Maia полностью

She was walking in the big, smooth-grazed meadow with Gehta, the girl who had befriended her at the farm on the journey to Urtah.

"Why don't you find yourself a rich, noble husband?" said Gehta. "It means good and not harm."

She was carrying Randronoth's carved cabinet of the fishes in one hand. She opened it and showed Gehta a sheet of parchment, sealed at the foot.

"That's an order of release," she said. "It's entirely correct; I've only to take it down there. Then Zenka and I can be married."

"Ah," said Gehta, "but dad's farm's slap in the way."

Then she was running with Zenka-her own, dear Zenka-his staff officer's badges on his shoulders and a dagger in his hand.

"Forms-I'm going to kill her first," he said. "I'm utterly in love with you, Maia. I'll always love you. We'll meet

again in Bekla and I'll marry you, if only you'll have me."

"Oh, Zenka," she cried in an agony, "don't go! Don't go! You'll be killed, I know it!"

"What kind of talk's that, Miss Maia?" And with this he began to fade and disappear before her eyes, like morning mist on Crandor. "What kind of talk's that, Miss Maia, Miss Maia?" And she was pitching in the Valderra, rolling hither and thither, struggling for her life.

"Miss Maia, Miss Maia! Oh, Gran and Airtha, you care a hard one to wake sometimes and no mistake!"

She was in her great, soft bed, with Ogma standing beside her. "Oh, miss, I been calling and shaking you very near to pieces, that I have! I was going to let you sleep on, see, only there's a girl downstairs with a message. She says it's important and she's been told she's to give it you herself."

Maia rubbed her eyes, yawning, and blinking at the sunshine.

"Do you know her, Ogma?"

"No, miss, but I done like you said and made sure she hadn't got no knife nor nothing of that."

"Where's she from?"

"From the Sacred Queen's palace, miss. She says her name's Chia and you know her."

"Chia? A big, dark girl with a squint and an Urtan accent?"

"That's her, miss. She seemed upset you wasn't awake. Said she couldn't stay all that long. That's why I come and woke you."

"Send her up here now."

A minute later Chia came hesitantly into the big, sunny, white-painted bedroom, gazing about her as though in fear. Her cropped hair was tousled and dirty: she was wearing a dirty sacking smock and had a shrinking, cringing manner, different indeed from the blustering, hefty lass in Lal-loc's hall who had stuffed her apple core down Maia's neck. She looked under-fed, too, and it was easy enough to guess that she was no stranger to ill-treatment. Seeing Maia sitting on the edge of the bed, she stood stock-still and raised her palm to her forehead with downcast eyes.

"For Cran's sake, Chia," said Maia, jumping up and taking her hands, "don't do that! How are you?"

"Oh, saiyett-"

"And don't call me saiyett, without you want to make

me feel a total fool. Come and sit down. Would you like some breakfast?"

Chia nodded speechlessly and Maia called down to Ogma to double everything she was getting ready to bring upstairs.

It proved difficult to draw Chia out, but after she had wolfed down two or three eggs, half a loaf of bread and butter, most of a honeycomb, a pint of milk and some fruit, she began to gain confidence. Maia, sitting beside her in the window-seat, begged her not to hurry away. "I'll see as you don't get into trouble," she said. "That's to say, long as you haven't run away?" .

Chia shook her head. "No; it's a message."

"From the queen?" Maia, fearful, looked at her tensely. "Has she come back?"

"No, she's still in Paltesh, far's I know. It's from Zuno."

"Well, then, it can wait. Tell me what's been happening to you since we left Lalloc's."