Maia

"Every damn' thing's wrong!" cried the black girl desperately. "Can' you see? You're not a banzi stealin' apples now! This is the real world, where slaves are thieves and thieves are hanged! O Cran and Airtha, why did I ever get mixed up with a little goat like you! That's an Ortelgan, Maia, for pity's sake! They worship a bear; didn' you know? They believe the sun shines out of its damn' venda! They believe it's goin' to return from God-knows-where and lead them all to Buggery-in-the-Sky or somewhere. That man probably prays to this! Once he's missed it he's liable to raise the damn' roof! And the first people he'll suspect is us-that's for sure. He'll go to Zuno; he's bound to. And if they find it-"

She bit her lip, breathing hard and beating her fist into her palm.

"What's to be done? What's to be done? I suppose there's just a chance he may not have missed it yet. We might have given it back to him and told him some damn' nonsense or other. But we're locked in! And they may be here any moment!"

She stood up. "Give it to me, banzi!"

In the very moment that she took the bear out of Maia's hand they heard footsteps outside, followed by the rattling of the chain and the turning of the key in the lock.

The door opened and Zuno came in alone. Maia, who was wearing nothing but her shift, threw a blanket round

her shoulders. This, though she did not know it, was impertinence on her part, for she had neither right nor business to be covering her nakedness from Zuno. As a slave, she had no privacy and it was of no importance whether he saw her clothed or naked. Occula, naked to the waist and knowing better, merely faced him with lowered eyes.

Zuno, perceiving at once that both the girls seemed tense and frightened, looked at them for a moment in some surprise. Then, shrugging his shoulders, he said, "I have been giving some further thought to the offer made by this Ortelgan rope-dealer. The man and his friends are leaving tomorrow. I have decided that as long as the matter is not mentioned anywhere else-you follow me?-perhaps I need not stand in your way if one or other of you wishes to take the opportunity of making this rather large sum of money by giving the man what he wants."

He paused, but as neither girl replied asked abruptly, "Well?"

"I'm greatly obliged to you, sir," replied Occula. "It's most kind and generous-it is indeed. Speakin' for myself, I'd have been glad to gratify the man, but unfortunately it happens to be the wrong time of the month. As for Maia-"

"Can't she speak for herself?" asked Zuno rather sharply.

"She's extremely young, sir," went on Occula, "and knows nothin' whatever of this work as yet. Speakin' from my own experience, I think it would be better for her not to take this offer, invitin' as it appears."

"And you? What do you think, young woman?" asked Zuno, turning to Maia where she stood beside the bed.

"It jus' seemed to me, sir," continued Occula, in her low, smooth voice, "that Maia is well above the ordinary run, and will command a high price in Bekla. This Ortelgan-we know nothin' about him, after all; and for so young a girl, first experiences are very important-"

"What is that to do with you?" replied Zuno.

For the briefest of moments Occula raised her head and looked him in the eye.

"I am U-Lalloc's property, sir. His wish is my wish. I'm only tryin' to guess, as I'm sure you are, what that wish might be."

It took Zuno no more than a few seconds to grasp her meaning and also there was no getting round it. "I thought," he said coldly, "that you would have been glad of the

opportunity to make so much money. You and the girl might have kept it for yourselves."

"You are so good-hearted, sir," murmured Occula. "What a great pity that it's not possible!"

Zuno had already turned on his heel when she added quickly, "But I'm very glad you came here, sir. Indeed, it's providential. This trinket-after the Ortelgan had left us this evenin' I found it lyin' on the floor. It can only be his: I meant to return it at once, of course, but I'm afraid it slipped my mind."

Zuno glanced at the bear and took it from her.

"Well," he said, "he evidently hasn't missed it as yet. The men are still drinking downstairs; so I'll return it to him myself." He paused. "I don't pretend to understand your attitude in this business, Occula, but it's ended now. You understand me, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

As soon as the sound of Zuno's footsteps had died away, Occula took Maia in her arms, kissed her and then pushed her back until her shoulders were pressed against the wall.