Maia

Terebinthia raised her eyebrows. "A Katrian officer? And Bayub-Otal, you say? I thought he'd been killed in the fighting at Rallur."

"No: they were both prisoners in Bekla, but the three of us were able to get away."

There was a tap at the door and a fair, slight girl, who looked no more than eleven, dressed in tawdry finery like Mesca, came in with a tray-a wine-flask and cups, ser-rardoes and a plate of prions. Terebinthia remained silent while she set down the tray and left them. Maia, whom the child had rather reminded of Kelsi, was unable altogether to contain her feelings.

"Isn't she rather young for-for the work here?"

"She is young, of course," replied Terebinthia smoothly, "but she's shaping well, I'm glad to say, and learning quickly."

She poured the wine and handed Maia her cup. Suddenly, Maia was overcome with a terrible conviction that the wine must be poisoned. Don't be silly, she thought; why should she poison you? Well, to please Fornis and reinstate herself. For envy. For what she can get.

"Bayub-Otal knows I've come here today, of course," she said.

"Of course," replied Terebinthia; and drank. Maia sipped too, staring down into the cup. It looked like ordinary wine-she could see no discoloration-and there was no unusual taste. She helped herself to a prion and nibbled it. Her hand was trembling, but perhaps Terebinthia had not noticed.

"And how's dear Occula?" asked Terebinthia suddenly, putting down her cup.

"Occula? Oh-oh, she's fine," answered Maia. "That's to say, she was when I come away."

Terebinthia waited inquiringly, allowing it to be clear that she knew that Maia must know that this was not an adequate reply.

"She was arrested after the High Counselor's murder, of course-"

"You both were, weren't you?" said Terebinthia.

"-only Queen Fornis took a fancy to her, see, and she's been with her ever since."

"Queen Fornis? And yet you say she tried to kill youl"

"Well, thing was, she thought I was out to be Sacred Queen, see; but I wasn't."

"No, of course not; because you and Occula were working for the heldril all along, weren't you? You contrived the murder of the High Counselor between you."

There was no disguising, now, the malice in Terebin-thia's eyes. The Serrelinda, however-now that it was out in the open-was equal to looking steadily back at her.

"I had nothing whatever to do with it, Terebinthia. I didn't know anything about it until it happened."

"Well, of course I must take your word for that, mustn't I?" '

"You can. I'll be perfectly frank with you: I'm not sorry he died, but I had nothing to do with it."

"And Occula?"

"I've no idea."

"Come, come, Maia. You and she were inseparable. You're telling me she told you nothing?"

"She'd nothing to tell, Terebinthia, that's why. Had, she'd 'a told me; I agree with you that far."

"It's important to me, you see," went on Terebinthia. "I've got a lot to thank them for, those who killed Sencho. I was under suspicion of having had to do with it myself; I knew that. As if I could have had any motive for wanting him dead! He was worth a fortune to me. But I wasn't going to wait to be condemned by the Council. So I had to forfeit everything and leave Bekla at once."

"Is that why you left?"

"Of course. But I could never have succeeded if Elvair-ka-Virrion hadn't paid me very generously in return for letting him take Milvushina away the day after the murder. He got me out of the upper city in disguise, with everything valuable I could carry. Why else do you think I'm here with a false name in a place like this, instead of Ikat or Herl-Belishba? So you see I've very little reason indeed to feel friendly towards those who killed Sencho."

Maia, who was now beginning to feel really frightened, gazed back at her silently.

"And now you know, don't you, where I am? You could tell anyone you wanted to. I confess that worries me rather, Maia."

Had there been something in the wine? Maia's head was swimming. The room seemed like a little box, over which was brooding an enormous presence; the forest-giant of

Purn, the gigantic doorman-they were one and the same. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. She must retain an outward appearance of self-possession.

"Poor Milvushina's dead, you know."

"Milvushina? How?"

Maia told her, restraining her tears with some difficulty.

"I see," said Terebinthia. "I heard about Durakkon; and I knew about the battle, of course. News comes down the river with the rafts. But I didn't know about Milvushina. And so Queen Fornis has taken Bekla, has she?"

"That's more than I can tell you, Terebinthia. When we got away, her Palteshis were still fighting it out with the Lapanese."

"So now-you're here," continued Terebinthia ponder-ingly, "and looking for work, so Mesca said. You need money, Maia, do you?"

"No, I didn't come here for money, actually."

But clearly Terebinthia did not mean to permit any interruption to the delicious moment of springing the mousetrap.