Tess hesitated, gazing after him in confusion. Alexander gave a low call, and she glanced down at him absently. "Be quiet. We're going."

She shrugged as she began to negotiate the spiral stone staircase. Galen's attitude might be bewildering, but many good things had come out of this night in addition to the pleasure he had taught her. She had begun to understand the experiences that had created him and the battles he constantly fought.

No, she was not at all sorry she had come to the tower.

Chapter 8

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A murmur of voices, the sudden absence of warmth.

Tess murmured protestingly as she felt Galen sit up on the divan. "It's all right. Go back to sleep."

Tess opened one eye to see Said standing by the divan, striving valiantly not to look at her. "What is it?"

"Said says Kalim wishes to see me." Galen swung his feet to the floor.

Tess glanced at the lattice window. Only the first pink streaks of dawn showed through. They had not arrived back at the palace from the tower until after midnight, and could not have been asleep for more than a few hours. "Now?"

"Kalim says it's important."

She raised herself on one elbow. "Where is he?"

"In the anteroom." He paused. "Don't worry, I won't permit him to be brought into your presence. I'll go to him."

She gazed at him in surprise. "Why? I may not like the man, but I'm not so missish that I must hide my face when he appears before me."

His gaze shifted to the outline of her naked breasts beneath the silk sheet. "It wasn't your face I was trying to hide. I thought you might be feeling… vulnerable."

"You mean defeated." She shook her head. "You're not being sensible. No one has defeated me. Not you, and certainly not Kalim. I've only kept my bargain, and there's no dishonor in that."

She airily waved her hand. "Tell him to come in, Said."

"I'm glad you've shown me the error of my thinking," Galen said gravely. He nodded to Said as he lay back down and draped the sheet over himself. He tucked her bare arm beneath the sheet and drew the silken coverlet up to her chin. "I hope you won't mind if I object to your appearing in dishabille in front of another man. I find I'm experiencing a certain primitive possessiveness."

Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "I don't mind, but I don't understand. It doesn't seem reasonable for you to feel—"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Majiron." Kalim strode across the chamber toward them. "There's been a raid in the hills. A messenger arrived from the encampment of El Sabir."

"El Sabir!" Galen sat straight up in bed. "What raider?"

"They're not sure." Kalim hesitated. "It could have been Tamar."

"This far south?" Galen shook his head. "He's never raided the El Zalan before. "

Kalim shrugged. "The leader matched his description, and he took women and horses as well as gold and seemed very selective about choosing the horses. You know what a passion Tamar has for fine horses."

"Who brought the message?"

"Yusef." Kalim carefully avoided looking at Tess. "He wasn't at the encampment at the time of the raid, but rode in directly afterward. It was he who said descriptions of the leader pointed to Tamar."

Galen smiled crookedly. "You needn't be so discreet, Kalim. I assure you that Yusef wasn't with the majira yesterday."

Kalim nodded without expression. "I didn't think he would have remained in such splendid health if that had been the case."

"Quite right." Galen stood up and reached for the robe Said hastily held out to him. "And it appears my wife was not enamored of Yusef, but of his house. She needed a high roof from which to launch her pigeon."

Kalian blinked. "Pigeon?"

"It's actually Viane's pigeon. We're teaching him to—" Tess broke off. Why was she making explanations to Kalim? She turned to Galen. "Where is this El Sabir?"

"It's one of the encampments that guards the gold mines in the hills. The El Sabir is one of the vassal tribes of the El Zalan." Galen took the goblet of wine Said held out to him. "It's about a four-hour ride from here." He took a sip of wine and turned back to Kalim. "What damage?"

"Not good. He set the encampment to the torch, and there were six deaths." Kalim paused. "One child. The young son of Hanal."

Galen swore. "Mother of God, when will it end?" He thrust the goblet at Said, turned, and strode toward the dressing room. "We'll leave within a half hour. Rouse the men." He disappeared into the dressing room, followed closely by Said.

Kalim started for the door, then stopped and slowly turned to face Tess again. "I was mistaken?" he asked haltingly.

Tess gazed at him without answering.

"You should have defended yourself. You should have told me—"

"That I'm not a strumpet? Why should I defend myself to you? Why should I care what you thought?" She raised her chin. "I knew you were not my friend."

He flushed. "Perhaps not your friend, but I would not wish harm to an innocent woman." He inclined his head in a formal bow. "You have my regrets if my action caused you undue pain. I owe you reparation."

Tess stared at him in surprise. He was a proud man, and she had not expected an apology. He was undoubtedly more complex and perhaps less arrogant than she had thought. She tilted her head to gaze at him curiously. "It isn't only that I'm a woman of the West, is it? You dislike me."

"I have no right to dislike you. You are the majira. I should—"

"Sweet Mary, cease." She scowled at him. "Tell me the truth."

He opened and closed his mouth without speaking. Finally, he said jerkily, "I do not dislike you. I fear you."

Before she could recover from the shock of his words, he turned on his heel and strode from the chamber.

Tess gazed blankly at the door. His words had astonished her not only because of their content, but because of the admission itself. Kalim represented all that was alien and forbidding in Zalandan for her, and yet, for an instant, she had detected something vulnerable and sensitive beyond his proud, cold facade.

Perhaps she had also been arrogant in expecting these people to welcome her warmly when she had done nothing to earn such a welcome. Since she had come to Zalandan, she had not really tried to get to know the El Zalan. Like a child, she had played with the pigeons, ridden Pavda, and sought only to amuse herself.

"I'll be back tomorrow evening, if all goes well. Lord knows, I can't be certain." Galen, fully dressed, strode out of the dressing room. "I'll probably have to spend hours in the council tent trying to talk them out of starting a tribal war. Stay inside the city gates. Though I doubt if Tamar will be anywhere nearby. He usually strikes and then carries his booty back to his own encampment, but there's no sense taking risks." He started toward the door.

"Wait." She blurted out, "I want to go with you."

Galen shook his head. "This won't be a pleasant journey. No tents or satin cushions. We'll travel fast and sleep on the ground."

"I know that. I still want to go."

His gaze narrowed on her face. "Why?"

"I'm not sure." She moistened her lips with her tongue. "I think perhaps I might learn…" She shook her head and repeated helplessly, "I don't know."