with my hasty temper.”
“Of course. There is no need, Cha Ishii, for a beacon because I am coming with you.”
The music stopped. After laughter and applause, the lutes began a slow melody accompanied by a sinuous line dance.
“It is too dangerous a journey, Lady Terese. I strongly advise against it.”
“With you to look out for my interests, Cha Ishii, I have absolutely no doubt that I will arrive safely, with you, in Jeds.”
The implication of that comment left him without a reply for a long moment as the dance shuffled on behind them. “I cannot allow this,” he said at last.
“Do you have something to hide? Surely not, Cha Ishii.”
“We have nothing to hide.”
“Then you can have no objection to my coming.”
“Bakhtiian will not let you go.”
“You are paying him. If you request that I go with you, then he cannot refuse.”
He pressed his hand together, palms touching, to convey his disapproval of this scheme. His voice remained expressionless. “Lady Terese, I must strongly object—”
She set her hands, fist to palm, in that arrangement known as Imperial Command. “Cha Ishii, I am the heir to this dukedom. You cannot object.”
He lowered his hands. “I obey,” he said finally, bowing to the precise degree due her rank. “If you wish, I will inform Bakhtiian of my decision now.”
“Now?” She looked to her left, around the circle made by those of the tribe who weren’t dancing, and saw Bakhtiian standing nearby, watching them. She sucked in a big breath, blew it out through full cheeks. “Very well. We may as well settle it now.”
Ishii bowed again and walked over to Bakhtiian. They conferred together. Standing next to Bakhtiian, Ishii looked angular and stiff; Bakhtiian had tilted his head at such an angle that he did not appear to be looking up.
“Tess! Are you sure you don’t want to dance? This next one is very easy, really—” Yuri stopped beside her and followed the direction of her gaze. “What’s that all about?”
“Ishii is asking that I come along.”
“Oh,” said Yuri, sounding apprehensive as Ishii took his leave of Bakhtiian and disappeared into the gloom. Tess grinned at Yuri, but a moment later Bakhtiian walked across and halted beside them. He looked as if he was quite angry but trying very very hard to pretend that he was not.
“Terese Soerensen. When we first met some days past I formed the impression that you had no experience riding horses. You cannot travel with us if you cannot ride.”
Tess found that she had enough malice in her soul to enjoy a slow smile at his expense. “But I can ride. Surely Mother Orzhekov told you that Yuri has been giving me lessons. I’m no master of the art, but I can stay on a horse well enough to travel with your jahar, I believe.”
“She can, Ilya,” said Yuri impulsively. “She’s very quick.”
Ilya glanced, quick as lightning, at Yuri. “Then I congratulate you,” he said to Tess, “although I won’t presume to guess how you persuaded the priest to request that you come with us. I don’t think you made a friend by doing it.”
“Do you mean yourself?”
“I was speaking of the priest,” he said impassively. “I have never found it advisable to offend those who are under the special protection of the gods.”
“On that count I have no fears.”
A high voice broke into their circle. Little Katerina ran up to Bakhtiian, laughing, wanting to tell him something. He crouched beside her, whispered in her ear, and she looked wide-eyed up at Tess and ran away again. The music wound to a close and there was much laughter and a round of singing as the musicians broke off to rest.
“We shall see.” Bakhtiian stood up. “It is against my instinct and all my better judgment, but this is the priest’s choice, not mine.” A single gold necklace shone at his throat, winking in the inconstant firelight as he turned to regard Yuri. “Yurinya. You will see that Terese Soerensen takes proper care
“Of course. There is no need, Cha Ishii, for a beacon because I am coming with you.”
The music stopped. After laughter and applause, the lutes began a slow melody accompanied by a sinuous line dance.
“It is too dangerous a journey, Lady Terese. I strongly advise against it.”
“With you to look out for my interests, Cha Ishii, I have absolutely no doubt that I will arrive safely, with you, in Jeds.”
The implication of that comment left him without a reply for a long moment as the dance shuffled on behind them. “I cannot allow this,” he said at last.
“Do you have something to hide? Surely not, Cha Ishii.”
“We have nothing to hide.”
“Then you can have no objection to my coming.”
“Bakhtiian will not let you go.”
“You are paying him. If you request that I go with you, then he cannot refuse.”
He pressed his hand together, palms touching, to convey his disapproval of this scheme. His voice remained expressionless. “Lady Terese, I must strongly object—”
She set her hands, fist to palm, in that arrangement known as Imperial Command. “Cha Ishii, I am the heir to this dukedom. You cannot object.”
He lowered his hands. “I obey,” he said finally, bowing to the precise degree due her rank. “If you wish, I will inform Bakhtiian of my decision now.”
“Now?” She looked to her left, around the circle made by those of the tribe who weren’t dancing, and saw Bakhtiian standing nearby, watching them. She sucked in a big breath, blew it out through full cheeks. “Very well. We may as well settle it now.”
Ishii bowed again and walked over to Bakhtiian. They conferred together. Standing next to Bakhtiian, Ishii looked angular and stiff; Bakhtiian had tilted his head at such an angle that he did not appear to be looking up.
“Tess! Are you sure you don’t want to dance? This next one is very easy, really—” Yuri stopped beside her and followed the direction of her gaze. “What’s that all about?”
“Ishii is asking that I come along.”
“Oh,” said Yuri, sounding apprehensive as Ishii took his leave of Bakhtiian and disappeared into the gloom. Tess grinned at Yuri, but a moment later Bakhtiian walked across and halted beside them. He looked as if he was quite angry but trying very very hard to pretend that he was not.
“Terese Soerensen. When we first met some days past I formed the impression that you had no experience riding horses. You cannot travel with us if you cannot ride.”
Tess found that she had enough malice in her soul to enjoy a slow smile at his expense. “But I can ride. Surely Mother Orzhekov told you that Yuri has been giving me lessons. I’m no master of the art, but I can stay on a horse well enough to travel with your jahar, I believe.”
“She can, Ilya,” said Yuri impulsively. “She’s very quick.”
Ilya glanced, quick as lightning, at Yuri. “Then I congratulate you,” he said to Tess, “although I won’t presume to guess how you persuaded the priest to request that you come with us. I don’t think you made a friend by doing it.”
“Do you mean yourself?”
“I was speaking of the priest,” he said impassively. “I have never found it advisable to offend those who are under the special protection of the gods.”
“On that count I have no fears.”
A high voice broke into their circle. Little Katerina ran up to Bakhtiian, laughing, wanting to tell him something. He crouched beside her, whispered in her ear, and she looked wide-eyed up at Tess and ran away again. The music wound to a close and there was much laughter and a round of singing as the musicians broke off to rest.
“We shall see.” Bakhtiian stood up. “It is against my instinct and all my better judgment, but this is the priest’s choice, not mine.” A single gold necklace shone at his throat, winking in the inconstant firelight as he turned to regard Yuri. “Yurinya. You will see that Terese Soerensen takes proper care
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