"The day after tomorrow, sir," said Elvair-ka-Virrion. "We ought to reach Thettit in three-and-a-half days quite comfortably. A day's rest, and then straight into Chalcon. Back in two months," he added, looking round at the High Baron with a light-hearted grin.
"That will be," said Kembri pausingly, "that will be a little time before-or should I say in good time for?-the acclamation of the new Sacred Queen." As Durakkon said nothing he went on, "That's going to be-well, an important business, isn't it? I'm sure you're as anxious as I am, sir-as we all are-to see it turn out-er-in the right way."
The sun had dropped behind the hills and dusk was rapidly falling. Already lamps were beginning to shine out in the city below. Durakkon turned about and they began pacing back along the wall, now seeing before them the majestic front of the Barons' Palace crowning the Leopard Hill with its ranks of slender spires.
Durakkon walked on in silence, as though awaiting something more. At length, however, as the Lord General did not continue, he said, "I think you'd better tell me straight out, Kembri, what it is you have in mind."
"I, sir?" answered the Lord General. "I've nothing whatever in mind but what's right and traditional: the choosing of a new Sacred Queen by popular acclaim. I merely said I hoped it would turn out well."
"Don't try to make a fool of me!" retorted Durakkon angrily. "I want to know whether you mean to try to have Fornis acclaimed for a third reign and if not, whether you've got any other woman in mind."
"Well, do
"No, I don't," replied Durakkon. "A woman well over thirty. Even a second reign's something that's never been known before: to try to bring about a third reign would be disastrous-utter folly. The people have some genuine religious faith left, if you haven't, and they'd see k as virtually provoking the gods to lay waste the city."
"I agree, sir," said Kembri. "So who'd be best? Not to mince words, we need a Sacred Queen we can rely on."
"One you can control, you mean, Kembri?"
"I didn't say that, sir. I said one we can rely on, in these difficult times, not to start going her own way or getting up to anything behind our backs. The girl must be beautiful, of course-the people regard that as no more than what's due to the god-and ideally she ought to be someone who already commands wide popularity in the lower city as well as the upper."
"I suppose you're thinking of the Tonildan child, are you? The one they call the Serrelinda?"
"Well, she'd certainly be one possible choice," replied Kembri noncommittally. ;
"I liked her when I met her," said Durakkon. "She's- well, she struck me as typical of the sort of ordinary, decent people I wanted to help when I became High Baron."
Kembri was silent.
"But frankly, I'd be almost sorry to see her pushed up into a position like that," went on Durakkon. "Because it'll be dangerous, Kembri; you know it will. Fornis isn't going to-"
"There is another possibility, of course," said Kembri, interrupting him. "And I'd certainly like to meet your wishes, sir, if we can: about not supporting the Tonildan, I mean."
It was almost too dark, now, for him to see Durakkon's face, but nevertheless he turned and looked at him, halting a moment on the rough, uneven stones of the rampart-walk.
"I'm thinking of another girl. Sencho wasn't popular, of course: in fact he was hated. And what he got for himself out of the killing of Enka-Mordet-well, of course it didn't come out for some time, but when it did, a lot of people were so angry that I sometimes wonder whether he could have continued to get away with it if he'd lived. He'd have had to let the girl go."
"But what's this got to do with-" began Durakkon.
"So naturally there's been a great deal of public sympathy for his wretched victim," went on Kembri. "Especially when my son told the temple authorities that she'd never legally been a slave at all, and that he was ready to defy both them and Fornis on her account. A very beautiful girl, Milvushina; and, of course, one whose acclamation as Sacred Queen would have an excellent effect in pacifying
Chalcon and bringing a lot of the heldril there round to our side."
"But her association with your son?" said Durakkon.
"Well, precisely, sir: I think that would be likely to go down very well with the people. The victorious young commander and his beautiful Sacred Queen: it would be just the sort of thing they'd like. But anyway, there you are; two excellent candidates from the Leopard point of view. Either would suit us, though on balance I think Milvushina would be the better choice."
"I-well, I suppose so," replied Durakkon rather uncertainly. :
There was renewed silence as they walked on, reaching at length the steps leading down from the ramparts about three hundred yards west of the palace. Here Kembri halted, looked round to make sure the sentinel was not in hearing, and murmued, 'So you'll-er-speak to-"
