smiling, nodded toward the bedchamber's door. Before the servants could
come and dress him, Otah pulled on rose-red outer robes over his bare
skin and, still tying the stays, walked out to the main rooms. Ashua
Radaani sat at the edge of a chair, his hands clasped between his knees.
His face was as pale as fresh dough, and the jewels set in his rings and
sewn in his robes seemed awkward and lost.
"Ashua-cha," Utah said, and the man was already on his feet, already in
a pose of formal greeting. "What's happened?"
"Most High, my brother in Cetani ... I received a letter from him last
night. The Khai Cetani is keeping it quiet, but no one has seen poet or
andat in the court in some time."
"Not since the day Stone-blade-Soft escaped," Utah said.
"As nearly as we can reckon it," he agreed.
Utah nodded, but took no formal pose. Kiyan stood in the doorway, her
expression half pleasure and half dread.
"May I have the men I asked of you, Ashua-cha?"
"You may have every man in my employ, Most High. And myself as well."
"I will take whoever is ready at dawn tomorrow," Utah said. "I won't
wait past that."
Ashua Radaani bowed his way out, and Utah stood watching him leave. That
would help, he thought. EIe'd want the word spread that Radaani was
firmly behind him. The other houses and families might then change their
opinions of what help could he spared. If he could double the men he'd
expected to have ...
Kivan's low chuckle startled him. She still stood in the doorway, her
arms crossed under her breasts. Her smile was gentle and amazed. Otah
raised in hands in query.
"I have just watched the Khai Machi gravely accept the apology and sworn
aid of his servant Radaani. A day ago you were an annoyance to that man.
"Today, you're a hero from an Old Empire epic. I've never seen things
change around a man so quickly as they change around vou."
"It's only because he's frightened. He'll recover," Otah said. "I'll he
an incompetent again when he's safe and the world's hack where it was."
"It won't be, love," Kiyan said. "The world's changed, and it's not
changing hack, whatever we do."
"I know it. But it's easier if I don't think too much about it just yet.
When the Dai-kvo's safe, when the Galts are defeated, I'll think about
it all then. Before that, it doesn't help," Otah said as he turned hack
toward the bed they had shared for years now, and would for one more
night at least. Her hand brushed his cheek as he stepped past, and he
turned to kiss her fingers. There were no tears in her eyes now, nor in his.
12
"I gave him too much and not enough men to do it," Ralasar said as they
walked through the rows of men and horses and steam wagons. Eustin
shrugged his disagreement.
Around them, the camps were being broken down. Men loaded rolled canvas
tents onto mules and steam wagons. ''he washerwomen loaded the pans and
stones of their trade into packs that they carried on bent shoulders.
The last of the captured slaves helped to load the last of the ships for