friend. “I had Tantufi moved to the field house at midday, but I showed Bahenamin to his quarters before that. He was distraught; he must have lain down to rest despite the hour.”
“And the other three?”
“Bahenamin spent the night with us after the funeral. If Tantufi’s dream was already in him, then anyone who slept in the rooms adjoining his would have been vulnerable.” Never daring to allow accusation to enter her voice or eyes she added, “I was occupied that night, and could not walk the halls to stop any dreaming. And Mother was of course under guard in her room.” Insurret too could chase away bad dreams, if she was so inclined.
Sanfi’s lips twitched; after a moment he stood and began to pace in the tight confines of the kitchen. “Your mother. I never should have married her, beautiful or not. I saw the first signs of her madness even while I courted her, but I needed her wealth…” He stopped and sighed, his fists clenching. “And Tantufi. Every day I wonder why I did not strangle that creature at birth.”
Tiaanet watched him, reading the signs and not liking what she saw. He would brood, she knew. It was what he did whenever his plans were thwarted. He would brood and seethe all the way back to their estate in the greenlands, and when they got there his anger would seek an outlet in Tantufi. She needed to distract him. But how?
“Father?” She pretended to concentrate on grating a shia nut as she spoke. “Does the Hetawa know of these deaths? Have they realized all four visited our house?”
“Not yet.” He sounded even more displeased now. She struggled to think of something else to catch his interest. “Though if the dream spreads beyond those four—”
He paused suddenly, fell silent. Tiaanet poured sweetwine into a cup, set that and the plate on a tray, then lifted the tray. “I must see to our guest, Father.”
“Yes,” he said absently. His eyes were fixed on the table, thoughts racing behind them. She turned to leave, but paused as he called her name.
“Yes, Father?”
“Tantufi,” he said. “If she were brought into the city, how fast would her dream spread?”
So that was the direction of his thoughts. She was not surprised at his cruelty, only at the method he’d chosen. He loathed Tantufi.
“I don’t know, Father,” she said honestly. “But among so many people, living so close to one another, it would probably go quickly.”
He nodded, his eyes lighting as his thoughts progressed. “The Hetawa is a threat to our plans,” he said. “They support the Kisuati these days. But Tantufi’s dream should distract them, should it not?” He smiled at her. “Eventually they’ll cure it, but until then…”
In her mind’s eye, Tiaanet saw Tantufi’s face. The child would weep to be the cause of such suffering. But she would do it, and spread her magic like a poison through the city’s veins, because she could not help herself. And Father would be pleased to see Tantufi’s curse at last put to good use.
“Yes, Father,” Tiaanet said. “I’ll send for her, if you wish.”
“Such a good child you are,” he said. “Do it as soon as our guest leaves.”
Courtship
The journey from Gujaareh to the desert was lengthy and boring. To thwart possible pursuers, Wanahomen chose not to go west immediately, instead heading south to one of the upriver towns, where he treated himself to one last hot bath and Gujaareen meal before trading his horse and workman’s guise for his camel and desert robes. Not the veil, of course, or any of the other tribal markers of a Banbarra; he’d even removed all of Laye-ka’s telltale tack and ornaments before leaving for the journey, and stabling her in the town. While he was in the Gujaareen Territories, he was simply a desertman from one of the dozens of small tribes that made their living in Gujaareh’s shadow. Only when Wanahomen reached the foothills, which marked the border between the Blood river valley and
“And the other three?”
“Bahenamin spent the night with us after the funeral. If Tantufi’s dream was already in him, then anyone who slept in the rooms adjoining his would have been vulnerable.” Never daring to allow accusation to enter her voice or eyes she added, “I was occupied that night, and could not walk the halls to stop any dreaming. And Mother was of course under guard in her room.” Insurret too could chase away bad dreams, if she was so inclined.
Sanfi’s lips twitched; after a moment he stood and began to pace in the tight confines of the kitchen. “Your mother. I never should have married her, beautiful or not. I saw the first signs of her madness even while I courted her, but I needed her wealth…” He stopped and sighed, his fists clenching. “And Tantufi. Every day I wonder why I did not strangle that creature at birth.”
Tiaanet watched him, reading the signs and not liking what she saw. He would brood, she knew. It was what he did whenever his plans were thwarted. He would brood and seethe all the way back to their estate in the greenlands, and when they got there his anger would seek an outlet in Tantufi. She needed to distract him. But how?
“Father?” She pretended to concentrate on grating a shia nut as she spoke. “Does the Hetawa know of these deaths? Have they realized all four visited our house?”
“Not yet.” He sounded even more displeased now. She struggled to think of something else to catch his interest. “Though if the dream spreads beyond those four—”
He paused suddenly, fell silent. Tiaanet poured sweetwine into a cup, set that and the plate on a tray, then lifted the tray. “I must see to our guest, Father.”
“Yes,” he said absently. His eyes were fixed on the table, thoughts racing behind them. She turned to leave, but paused as he called her name.
“Yes, Father?”
“Tantufi,” he said. “If she were brought into the city, how fast would her dream spread?”
So that was the direction of his thoughts. She was not surprised at his cruelty, only at the method he’d chosen. He loathed Tantufi.
“I don’t know, Father,” she said honestly. “But among so many people, living so close to one another, it would probably go quickly.”
He nodded, his eyes lighting as his thoughts progressed. “The Hetawa is a threat to our plans,” he said. “They support the Kisuati these days. But Tantufi’s dream should distract them, should it not?” He smiled at her. “Eventually they’ll cure it, but until then…”
In her mind’s eye, Tiaanet saw Tantufi’s face. The child would weep to be the cause of such suffering. But she would do it, and spread her magic like a poison through the city’s veins, because she could not help herself. And Father would be pleased to see Tantufi’s curse at last put to good use.
“Yes, Father,” Tiaanet said. “I’ll send for her, if you wish.”
“Such a good child you are,” he said. “Do it as soon as our guest leaves.”
Courtship
The journey from Gujaareh to the desert was lengthy and boring. To thwart possible pursuers, Wanahomen chose not to go west immediately, instead heading south to one of the upriver towns, where he treated himself to one last hot bath and Gujaareen meal before trading his horse and workman’s guise for his camel and desert robes. Not the veil, of course, or any of the other tribal markers of a Banbarra; he’d even removed all of Laye-ka’s telltale tack and ornaments before leaving for the journey, and stabling her in the town. While he was in the Gujaareen Territories, he was simply a desertman from one of the dozens of small tribes that made their living in Gujaareh’s shadow. Only when Wanahomen reached the foothills, which marked the border between the Blood river valley and
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