Maia

"You bastin' idiots, doan' you know who it is? Let her alone, damn you! Get over there and wait till I call you!"

The next moment she and Occula were clasped in each other's arms. There was a fragrance of kepris and beneath that the old smell, as of clean coal. The gold-embroidered robe scratched her face, but she hardly felt it.

"Banzi! Oh, banzi, banzi, I doan' believe it!"

They looked at each other with tears.streaming down their cheeks. People were crowding round, chattering like starlings, the liveried servants doing their best to hold them back.

"I thought you were in Terekenalt! They said you'd married your officer fellow and gone to live in Terekenalt!"

"No, it's Katria."

"Oh, Katria, is it? Hell, look at all these bastards! We can' talk here. Banzi, are you busy? Were you goin' somewhere?"

"Oh, Occula, how can you ask? No, of course I'm not!"

"Well, get in the damn' jekzha, then. Quick, too, before this bunch of bumpkins trample us both to buggery! Florio!" she shouted to the major-domo. "You'd better try another street or somethin'! The Serrelinda and I want to get back as quick as we can."

"Where are we going?" asked Maia as she climbed in.

" "The Green Parrot,' " said Occula. "Do you know it?"

It was the most luxurious and expensive hostelry in Keril. The idea of her staying there had not even occurred either to Zenka or herself.

"Well, sort of," she said, "but actually I haven't been to Keril all that often. It's quite a long way up north, see, where Zenka and me live."

"What are you doin' here now?"

Maia explained. "And you?"

"I'm with Shend-Lador. Remember him? He's on a diplomatic mission for Santil. What a bit of luck runnin' into you! We're only stayin' here tonight-off to Terekenalt tomorrow. Shenda's goin' to talk to the new king, you see."

"What about?"

"Oh, banzi, doan' be a fathead! How the hell should I know what about? Some sort of trade agreement-frontiers-politics-that sort of bollocks."

"You always used to be political enough."

"I wasn'; I was the vengeance of the gods, for my own personal reasons. That's different; and anyway it's all over. I'm the bouncy girl; remember? Thousand meld a bounce! But I'm well beyond even that now. I'm the black Beklan knockout, dear. Shend-Lador's mistress, richer than forty sheamas on golden beds."

"Oh, Oceula, I'm so glad! You always said you would be."

"Shenda's talkin' to the High Baron of Katria in private this evenin'," said Occula. "So you can come and have supper with me, can't you? You say no and I'll have you knifed and thrown down a well, banzi; I swear I will."

"My little boy-" she was beginning.

"Yes, where have you left him?"

"We're at 'The Keg and Kynat.' My Suban girl's looking after him."

"I'll send Florro with the jekzha to bring them both round to the 'Parrot.' Then he can suck your deldas all the evenin' if he likes, same as old Piggy used to. What's his name?" !

"Zen-Otal: they all call him Anda-Serrelinda."

"Of course. Poor old Bayub-Otal's dead, though, isn't he?"

"Yes, nearly two years ago now. He died saving my life, Occula! I'll tell you all about it over supper. Oh, Cran, I'm so happy to see you! Who'd ever have expected it?"

"Well, here we are," said the black girl, as they drew up in front of "The Green Parrot." "Kantza-Merada, what a dump! Best you can hope for here, I s'pose. Still, at least we've got a set of private rooms; and you'll get a damn' good supper, banzi, I can promise you that; and a nice drop of Yeldashay. We brought some along with us, just to be on the safe side."

104: AN ACCOUNT SETTLED

Perhaps it was not altogether surprising that Occula had put on weight, thought Maia, herself feeling rather like Sencho as she leaned back against the cushions. During the past two years she had forgotten about suppers like this. The Yeldashay had gone to her head, too, for she was no longer used to it. She felt splendid. They had eaten and drunk and chattered their heads off. At length Occula had dismissed the servants and Maia had recounted all her adventures from the night when her friend had come to her house in Bekla to warn her to get out of the city.

Zen-Otal was fast asleep on another pile of cushions in the corner of the room. Occula had admired him-her unparalleled boy-with polite praise, but was plainly not all that much enraptured. However, Maia had not really