The Dmetrio-seed stood slightly behind Juz'la. Arvin glanced in his direction and gave his head the slightest of shakes just enough so Juz'la would notice. As he'd hoped, she glanced behind her to see what the seed was up to. Arvin used the opportunity to turn slightly to the right, to screen what he was doing from the seed, and tip the wine down his sleeve. The fabric inside it soaked it up, and any that bled through to his shirt would blend in with the sweat that already dampened it. He allowed the dregs of the wine to wet his tightly closed lips. As Juz'la turned back toward him, frowning, he wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand. If she saw any wine stains on his sleeve, she'd likely attribute them to that; few people could remember which hand, exactly, had been used in such a casual gesture.
"Unusual taste," he commented.
Juz'la glanced at the burning oil-probably making sure he hadn't poured the wine into it-and smiled. Her eye teeth were slender and curved, like a snake's. Scales covered her hairless scalp, her neck, and her arms, which were quite muscular. She wore a tightfitting dress of a gauzy material that did nothing to hide her breasts or the darker patch of scales at her groin. If she'd been fed the same potion that Naulg had, it had left her mind remarkably unscathed; her eyes shone with a keen intelligence.
A black bracelet encircled her left wrist. Only when it lifted its head did Arvin realize it was a tiny viper. Juz'la lifted it to her lips and kissed it, then whispered an endearment to it as the tiny serpent twined around her fingers.
"Who are you?" Arvin asked, putting just a hint
of suspicion into his voice.
"An old friend of Dmetrio's."
Arvin gave a mental nod. Juz'la was keeping up the pretense that Dmetrio was still himself. The
Dmetrio-seed himself probably hadn't realized that Arvin knew his secret.
"What's your part in this?" Arvin continued. "The same as yours. To help Dmetrio accomplish his goal."
"I see."
Arvin glanced at the seed, who followed their conversation with a passive look on his face. He wondered how much Sibyl's spy had been able to glean from the seed. "Dmetrio" would have all of Zelia's memories up to the time the seed was planted; if Juz'la had been rifling through those, she might know as much about Arvin as Zelia did. Presumably, she'd lifted more recent information from the seed, as well. Arvin had to assume Juz'la knew about the deal he'd struck with Zelia, and about Karrell. She would know that Karrell served Ubtao, a god that was Sseth's enemy, and that Karrell was in Smaragd.
Arvin was suddenly very glad that Sseth's worshipers were no longer in communication with their god.
"Where have you hidden the Circled Serpent?" Juz'la asked.
Arvin was surprised by the blunt demand. It had obviously been intended to startle. Juz'la whispered something to her viper again as she played with it, disguising the words and gestures of a spell. Arvin felt energy flow up his arm: Karrell's ring, blocking what must have been an attempt to listen in on his thoughts.
He manifested a power of his own. If she heard its secondary display, she might think it was because he was blocking her spell. His attempt to charm her, however, was met by a force that pushed his awareness back so hard it made his head ache. Either Juz'la had an amazingly strong mind, or magic shielded her.
"How about this," Arvin said, meeting her gaze with a challenging look. "You show me your half of the Circled Serpent, and I'll show you mine."
If Juz'la was disappointed by her spell's lack of success, she didn't show it. "You've made a mistake," she said. "It's not me you need to bargain with. I'm only Dmetrio's… assistant."
The Dmetrio-seed stepped forward. "I realize you don't trust me, Arvin," he hissed. "You're no more likely to hand me your half than I am to give you mine. Juz'la is our compromise. When the time comes to open the door, she can put the two halves together and wield the key."
Arvin wondered how much the hassaael would have affected him had he drunk it. It was probably safe to express a few lingering doubts. He glanced at Juz'la.
"Why should I trust her? We've only just met."
The Dmetrio-seed smiled-a slight upturn of the lips that was all Zelia. "Talk to her," he suggested. "Get to know her. Then decide." The smile widened. "Take your time. From what Zelia told me, I'm sure Karrell can wait."
Hissing with laughter, the Dmetrio-seed transformed into a serpent and slithered from the chamber. Juz'la turned to Arvin. "Hungry?"
Arvin quickly considered whether Juz'la might drug any food he was served then decided that she probably wouldn't bother after having plied him with hassaael. Besides, he needed to show that he was starting to trust her.
"Famished," he answered. "I haven't eaten since yesterday."
Juz'la smiled. She turned and hissed something; a moment later, one of the mutated halflings-a male-carried in a platter bearing a selection of bright orange and green fruits. The half-lizard had
a stubby tail and a scattering of yellow scales across his face, back, and chest. Four horns that looked as if they had only recently budded rose from his forehead, and his elbows and knees were scabbed over with what looked like fresh scales. He walked erect, however, still more halfling than lizard.
Kneeling, the half-lizard placed the platter on the floor. He started to back out of the chamber on his knees, but Juz'la flicked a hand at him.
"No need for that, Porvar," she said.
The half-lizard hesitated.
Arvin hid his frown just in time. Juz'la's attempt to show him that she treated the slaves well was failing miserably.
"You may go," she hissed.
Porvar turned and scurried away.
Juz'la indicated the platter with a wave of her hand. "Please eat," she said.
Arvin did. The fruit was thirst-quenching and tasted sweeter than any he'd eaten before. He licked the juice from his fingers.
Juz'la watched him in silence. Then, abruptly, she spoke. "Dmetrio told me about the bargain you struck with him," she said. "You want to enter Smaragd to rescue your woman-Karrell."
"Yes," Arvin said.
Juz'la gave him a conspiratorial smile. "You don't need Dmetrio for that."
Arvin played along. "Yes, I do. He has half of the Circled Serpent, remember?"
Juz'la gave him an unblinking stare. "So what? I know where it is."
"Ah," Arvin said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I see how it is, now." He used the gesture to hide his breath, which should have smelled strongly of the drug. His back was against the dish of flaming oil. Pretending its heat made him uncomfortable, he
stepped away from it, putting more distance between himself and Juz'la. "Why betray Dmetrio?" he asked her. "What's in it for you?"
"It's not Dmetrio I'm betraying. It's Zelia "
Despite his years of hiding his reactions from the guild, that one made Arvin blink. "I don't understand."
"Yes, you do. You know who Dmetrio really is-why do you think I left you alone with him so long? I know about your powers. You can listen in on other people's thoughts, sift through their memories." She held up a hand when he started to protest. "You tried to do that with me a few moments ago."
Arvin shook his head. "I merely-"
"Here's what you would have learned, had you been able to probe my mind, as well," Juz'la continued. "I discovered, shortly after my arrival in Ss'yin, that Dmetrio is one of Zelia's seeds, and I decided to take my revenge upon her by thwarting whatever the seed hoped to accomplish."