The handle of the teapot nearly slipped from Yu Po's grasp, and the lid clinked loudly.

The mandarin frowned at his adjutant's clumsiness, then asked, "Then Lady Feng cannot tell you where to find lair?"

"Vaerana is… reluctant… to use your potion on

Yanseldara." Ruha cast an uncomfortable glance at the

Lady Constable, who set her jaw and showed no sign of

feeling uncomfortable about her mistrust of the Shou. "I

am sorry."

Yu Po finished pouring and set the teapot back on the tray, then picked up one of the tiny bowls and looked uncertain as to where he should place it. Minister Hsieh graciously gestured to Ruha, and the adjutant placed the vessel on the table before her. When he started to set the next cup before Vaerana, however, the mandarin scowled harshly and cleared his throat. The young man paled and nearly sloshed tea on the table as he swung his hand toward his master.

If the snub troubled Vaerana, she showed no sign. "I

don't want to strain Yanseldara. She's not strong enough."

Hsieh waited for Yu Po to set a bowl before the Lady

Constable, then picked up his own tea. Ruha slipped her cup beneath her veil and also sipped her drink, but Vaer- ana pretended not to see the steaming vessel before her.

The mandarin returned his bowl to the table. "Whether

Lady Yanseldara drinks potion is for Moonstorm House to decide, of course." Hsieh turned back to Ruha. "But if you do not know where to find lair, why do you need ylang oil?"

"Perhaps you have caught Winter Blossom?" Ruha asked. "We do know the general direction to the lair. If we carry the familiar close enough, he will lead us to

Lady Feng."

Minister Hsieh shook his head. "The lemur eludes us. I

fear he goes to hunt for his mistress." He looked back to

Vaerana. "It appears we have only one way to find Lady

Feng-or Lady Yanseldara's missing staff."

"I'm not going to pour your cricket juice down Yansel- dara's throat," Vaerana declared. "It was Shou magic that put her into catalepsy in the first place."

"And it is only Shou magic that can cure her," Hsieh reminded her. "Compared to need to reunite body with spirit, risk to Lady Yanseldara is small."

"I said no."

Hsieh nodded politely. "Very well. Lady Feng is in no

danger, but until you find staff-and Third Virtuous Con- cubine-you have no need of ylang oil."

Vaerana's eyes flashed silver. "You're threatening me?"

"I state fact." Hsieh sipped his tea, then said, "Until you find Lady Yanseldara's spirit and free it from staff, ylang oil does no good. There is no reason to give it to you."

"No reason?" Vaerana stood, knocking her chair over.

"I'll give you reason!"

"Vaerana, sit down!" Ruha urged. "It would be foolish to-"

The witch's warning was too late. Vaerana reached for

Hsieh's collar.

The mandarin flung hot tea into the Lady Constable's eyes and bent toward the floor, ducking her grab easily.

Without putting his tea bowl aside, he cupped his free hand behind her heel and pulled her foot off the ground.

Vaerana lost her balance and fell over backward, landing on her chair and smashing it into pieces. The tips of a dozen long-bladed Shou halberds instantly touched her throat. A dozen more encircled Ruha.

Slowly, Ruha placed both her hands on the table and glanced down at Vaerana. A red mask had formed around the Lady Constable's eyes where the tea had scalded her, but the way she was blinking suggested she was more astonished than injured.

"Vaerana, if you value your life-or at least Yansel- dara's-do not move," Ruha advised. "Allow me to explain the situation to Minister Hsieh, and I'm certain he-"

"You don't have to explain anything," Vaerana snarled.

"All Minister Hsieh needs to know is that Pierstar's wait- ing outside with a hundred Maces. If I don't join him with a cask of ylang oil in the next twenty minutes, there'll soon be another two thousand-and they won't be in a patient mood."

Hsieh rose, very slowly.

Ruha said, "Minister, let me explain-"

The mandarin waved her silent, a command that was

instantly enforced as his guards touched their halberd tips to her throat. Hsieh stepped over to Vaerana and peered down at her supine form.

"Since you know nothing but threat, we converse in manner you understand. First threat: If you try to touch me again, I snap offending arm. Second threat: If we do not find Lady Feng, you do not receive ylang oil, and

Lady Yanseldara dies. Final threat: If Maces do not with- draw from grounds of Ginger Palace immediately, my guards slay them all. Then they slay your family, your servants, and everyone inside Moonstorm House."

Vaerana met the mandarin's icy glare with one of her own. "No one threatens Yanseldara or Moonstorm House.

One way or-"

"Vaerana, you have the manners of a jackal!" Ruha barked. "If you say another word, I swear by the name of my father that I shall let the Shou cut your throat, and save Yanseldara without you!"

The Lady Constable looked at Ruha with the stunned expression of a sheikh being dressed down by the tribe beggar. Before Vaerana could recover from her shock, the witch turned her attention to the angry mandarin.

"And Minister Hsieh, your guards will not slay anyone inside Moonstorm House-or Elversult." Several hal- berds pricked Ruha's skin menacingly, but she ignored them. "There is no time for a battle-at least not now. If you wish to see Lady Feng or Yanseldara alive again, you must work together."

"I have no need to work with this woman," Hsieh snarled. "Lady Feng is in no danger."

"I am sorry to tell you she is-and also everyone inside the Ginger Palace." When Hsieh scowled, Ruha hastened to add, "I do not speak of Vaerana's Maces. I am speaking of Cypress. We must take the ylang oil and flee before the dragon discovers his spy's mistake."

"Do not lie to me," Hsieh said. "I see you destroy dragon."

"You saw me destroy his body, not his spirit," Ruha

said. "Do you not remember that he was undead? He has taken a new body."

Hsieh glared at the witch. "How long do you know this?"

"That does not matter." Ruha saw no use in lying; the mandarin had already guessed the truth. "What is important is that we leave before Cypress comes. If you allow him to have the oil now, you will never see Lady

Feng again."

It was Yu Po who posed the question Ruha had been anticipating since they left the Night Castle. "Forgive me for speaking, Esteemed Mandarin, but perhaps we make bargain with dragon for return of Lady Feng?"