Keeping a queen waiting outside a door was apparently bad form in Melnon as well as in England. At least that was the impression Blade got from the expression on Queen Mir-Kasa's face when the door slid open and she entered.

She was drawn up to her full height as she strode in, her gown swirling about her. She was only an inch or so shorter than Blade's six one. Wide dark eyes blazed as brightly as the gems in the tiara perched in her mass of dark hair, and her full red lips were drawn into a tight line. Two spots of vivid color that were not the result of cosmetics shone on her face. It was a face tanned and unwrinkled, although a good many strands of gray in the queen's hair suggested that she was well past forty. Nor did as much of her body as Blade could see show many signs of age. He could see much of it, for the queen wore a sleeveless form-fitting tunic with a neckline plunging down between her breasts to just above her navel, and a long flowing semitranslucent skirt. More startling than their limited coverage was their color. Instead of the allpervasive and by now deadly monotonous green, Mir-Kasa wore silver gray shot with red and purple threads, and purple sandals on her slender feet.

Blade had plenty of time to observe the queen, because she stopped just inside the door to glare at the three officials clustered around the desk. Their eyes met hers briefly, then dropped to the floor. A sharp motion of one long-fingered royal hand, and four warriors dressed in the same silver gray as the queen followed her into the chamber and took position on either side of her. She looked in fact like a victorious general entering a conquered town at the head of an army. Blade had the feeling that it would take very little to make her order the four warriors behind her into action.

As if they had read his thoughts, all four of them drew their long swords with a rasp of steel. At this the three officials became even more nervous, if that was possible. The First Scribe reeled and would have actually fallen to the rug if he had not been able to support himself on the desk. Blade noted that the three servant girls now actually seemed less frightened than the three High People.

Mir-Kasa's eyes were fixed entirely on the High People. There was an expression in those eyes that Blade did not like. It was an open, naked, enjoyment of power-particularly the power to inspire terror-a savoring of that power just this side of madness. Blade began to wonder if there was much safety to be gained by the queen's friendship. But on the other hand, if there was nothing to be gained by her enmity except death-?

Eventually Mir-Kasa got tired of making her officials quake in their boots. She made another sharp gesture, and the four warriors sheathed their swords and fell back to stand against the wall with their arms crossed on their chests. Her eyes dropped to the body of the administered girl. She laughed deep in her throat and smiled thinly.

«So that was the delay? A matter of administration only?»

«Yes, Your Splendor. She-«Another waved hand cut the First Warrior off abruptly.

«There is a time and a place for everything, my good servant, as even the War Wisdom says. Administrations can be dealt with at other times and places than this. And so can you. Now depart.»

«But-«It was the First Surgeon who mustered up the courage to speak.

«No.» Mir-Kasa did not raise her voice, but all three men flinched at the word. The power-lusting look was back in her eyes. The three saw it as clearly as Blade did, and took the warning. They were out through the door and out of the chamber so fast the First Surgeon did not even pick up his medical kit. A quick gesture from the queen, and the three girls followed them; a nod, and the warriors were gone. The door sighed shut, leaving Blade and the queen of the Tower of the Serpent alone in the chamber.

Blade felt a tension and an arousal that was not entirely erotic, although he strongly suspected what the queen had in mind. Being alone with this woman was a little like being alone with a tame but hungry leopard. He couldn't be sure when the hunger might suddenly overpower the tameness.

«Well, my new warrior of the First Rank. I, Mir-Kasa, greet you.»

Blade was not sure whether he should rise naked from the bath, so he contrived to bow sitting half-submerged in the cooling water. The queen laughed. Now that she was no longer trying to intimidate and terrorize, her voice was a rich throaty contralto.

«Do not stand-or sit-upon ceremony with me here-ah?»

«Blade-Liza, Your Splendor.»

«Nor call me by my title, either,» she added. «I spit upon ceremony whenever I can. And I would spit upon the ceremonious if I could. But even I am not my own mistress-yet. I am told that you come from a land said to lie in the Beyond, Blade-Liza. Is that so?»

«It is.»

«The reports that came to me said so. But some of the warriors who follow the Serpent see marvels in anything that is not in the War Wisdom. The more fools they. Do you have such notions among your people, the-English, is that it?»

«I am indeed of the English, and we do have some of that kind of person among us, although we have no War Wisdom quite like yours.» Fortunately, Blade added to himself. We have enough trouble fighting wars as it is.

The queen's eyes widened. «No War Wisdom. Then how do you fight your wars?»

Blade started to explain, but the queen held up a hand to command silence. Then her lips curled again, in what Blade could only describe as a lustful grin. He no longer had any doubt as to what she planned to do with their privacy.

«Blade-Liza, I would like to have you by me, as Queen's Steward. That is a post that must be held by a warrior of the First Rank, with — certain other qualities-besides. For the moment it is held by a lout named Nris-Pol-ah, I see you know him. But he wearies me. He is beginning to lose his other qualities. And he was never blessed with very many brains to begin with. So I think I will find out if you are fit to take his place. And then-«She paused for so long that Blade was driven to prompting her.

«And then?»

The queen lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard. «And then if you have-qualities-between your ears as well as between your legs, we can move on to other matters. You can move on to other matters, such as no man in Melnon has ever touched before.»

Mir-Kasa's words were ambiguous, but to Blade's trained ear her tone was not. She had dreams of absolute rule; and of Blade as her consort in that rule. Why would she consider an outsider for such a position? But then-who else but an outsider? He would have no loyalty to the War Wisdom, the Peace Wisdom, the system of High and Low People, or any of the other stifling traditions of the Towers of Melnon. He would be a new broom that she could use to make a clean sweep of all her enemies. Well and good, but not what he would have done by choice. However, when one can only choose between riding the tiger or being eaten by it…

Blade nodded, letting his eyes show the rest of what he wanted to say. Mir-Kasa's grin broadened until Blade thought it was going to meet at the back of her head. Then she threw back her head, snatched the tiara off, and dropped it on the rug. Her long dark hair flowed unconfined down her back. It was a very fine back, Blade noticed-as straight and supple as a young girl's. He returned her grin with one of his own.

It was as if the grin had injected her with an aphrodisiac. Her lower lip trembled, and her even white teeth clamped down on it. Her nostrils flared, and Blade saw her breasts heave as she took a deep breath. Then she motioned to him, sharply, almost as if she were angry.

«Come out of that water. No, do not bother to dry yourself off. I want you wet against me, wet. And I want to see how you treat a woman. A woman, Blade, a woman. Not a queen. For now and for all these moments between us forever I am not a queen but a woman with a man. Is that clear?»