‘Do sit, my love,’ Lady Envy replied. Then, as Iskaral Pust hovered into view, seeing at last her exquisite face, so perfect a match that lovely hair, and the poise of her, er, pose, there in that spindly chair with her legs crossed revealing the un shy;derside of one shapely thigh just begging for a caress, she scowled and said, ‘Perhaps I should get a sandbox installed for your foundling, High Priestess? Somewhere to play and soak up his drool.’
‘We would, alas, have to bury him in it.’
‘Interesting suggestion.’
Thurule then arrived with another chair. The similarity between him and the statues was somewhat disquieting, and Iskaral Pust shivered as he quickly bowed to Lady Envy then perched himself on the chair.
‘Her beauty challenges even that of the High Priestess! Why, imagine the two of them-’
‘Iskaral Pust!’ snapped Sordiko Qualm. ‘I did instruct you to be quiet, did I not?’
‘But I said nothing, my love! Nothing at all!’
‘I am not your love, nor will I ever be.’
He smiled, and then said, ‘I will play these two beauties off one another, driv shy;ing both to spasms of jealousy with my charm, as it slides so easily from one to the other. Pluck here, brush there! Oh, this will be such a delight!’
‘I am of a mind to kill him,’ said Lady Envy to Sordiko Qualm.
‘Alas, he is the Magus of Shadow.’
‘You cannot be serious!’
‘Oh yes!’ cried Iskaral Pust. ‘She is! Furthermore, it is most propitious that I am here, for I know something you do not!’
‘Oh, goodness,’ sighed Lady Envy. ‘A beautiful morning thus shattered into ruin.’
‘Who was he?’ Iskaral demanded. ‘That man who was here? Who was he?’
‘Why should I tell you that?’
‘In exchange — you satisfy my curiosity and I yours — and so we shall satisfy each other and how do you like that, Sordiko Qualm? Hah!’
Lady Envy rubbed at her temples for a moment, as if overwhelmed, and then said. ‘That was the bard, Fisher kel Tath. A most unusual man. He. . invites confession. There have been dire events in the city-’
‘None so dire as what I would tell you!’ said Iskaral Pust.
And now Sordiko was rubbing at her own brow.
‘It’s working!’
Lady Envy eyed him. ‘If I grant you this exchange, Magus, will you then re shy;strain yourself, thus permitting the High Priestess and me to conduct our conver shy;sation?’
‘My restraint is guaranteed, Lady Envy. Of course, I make this promise only if you do the same.’
‘Whatever do you mean?’
‘Lady Envy, I arrived on a ship.’
‘What of it?’
‘A ship owned by a most delicious woman-’
‘Oh, not another one!’ moaned Sordiko Qualm.
‘The poor thing,’ said Lady Envy.
‘Hardly.’ Iskaral Pust leaned back in his chair, tilting it up on its legs so that his view could encompass both women. ‘How I dream of such moments as this! See how they hang on my every word! I have them, I have them!’
‘What is wrong with this man, High Priestess?’
‘I could not begin to tell you.’
Iskaral Pust examined has hands, his fingernails — but that made him slightly nauseous, since the bhokarala were in the habit of sucking on his fingertips when he slept at night, leaving them permanently wrinkled, mangled and decidedly un shy;pleasant, so he looked away, casually, and found himself staring at Thurule, which wasn’t a good idea either, so, over there, at that flower — safe enough, he supposed — until it was time at last to meet Lady Envy’s extraordinary eyes. ‘Yes,’ he drawled, ‘I see the similarity at last, although you were the victor in the war of perfection. Not by much, but triumphant none the less and for that I can only ap shy;plaud and admire and all that. In any case, resident even at this very moment, on the ship, in the harbour, is none other than your beloved sister, Spite!’
‘I thought so!’ Lady Envy was suddenly on her feet, trembling in her. . excitement?
Iskaral Pust sniggered. ‘Yes, I play at this until they play no more, and all truths are revealed, as sensibilities are rocked back and forth, as shock thunders through the cosmos, as the shadows themselves explode into all existence! For am I not the Magus of Shadow? Oh, but I am, I am!’ He then leaned forward with an expression of gravid dismay. ‘Are you not delighted, Lady Envy? Shall I hasten to her to forward your invitation to visit this wondrous garden? Instruct me as your servant, please! Whatever you wish, I will do! Of course I won’t! I’ll do what shy;ever I want to. Let her think otherwise — maybe it’ll bring some colour back to her face, maybe it’ll calm the storm in her eyes, maybe it’ll stop the water in this trough from boiling — impressive detail, by the way, now, what should I say next?’
Sordiko Qualm and Lady Envy never did get to their conversation that day.
