She had understood his hesitation, and this was the reassurance that he needed. Immediately he sat beside her, kissed her, put his hand at her waist and felt how she breathed so passionately, how she yielded to him so eagerly. They said little at first, at least in words; in actions she told him that her feelings for him were undiminished.
"I thought you were gone forever," she whispered, after long silence.
"Not from you," he said. "But I don't know what the future holds for me. The turmoil in the city, Father's exile-"
"Some say that your brother was plotting to kill your father-" .
"Never."
"And others that your father was plotting to kill your brother- "
"Nonsense. Laughable. They're both strong-minded men, that's all."
"That's not all ," said Eiadh. "Your father never came here with soldiers, threatening that he could come in whenever he wanted the way Gaballufix did."
"He came here!" said Elemak, angry. "For what?"
"He was Aunt Rasa's mate once, remember-they have two daughters. ..."
"Yes, I think I've met them."
"Of course," she said, laughing. They're your nieces, I know. And they're Nyef s and Issya's sisters, too-aren't families so complicated? But what I meant was, Gaballufix's coming wasn't what was strange. It's the way he came, with those soldiers in their horrible costumes so they all look so-inhuman."
"I heard it was holography."
"A very old theatrical device. Now that I've seen it, I'm glad that our actors use paint or, at the most, masks. Holographs are disturbing. Unnatural." She put her hand inside his shirt, slid it along his skin. It tickled. He trembled. "You see?" she said. "How could a holograph ever feel like that? How could anyone bear to be so unreal. "
"I imagine they're still real enough under the holograph. And they can make faces at you without your knowing it."
She laughed. "Imagine being an actor, though, with something like that. How would anyone ever know your facial expressions?"
"Maybe they only used them for non-speaking roles-so the same actors could play dozens of roles with instant costume changes."
Eiadh's eyes widened. "I didn't know you were so knowledgeable about the theatre."
"I once courted an actress," said Elemak. He did it deliberately, knowing how it bothered most women to hear about old loves. "I thought she was beautiful then. You see, I had never seen you. Now I wonder if she was anything but a holograph."
She kissed him as a reward for the pretty compliment.
Then the door opened and Rasa came in. She had allowed them the socially correct fifteen minutes- perhaps a little longer. "So nice of you to visit us, Elemak. Thank you, Eiadh, for conversing with our guest while I was detained." It was the delicate pretense of courting, this custom of acting as if the suitor had come to call on the lady of the house, while the young woman being wooed was merely helping the lady to entertain her guest.
"For all your hospitality, I am grateful beyond expression," said Elemak. "You have rescued a weary traveler, my lady Rasa; I didn't know how near death I must have been, until your kindness made me so alive."
Rasa turned to Eiadh. "He's really very good at this, isn't he."
Eiadh smiled sweetly.
"Lady Rasa," said Elemak, "I don't know what the future will hold I have to meet with Gaballufix today, and I don't know how that will turn out,"
"Then don't meet with him," said Rasa, her expression turning quite serious. "He's become very dangerous, I think. Roptat is convinced that there was a plot to kill him in that meeting at the coolhouse, the day that Wetchik left. If Wetchik had been there, as agreed, Roptat would have walked right into a trap. I believe him-I believe Gaballufix has murder in his heart."
Elemak knew he had; but he also had no idea what might come if he confirmed Rasa's suspicions. For one thing, Rasa and Eiadh might wonder how Elemak could have known of such a plot, and if he did, why he didn't give warning to Roptat himself. Women didn't understand that sometimes to avoid the thousands of casualties of a bloody war, it was kindest and most peaceable to prevent the conflict with a single timely death. Good strategy could so easily be misunderstood as murder by the unsophisticated
"Perhaps," said Elemak. "Does anyone really know someone else's heart?"
"I know someone's heart," said Eiadh. "And mine holds no secrets from him."
"If it isn't Elemak that you're referring to," said Rasa, "then poor Elemak might start contemplating some hot-blooded crime of passion himself."
"Of course I'm talking about Elya," said Eiadh. She took his hand and held it in her lap.
"Lady Rasa, I'm not going to Gaballufix unnecessarily. Father sent me. There's something he needs that only Gaballufix can give."
"There's something we all need that only Gaballufix can give," said Rasa, "and that is peace. You might mention that to him when you see him."
"I'll try," said Elemak, though of course they both knew he wouldn't.
"What is it that Wetchik wants? Did he send any message to me?"
"I don't think he expected me to see you," said Elemak. "It was a vision from the Oversoul that sent me. Actually, all four of us came-"
"Even Issib! Here!"
"No. I left them outside the city, in a safe place. No one but the two of you will know they're here, if I can help it. With any luck, I'll get the Index and be out of the city before night, and then I have no idea when we'll be back again."
"The Index," whispered Rasa. "Then he can never come back."
Elemak was disturbed to hear her say that. "Why? What is it?"
"Nothing," she said. "I mean, I don't know. Only that-let's just say that if the Palwashantu realize that it's gone..."
"How can it be that important? I never heard of it before Father sent us back for it."
"No, it's not much spoken of," said Rasa. "There hasn't been much need for it, I guess. Or perhaps the Oversoul didn't want it known."
"Why? There are lots of indexes-dozens in every library in the world, hundreds in Basilica alone. Why is this one the Index?"
"I'm not sure," said Rasa. "Really I'm not. I only know that it's the only artifact from the men's worship that is also mentioned in the women's lore."
"Worship? How is it used?"
"I don't know. It never has been used, to my knowledge. I've never seen it, I don't even know what it looks like."
"Oh, that's good news," said Elemak. "I assumed it would be like any other index, and now you're telling me that Gaballufix could hand me anything and call it the Index and I'd never even know if he was cheating me."
Rasa smiled. "Elemak, you must understand. Unless he wishes to lose his leadership of the Palwashantu, he will never give you the Index."
Elemak was worried, but not dismayed. She dearly -meant what she was saying, but that did not necessarily mean that she was right. Nobody really knew what Gaballufix might do, and if he thought he could get some advantage out of it, he'd trade away anything. Even their mother, if Gabya ever thought old Hosni might have some value. No, the Index could be had, if the price was right And the more he realized how important this mysterious Index was, the more he wanted it, not just to humor Father, not just as part of the game he was playing to take possession of the future, but for the sake of having the Index himself. If so much power came to the one who had it, then why shouldn't it be Elemak's?