'Don't tell me,' said Vanda. 'Goronesh wouldn't even see you, and thosehypocrites who served Shipri told you that loss is part of the burden that womenmust bear.'

Gilla looked back at the golden dome of the Temple, still half-sheathed inscaffolding. 'Am I selfish to want Lalo back? I thought I was the strong one,but I need him!'

'Of course you do!' said Vanda stoutly. 'And so do we!' Her hair in the sunlightwas the same bright copper Lalo's had been when he was young, but her grey eyeswere troubled. Gilla swallowed the last of her tears and briskly wiped her eyes.'You're right -I don't know what got into me!'

'And now will you come with me to see the Lady Kurrekai?' For the first timesince leaving the Temple, Gilla took note other surroundings, and realized thatinstead of turning down the Avenue of Temples towards the town they werewalking along the outer wall of the Palace Square. She sighed.

'Very well. Let us see what the foreigner can do, for it's certain I'll get nohelp from mage or god of Sanctuary!'

The Prince had obligingly offered rooms for the Beysa and her court in thePalace, though perhaps he was only making a virtue of necessity. Gilla wonderedhow they all managed to fit inside. Certainly the place seemed abustle withBeysib functionaries in laced breeks and loose doublets or the flared skirts andhigh collars they all affected. It seemed to her that they even outnumbered thesilk-sashed Palace servants who went about their duties with such ostentatioussolemnity.

Gilla looked at her daughter, already aping Beysib fashion in a gown cut downfrom an old petticoat of her lady's whose borders glittered with threads ofgold. Whether this Beysib female was any help or no, certainly Gilla and Lalohad done a good piece of work when they used his Palace connections to get Vandaa position here. The Lady Kurrekai occupied a chamber on the second floor of thePalace, close to the roomier apartments near the roof garden, which had beentaken over by the Beysa. If Gilla understood what Vanda had told her of Beysibpolitics, Kurrekai was a cousin of Shupansea the Queen, not in direct line forthe lost Imperial throne, but royal enough to keep one of the sacred serpentsand to have been trained as a priestess.

Gilla shuddered, thinking of the beynit. Enas Yorl's basilisks had been badenough, and now she must face this imported horror. / must love that man, shethought glumly, or I would be running for home.

And then they were at the door, and the choice was gone. She smelled some kindof incense, like bitter sandalwood.

'Ah. the mother of my little friend. You are welcome ...' A voice rather deepand slightly accented greeted them. The figure that rose as they entered wastall and strongly built enough to make Gilla almost feel small. She blinked atthe magnificence of the quilted petticoat, whose crimson brocade had beenoverlaid with gold-work until its original pattern could hardly be discerned,surmounted by panniers of deep blue cut velvet and a corset of the same materialwith long, tight sleeves. She had not realized before now that beneath thecloaks that Beysib noblewomen wore outside, their breasts were displayed.Kurrekai's breasts were large, firm, and bore nipples that had been intricatelypainted with a pattern in scarlet and gold.

'Do be seated. I will send for tea.' Lady Kurrekai clapped her hands, subsidingback on to her couch in a rustle of silk. Vanda thrust a hassock behind hermother, and Gilla, who was finding that her knees had an alarming tendency togive way, sat down gratefully.

'Your daughter has been very helpful to me,' the lady continued languidly. 'Sheis quick, and oh, such pretty hair.'

Vanda blushed and took the tea tray from the Beysib woman who had brought it tothe door, set it on a low table of some intricately carven dark red wood, andbegan to pour. The tea service was made from a porcelain so fine it seemedtranslucent, and Gilla was abruptly conscious of the fact that she had notchanged her gown since Lalo fell ill, and that her hair was coming down.

She wanted to get to the point of this visit and get out of here, but the Beysibnoblewoman was inhaling the fragrance of her tea as if nothing else in theuniverse mattered just now. Vanda remained kneeling before her, until Kurrekainodded and finally took one ceremonial sip; then she swivelled around to pourtea into her mother's cup and her own. Gilla tasted the brew suspiciously andfound it oddly pleasant. She drank it quickly and then held her cup awkwardly inher lap while the lady, with endless deliberation, absorbed her own.

Then, finally, she sighed and set the cup down.

'My Lady,' said Vanda eagerly, 'I told you about my father's strange illness. Wehave found no one in this city who can bring him back, but your people are wiserthan we. Will you help us now?'

'Child, your sorrow is my own, but what do you suppose I could do?' Kurrekai'shead turned within the stiff collar and her slow voice held concern.

'I have heard,' Vanda swallowed and her voice went up a note, 'I have heard thatthe venom of the beynit has many properties ...'

'Ah, my companion,' sighed Kurrekai. She leaned back, and from within one hollowpannier appeared a flicker of crimson, followed by a slim black body as theserpent slid slowly out of hiding and coiled itself lazily in the fold of herpetticoat. Gilla stared, fascinated, at the darting scarlet tongue and thejewelled eyes.

'What you say is true. The venom can be a powerful stimulant if it is properly... changed ... But your father is not of my people. For him, only the venom'sfatality would be sure.'

'But there is a chance?' All the anguish of the past three weeks met in thismoment and Gilla found her voice at last. This woman must agree to help them!

'I do not wish to, kill a man of Sanctuary.' The turn of Lady Kurrekai's headheld finality.

But Gilla rose, and while Vanda still stared and the Beysib woman was justbeginning to look around, launched herself across the room. When she stopped,the beynit was barely a foot from her outstretched hand. The crimson head dartedupward like a flame and began to sway.

'Mother, don't mover Vanda's shocked whisper hissed in the air.

Gilla remained still, now that she had reached her goal, looking for the firsttime directly into Lady Kurrekai's round eyes. 'And a woman of Sanctuary?' shesaid hoarsely. 'Why not? Lalo will die anyway and I will die too. Why not here?'

For an endless moment, Gilla held the other woman's unblinking stare. Then LadyKurrekai shrugged, and with an almost careless movement interposed her fingersbetween Gilla and the red blur that was striking at her hand.

Stomach churning, Gilla sagged back on her heels. For perhaps the space of aminute the beynit hung with its fangs still embedded in the fleshy part of LadyKurrekai's thumb. Then it began to wriggle, and the Beysib woman grasped it bythe middle, with a little shake detached it, and encouraged it to slide backinto the .shelter of her pannier once more.

'In the name of Bey the Great Mother, the Holy One!' Kurrekai spoke suddenly,strongly, and then became very still, and though her eyes were open, they hadbecome as lightless as Lalo's. Gilla watched, shivering with nightmares of whatwould happen if a woman of the Beysib died here. Vanda had crept to her side andwas holding to her as she used to when she was a little girl.

There was a long sigh as the lady moved at last, and Gilla was not sure fromwhich of the three of them it had come. A great drop of blood like a cabochongarnet was welling from Lady Kurrekai's thumb. She looked around, gesturing toVanda with a movement of her head.