"No, esta-saiyett," said Maia, keeping her voice steady with an effort. "Tharrin's a Tonildan political prisoner, and I'm told by the Lord General as he's one that's your property. He happens to be my step-father-my mother's husband-and I've come to beg you to be so good as to- to enter into my natural feelings, like, and let me buy him from you. You'd be doing me and my mother and sisters the greatest kindness."
"Did you have a pleasant talk with the chief priest the other day?" asked Fornis rather absently, taking a gown out of the closet and holding it up against her body as Ashaktis came back into the room.
"Yes, thank you, esta-saiyett." She did not know what else to say.
"You've been quick enough to come here this morning. It didn't occur to you before to come and ask
"No, esta-saiyett: well, only I didn't feel it would be right to presume on our earlier acquaintance in that way. I reckoned as you might not like it."
"I see. But you don't feel that now, over this-this- Tharrin?"
"Yes, I do feel it, esta-saiyett, very much. I've been afraid to come, 'cos I didn't want to displease you. Only
he's my step-father, see, and I owe him a lot, and the Lord General told me as there wasn't any other way 'ceptin' to ask you."
Fornis beckoned to Ashaktis to help her on with the gown. Maia stood unspeaking. After a time the Sacred Queen shook out her skirt and then sat down for Ashaktis, kneeling before her, to put on her sandals.
"I suppose you know, don't you," she said, without looking at Maia; "perhaps your friend Sednil, or somebody like that, will have told you, what sort of prisoners are normally allocated to the Sacred Queen and why?"
"No, esta-saiyett." Her voice came in a frightened whisper.
"Those who are known to have been so basely treacherous and criminal that they can't decently be sold into slavery are allotted to the temple for sacrifice. There are eight such prisoners in the group brought in yesterday- seven men and a woman. Naturally I don't know their names, but with your wide acquaintance among those sort of people I expect you do."
"No, esta-saiyett. All I know is as the Lord General told me that Tharrin was-was out of his hands, 'cos he belonged to you."
There was another long pause while Fornis took off the sandals, tried on another pair and then began washing her hands in a basin held by Ashaktis.
"What extraordinary company you seem to keep, Maia," she said at length. "Kitchen-slaves, lower city shearna's pimps-I don't know. But of course if your step-father's a criminal and a traitor, I dare say that accounts for it."
In spite of her terror, it occurred to Maia that she might very well have replied that the queen herself was among those who had sought her company. She said nothing.
"Well, so you want to buy this-person," said Fornis. "However, it's from the temple, not from me, that you'll have to buy him, as I've explained. And we don't drive bargains with the Lord Cran, do we?"
"I'm only asking to pay a fair price, esta-saiyett. I'm not suggesting bargaining."
"I see. And what would be a fair price, do you think?"
"I don't know, esta-saiyett."
"Neither do I, for no one has ever had the temerity to make such a request before. I shall have to think it over carefully: you may come back in three hours' time."
Maia knew that the queen was hoping she would lose her self-possession and plead for an immediate reply- perhaps weep. She raised her palm to her forehead and left the room.
Zuno was standing at the foot of the lower staircase. As they were crossing the hall side by side he murmured almost inaudibly, "What is it that you came to ask her?"
She hesitated, and he added, "You can trust me, I assure you."
"My step-father-from Tonilda-he's a prisoner-one of the lot that's to die, so she said. I came to ask her to let me buy him." =
They were close to a little alcove at the further end of the hall, near the door by which she had entered. Zuno, looking quickly round, drew her into it and stood facing her.
"What did she answer?"
His manner startled her. This was a new Zuno, his customary air of supercilious detachment set aside, a man dealing with her directly and speaking to a fellow-being.
"She says she'll think it over. I'm to come back in three hours."
"You couldn't-er-forget about it, I suppose?"
She shook her head. "Couldn' do that, no."
"You owe your step-father a lot?"
"Whatever he's done, I can't just stand by and let that happen to him."
Zuno was silent for some moments, gazing out into the garden. At length he said, "And how did she treat you?"
"Bad. I'm afraid of her. I mean, she could have said yes or no straight out; but she's cruel, isn't she? It's-I don't know-it's not so much what she does as what she
