“Your understanding is correct.” I nodded. “If I am not to be restrained, I will gladly join you.”
“Excellent.” She laughed softly, throwing a number of pillows down to the step below her. “You may sit yourself there, and we will discuss what comforts you wish in return for your assistance. I must soon begin the day’s audiences, yet there is ample time for us to talk.”
I made myself comfortable in the spot she’d indicated, and the Chama and I discussed my price for helping out. I asked for everything I could think of that she would be willing to give, and the more I asked for, the happier Aesnil became. The Chama was well acquainted with and very much approving of the mercenary attitude, feeling as many others did that a person who couldn’t be bought couldn’t be trusted. The more she gave me the greater the hold she had over me, and the more there was that could be taken away if I became troublesome. I asked for larger quarters and more clothing and better food—and my good friend Daldrin. I asked for something special for him, explaining that he’d been too keen on following orders for my taste, and Aesnil had laughed and agreed immediately. She didn’t mind knifing a loyal slave if it made me happy; slaves weren’t worth anything and I was. As long as what I wanted wasn’t unreasonable, I would get it.
When our talk was finished, Aesnil gave the order to open a different set of doors than the ones I’d come in by. People immediately began streaming inside, the hum of their voices breaking off as they saw me, only to resume again at a different pitch. They all bowed in Aesnil’s direction as they found their places on the floor, but it was fairly obvious I was drawing more attention than the Chama. Aesnil noticed their stares with a good deal of amusement, and her eagerness to show me off was childlike: she couldn’t wait to see their reactions to what I could do, but was determined to drag the thing out as long as possible to torture everyone. I put a satisfied look on my face and kept it there, and made sure not to think about anything but the possibility of escape.
It took a while for all the people to get themselves inside, and after a time I noticed that there were considerably more women in the crowd than men. The women strutted around with contempt in their minds for any man they saw, and the few men among them frowned in distinct discomfort and disapproval, while looking totally out of place. They looked as though they’d been ordered to appear, and the fact that they wore haddinn while the women wore gowns, added to their out-of-place look. No man wore weapons but Aesnil’s guard, which compounded and underscored all the rest.
Once the people—who, I suspected, were regular members of the court—had settled down, Aesnil began the audience. The first to be presented was a big woman with very short hair, leather pants and shirt, and a sword at her hip. She introduced herself as the ambassador from some place called Vediaster, then began showing the gifts she had brought. Female slaves trotted in priceless furs and magnificent cloth, spices and leathers, wine and weapons—and at the end of it all, a matched pair of male slaves. The men were twins, and it was painful to feel the outpourings of their fearful minds, the confusion, the hesitancy, the agonized worry over what would become of them. They were large, magnificent males, splendid to look at—but they’d been raised as slaves and would be slaves till the day they died. When the ambassador bowed herself out and took the slaves with her, I was finally able to unclamp my jaws.
After the ambassador came a long string of people with quarrels, mostly female people quarreling with male people. In almost every instance the Chama decided in favor of the female complainant; the only exception was when she found against both sides in the argument and confiscated the land involved in the dispute. The woman she found against was shocked, and quickly left the audience room with her mind in a turmoil. She didn’t know whether the Chama was angry with her, or simply had wanted the land. If the truth lay in the former supposition, her troubles were just starting.
The first of my victims didn’t show up until the petty squabbles had been taken care of. The first I knew of it was when I felt a heightening in the hostility of the women of the court, and looked up to see a large man in a green haddin standing with folded arms as he stared at Aesnil. The Chama was busy selecting a tidbit from a tray held by a slave and didn’t notice the man, so he shifted his gaze to me while he waited. I could feel the approval in his mind when he looked at me, but that was the only approval he felt over anything in the room. He hadn’t come there willingly, and he didn’t enjoy being kept waiting.
“So, Lerran, you have finally answered my summons,” Aesnil said, bringing his attention back to her. “Where are the fighters and hunters your city was supposed to have supplied? Why have they not yet reported to my guard captain?”
“My city is unable to supply the levy you demand, Aesnil,” the man Lerran answered, his voice flat and final. “The savages harass us from all sides, stealing our women and children, killing our game, attacking us whenever they might. You find it unnecessary to send your guardsmen to deal with these savages; very well, we accept having to see to our own safety. We refuse, however, to further sap our strength by filling your levy. Our l’lendaa are needed and will remain with us.”
“L’lendaa!” Aesnil spat, straightening in the cushions to glare at Lerran. “Darayse would be a truer term! Your hunters and fighters fear leaving the streets of their city, knowing how poor a showing they will make among my guard! You, their leader, pamper their fears, yet they must grow to manhood at some time! Send them immediately, or suffer the consequences!”
“And what consequences do you speak of, wenda?” the man asked very softly, the fury in his mind adding thick menace to his tone. “Do you forget that it is we, the dendayy of your cities, who have allowed the extension of the law you so earnestly requested? Do you wish us to revoke the extension? It may be done quickly, should there be cause, and attack upon one of your own cities would be cause enough. Walk carefully, wenda, lest a misstep cause your downfall.”
“How dare you speak to me so!” Aesnil hissed, her mind in a frenzy of madness: “How dare you address me so! I will have you flogged and mutilated and hanged from my palace walls! I will send you to face the best of my vendraa! I will have you carved slowly into pieces! I will—will—”
The woman was nearly frothing at the mouth, so furious was she—and so shaken by the threat the man had uttered. I didn’t know what the threat entailed, but whatever it was, the idiot was likely to lose his life for having put it into words. Aesnil had forgotten all about me, but I still had a chance to do something to make her forget the promises she was making.
A quick check of Lerran’s mind showed the man totally unimpressed by the fury he’d caused in Aesnil. Happily, though, not everyone in the room felt the same way; the women watching and listening had become alarmed, some even downright frightened. I took the strongest apprehension I could find and shunted it through to Lerran, hitting the man hard but expending no energy on my part other than the minimal effort it took to pass emotions on. Lerran paled and almost staggered under the load, suddenly finding himself filled with worry and fear that grew stronger as the seconds passed. His mind automatically tried rejecting the load, then tried controlling it, but I was there to see that his usual control-of-self didn’t take over and get him killed. I let the flow of fear increase almost to its peak, then hit the l’lenda with remorse and contrition. His broad face twisted with soul-hurting pain, and then he was taking a step forward and putting his hand out toward Aesnil.