Duke Quettil looked down upon the Doctor and gave a small, high laugh. He glanced at the King and looked as though he was trying to control a sneer. "You think so, madam?" he said in an icy tone.

"I know so, sir," the Doctor said, busying herself at the quick of the King's left big toe and frowning mightily. "Oelph, the smaller scalpel-. Oelph." I jumped, dug in her bag and handed her the tiny instrument with a shaking hand.

"What do you know of such matters, might I ask, madam?" the Duke Quettil asked, glancing at the King again.

"Perhaps the lady doctor is a Mistress Geographer," Adlain suggested.

"Perhaps she should be taught some manners," Duke Walen said testily.

"I have travelled round the world, Duke Quettil," the Doctor said, as though addressing the King's toe, "and seen the reality of much of what is shown, rather fancifully, on your map."

"Doctor Vosill," the King said, not unkindly. "It might be more polite if you were to stand and look at the Duke when you address him."

"Might it, sir?"

The King withdrew his foot from her hand as he sat forward and said sharply, "Yes, madam, it might."

The Doctor gave the King such a look I began to whimper, though I think I was able to turn the sound into a clearing of the throat. However, she paused, handed me back the small scalpel and stood smoothly again. She bowed to the King and then the Duke. "With your permission, sirs," she said, then took up the tsigibern feather which the King had left lying on the table. She dropped, ducking under the long table and appearing on the far side. She pointed at the lower part of the great map with the feather.

"There is no continent here, only ice. There are island groups here and here. The Northern Isles of Drezen are simply not as shown. They are more numerous, generally smaller, less regular and extend further to the north. Here, the westernmost Cape of Quarreck is shown twenty sails" or so too far to the east. Cuskery…" She tipped her head to one side, considering. "Is shown fairly accurately. Fuol is not here, it's here, though the whole continent of Morifeth is shown… slanted to the west here. Illerne is north of Chroe, not opposite it. These are the places I know of from personal knowledge. I have it on good authority that there is a great inland sea… here. As for the various monsters and other nonsenses-"

"Thank you, Doctor," the King said, and clapped his hands. "Your views have been most amusing, I'm sure. Duke Quettil has doubtless gained great insight from watching his splendid plan suffer such correction." The King turned to a grim-faced Quettil. "You must forgive the good doctor, my dear Duke. She is from Drezen, where their brains seem to suffer from being upside-down all the time. Obviously all is topsy-turvy there, and the women think it fit to tell their lords and masters what is what."

Quettil forced a smile. "Indeed, sir. I quite understand. Still, it was a most diverting display. I always held with your father that it was both unseemly and unnecessary that women be allowed on to a stage when castrati were so readily available, however I see that women's fanciful and imaginative nature may be put to good use when it comes to providing us with such humorous vignettes. I see now that such frivolity and such licence is indeed most welcome. As long as one does not take it too seriously, of course."

I was watching the Doctor closely and with great trepidation as the Duke spoke these words. Her expression, much to my relief, stayed calm and untroubled. "Do you think," the Duke asked the King, "that she holds similarly picturesque views regarding the location of the organs within the human body as she does the features of the globe?"

"We must ask her. Doctor," the King said. "Do you disagree with our best physicians and surgeons as you so obviously do with our most esteemed navigators and map-makers?"

"On location, no, sir."

"But from your tone," Adlain said, "you disagree on something. What would that be?"

"Function, sir," the Doctor told him. "But that is mostly to do with plumbing and so not perhaps of paramount interest."

"Tell me, woman," Duke Walen said. "Did you have to leave this land of Drezen to escape justice?"

The Doctor looked coldly at Duke Walen. "No, sir."

"Strange. I thought perhaps you might have tried the patience and forbearance of your masters there, too, and so have had to flee to escape their punishment."

"I was free to stay and free to leave, sir," the Doctor said evenly. "I chose to leave to travel the world and see how things are elsewhere."

"And found little you agree with, it would seem," Duke Quettil said. "I am surprised you have not returned to wherever it was you came from."

"I have found the favour of a good and just king, sir," the Doctor said, laying the feather back on the table where she had found it, then looking at the King as she put her hands behind her back and drew herself up. "I am privileged to be able to serve him as best I can for as long as it pleases him. I consider that worth all the hardships my journey entailed, and everything that I have found disagreeable since I left my home."

"The truth of it is that the Doctor is far too valuable to let go," the King assured Duke Quettil. "She is practically our prisoner, though we don't let her know that or she would at the very least go into the most awful huff, would you not, Doctor?"

The Doctor lowered her head with a look that might almost have been demure. "Your majesty might banish me to the ends of the world. I would still be the prisoner of his regard."

"Providence, it can be almost civil at times!" Quettil roared suddenly, slapping one hand on the table.

"She can even look handsome, in the right clothes and with her hair done properly," the King said, picking up the tsigibern feather again and twirling it in front of his face. "We shall have a ball or two while we are here, I dare say. The Doctor will put on her most feminine finery and amaze us all with daintiness and grace. Won't you, Vosill?"

"If it please the King," she said, though I noticed that her lips were tight.

"Something we can all look forward to," Duke Ulresile said suddenly, then appeared to blush and quickly busied himself with cutting a piece of fruit.

The other men looked at him, then all smiled and exchanged knowing looks. The Doctor looked at the young man who had just spoken. I thought I saw her eyes cross for a moment.

"Just so," the King said. "Wiester."

"Your majesty?"

"Music, I think."

"Certainly, sir." Wiester turned to the musicians on the terrace behind. Quettil dismissed most of his retinue. Ulresile concentrated on eating enough to feed both the departed galkes and the Doctor returned to the King's feet, rubbing fragrant oils into the harder parts of the skin. The King sent the two shepherdesses away.

"Adlain was about to give us some news, were you not, Adlain?"

"I thought we might wait until we were inside, sir."

The King looked round. "I see nobody we cannot trust."

Quettil was looking down at the Doctor, who looked up and said, "Shall I go, sir?"

"Have you finished?"

"No, sir."

"Then stay. Providence knows I have trusted you with my life often enough and Quettil and Walen probably don't think you have the memory or the wit to be an adequate spy, so assuming that we trust young…"

"Oelph, sir," the Doctor told the King. She smiled at me. "I have found him an honest and trustworthy apprentice."

"… young Oelph here, I think we can talk with reasonable freedom. My Dukes and Guard Commander may choose to spare you their more spicy phrases, Doctor, or they may not, but I suspect you would not blush to hear them anyway. Adlain." The King turned to the Guard Commander.

"Very well, sir. There have been several reports that someone in a Sea Company delegation tried to assassinate the regicide UrLeyn, about twelve days ago."