Maia полностью

She refilled Maia's goblet. "But the High Baron of Ur-tah's one thing, you know, and the Urtans themselves are another. There are a lot of people there who hate the Leopards and aren't content to wait. There's been trouble; no actual rebellion yet, but the next thing to it, and naturally Kembri's worried. There's unrest in Belishba, too. Apparently the governor's written to Kembri that there's so much heldro opposition to the slave quotas there that unless they're reduced he can't undertake to go on keeping law and order. It's the open fighting in Chalcon that's sparked all this off; I'm certain of that. I only wish to Cran the Leopards had left Santil alone and Elvair was safe back in Bekla. To tell you the truth, Maia, the whole thing's troubling me very much."

She was silent for a time, and Maia was silent too, listening to the distant cry of the watchman on the Peacock Wall and the thin "twink, twink" of bats hunting above the dark garden outside.

At length Milvushina resumed. "But actually, none of this is really what I wanted to talk to you about, Maia dear. There's something else; something nearer home that concerns you as much as me."

"Oh, ah?" Maia waited with some little apprehension.

"Do you remember," went on Milvushina, "one day when we were at your house, I told you I was afraid of Fornis?"

"Ah; on account of Elvair'd taken you away from old Sencho's," said Maia. "Nor he wouldn't send you back to Chalcon when she told him."

"Well, it's worse now," said Milvushina. "Durakkon's told Fornis officially that at the end of this year she'll have to cease to be Sacred Queen."

"Don't see as he could have done anything else," replied Maia. "I mean, her time's up anyway; more than up, isn't it?"

"Yes, but you can guess how much she likes the idea. And meanwhile everyone's begun talking about who's to succeed her."

She gazed questioningly at Maia.

"Well, come to that, Sessendris was on about this to me-oh, weeks ago now," said Maia.

"What did she say?"

"She said there was plenty of people in the lower city as'd like to see me acclaimed Sacred Queen, and I said that was silly. So then she said some of the Leopards would be ready to try it on if they thought it would be to their own advantage, like, and go down well with the people."

Milvushina nodded. "And Kembri himself wants it to be me."

"Yes, Nennaunir told me that Kembri and Elvair would likely have the same idea about you, but I didn't know whether to believe her or not. Do you want to be Sacred Queen? 'Cos I don't, I'll tell you that much."

Milvushina shook her head. "No, I don't. Before Fornis it wouldn't have mattered all that much. But you see, Maia, during the last eight years Fornis has given the Sacred Queen so much real power that the whole thing's become absolutely vital to anyone who wants to rule Bekla."

"Well, far's I'm concerned, you can have it," said Maia, smiling.

"Oh, you still don't see, do you?" replied Milvushina almost frantically. "It doesn't matter what Durakkon said to Fornis: she won't go unless she's actually forced to, and she's as cunning and cruel as a whole army of devils! You and I-we're both in danger-in real danger-from her; but you most, because Kembri's protecting me. Oh, Maia, I'm so afraid she's thinking up some horrible plan to put you out of the way!"

At this Maia, weeping, poured out the whole story of Tharrin's death, omitting nothing. Milvushina listened without interrupting, her needle laid aside. As Maia ended she said, "I knew your real reason for the auction at the

barrarz, because Elvair told me. But I didn't know the rest. The cruel woman! How vile and wicked!"

"What d'you reckon Ashaktis told Tharrin, then?" asked Maia.

"That you were dead-that you weren't coming-that you'd deserted him-whatever would make him despair. And of course she brought the rope."

"Milva, couldn't we say-I mean, sort of both announce publicly-as we don't neither of us want to be Sacred Queen?"

"Oh, no; that would only look ridiculous-I mean, before either of us has actually been put forward. All we can do is wait, and be terribly careful." She hesitated; then suddenly said, "Oh, Maia, don't go home tonight! Stay and sleep here!"

For the life of her Maia could not share such desperate and immediate anxiety as this. "But-well, but I mean, I'll have to go home some time, Milva. I can't stay here for ever, can I?"

"Never mind; just stay tonight. I'd feel happier if you did. We'll sleep together, like last year when you used to comfort me." She embraced Maia. "You can comfort me again: I need it, I can tell you."

Maia could only accept, and send Brero back with a message to Ogma.

The following morning the two girls were awakened by Milvushina's Beklan maid, a competent, handsome woman named Lokris. Bringing in a tray of milk, fruit, butter and fresh-baked bread, she asked Milvushina, "Have you heard the news, saiyett?"

"From Chalcon, do you mean?" asked Milvushina apprehensively. "What's happened, Lokris?"