The Alabaster Staff - Edward Bolme [81]
"Is he…?" she pressed. "Does he think I'm…? That is, I know it's business, but…" She couldn't bring herself to say it, so instead she gave up, exasperated. "Oh, you wouldn't know," she sighed. "Just forget about it."
Demok stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.
"I will," he said, "if you will."
"What do you mean?" asked Kehrsyn, but Demok had already turned and was heading on, his long gait even faster than before, and Kehrsyn had to trot to keep pace. "Tell me! What do you mean?"
"Forget about it," said Demok. "Good advice."
Kehrsyn grumbled at his curt behavior but said nothing further for several blocks, though she refused to keep trotting and started to trail behind her escort. Gradually Demok's pace slowed to allow her to catch up.
They walked a while farther in peace, listening to the rain on their hoods, before Kehrsyn broke the silence again. "I hope I didn't offend him," she said, a little too loudly to be talking to herself.
Demok did not appear to hear her statement.
"Do you think I upset him?"
He glanced at her and said, "You stole his staff."
"No, I mean about saying I expected him to… you know, well, have his… his way…"
Demok slowed just a bit.
"Why did you give that answer?" he asked, his eyes boring into Kehrsyn's.
"Well, because I'm poor, and he's powerful, and my mother was poor, and it happened to her when she attracted the attention of a powerful man. And I've got her good looks, or so people say, so I've always just figured it was a matter of time before it happened to me."
Demok nodded and resumed at his brisk pace.
"You didn't answer my question," Kehrsyn said, but to no avail.
"Well," she puffed under her breath, "if he wants to avoid talking, he should quit asking questions."
"I understand thee not," said Ahegi. "Why dost thou not search the maid straightaway?"
"Dear advisor," replied Massedar, "thou hast the subtlety of a flatulent camel. Heed thou my words, and all shall be reckoned well with the maiden."
"I shall obey thee," said Ahegi, though he bridled speaking the words, especially after such a comparison. "Just rest stalwart that this wench stealeth not thy heart as well as thy treasures."
Massedar narrowed his eyes just a shade and said, "Thinkest thou that I remain not in control of all within this house?"
In response, Ahegi studied his lord. Ahegi knew all about lusts. He had, in fact, spent his whole life indulging his own, and, while he might never admit his own ruled him, he could tell when lust ruled others. He knew Massedar was a man of lust, though he had never quite figured out what its object was.
"Think I that thou dost protest overmuch," answered Ahegi at last, measuring the words evenly.
He bowed and left the audience hall, shutting the door quietly behind him.
A pair of guards met Demok and his quarry at the door. The guards gruffly ordered them to follow, not even allowing them to doff their cloaks. The fluster of movement enhanced the sharp division between the cold weather outside and the warm surroundings inside. Though Demok was used to such abrupt and disruptive arrangements-they being a staple of Massedar's forcible negotiating style-Kehrsyn seemed put out by the aura of urgency. That, of course, was the intent.
The guards ushered them along briskly and blew into the meeting room without preamble. One of the guards shoved Kehrsyn forward so that she stood alone in the center of the room, almost exactly where she had been manacled in the first interview.
As expected, Massedar stood with his back turned. He'd lowered his head almost to his breast, his arms crossed.
Demok counted silently in his head. One… two… three… four.
Massedar whirled, his long robes swirling around him menacingly.
"Where hast thou been?" he shouted, carefully enunciating every syllable of the High Untheric for maximum effect.
Demok nodded appreciatively. It was a good pause, too long to be short, short enough to be surprising.
Kehrsyn stood startled, perhaps even scared. Massedar widened his eyes beneath