LITMIR.BIZ

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face him.’

      ‘Is that all?’ I asked.

      ‘From the King-in-Waiting, Verity, it is. Prince Regal bids you attend upon him, and swiftly, for the time of the ceremony is only hours away, and he must be attired for it. And your cowardly poison, no doubt meant for Regal, has found poor Sevrens and Rowd. Now Regal must do with an untrained valet. It will take him longer to dress. So do not keep him waiting. He is in the steams, to try to restore himself. You may find him there.’

      ‘How tragic for him. An untrained valet,’ Burrich said acidly.

      August puffed up like a toad. ‘It is scarcely humorous. Have not you lost Cob as well to this scoundrel? How can you bear to aid him?’

      ‘If your ignorance were not protecting you, August, I might dispel it.’ Burrich stood, looking dangerous.

      ‘You, too, will face charges,’ August warned him as he retreated. ‘I am to say to you, Burrich, that King-in-Waiting Verity is not unaware of how you attempted to help the bastard escape, serving him as if he were your king instead of Verity. You will be judged.’

      ‘Did Verity say so?’ Burrich asked curiously.

      ‘He did. He said you were once the best of King’s men to Chivalry, but apparently you had forgotten how to aid those who truly serve the King. Recall it, he bids you, and assures you of his great wrath if you do not return to stand before him and receive what your deeds merit.’

      ‘I recall it only too well. I will bring Fitz to Regal.’

      ‘Now?’

      ‘As soon as he has eaten.’

      August glowered at him and left. Screens cannot be effectively slammed, but he tried.

      ‘I have no stomach to eat, Burrich,’ I protested.

      ‘I know that. But we need time for this. I marked Verity’s choice of words, and found more in them than August did. Did you?’

      I nodded, feeling defeated. ‘I understood also. But it is beyond me.’

      ‘Are you sure? Verity does not think so, and he knows of such things. And you told me that was why Cob tried to kill me, because they suspected you of drawing on my strength. So Galen believes you can do it, too.’ Burrich crossed to me, and went down stiffly on one knee. His bad leg stretched awkwardly behind him. He took my lax hand and placed it on his shoulder. ‘I was King’s man to Chivalry,’ he told me quietly. ‘Verity knew it. I have no Skill myself, you understand. But Chivalry gave me to understand that for such a taking, it was not as important as the friendship between us. I have strength, and there were some few times that he needed it, and I gave it willingly. So I have withstood this before, in worse circumstances. Try, boy. If we fail, we fail, but at least we will have tried.’

      ‘I don’t know how. I don’t know how to Skill, and I certainly don’t know how to tap someone else’s strength to do it. And even if I did, if I succeeded, I might kill you.’

      ‘If you succeed, our king may live. That is what I am sworn to. And you?’ He made it all seem so simple.

      So I tried. I opened my mind, I reached for Verity. I tried, with no idea how, to draw strength from Burrich. But all I heard was the twittering of birds outside the palace walls, and Burrich’s shoulder was only a place to rest my hand. I opened my eyes. I didn’t have to tell him I’d failed; he knew. He sighed heavily.

      ‘Well. I suppose I take you to Regal,’ he said.

      ‘If we did not go, we would be forever curious as to what he wanted,’ I added.

      Burrich did not smile. ‘You have a fey mood on you,’ he said. ‘You sound more like the Fool than yourself.’

      ‘Does the Fool talk to you?’ I asked curiously.

      ‘Sometimes,’ he said, and took my arm to help me up.

      ‘It seems as if the closer I walk to death,’ I told him, ‘the funnier everything seems.’

      ‘To you, perhaps,’ he said crossly. ‘I wonder what he wants.’

      ‘To bargain. There can be nothing else. And if he wants to bargain, we may be able to gain something.’

      ‘You speak as if Regal follows the same rules of common sense as the rest of us. I’ve never known him to do that. And I’ve always hated court intrigue,’ Burrich complained. ‘I’d rather clean stalls.’ He pulled me again to my feet.

      If I had ever wondered how deadroot felt to its victim, I knew it now. I did not think I would die of it. But I did not know how much of a life it would leave me either. My legs trembled under me, and my grip was uncertain. I could feel random muscle-twitches throughout my body. Neither my breath, nor the beating of my heart was predictable. I longed to be still, where I could listen to my own body and decide what had been done to it. But Burrich guided my steps patiently, and Nosy drooped along behind us.

      I had not been to the steams before, but Burrich had. A separate tulip bud enclosed a bubbling hot spring, tamed to use as a bath. A Chyurda stood outside it; I recognized him as the torch-bearer from the night before. If he thought anything odd about my reappearance, he did not show it. He stepped aside as if expecting us, and Burrich dragged me up the steps to enter.

      Clouds of steam fogged the air, carrying a mineral scent with them. We passed a stone bench or two; Burrich walked carefully on the smooth tile floor as we approached the source of the steam. The water rose in a central spring, with bricked sides built up around it to contain it. From there it was channelled in troughs to other, smaller baths, varying the heat by the length of the trough and the depth of the pond. The steam and the noise of the falling water filled the air. I did not find it pleasant; I laboured just to breathe already. My eyes adjusted to the dimness, and I saw Regal soaking in one of the larger baths. He looked up at our approach.

      ‘Ah,’ he said, as if well-pleased. ‘August told me Burrich would bring you. Well. I suppose you know the Princess has forgiven your murder of her brother? And in this place, at least, by doing so she preserves you from justice. I think it a waste of time, but local customs must be honoured. She says she considers you part of her kin-group now, and so I must treat you as kin. She fails to understand you were not born of a lawful union, and hence have no kin-rights at all. Ah, well. Will you dismiss Burrich and join me in the springs? It might ease you. You look very uncomfortable, held up like a shirt on the washing-line.’ He spoke so genially, so affably, as if unaware of my hatred.

      ‘What do you wish to tell me, Regal?’ I kept my voice flat.

      ‘Will not you send Burrich away?’ he asked again.

      ‘I am not a fool.’

      ‘One could argue that, but very well. I suppose I must send him away, then.’

      The steam and the noise of the waters had cloaked the Chyurda well. He was taller than Burrich, and his cudgel was already in motion as Burrich turned. If he hadn’t been supporting my weight, he could have avoided it. Burrich turned his head, but the cudgel hit his skull with a terrible, sharp sound, like an axe biting wood. Burrich fell, and I with him. I landed half in one of the smaller ponds. It was not scalding, but nearly so. I managed to roll out of it, but could not regain my feet. My legs would not obey me. Burrich beside me lay very still. I reached a hand toward him, but could not touch him.

      Regal stood up, and motioned to the Chyurda. ‘Dead?’

      The Chyurda stirred Burrich with a foot, gave a curt nod.

      ‘Good.’ Regal was briefly pleased. ‘Drag him back behind that deep tank in the corner. Then you may go.’ To me, he said, ‘It’s unlikely anyone will be coming in here until after the ceremony. They’re too busy jostling for positions. And back in that corner … well, I doubt if he’ll be found before you are.’

      I could make no response. The Chyurda stooped and seized Burrich by the ankles. As he dragged him away, the dark brush of his hair feathered a trail of blood on the tiles.

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