Maia

The old woman paused, uncertainly it seemed, as though in her turn wondering what to make of her visitor. Then, turning back to the tray of thrilsa, she said, "Oh, just my little joke, my dear: you mustn't mind me. Oh, look over there, now! There's my old cat coming in, see? Need a sharp cat in a sweet-shop, you know: Colonna, we call her."

This brought to Maia's mind the recollection of Zirek and Occula chaffing each other about the pottery ornament. She had never understood the joke, whatever it might be. All the same, perhaps she could make use of it for a bit of light conversation to turn what had seemed to be going to be an awkward corner. For all she knew the point might be something quite clever and amusing.

"Well, you call her Colonna, mother, and I'll call her Bakris, and let's see which one she answers to, shall we?"

In an instant the old woman had grabbed her by the wrist and half-dragged her into the back of the shop. Maia, really frightened now as she remembered the jewels she was wearing, was beginning "Let me go! The High Counselor-" when the old woman, speaking low and quickly, said "You little fool! Why did you come yourself? Thought you had more sense! We'd have found a way to let you know. But since you're here, listen! The night of the New Year festival, in the zoan grove at the far end of the Barb gardens. Repeat it!"

Maia, stammering, did so, and the old woman released her.

"Now get out quick! And put your hood up, too."

Now that she knew she was not going to be robbed or hurt, Maia began to feel angry. "My thrUsa-"

"Oh, take it! Take it!" cried the old woman, grabbing up a slab and thrusting it, unweighed, into her hand. "And

don't you never come back here no more, d'you see? O Cran have mercy!-" and with this she disappeared through some dark recess between the store cupboards.

Maia, utterly bewildered, dropped a two-meld piece into the scales and returned to her jekzha.

Arrived back, she found Occula alone by the pool, gently plucking the hinnari and running through the ballad-a favorite with shearnas called upon to sing-of U-Depa-rioth and the Silver Flower. Seeing Maia come in, she broke off.

"Cran's teeth, banzi, we've had quite a time since you left! How'd it go? Could he do it?"

"Oh-yes, fine, thanks," replied Maia rather absently. "What's up, then?"

"Oh, Piggy finally remembered about Milvushina," said Occula. "We had to take her up to him."

"What happened?"

"Well, he made her do one or two things-nothin' to hard cases like you and me, but no fun for her, of course. She took it very well, really: I'd had a word with her outside, you see. 'More fuss you make,' I said, 'more he'll enjoy it. Just pretend you're milkin' a cow or somethin'.' And d'you know what she said? "I've never milked a cow in my lifel" So I said-"

"Occula, there's something I want to tell you about; something queer as happened when I was coming back-"

At this moment, however, Terebinthia appeared and, being in a good mood on account of the improvement in the High Counselor's spirits-a mood which improved still further when she had opened Maia's lygol-remained chatting for some little while. Later, at bed-time, Maia slipped into Occula's room and told her what had happened at the confectioner's.

"What d'you say she said?" asked Occula, her mouth full of thrilsa. " 'The zoan grove at the far end of the Barb gardens?' Sounds crazy to me: but then a lot of those old dears get a bit that way, you know."

Maia told her how the old woman had bolted out of sight without waiting to be paid.

"Nutty as the thrilsa," said Occula. "Can only be! Well, that's all right, anyway: give us another bit, banzi: thanks. I shouldn' tell anyone else about this if I were you," she went on, munching. "Not Dyphna or Milvushina, I mean. They'll only let it out, and if Pussy gets to hear, you'll be

in the shit for goin' into a sweet-shop at all, woan' you? Anyway, tell me about Eud-Ecachlon. You say he was hot stuff? I'd never have believed it! You doan' know your own strength, banzi, that's what."

34: AN UNEXPECTED RE-ENCOUNTER

About noon next day Maia, under Occula's tuition, was practicing the reppa-the spectacular though enormously demanding closing sequence of the senguela-when Ter-ebinthia came in. She broke off at once, but to her surprise the saiyett told her to continue and stood watching for some time.

"You have quite a gift, Maia," she said at length. "At this rate you'll soon be ready to show it off a little. We must find you an opportunity."

"Oh, I don't just rightly know about that, saiyett," answered Maia, panting and leaning against the wall. "It's only just passing time on, really. But I do enjoy it."

"Well, we shall see," said Terebinthia. "If you keep up this sort of progress there may be prospects." She sat down. "However-"

"Can we help you, saiyett?" asked Occula, smoothly anticipating whatever she had been about to say.