Although Ruha did not know any wood magic, she sprinkled a handful of decaying wood on their heads and
muttered a few mystic-sounding syllables. That was enough to make them drop back into the corridor and scurry for cover. Having bought herself more time, the witch pushed her second hand through the hole-then gasped as her wrists were seized from above by a pair of small, callused hands. Without bothering to tear away what remained of the weakened planks, her unseen cap- tor pulled her up through the floor.
Ruha found herself standing before a blank-faced sol- dier dressed in Minister Hsieh's yellow, silk-jacketed armor. She was in a fair-sized room furnished only with kneeling mats, several low tables, and bookshelves, sur- rounded by a dozen more of the mandarin's guards, all with long, square-tipped swords in their hands. Along with Yu Po, Hsieh himself stood a half-dozen paces behind his guards.
"When strange events occur, it seems you are always near." Although Hsieh did not speak loudly, the ringing in Ruha's ears had faded to the point where, with a little effort, she could understand his words. The mandarin pointed overhead, where the witch's pebbles were scour- ing a fresh set of grooves into the coffered ceiling.
"Please to stop magic before it ruins Princess Wei Dao's apartment."
The man who had pulled Ruha out of the floor released her hands and stepped back, but the witch did not even consider casting a spell at the mandarin or any of his men. Although Tang had ordered his guards not to harm her, Hsieh's soldiers had received no such instructions and would undoubtedly strike her down at the first sign of danger to their master. Ruha gestured at the ceiling and spoke a single sibilant syllable. The pebbles fell out of the air, dropping through the hole to clatter off the dungeon's brick floor.
"So much better." Hsieh kneeled at one of the room's low tables and waved Ruha to the other side. "Please."
Ruha allowed herself to be escorted to the table, then sat cross-legged on one of the reed mats. Although she
was not overly fond of the chairs that Heartland hosts always thrust at their visitors, she found the Shou habit of kneeling even less comfortable.
Hsieh waited for her to arrange her aba and veil, and then said, "Please to explain your return to Ginger
Palace. I am under impression that Vaerana Hawklyn takes me hostage to get you out."
"She came too soon." As the witch spoke, she was fran- tically trying to calculate how much she should tell Hsieh about events in Elversult. Though he lacked the same reasons as Prince Tang and Wei Dao to conceal Lady
Feng's abduction, he might easily conclude that the best way to recover her was to let Cypress have what he wanted. "I had not concluded my business."
Hsieh nodded thoughtfully. "And this business-what- ever it is-do you finish it now?"
Ruha shook her head. "No, I was… interrupted."
Hsieh allowed himself a tiny smile, but made no remark about the interruption involving a trip to the dungeon. "Perhaps this business is something I can help you conclude."
Ruha lifted her brow. "Do you not wish to know what I
am doing?"
"You are spying," Hsieh replied simply. "I have need of
spy."
After a moment's consideration, Ruha asked, "And who am I to spy upon?"
"I come to speak to Lady Feng, but she is not here." He leaned forward and spoke so quietly that Ruha could barely make out the words. "I understand she is in Elver- suit. Perhaps she dishonors Peerless Emperor of Civi- lized World."
Ruha frowned, confused by the mandarin's implication and uncertain what he wanted from her. "What do you think she has done to dishonor your emperor?"
The mandarin flushed and looked at the tabletop. "Per- haps she takes lover."
"A lover?" Ruha scoffed.
Hsieh frowned and glanced toward his guards. "For spy, you are most imprudent."
"She is more than spy!" accused Wei Dao's voice.
The witch turned to see the princess pushing her head out of the hole in the floor. Her hair was disheveled and there was a red mark on her brow where Ruha's heel had glanced off, but otherwise she showed little sign of their battle.
Wei Dao allowed two of Hsieh's men to help her into the room, then pulled Ruha's jambiya from her sash and pointed the curved blade at the witch. "Lady Ruha is insidious assassin!"
The accusation caused several of the guards to reach for the witch, but Hsieh raised a finger and waved them off. "If Lady Ruha wishes me dead, she has many chances better than this to attack."
Ruha inclined her head to the minister. "I am grateful-"
Hsieh warned her off with a scowl and quick shake of his head. "Must wait for princess. To Shou, form is all."
The mandarin looked at Wei Dao, then gestured at one of the mats beside their table. "Please."
The princess slipped the jambiya into her sash, then took several moments to straighten her hair and collect herself. For a time, Ruha thought she might be stalling until her own guards entered the room, but no one climbed into the room after her, nor did Hsieh's men give any indication that they expected-or would welcome-any of the princess's soldiers to join them. At last, Wei
Dao came to the table and bowed to Hsieh, then calmly kneeled on a mat beside Ruha as though she had not just accused the witch of being a murderess.
"Esteemed Mandarin, please to forgive Prince and me."
By the continuing blare of Wei Dao's voice, it was clear that her ears were suffering from the detonation even more than Ruha's. "We do not tell you all."
"Then do so now-more quietly," Hsieh urged.
Wei Dao kept her eyes lowered, "Lady Feng does not visit sick friend in Elversult."
Hsieh barely kept from smirking. "Truly?"
"Truly. Prince Tang learns of plan to kill Third Virtu- ous Concubine, and he sends her into hiding." Wei Dao raised her chin and glared at Ruha. "Treacherous witch is assassin."
Ruha could not stomach the lie. "That is-"
Hsieh waved a cautioning finger at the witch. "You ignore form. Lady Ruha." Though his voice was stern, his face remained as blank as ever. "Please to let Princess explain why someone-presumably Vaerana Hawklyn-wishes to kill Lady Feng."
Wei Dao was ready with another lie. "To stop trade in poisons. Vaerana threatens many times to'take mea- sures' if we do not stop, but Honorable Husband does not let savages dictate business of Ginger Palace."