Chapter SIXTEEN
The three guards escorted Blade up to the Fourth Chamber as nervously as if they had been escorting a virgin princess to her wedding chamber. It took all the strength Blade could find not to fall on his face on the thick red carpet in the hallway.
Three maidservants took over from the pikemen when Blade reached the Fourth Chamber. Two were fresh-faced and smiling, but the third wore a veil that left only one brown eye visible out of her whole face. All three bustled about as eagerly as puppies, stripping off Blade's filthy clothing, sponging him with herb-scented hot water, and massaging the kinks and knots out of his muscles. He lay face down on the big feather bed, letting them work, until the tension and strain left his mind.
But he didn't relax too much. So far Sister Brigeda and her servants had done nothing that suggested he was in any danger. But he couldn't rule out some future plots, which he might be helpless to resist. He couldn't even use most of his unarmed combat skills, not wounded and exhausted as he was. However, he needed the treatment he was getting. That was for certain. And if there was going to be treachery afterward, Blade was sure he could at least take a number of Sister Brigeda's household with him.
However, the next person to come into the chamber was not an assassin. It was another maidservant, pushing a wheeled cart with several dishes on it. There was cold cheese and bread and meat and hot wine. Blade looked at the cart hungrily and heard his stomach rumble ominously. But he shook his head at the maid. Once again he would take no chances with drugged food or wine. He would have to speak to Sister Brigeda herself before he could be sure if it was safe for him to eat and drink in her house.
«You are not hungry,» said the maid with the veiled face.
«I am not,» said Blade. He hoped his stomach wouldn't rumble again, loudly enough to prove him a liar.
It didn't. But his words apparently weren't enough to convince them. All four sat down cross-legged on the rug and stared at him. Occasionally their eyes wandered from Blade to the food and back again. The silence in the room thickened like a fog. Blade wondered how long he could refuse the food and wine without giving offense.
The silence was broken by the arrival of Sister Brigeda herself. Her flashing dark eyes took in the whole scene-Blade lying in bed, the untouched food, the staring girls-in a single sweeping glance. Then she lowered her eyes to the maids and jerked her head toward the door. Almost with a single motion, they sprang to their feet and scurried out into the hall, pulling the door shut behind them.
Brigeda sat down on the blue velvet cushion in the far corner of the room and stared at Blade. He thought he detected amusement in those dark eyes. He stared back, taking in the woman. There were wrinkles around her eyes and a bit of sagging skin on her neck; she must be forty or well past it. But otherwise she showed no signs of a life spent at her ancient and demanding profession. Her skin was smooth and high colored, her swept-back hair glossy black, her figure still almost girlishly slender and quick in its movements. Only a large jutting beak of a nose marred her features. No, not marred. Gave them character-a character that made Blade think of a bird of prey ready to plunge on a victim. The look in the wide dark eyes matched that air.
But Brigeda's red lips curled in a smile before she spoke. That smile didn't take the edge off Blade's alertness.
«You are not really an escaped slave of Durkas's, are you?»
Blade found it easy to decide that lying to this woman would be a bad move. Perhaps a fatal one.
«No, I am not.»
«In fact, you are not any kind of escaped slave from anybody's household, are you?»
«I am not a slave at all, Sister Brigeda.» Blade made his voice as flat and menacing as possible.
Brigeda ignored the tone. «I thought so. You have the mark of someone's trusted henchman. Not Durkas or Tymgur, I hope.»
Blade's training held. He let the remark pass without showing any sign of surprise. But he noted the unmistakable hostility in Brigeda's voice when she said the Duke's name.
Then he shook his head.
«Good. Do you serve the Emperor?»
Blade was tempted to say yes. If Brigeda was loyal to the Emperor, as seemed likely, she would never dream of touching an imperial agent. But balanced against that chance of safety was the chance of being caught out in a lie. Once more Blade decided against lying to Sister Brigeda.
«I do not.»
That apparently stopped the courtesan in mid-thought. Her high forehead wrinkled into a puzzled frown, which Blade watched with interest, almost with relief.
«Who-who is your master, then?»
Blade did not hesitate. It was the right moment to add to his psychological edge, and the best way to do that was to tell the truth.
«Krodrus, the Autocrat for Finance of the Sea Cities of Talgar.»
That not only stopped Brigeda's thoughts, but nearly stopped her breath. There was another long silence. Blade thought of also mentioning the Sea Masters, but decided against it. It would certainly further amaze Sister Brigeda, but the Sea Master-Talgaran alliance was too important a secret to reveal right now.
Besides, Blade wanted to keep his escape route open.
The silence went on and on, until Blade wondered if Sister Brigeda was ever going to speak again. Finally she shook her head and raised one hand to her immaculately coiffed hair. It was the first nervous gesture Blade had seen her make.
«How-how does Talgar send- spies — into Nurn?»
«Through a newly discovered wisdom. They suspect plots against them among the nobles of Nurn, seek to discover who is plotting, and how to foil him.»
Brigeda's calm sagged a little further. Her hand went to her mouth, and her eyes widened. «You-suspect anyone?»
«We do.» Once again Blade made his voice as flat as possible.
«Who?» Brigeda's question was almost a sob.
«Why should I tell you?» said Blade. This time he put a deliberate chill into his voice, intending to shock.
If it shocked at all, it shocked Brigeda back into a more sober mood. «To avoid being taken down into my cellar and-asked-who it is, until you will beg for the opportunity to tell me and my Sisters.»
«I will die before that happens. You may, and many of your household certainly will.» Blade put a bantering note in his voice. «There will be blood and bodies all over your house, your business will be wrecked, and I will be as dead as an iron spike. What good will that do you, Sister?»
Brigeda had apparently expected her cool threat to intimidate Blade. When it didn't, she was once again at a loss for words. Blade decided to take a small risk to improve his position. It was only a small risk, for he had made plans against this sort of situation before parting with the four sailors.
«In any case, what can you do without my men?»
«Your men?»
«Yes, my men. Do you think an Autocrat of Talgar is such a fool as to send a man against the nobles of Nurn alone? I will need my comrades with me if I am to help you against your-enemy. If that is what you want, of course.»
«Oh yes.» There was no mistaking the eagerness in Brigeda's voice.
«Good. Then I will tell you where my men may be found, and you can send your most trusted servant to them with a message. The message will be in a code, so there will be no danger to your man. But it will assure my men that I am safe and tell them to cooperate with you.» It would tell them a few others things as well, but those were better not mentioned. «Can you do that?»
Brigeda swallowed, then nodded. «My steward will go forth this very night.» She swallowed again. «Is there anything else I can do for you?»