Page 62 (2/2)

But he had loved the priests, or sorcerers who hoped to chain and control his power It had even occurred to him once that when it came time to sleep, he would choose the vaults beneath their moldy Motherhouse For all their meddlesome curi

osity, they would never have betrayed him

And now to think that the order had survived, with the tenacity of the Church of Ro bracelet on her arm, beloved of Maharet and Mael, was one of their special breed No wonder she had fought her way to the front ranks, as if to the bottom step of the altar

Khayman drew closer to Mael, but he stopped short of hi ceaselessly in front of them This he did out of respect for Mael's apprehension, and the sha afraid It was Mael who approached and stood at Khayman's side

The restless crowd passed them as if they were the wall itself Mael leant close to Khay of trust He looked out over the hall, where no empty seat was visible, and thehair and tiny upthrust fists Then he reached out and touched Khay it With his fingertips he touched the back of Khayman's left hand And Khayman remained still to allow this little exploration

How esture between i for himself the texture and hardness of the elder's flesh Hadn't some Christian saint slipped his hand in Christ's wounds because the sight of them had not been sufficient? More mundane cos tentatively exa each other

Far below, Arures Surely he saw Mael's sudden disdainful glance, but he did not acknowledge it

Chapter 17

Khayman turned and ehtened Mael, and Khayman felt the disappointment heavily Politely, he stepped away For a moment he was painfully confused He stared down at Araze with utter passivity But it was time to say nohat he'd come to say

"You er, ently "Don't let your love for that girl expose you The girl will be perfectly safe froins and her protector That name is anathema to the Queen It always has been "

"And where is the Queen?" Mael asked, his fear surging again, along with the rage that he needed to fight it

"She's close "

"Yes, but where?"

"I cannot say She's burnt their tavern house She hunts the few rogues who haven't come to the hall She takes her tih the minds of her victims "

Khayes in hiood The fear withered in the heat of the anger But what a basically quarrelsome creature this one was His mind did not make sophisticated distinctions