lenkrit, or else you're rather unobservant," replied Bayub-Otal. "Your lads here are too young, but you're not. Take another good look at her now."
Lenkrit turned and regarded Maia steadily in the now-clear light. When he next spoke it was in a quieter, rather hesitant, tone of voice.
"I-see, Anda-Nokomis. I wonder I didn't before. But the light was bad, of course, and we were all a bit flustered. And then, poor girl, someone's been knocking her about, haven't they? But-well, it's incredible-amazing! Your sister, is she? I never knew you had one."
Bayub-Otal shook his head. "As far as I know, she's no relation at all. Her name's Maia and she comes from To-
nilda. Strange; isn't it? In Bekla she belonged to that brute Sencho: she was-well, in his household."
Lenkrit drew in his breath sharply. "Was it her that killed him, then? And you got her out? Is that it?"
"No, she didn't kill him, but she was being questioned by the priests. She managed to escape from the temple and we got her out of Bekla with us the night before last."
Lenkrit took Maia's two hands in his own and kissed them.
"Well, Shakkarn be praised I didn't kill you, Maia." Then, seeing her puzzled expression, he turned back once more to Bayub-Otal. "Hasn't she been told?"
Again Bayub-Otal shook his head. "Not yet. And not until I say." Then, abruptly, "Have you got food? Let's talk while we eat. Maia, I must explain to you. This is Lord Lenkrit-Duhl, the Ban of northern Suba. He and I are old friends, but what he's doing here I don't know any more than you do. No doubt he's going to tell us."
They sat down and the two young men, opening their packs, took out hard bread, cheese and dried tendrionas. Maia, who was still feeling badly shaken, did her best to swallow a few mouthfuls. She had grasped little of the conversation, but at least she knew that she was no longer in danger of her life.
"You were in Bekla when Sencho was killed, then, Anda-Nokomis?" asked Lenkrit.
Bayub-Otal nodded. "I was in the gardens that night. So was she-she was actually one of the girls attending on him."
"So of course they arrested her: I see. And they've been setting about her, by the looks of it. They didn't arrest
"They would have, but two nights ago I got a warning to clear out. I bribed the tryzatt at one of the gates and we were away before dawn. But what can
Lenkrit wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and tossed what was left of his bread to Thel to put back in the pack.
"Karnat himself s in Suba now. He must have got about six thousand men there: and Suba itself s been preparing since the end of Melekril."
Bayub-Otal nodded. "That was why I stayed on in Bekla- to do my best to mislead them and disarm suspicion." He
held up his right hand in his left and let it drop again. "More useful in my case than reporting to Karnat for sword-practice, wouldn't you agree?"
"Not at all, Anda-Nokomis. Karnat's publicly declared you the rightful Ban of Suba. We're all waiting for you."
"Was it Karnat who sent you here, then?" asked Bayub-Otal.
"Karnat wanted someone to cross the Valderra and find out as much as possible, so I took it on, with these lads here. There were two things he wanted us to do and we've done them-or as good as. One was to reconnoiter a route for the army from the Valderra to Bekla, and the other was to find out what was going on in Chalcon. We've been the very devil of a way east, Anda-Nokomis-well to the other side of the highway from Bekla to Gelt. And if he takes my advice, that's the way Karnat'U be coming; east as far as the Gelt road and then straight down it to Bekla- keep north of all that rough country you must just have come through. The Leopards won't be expecting that."
