The Quartered Sea (39 page)

Xaan Mijandra indicated that the older woman should rise, then looked down at her barking dog and smiled. "It seems Shecquai remembers you, Serasti. He is…"

The other door opened; Benedikt felt his chest tighten as a smoldering voice said, "He is out of Shecquaz, our father's dog, is he not? There is a resemblance."

The xaan raised a cautioning hand as her guard moved forward and turned to face her brother. "You have a good eye, Altun. I doubt you saw our father's dog more than twice."

He's daring her to do something
. Even from a distance Benedikt could see the glitter in the tul's eyes. The feeling of being watched grew stronger, and he wished he could put the bulk of a wagon between himself and the other five great houses.

"Your son was well when you left him?" The tul's emphasis on the last four words leaned an innocent question toward provocation.

Her expression unchanging, the xaan turned to the woman beside her. "Serasti?"

"A bird arrived this morning, peerless one. Your son was fine when it left the compound."

The tul spread his hands, the concerned movement in complete contrast to his tone of voice. "So many terrible things could have happened while that bird was in flight."

Hueru jerked forward one step, two, before the xaan stopped him with a raised brow. "Thank you for your concern, Altun, but I have complete faith in my son's security. I wouldn't have left him otherwise. It's a pity you haven't children of your own to worry about."

The word
change
, even thrown away as it had been, hung over the group.

"The Tulparax is still alive," the tul told her, smoldering tones now in flame.

"Good. Then I'm in time to pay my last respects." She stepped forward, and Benedikt wasn't surprised to see the tul back instinctively out of her way although there'd been no overt menace in her movement—much the way there was no overt menace in the movement of the ice fields that swept down over the north lands.

He watched her as she passed him, smiled mockingly at Hueru, then looked Benedikt full in the face, aware of what he'd seen within the masking hood. "I didn't know that Xaantalicta admitted men to her priesthood," he purred.

Benedikt had to remind himself to inhale before he could speak. The tul burned even brighter than he remembered. "She doesn't, gracious one."

He saw the xaan pause, waiting for his answer. "The Kohunlich-xaan has given me a place in her household, gracious one."

"You were
mine
first."

Although his face flushed and his heart began to beat uncomfortably hard, Benedikt shook his head, courage bolstered by the place he was making for himself. No more a performing bear… "I am my own, gracious one."

The tul stared at him for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed with what looked very much to be sincere enjoyment. "Your own?" he said. "Sun above, that's priceless. Thank you, Benedikt, for that bit of entertainment."

Sudden anger caused his cheeks to burn hotter still even as it touched his voice with frost. "You're welcome, gracious one." A man who needed a lie to gain even a part of his own power had no right to laugh at him. Benedikt bowed and followed the xaan into the building, catching up with her just inside the doors.

"You handled yourself well with my brother, Benedikt."

"Thank you, peerless one." He pushed back his hood, hoping the shadows in the hall would hide the color of his face.

"Serasti, take Benedikt to a room suitable to his braids and send the tailor to him immediately. He needs clothing that fits him."

Eyes locked on impossible coloring and size, a hundred questions chasing themselves across her expression, Serasti said only, "Yes, peerless one."

"He's a shipwrecked sailor, Serasti, and he sings beautifully."

"Ah." Curiosity satisfied for the moment, the house master gathered up her robes and started up the flight of stairs that curved down into the hall.

"
I
would have killed him, had you given me a sign."

"I know. I thought about sacrificing you, but you're still more use to me alive."

Hueru laughed at the xaan's jest.

She wasn't joking
, Benedikt thought.

The room suitable to eight braids was just that, a room, large and pleasant with access to the small balcony that ran along the courtyard side of the second floor but in no way comparable to the suite he'd occupied in the tul's compound.
But this I've earned
, he reminded himself.
The room and everything in it is rightfully mine
.

"You'll want to wash before the tailor arrives," Serasti told him. "This room shares the bath directly across the hall. It has no attendants while the xaan is in the country, so you'll have to wait until a pair are released from the wagons."

"I don't need the attendants." When her brows went up and the corners of her mouth tucked down, it took him a moment to realize what he'd forgotten. "Karjet."

Serasti sniffed, only slightly appeased. "You know how to operate the cisterns? The boilers? The showers?"

"I can operate the showers," he protested indignantly.

"Fine. Do so." Nostrils flaring, she looked as though she smelled something unpleasant. "I expect you'll be using the shower frequently." Turning on her heel, she left the room.

"It's the
robe
!" She made no response although she had to have heard and Benedikt sighed. He'd already bathed once today. In fact, he'd probably bathed more since he'd arrived in Petayn than he had all the rest of his life. "It's not my fault it's always so hot here." He used the robe to wipe sweat from his sides as he crossed the hall.

