City of Death by Laurence Yep

behaving himself?”
    â€œI couldn’t live without him,” Scirye blurted out. She couldn’t keep the envy from her voice. “He’s like my right arm.”
    The princess studied her, not without some kindness. Then, waving her arm to dislodge Kles, she said regretfully, “Of course. He’s indispensable. I didn’t mean to deprive you of his company.”
    â€œI live to serve,” Kles mumbled, but his head hung a little guiltily, like a man who’d been caught by his present girlfriend as he flirted with his previous one. And when he landed on Scirye’s shoulder, he coiled immediately around her neck, draping himself over both shoulders as if to make up for the lapse.
    â€œYou rescued us just in time, Your Highness,” Bayang said. “Thank you.”
    â€œMy old friend, the Keeper, radioed me when you left, so I had my servants keep an eye out for you,” the princess explained. “I thought the vizier might try something, so we got ready to fly, and when I saw his vultures take off, I knew I had to nip their mischief in the bud.”
    Scirye glanced with satisfaction at the vizier’s guards milling about in a confused mass above them. Then she inclined her head toward the princess. “Your Highness, we really need to leave now to catch the true thieves.” For Leech and Koko’s sake, she used English rather than the New Tongue.
    â€œWe know all about Roland and Badik,” the princess replied, switching to flawless English. “Your parents received a long telegram from Lady Miunai and they shared it with me.”
    Lady Miunai was the mother of their friend, Roxanna, whom they’d met when they’d chased Roland to the Arctic wastes.
    â€œSo you already know that it’s urgent we reach the City of the Dead?” Scirye asked.
    â€œThat was the other thing I was debating with my brother and the vizier,” the princess replied. “My brother agreed to dispatch troops.”
    â€œThen we can go home,” Koko whooped.
    â€œRoland and Badik still haven’t been caught,” Bayang said grimly. “Their airplane might be at the airport.”
    â€œI’ve already made inquiries and they’re not there,” the princess said. “They might have landed in some deserted area. But before we can deal with them, we need to get the charges against you dropped.”
    Leech bristled. “We’re not thieves.”
    â€œYou must be Lord Leech,” the princess said. “I know you aren’t.” She smiled apologetically. “I’m afraid the vizier is trying to hurt me by hurting my friends.”
    â€œI could send him a rash,” M ā ka suggested. “Just a teeny patch but in a very uncomfortable place.”
    The princess glanced at the sorceress. “That would hardly become a follower of the True Path, now would it.”
    M ā ka paled. “You know about me?”
    â€œThe Keeper warned me about you as well.” The princess smiled.
    As they descended, Scirye’s other friends introduced themselves, though the princess already seemed to know a good deal about them as well. Between Lady Miunai and the Keeper, there didn’t seem to be much that Princess Maimantstse did not know.

 
    18
    Scirye
    They landed within a small courtyard of green and blue tiles that showed Salene the moon god in helmet and armor leading their ancestors, who once called themselves the People of the Moon, against their enemies, the Huns.
    Graceful Greek columns stood at the front of Princess Maimantstse’s palace, but the statues decorating it were a mixture of Greek, Kushan, and Indian deities.
    As soon as Scirye climbed down from her griffin, she started to run toward her parents, but Kles fluttered in front of her. “Wait for the princess to give permission.”
    The princess waved her hand. “Of course you may.”
    â€œThanks, Maimie,” Lord Tsirauñe