Maia полностью

"Oh, Randro, you can go to bed with me all you want! Only please, please leave me out of-"

"Well, as it's turned out, you see, events have moved rather faster than we expected. In this life one has to be able to seize opportunities." ›

Opportunity is all, she thought. Opportunity is all. O Lespa, save me!

"The long and short of it is that the Leopards are ripe for destruction. Sencho's dead, Durakkon's a puppet. Kembri's no more than a murderous ruffian and his son's a proved coward. As for Forms-"

She burst out, "So you're working for Santil-"

"For Erketlis?" he said. "Never in a hundred years, my love! I'm working for myself-and for you! I'm the man, not Kembri, that's going to save Bekla from Santil-ke-Erketlis."

"You must be out of your mind, Randro! Have you thought about this, really and truly? You'll only be throwing your life away; oh, and mine too, Randro! Please-"

"Indeed I've thought about it," he answered. "Listen and I'll tell you. Erketlis has defeated-shamefully defeated-the force the Leopards sent against him; and I can tell you that the force are in very poor heart now. Kembri's reinforcements, I'm told, are just about the sorriest bunch between here and Zeray. If I'd joined them I'd have been a raving lunatic. Meanwhile Durakkon's been sent out against Fornis with orders to try to hold her up until Kembri gets back. But Kembri never will get back. The plain truth is that Bekla's lying here under Mount Crandor like a dropped purse. Who's going to grab it first, Santil or Fornis? Neither; I am!"

"You mean you've got enough men-"

"Yes; Bekla will be in my hands by tomorrow evening; by this evening, I ought to say, since it's getting on for morning. When I got Kembri's order to call up every man in Lapan, I obeyed it, with his full authority behind me. But we didn't go anywhere near Elvair-ka-Virrion's lot;

no fear! I've got four thousand men, under Seekron, marching up to Bekla now. That's not a great many, but it'll be enough."

"But Randro-"

"The plain truth is, there's no one here to stop us; only Eud-Ecachlon and a handful of second-rate troops. Seekron will be here by this afternoon. We shall simply take the place over."

"Well, just you leave me out of it! I don't care what I said!-"

He ignored her interruption. "But it's not enough just to take a city, Maia. It's got to be held, too. If you've ever fed those ducks out there" (he jerked his thumb towards the Barb) "you'll know what happens when one of them manages to grab a big bit. The inhabitants-we're going to need their support and goodwill if we're to hold the place." He laughed. "Of course the best thing for us would be if Santil and Kembri were to destroy each other and Fornis and Durakkon were to do the same. But something tells me that won't happen-things are never so simple. One or other of them will be coming against us; perhaps more than one. That's why I'm here tonight; to talk to you. The people of Bekla are going to be united behind their new Sacred Queen; the Serrelinda."

She flung herself at his feet, clasping his ankles.

"No, Randro, no! Oh, please don't try to make me! I won't do it!"

He raised her to her feet with an air of genuine bewilderment.

"But Maia, my darling, you said you would! You told Seekron. You took the money, too."

"Oh, I didn't realize, Randro! I never thought it would come to this! I didn't mean it-"

"Well, there's four thousand men marching on Bekla now who are quite sure you did, and they're not going to be all that pleased if you back down, I tell you."

He took her face between his hands, tilting it up and gazing down into her eyes.

"You're essential to us, Maia! My men know me, but the people of Bekla don't. You they do know-to say the least."

"But you can't make me do it against my will! You can'tr

"This is the first inkling I've had that you weren't entirely

with us, Maia. What's happened to make you start jibbing now? Are you a coward-like your friend Elvair-ka-Vir-rion?"

" 'Tain't a question of being a coward; though I don't mind telling you I'd be scared stiff-if I was going to do it. But I won't do it! I'll give you back the money!"

"Haven't you used any of it as I said?"

She shook her head. "I'll be honest. Some I've spent, but most of it I've still got. I'll give it back to you and the rest as soon as ever I can."

He was silent, sitting bent forward, elbows on parted knees tapping his scabbard on the floor between his feet. At length she said, "Will you please leave now, Randro? I want to go back to bed."

"The comet's waning," he said. "Have you noticed? That's a sign the gods mean the Leopards to fall."

"Will you only go?"

He looked up sharply. "I'm sorry, Maia," he replied, "but the answer's no. Seekron has orders to report to me here as soon as he enters the city."

"Randro! Here?"