The shared bath had an alcove entry hung with bells instead of a door. A huge wooden tub and its boiler filled one corner. It was a soaking tub and built for more than one occupant at a time. Benedikt had never seen one before, but he'd read about them in recalls bards had sent from the Havakeen Empire. Although it was deep enough for the kigh, with no door, attendants, and bathing companions, Benedikt doubted he'd be calling them any time soon.

"I'm going to have to see what I can do to get more braids," he muttered, pushing aside a beaded curtain and stepping into one of the half-dozen shower alcoves. It was no different from his shower at the tul's compound. Opening the lever, he let the lukewarm water from the cistern pour over him, then, turning it off, he scooped soap up on a cloth and began to wash.

The xaan wanted him to think of a way water could be of use to House Kohunlich but, at the moment, all he could think of was how water could be of use to him.

The division of the front of the house continued its entire length. One outside third belonged to the xaan, the other to the tul, and the center held a divided courtyard. The wall between the halves had a guarded door in the middle of it, but Benedikt doubted that it had been opened in recent memory.

Finally wearing a sawrap that fit, Benedikt walked in the gardens, waiting for the xaan to have time for him. In the two days they'd been in Atixlan, he hadn't been called to sing her to sleep nor had she joined her household for any meals. Feeling forgotten, Benedikt made himself feel even worse by spending all his time thinking about Xhojee and the tul on the other side of the wall. He
had
seen Xhojee at the front of the house; while standing out on the balcony, he'd seen him again in a third-floor window staring at the xaan's part of the house. Once he'd seen Benedikt, he'd disappeared.

Benedikt could think of only one reason why Tul Altun would have brought Xhojee to Atixlan. The tul wanted him back.

But the xaan knew he wasn't a warrior of Tulpayotee. And the xaan's people knew. As far as Benedikt could see, the tul would gain nothing but his sister's enmity by repossessing him although, given the tul's performance the day they'd arrived, that might be all he was after.

At least living with the tul I had someone to talk to
. It was incredibly frustrating knowing his one friend in Petayn was on the other side of that wall and might as well be in Shkoder for all the time they'd be able to spend together. He wouldn't have given the wall a thought had it not been separating him from Xhojee, but as it was, it made him feel like a prisoner. Pacing along its length, he listened for sounds from the other side and heard nothing.

The call of falling water drew him at last to a small fountain screened on two sides by flowering vines. Water poured from a pair of clasped hands, cascaded down three white ceramic basins, and finally spilled into a round pond where tiny silver fish swam over a blue ceramic bottom. Given that Petayn taste tended toward overdoing both color and design, it was the prettiest thing he'd seen.

Smiling, he settled onto the intricately carved stone bench that curved around the edge of the pond. A few moments later, the kigh were dancing to his Song, the tiny fish flashing silver within them. Their joyful response eased his need for Xhojee even as it increased his desire to throw himself into their embrace—it was probably fortunate that the water was so shallow.

An approaching conversation, only partially blocked by the vines hiding him from the speakers, seemed to indicate that his Song had been overheard.
It doesn't matter
, he reminded himself.
They know what you can do
. So with part of his attention on his imminent audience, he continued doing it.

There were three of them, two women and a man, and although they'd fallen silent by the time they were standing behind him, he could feel their interest. Changing his Song slightly, he had a kigh leap up from the pond to the first basin and back again, still carrying the fish.

Aware he was showing off but unable to help himself, Benedikt Sang two kigh up to the pair of hands, had them form a single vaguely human shape at the top and bow, then split apart and chase each other back to the pond. Intega's requests and increasing delight kept him busy for the next few moments. Then feeling his voice begin to burr, he Sang the kigh a gratitude and finally turned around.

Their reaction was everything Benedikt could have hoped for. Even Javez was impressed and told him so.

"It's like something out of one of the old tales," he said, clapping Benedikt on the shoulder. "The man who talked to water." He rolled the words off his tongue, then grinned. "It could be a companion tale to the old woman who lived in the sea."

"The old woman needs an old man," Intega protested, pressing up against his side. "Benedikt is young, he needs a young woman. Don't you, Benedikt?"

"Look how red his ears are turning." Yexli, the second woman—girl really, Benedikt doubted she was even as old as he was—was the youngest of the xaan's "cousins" who'd accompanied her into Atixlan. Her braids, although heavily interwoven with feathers, were still quite short. "You're making him uncomfortable, Intega."

"Am I, Benedikt?" Reaching out, she stroked the golden triangle of hair in the center of his chest. "It's soft. I've been wondering."

"Wondering?" he repeated, wishing he could think of something a little more original to say. "Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Javez laughed, smacking his sister's finger away. "Xaan Mijandra's told everyone not to touch." He laughed again at Benedikt's reaction. "You didn't know that, did you? Since you're too big to need her protection, I'd say she's got you marked for herself."