Maia полностью

"We've had one victory this year already," went on Elvair-ka-Virrion, "when we saw Karnat off at Rallur. He got his feet wet in the Valderra and had to go back to Suba to dry them." (Laughter and cheers.) "And we all know, don't we, who we owe that to? Sendekar!"

At this there was more cheering, broken after a few moments by a shout from the far end of the hall.

"What the hell d'you mean-Sendekar? He didn't swim the Valderra!"

"Maia's victory!" cried a girl's voice. (That's Otavis, thought Maia: good for her!)

"Yes! Maia's victory!" replied Elvair-ka-Virrion. "Of course it was Maia's victory! Sendekar's not here tonight, more's the pity, but Maia is, and she's got something for Bekla that even Sendekar hasn't!"

At this there was more laughter. Someone called out "Whatever can that be?" while someone else miaowed like a cat.

"Expeditions like this cost money, believe it or not!" went on Elvair-ka-Virrion. "All your arrows and shields and spears have to be paid for, and we can't squeeze all the money out of the wretched peasants."

"You've got all old Sencho's money, haven't you?" shouted Ta-Kominion.

"Yes, but not his belly," replied Elvair-ka-Virrion. "It burst, and made a mess from here to Chalcon: that's what we've got to go and clear up. Now will you all listen? As you know, we've none of us been able to see a great deal- not nearly as much as we'd like-of Maia Serrelinda since she came back from the Valderra. She's been recovering from her honorable wounds and enjoying a well-earned rest. But as you've all seen, she's here tonight. And she's

come on purpose to help Bekla! Maia, come up here, beside me!" He stretched out his hands. "Here she is! The bravest and most beautiful girl in the empire!"

Maia, having taken his hands, was jumped up onto the table. Elvair-ka-Virrion stood her in the brightest patch of lamplight.

"Maia isn't a shearna, although there must be hundreds of people who wish she was. She doesn't need to be a shearna, because the Council have voted her the income she deserves for saving us all!"

At this the cheering broke out in an even more heartfelt tone. Maia's dance had already delighted everyone, but now that they had been reminded of her heroism and saw her, as it were, displayed before them as a living epitome of the beauty and desirability of womanhood, it was as though fresh admiration came gushing spontaneously from depths of feeling hitherto unplumbed.

"So!" shouted Elvair-ka-Virrion above the uproar. "So- you must all have thought that this beautiful girl was as far beyond you as Lespa. But, entirely out of her love and devotion to the city, she herself has decided otherwise."

Now there was silence; or the nearest thing to silence with which he had been heard so far. One or two people even called impatiently to others to stop talking, and a slave who was clattering some dishes was hustled out of the hall by the steward.

"I'm not saying the Council's stinted us for money," said Elvair-ka-Virrion. "They haven't. And I'm certainly not saying that this expedition of ours is ill-found. It's not. But any little jaunt of this kind can always do with more money, if only to provide for emergencies. And that's what's coming our way now, thanks to this splendid girl.

"We're all soldiers here, so I'll be plain; and that'll save time, for which some lucky devil's going to be grateful, as you'll realize in a minute. Maia's told me that she'll spend the night-and she's particularly asked me to say that she'll spend it warmly and generously-with whichever one of you puts up the most money for our expedition. In other words, the favors of Maia Serrelinda-which will probably never be availabl; to any of you again, since she's not a shearna and isn't planning to become one-are up for auction tonight, and tonight only; and she's assured me that she's not going to keep one meld of it for herself."

Taking Maia's hand, he raised her arm over her head.

Then, above the fresh outburst of excitement spreading through the hall, he called out, "Come on, then! Where's my first bid?"