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"Stop, wait!" Teleet himself up on one knee "Wait Don’t take him anywhere I haven’t finished; I haven’t finished Goewin, help led up on her outstretched ar to thury: Oh, the hardship I endured while thisfear and pain he dealt me! Telemakos held Goewin’s elbow for support and advanced on his enemy

Anako stood with his ar, but hunching his head between his shoulders as though he could hide himself that way

"Do you look at me, Anako," Telemakos co on his aunt’s ars rising over one eyebrow and aside the other Anako looked, and looked away

"I know n blood that makes me seem such a freak to you also makes me a prince I arrest you I arrest you in the na of Aksum and of all the tribes, the Beja, the Noba, the Kasu, and the Siyaainst the Aksumite nation The citizens of your ruined city anxiously await your arrival in the afterlife; I wish you joy of them"

Telemakos turned away from the one called the Lazarus, and said with satisfaction, "I have finished now"

He refused to be put to bed He arden to wait for the jeweler, and for Medraut to see to his shoulder

Turunesh stripped hi’s stopped," she said calet you clean clothes, love, and we’ll wash that cut before your father gets here"

She went back inside "Tell her to bring my book, too," Telemakos said to Goewin

Theyhi himself over to the fish pond, so he could dabble in the water, and fell in up to his elbows

"Telemakos!" His mother dropped the clothes she carried and ran to him "You are your oorst enemy! You will drown yourself, or poison that wound! For pity’s sake, stop trying to ain Goewin came back with his book

"You are too excited to pay attention to this, I know," Turunesh said "What can we do to distract you?"

Teleain, the faint, sour smell that had betrayed Anako to him He said suddenly, "I want to see the caracal"

"What a good idea"

Goeent for the caracal The tall boy that Tele black cat Goewin paced at his side, apprehensive They stopped before Telemakos

The moustached boy held the creature’s lead in both hands; but he let go one hand to scratch the cat between its ears "Eh, Chariclea," the boy said fondly, and offered the lead to Telelanced up at Goewin, and added quickly, "She won’t pull"

"Thank you," Telemakos said "What’s your name?"

"Yesaka"

"I’m Telemakos"

"Lij Telelance at Goewin

"Well, yes But no one bothers, usually, least of all ht I was someone’s servant"

Yesaka said in a low voice, "That wasn’t the last time we met"

The caracal sat down between thean to wash itself

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you in Afar When you were a prisoner there, when you were brought before my master I was there with him"

Goewin turned suddenly to Teleilant and wary Telemakos said cautiously, "Did you knoho I was?"

"I guessed what you were I knew the archon was looking for a spy, and I knew you were not what they took you for I knew you were out of Gebre Meskal’s court; I knew you could talk and hear, and that you "

"Did you say anything? Of course not, of course you didn’t say anything, or I would no longer be alive" Tele to know more about Anako’s quietly rebellious ani Goewin to knohat had happened to him in Afar

Curiosity won out over caution "Why didn’t you say anything?"

Yesaka suddenly knelt before Teleent for the emperor as well We were comrades, even if you did not know it If I held silent, I was your conspirator, and neither one of us was alone"

"You were my comrade," Tele It meant more to me than I can say"

The tall boy snatched at one of Teleainst it, and kissed it

"I auided out of the garden court again, Goewin knelt by Teleether "Now tell ?"

"I was blindfolded Anako was afraid I would recognize him, and so I should have"

That did not sound so dreadful

Goewin screwed up her , I know it Why was the caracal keeper weeping?"

That was nearly ied ahead anyway "He couldn’t keep it still, and they had to send him out It scratched him, I think"

Telemakos bit his lip, and prayed that Goewin had not noticed the caracal’s clawless feet