said coldly, ‘don’t think I’ll go without a fuss. Your father the perquisitor will be told that you talk on your lover’s pillow, and that I bribed you to bring Tiaan down and make me crafter. It’ll be the end of your career too,
Ex-Prober
Cryl-Nish.’
He knew she would. He might lie his way out of it but his prospects would be badly damaged. His liaison with her was already the talk of the manufactory and she could turn his collaboration into treason. It would be a disaster for them both.
Nish had everything to lose if she went down, much to gain if she did not. Her family was nearly the equal of his own. It would be a good alliance, to say nothing of the pleasures of her glorious body. But if she was behind the sabotage he must denounce her.
He faced up to his duty. ‘I don’t care! I hate Tiaan, but I’ll go to my doom before I help the enemy …’ He tried to look implacable.
‘Very well,’ she said. ‘I admit that I cut the page from her book and hid it, but only because of what she’d done to me.’
Nish took a deep breath. It did not make things any easier. ‘And the sabotage of your controller?’
‘Don’t be absurd!’ She met his eye, unflinching.
Irisis looked convincing, though Nish knew what a gifted liar she was. ‘Swear it!’
‘I swear,’ she said evenly, ‘on my sacred family Histories, that I had nothing to do with the sabotages. Any of them!’
He was still not absolutely convinced, though he had no option but to take her word. ‘In that case, who did?’
‘Tiaan did!’ she grated. ‘Why won’t you look at the evidence? Nothing I’ve said changes the facts. You heard the guards -there’s no one else it could be.’
‘I still have to tell Gi-Had that you cut out the page.’
Irisis looked as if she’d been slapped across the face. Her big eyes were on him, a single tear quivering on one lash. She took a tentative step toward him, a gliding movement, then up on her toes at the end. Her bosom heaved. The buttons seemed to have come undone. It was the oldest trick of all and he wasn’t going to be taken in by it.
‘Please, Cryl-Nish!’ She held out her arms.
He folded his across his chest, desperately trying to control his body. With an insignificant movement at her waist, her trousers fell to her ankles. She stepped out of them. Ah, but her body was magnificent!
‘Would you let them kill me so cruelly? They would disembowel me, hang up my entrails for the world to see and cut my body into quarters to feed the scavengers.’ With another movement she stood naked before him. ‘Would you do that,
to this
!’ She held out her breasts, one in each hand.
Nish flung himself on her and they copulated on the floor of Tiaan’s cubicle like beasts. After it was over and they lay panting, slicked with sweat, Irisis opened her eyes. They were so very blue. ‘I think I see a solution to both our problems.’
‘Oh?’ he said.
‘Do you believe Tiaan is innocent or guilty?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said heavily.
‘What do you think?’
‘I think, on the balance of the evidence, that she probably is guilty.’
‘Then help me stop her. If something were to happen to Tiaan …’
He pushed her away roughly. ‘What are you talking about? It had better not be what I’m thinking.’ Though for more of what he’d just had, there was little he would not do, if he could get away with it.
Irisis pulled him back, and he relented. ‘She has betrayed her country, and you, and me! Soldiers have died; clankers have been lost. I know my duty too, Nish. We’ve got to be rid of her for the good of the war.’
She was moving too fast for him. ‘But … the manufactory can’t do without her.’
‘Do you know how many artisans there are, just in this province?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘More than a thousand! If something happened to her, or to me for that matter, either of us could be replaced tomorrow.’
‘I hadn’t thought there could be so many,’ Nish
Ex-Prober
Cryl-Nish.’
He knew she would. He might lie his way out of it but his prospects would be badly damaged. His liaison with her was already the talk of the manufactory and she could turn his collaboration into treason. It would be a disaster for them both.
Nish had everything to lose if she went down, much to gain if she did not. Her family was nearly the equal of his own. It would be a good alliance, to say nothing of the pleasures of her glorious body. But if she was behind the sabotage he must denounce her.
He faced up to his duty. ‘I don’t care! I hate Tiaan, but I’ll go to my doom before I help the enemy …’ He tried to look implacable.
‘Very well,’ she said. ‘I admit that I cut the page from her book and hid it, but only because of what she’d done to me.’
Nish took a deep breath. It did not make things any easier. ‘And the sabotage of your controller?’
‘Don’t be absurd!’ She met his eye, unflinching.
Irisis looked convincing, though Nish knew what a gifted liar she was. ‘Swear it!’
‘I swear,’ she said evenly, ‘on my sacred family Histories, that I had nothing to do with the sabotages. Any of them!’
He was still not absolutely convinced, though he had no option but to take her word. ‘In that case, who did?’
‘Tiaan did!’ she grated. ‘Why won’t you look at the evidence? Nothing I’ve said changes the facts. You heard the guards -there’s no one else it could be.’
‘I still have to tell Gi-Had that you cut out the page.’
Irisis looked as if she’d been slapped across the face. Her big eyes were on him, a single tear quivering on one lash. She took a tentative step toward him, a gliding movement, then up on her toes at the end. Her bosom heaved. The buttons seemed to have come undone. It was the oldest trick of all and he wasn’t going to be taken in by it.
‘Please, Cryl-Nish!’ She held out her arms.
He folded his across his chest, desperately trying to control his body. With an insignificant movement at her waist, her trousers fell to her ankles. She stepped out of them. Ah, but her body was magnificent!
‘Would you let them kill me so cruelly? They would disembowel me, hang up my entrails for the world to see and cut my body into quarters to feed the scavengers.’ With another movement she stood naked before him. ‘Would you do that,
to this
!’ She held out her breasts, one in each hand.
Nish flung himself on her and they copulated on the floor of Tiaan’s cubicle like beasts. After it was over and they lay panting, slicked with sweat, Irisis opened her eyes. They were so very blue. ‘I think I see a solution to both our problems.’
‘Oh?’ he said.
‘Do you believe Tiaan is innocent or guilty?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said heavily.
‘What do you think?’
‘I think, on the balance of the evidence, that she probably is guilty.’
‘Then help me stop her. If something were to happen to Tiaan …’
He pushed her away roughly. ‘What are you talking about? It had better not be what I’m thinking.’ Though for more of what he’d just had, there was little he would not do, if he could get away with it.
Irisis pulled him back, and he relented. ‘She has betrayed her country, and you, and me! Soldiers have died; clankers have been lost. I know my duty too, Nish. We’ve got to be rid of her for the good of the war.’
She was moving too fast for him. ‘But … the manufactory can’t do without her.’
‘Do you know how many artisans there are, just in this province?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘More than a thousand! If something happened to her, or to me for that matter, either of us could be replaced tomorrow.’
‘I hadn’t thought there could be so many,’ Nish
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