LITMIR.BIZ

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houseless Freebloods.

      But this entire tower belonged to the Nine, and nobody questioned their right to it.

      Isis took the first elevator past several floors assigned to three of the Nine, stopping at the highest floor. There a large chamber, which encompassed the entire top floor of the tower, served as a meeting room more lavishly furnished and decorated than her own simple quarters. The Nine had confiscated works of fine and decorative arts from the towers’ previous inhabitants, and now kept them safe for the people of Tanis.

      Isis paused just outside the elevator door to take in the scents and sights of the treasure room, basking in its beauty. On a small pedestal stood a very old sculpture, chipped and cracked, of a serene woman kneeling on one knee, her arms draped with plumage, a sun-disk set between a pair of horns gracefully balanced atop her head.

      It was strange to look at it now, when Isis could still recall a time when it had been new. When she had been that figure, wearing a winged robe and carrying that same horned crown upon her head.

      “Reminiscing?” Bes said, coming to join her. He was an oddity in a world of Opiri, no matter how ancient: short, round and cheerful, with a face that seemed frozen in a constant smile; large ears; and an oiled, curled beard.

      Isis turned with a smile. “It is better to think of the future, don’t you agree?”

      “Yes. But, ah, those were the days.”

      “You find plenty of amusement with your human friends...at least in their taverns.”

      Bes laughed. “They do know how to enjoy themselves. Not like—” He grimaced. “‘Uneasy is the head that wears the crown.’”

      “You do Anu a disservice,” Isis said. “He is no king.”

      “Tell him that.”

      “We are ready to begin,” someone called from behind them. It was Hera in her deep blue chiton, a glittering peacock pendant hanging from her slender throat.

      Bes rolled his eyes. “Let’s get this over with,” he said.

      They walked around the corner into the meeting area. The space was dominated by a large, beautifully designed round table, and the walls were decorated with murals and works of fine art on every side.

      As was customary, Anu sat at the head of the table, Ereshkigal on one side and Hephaestus on the other. Hephaestus stood out from the others with his slightly misshapen body and his limp, but so did Athena and Hermes—Athena with her bright gray eyes, and Hermes with his red-gold hair. Anu, Bes, Ereshkigal, Ishtar, Hera, and Isis herself were dark haired and golden skinned.

      They all stood out among the pale-skinned, white-haired Opiri, but their differences in appearance only reinforced their position in Tanis.

      “Be seated,” Anu said.

      The others gathered around and took their respective chairs, Isis opposite Anu. Fond of ritual as he was, Anu brought the meeting to order with words in a language nearly forgotten even by the Elders of Tanis, and called upon each of them in turn.

      Hephaestus and Ereshkigal, who lived among the Opiri, had little to report. Neither did Anu. None of their people had broken any laws or attempted to take blood from unwilling humans.

      “Because they are seldom among humans,” Isis said. “How can they face and overcome such temptations if they remain among their own kind?”

      “There is peace here, and no taking of serfs,” Anu said. “Is that not sufficient?”

      Not for the first time, she examined Anu’s face, sensing that he was hiding something he did not want her to know. Hephaestus and Ereshkigal seemed to avoid her gaze.

      But what would they have to conceal? They had all come to Tanis seeking the same way of life, worked toward the same goals.

      Knowing it was better not to air her doubts at the table, Isis listened while Hermes spoke of the half-bloods—chiefly Darketans—under his aegis, and Hera and Ishtar reported on the status of their wards in the human sector. They offered only the briefest and most general commentary, as if “their” humans were of little real interest to them in spite of the Nine’s noble intentions.

      With Bes it was entirely different. He was his usual cheerful self, offering nothing but praise for the humans with whom he so readily associated. If there were problems, he would never admit it.

      Athena, who valued wisdom, assured her fellow Elders that her humans were content. That left Isis.

      Immediately she remembered Daniel and quickly dismissed the thought. “We have had record numbers of humans apply to join us here,” she said with satisfaction. “It is as if they see our city as a beacon, shining throughout the wilderness.”

      “How many actually escaped from the Citadels?” Anu asked.

      “No matter how harsh their discipline, no Citadel can prevent all escapes. Most of the humans here are prepared to work hard and appreciate the strength of our defenses against outside forces.” She glanced at Athena. “They have settled throughout the city... I am surprised that none of you have reported the influx in your wards.”

      “Of course I am always glad to see more humans in Tanis,” Athena said.

      “My assistants will have this information,” Hera said, fondling the peacock pendant.

      “I will look into it,” Ishtar said. “I would regret not having greeted them personally.”

      Isis looked at her askance. Ishtar might consider most humans beneath her, but she was ready enough to take them to her bed for her own amusement.

      And am I so much better? Isis thought.

      “Have you nothing to say about this human who entered our city without identifying himself?” Anu asked.

      Of course Anu would know, she thought. He made it his business to look after all of Tanis, and he had agents who watched and reported back to him personally. He was not secretive about it.

      “The human is currently confined to the Immigrant Center,” she said. “He was a serf in Vikos. I have questioned him. He has given plausible reasons for entering Tanis without declaring himself, but of course I will investigate further.”

      “See that you do,” Anu said. “We know the Enclaves and Citadels are watching us for any sign of weakness or vulnerability.”

      “The Enclaves observe out of fear, and the Citadels with an eye toward conquest and stealing our humans. But I believe this human’s story.”

      “You have never been objective enough where humans are concerned,” Anu said.

      Isis rose from her chair and met Anu’s gaze. “I know my duty,” she said, “and have no need to be reminded.”

      Anu’s lip curled slightly under his tightly braided beard, but he nodded his head.

      “Very well,” he said. “I would have all of you remember that the Games and Festival will soon be upon us. It is time to let yourselves be seen in the human wards—especially Hera, Athena and Ishtar—to remind the humans for whose favor they compete.”

      “Bread and circuses,” Bes said with a laugh. “Let the humans work out their aggressions by legally fighting each other.”

      Isis winced. She had never liked the Games, which pitted one ward against another. Soon after their arrival in Tartaros, the Nine had agreed that competitions would be an excellent way to give both humans and Opiri an outlet for any hostile impulses as well as a method of cementing loyalty to the Elders of Tanis and thereby ending any lingering conflicts between Opiri and humans. To ensure fairness, Opir competed against Opir, human against human.

      But things had changed since those early days. Over time, Opiri had dropped out of the Games, leaving them entirely to the humans. Isis felt that the competitions had outlived their original purpose. The Festival that followed them still served

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