the North and vanished toward the back halls and the cart and the North
where if the gods could hear Liat's prayers, they would be safe.
I lot si: SnY:AN l HAD OFFERED VP IFS wAREnot SES FOR ILP. kttnuiM-
Machi and Cetani together-to use as their commandery. Five stories high
and well back from the edge of the city, the wide, gently sloped roof
had as clear a view of the streets as anything besides the great towers
themselves. A passage led from the lower warehouse on the street level
into the underground should there he a need to retreat into that
shelter. In the great empty space-the warehouse emptied of its
wares-Nlaati wrote the text of his binding on the smooth stone wall,
pausing occasionally to rub his hands together and try to calm his
unquiet mind. A stone stair led tip to the second-floor snow doors,
which stood open to let the sun in until they were ready to light the
dozen glass lanterns that lined the walls. The air blew in bitterly cold
and carried a few stray flakes of hard snow that had found their way
down from the sky.
Ideally, Alaati would have spent the last day meditating on the
binding-holding the nuances of each passage clear in his mind, creating
step-by-step the mental structure that would become the andat. Ile had
done his best, drinking black tea and reading through his outline for
Corrupting-the-Generative. The binding looked solid. I Ic thought he
could hold it in his mind. With months or weeks-perhaps even days-he
could have been sure. But this morning he felt scattered. The hot metal
scent of the brazier, the wet smell of the snow, the falling gray
snowflakes against a sky of white, the scuffing of Cehmai's feet against
the stone floor, and the occasional distant call of trumpet and drum as
the armsmen and defenders of Nlachi took their places-everything seemed
to catch his attention. And he could not afford distraction.
"I don't know if I can do this," he said. His voice echoed against the
stone walls, sounding hollow. He turned to meet Cehmai's gaze. "I don't
know if I can go through with this, Cchmai-kya."
"I know," the other poet said, but did not pause in his work of chalking
symbols into the spare walls. "I felt the same before I took
StoneMade-Soft from my master. I don't think any poet has ever gone to
the binding without some sense he was jumping out of a tower in hopes of
learning to fly on the way down."
"But the binding," Nlaati said. "We haven't had time."
"I don't know," Cehmai said, turning to look at Maati. "I've been
thinking about it. The draft you made. It's as complex as some bindings
I saw when I was training. The nuances support each other. The symbols
seem to hang together. And the structure that deflects the price fits
it. I think you've been working on this for longer than you think. Maybe
since Saraykeht fell."
Nlaati looked out the snow door at their bright square of sky. Ills
chest felt tight. He thought for a moment how sad it would be to have
come this far and collapse now from a had heart.
"I remember when I was at the village the second time," Nlaati said.
"After Saraykeht. After Liat left me. 't'here was a teahouse at the edge
of the village. Tanam Choyan's place."
"high walls," Cehmai said. "And a red lacquer door to the back room. I
remember the place. They always undercooked the rice."
"I ie did," Nlaati said. "I'd forgotten that. 'T'here was a standing
game of tiles there. I remember once a boy came to play and didn't know
any of the rules. Not even what season led, or when two winds made a
trump. lie bet everything he had at the first tile. He knew he was in
over his head, so he risked it all at once. lie thought if he kept
playing, then the men at the table who knew better than he did would
strip him of every length of copper he had. If he put everything on one
handwell, someone had to win, and it might he him as well as anyone
else. I understand now how he felt."
"l)id he win?"
"No," \laati said. "But 1 respected the strategy."
A trumpet blared out above them-Otah sending some signal among his men.
Answering horns came from around the city. MIaati could no more tell
where they originated than guess how many snowflakes were in the wide
air. Cehmai's surprised breath caught his attention like a hook pulling
at a fish. lie turned to the man, and then followed his gaze to the
stairway leading down to the tunnels. Eiah stood there, her ribs pumping
hard, as if she'd run to reach them. Her hair was pulled hack in a messy
knot at the back. I Ier robes were bright green shot with gold.
"1?iah-cha," Cehmai said, stepping toward her. "What are you doing here?"
The girl looked up at Cehmai, stepping away from him as if she might
run. Her gaze darted to Nlaati. lie smiled and took a pose that was
welcome and inquiry both. 1- iah's hands fluttered between half a dozen
poses, settling on none of them.
""They need physicians," she said. "People are going to get hurt. I
don't want to be useless. And ... and I want to he here when you stop
them. I helped with the binding as much as Cehmai did."
't'hat was a gross untruth, but the girl delivered it with such
conviction that Nlaati felt himself half-believing. He smiled.
"You were supposed to go with Nayiit-cha and your brother," Maati said.
I ter mouth went small, her face pale.
"I know," she said. \laati waved her closer, and she came to him,
skirting around Cehmai as if she feared he would grab her and haul her
away to where she was supposed to be. Maati sat on the cold stone floor
and she sat with him.
"It isn't safe here," he said.
"It's safe enough that you can be here. And Papa-kya. And you're the two
most important men in the world."
"I don't know that-"
"He's the Emperor. Even the Khai Cetani says so. And you're going to
kill all the Galts. There can't be any place safer than with both of
you. Besides, what if something happens and you need a physician?"
"I'll find one of the armsmen or a servant they can spare," Cehmai said.
"We can at least have her safely-"
"No," Maati said. "Let her stay. She reminds me why we're doing this."
Eiah's grin was the image of relief and joy. Of all the terrors and
dangers arrayed before them, hers had been that she might he sent away.
He took her hand and kissed it.
"Go sit by the stairs," he said. "Don't interrupt me, and if Cehmai- cha
tells you to do something, you do it. No asking why, no arguing him out
of it. You understand me?"
Eiah flung her hands into a pose of acceptance.
"And Eiah-kya. Understand what I'm doing has risks to it. If I die
here-hush, now, let me finish. If I fail the binding and my little
protection doesn't do what we think it will, I'll pay the price. If that
happens, you have to remember that I love you very deeply, and I've done