Maia

easier if you do what I say. Eat this-it's bread and cheese- best I can do at this time of night-and drink this wine; I've warmed it over the lamp. After that you're goin' to sleep with Maia here, in the other room, so that there'll be someone with you. I'll sleep in here."

The girl hesitated and seemed about to reply.

"I doan' want to hear anythin' more tonight," said Oc-cula. "I just want to get to bed myself." She stood up, leaning against the wall with folded arms. "There is some warm water, banzi. I've put it in the basin in the other room, so get on and doan' let it get cold."

Maia, giving her a quick kiss, slipped out. She had just finished washing when Occula came in, her arm round Milvushina's shoulders. Having helped the girl into bed she drew up the coverlet and sat down beside her. In a matter of minutes Milvushina was asleep.

"I doan' think she'll give you any trouble, banzi," whispered Occula, hanging up Maia's towel and helping her on with the supportive bodice which Terebinthia had told her to wear in bed. "If I know anything about it, she'll sleep for about ten hours."

Maia frowned, puzzled. "Why? How's she gone off so quick, anyway?"

" 'Cos I've bastin' well drugged her, that's why," answered the black girl shortly.

"Drugged her, Occula? What with?"

"With tessik, that's what."

Maia shook her head.

"Tessik's a drug the Ortelgan priestesses make on Quiso- their Telthearna island, you know. I got some a year or so back, from a fellow in Thettit-the same one as gave me the smoke, remember? I never thought I'd have any use for it, but at least I took the trouble to find out what the dose is. Doan' let anyone else know we've got it, banzi; certainly not Pussy-cat. Now get off to sleep yourself. If you're as tired as I am, neither of us'll be missin the other much tonight."

An hour or so after dawn the following morning Maia, having woken to the familiar sound and scent of the rain, slipped out of bed, leaving Milvushina still in a heavy sleep, and went along the passage to the main room, where she found Ogma scrubbing the drained pool. Sending her off to the kitchen to fetch some breakfast, she sat down beside the newly-lighted stove and was reflecting on Bayub-Otal's

curious behavior of the night before when Occula came in, washed and dressed, with gilded eyelids and scarlet finger-nails.

Maia stared at her. "It's not that late, surely? He won't want us before mid-day."

"Well, apparently he woke early," replied Occula, "and told Terebinthia one of us was to come as soon as he said. That's me, banzi-always live and ready. But now it seems he's gone back to sleep again."

She sat down, staring at the flames and drumming her fingers on the bench.

"Something on your mind?" asked Maia.

Occula, without turning her head, nodded, but still said nothing. At length she asked, "Would you say I was tough?"

"Very."

"That's what I thought, too. Well, now I just want to be sick-all over everyone in this bastin' house. I wish I'd stayed down in Thettit; I really do."

"Why, for Cran's sake? What's up?"

At this moment Ogma came back with Maia's breakfast-eggs, milk, butter, fruit and warm bread. Maia, jumping up, went across to the table and set to.

"Shall I bring you the same, Miss Occula?" asked Ogma. "Very likely you'll have time before the High Counselor wakes up again."

"I'll call you," replied Occula absently. "Just leave us for now, Ogma, there's a dear."

When the girl had gone she came over and sat down opposite Maia, elbows on the table and chin in her hands.

"I've been talking to Dyphna."

Maia scraped her egg. "How nice for you!"

"Doan' give me that shit, banzi!" stormed the black girl, banging her fist on the boards, "or I'll knock your blasted deldas off! I'm just in no damn' mood to-"

"I'm sorry, dear!" replied Maia, surprised. "Whatever's upset you so much?"

"Dyphna's been tellin' me who that Chalcon girl is and why she's here."

Maia waited.

"D'you know who she is?" asked Occula.

"No, 'course I don't."

"She's the daughter of a baron called Enka-Mordet, in Chalcon; a friend of Santil-ke-Erketlis, Dyphna said. That's to say, he was."

Maia put down her bread and stared. The black girl continued in a low but steady voice.

"You know who the heldril are, doan' you? It means 'old-fashioned people'-landowners out in the provinces who go as far as they dare to show they doan' like the Leopards. There's always been a lot of heldro feelin' in Tonilda-'specially in Chalcon. They're all heldril there, and the Leopards know it. Probably the most disaffected province in the whole empire. Everyone knows Sencho's been watchin' them for a long time now. Erketlis is still quite young, you know, but he's the biggest baron in those parts, and if he came out openly against the Leopards there'd be plenty who'd follow him. Those men who were here the other day-you can be certain some of them were agents from down that way."