and Oreb.
"Sphigx bless you." Maytera Marble traced the sign of addition.
"I--it's rather amusing now that I come to think of it, the sort of thing
the children enjoy. Patera thought I wanted this window open so
your Papa could come in, and I said, no, I hadn't even thought of it,
which was the plain truth. I wanted it opened because you told me
the first time, Darling, not to stay in rooms with the doors and
windows shut, because you might have to drop in again, and that
would make it harder. So I was happy when he opened this one, and
now you've come in through it, and your long-legged kitty, too."
"I didn't know she could take over an animal like that." Blood had
his thumb on the demon. "We didn't know she had any power left till
Lemur taped the calde talking to Crane, but it sounds like she's
been paying visits to both of you."
"Sneaking outside the window, Bloody? You shouldn't do that."
"I didn't."
"A listening device." Silk sighed. "I'm disappointed. I'd thought
there might be a secret door behind one of these big paintings.
When I was a sprat, boys' books were full of them, but I've never
actually seen one."
"You knew I'd come?"
"I surmised you might. Do you want the entire thing?"
Maytera Marble sniffed loudly. "I do, Patera."
"I wish you wouldn't make that noise," he told her.
"Then I won't, or at least not very often. But Bloody's my son,
and I meant I have a right to know."
"All right, the entire thing." Silk leaned back in his chair, eyes half
closed. "On Hieraxday, I walked some distance through the city with
His Cognizance, and from the East Edge to Ermine's; it was about
evenly divided between Maytera Mint's insurgents and the Guard. I
slept at Ermine's for a few hours, as I told you; when I woke up, half
the Guard seemed to have gone over to Maytera Mint."
Maytera Marble said, "All of it but the Second, I'm told."
"Good. Before I was brought here, I was in the tunnels or in the
cellar, so I didn't see much; but there were councillors here. It
seemed likely they were directing their forces in person, and I didn't
think they'd do that unless the situation was critical. Then too, you
told me you'd walked out here with the children and mentioned a
general from Trivigaunte--"
"General Saba. A very good woman at heart, from what I saw of
her, though quite large and rather prone to obstinacy."
"I assume it was her airship that attacked us when His Cognizance
and I were riding in Oosik's floater."
"Her airship's been over the city, certainly. It's been shooting and
dropping explosives. It's huge."
"Your Doctor Crane was a spy from Trivigaunte," Silk told Blood.
"You must know that by now. He told me once, joking, that if I were
in need of rescue all I'd have to do was kill him. He had a device in
his chest that let others find him and told them whether his heart
was beating. He was shot Rieraxday morning, due to a misunderstanding.
I imagine the attack on us resulted from a similar mix-up--the
Trivigauntis had been told the Guard was opposing us. When
they saw a Guard floater surrounded by officers on horseback, they
attacked it."
"I don't see what this has to do with me," Blood grunted.
"It has everything to do with you," Silk told him, "and I was right
about it, too--the only thing I've been completely right about. You
were fighting in a losing cause; this house was about to be
destroyed, and you might easily be wounded or killed. You knew
about the tunnels, and no doubt you've been down there. So have I,
as I've said--more than I like. I couldn't imagine your leaving this
house in flames and trudging off underground unless there were no
alternative."
"I worked shaggy hard to get this place."
"Don't swear, Bloody. It doesn't become you."
"I did! Your kind thinks it's easy. One wrong move and you're
packed for Mainframe, day after day, and nobody to help me I
could trust till I found Musk, nobody at all. It'd kill both of you in a
week. Shag yes, it would! Twelve years I did it before I ever took my
first crap in this place."
"Bloody!"
"It's only a guess," Silk admitted, "and I can't pretend an intimate
familiarity with your mental processes; but I'd imagine you've been
looking for an opportunity to change sides since sometime last night."
"What's the shaggy Ayuntamiento ever done for me? Worked me
for payoffs and favors every month. Shut me down to make
themselves look good. What the shag do I owe them?"
"I've no idea. Then--about an hour ago, perhaps--your mother
entered the picture, ostensibly and no doubt principally to help me,
but clearly with influence on the other side and eager to save you as
well. So when I realized Maytera wanted us to stay in this room, I
expected you to step from behind a picture." Silk smiled and
shrugged apologetically.
Mucor surprised them all by asking, "Would you like me to see
what they're doing?"
"I'd rather have you eat something," Silk told her, "but I don't
suppose there's anything in here. Go ahead, if Lion will behave
himself."
He waited for her reply, but none came.
"Girl go." Oreb's croak was scarcely audible. "No here." Lion
stretched himself on the floor and closed his eyes.
"Actually, I was surprised you didn't come sooner," Silk told
Blood conversationally, "but of course you had to fetch Mucor and
get her dressed--perhaps even clean her up a bit with the help of
one of your maids, and I hadn't allowed for that. The point that
puzzles me is that Mucor seems to have felt it necessary to send Lion
ahead of her."
"Did she?" Blood eyed his adopted daughter curiously.
"So it seems. Oreb--my bird, up there--must have glimpsed him
or, more likely heard him, because he told us several times that
there was a cat about."
"She probably didn't realize that the soldiers wouldn't be afraid of
him," Maytera Marble suggested.
"Bad cat," Oreb muttered.
"Not too loud," Silk cautioned him, "he might hear you."
"It was nice of you to join us, Bloody." Maytera Marble smoothed
her skirt. "It's to your advantage, no doubt, just as Patera says. But
you're taking a big risk just the same."
Blood stood. "I know it. You don't think much of me, do you,
Calde?"
"I think a great deal of your shrewdness," Silk told him. "I'd be
glad to have your cunning mind on our side. I'm aware that you
have no morals."
"Colonel Oosik," Blood gestured with the azoth. "He's your man,
from what I've heard. This General Saba's there for the Rani,
Colonel Oosik for you."
"Generalissimo Oosik."
Blood snorted. "You trust him and you won't trust me, but I've
had him in my pocket for years."
Maytera Marble said, "Sit down, Bloody. Or are you going to do
something?"
"I want a drink, but since the calde doesn't want it, I think I'll
hang onto my azoth as long as that cat's in here. Will you fix me one,
Mama?"
"Certainly." She rose. "A little more gin, I imagine?"
Silk began, "If it's not too much trouble, Maytera--"
"And ice. There's ice behind the big doors underneath."
"I'll be happy to. Brandy, or--" she examined bottles. "Here's a