The river coiled against land carpeted with sawgrass. Beyond the river many farsangs of dense woods stretched into an impenetrable darkness. Gold Dust heard the hoot of an owl. Then another. And another. A bad omen, the Shah had believed. She resisted turning around and racing back to the harem and sneaking into her quarters. Here she was faced with the dense night, fierce sharks, and sawgrass that would cut like a hundred blades. Another hoot punctured the night.

Hazel-Boy touched her arm. “These are signals. They’re sending a raft from the other side.”

She did not care to ask who. It did not matter. The sharks would devour them, raft and all. What mattered was to keep her dignity so her daughter would remember her as marching away like a warrior.

“What kind of a raft?” Raven demanded. From the beginning of their journey, she was certain the eunuch would not dare the dangerous waters without a carefully devised plan. Now he must reveal it so she could help assure its success.

Hazel-Boy believed he understood Raven’s concern. The tenacious princess was bent on helping her mother escape so no one would thwart her aspirations. He understood Gold Dust’s silence. The favorite was still as proud as the day he had tutored her in the erotic arts. Now she refused to utter a word in fear of revealing her dread. “The merchant and Rebekah are sending a raft. We’ll row back to the other bank and advance into the forest before we’re missed.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Raven hissed. “The sharks would destroy the raft in seconds.”

Hazel-Boy held on to Gold Dust’s arm. “At the mouth of the river the blood of other fish is keeping the sharks busy.”

The white of Raven’s teeth flashed in the moonlight. This plan might succeed. Then she would return to the Shah’s quarters, entertain him until her mother distanced herself from the city.

And the king and the empire would belong to her.

The horizon was turning purple, and stars were beginning to fade away, but the raft had not arrived. Raven’s fingers snapped impatiently. “We can’t wait any longer. Come, I’ll send you safely to the other side! But I can’t lose both my mother and grandmother. You must send Rebekah back to me. I promise no harm will come to her or to the merchant. Now take off your clothing.”

In answer to Hazel-Boy’s questioning glance, Raven unlocked the jar from the chain around her waist. “With this ointment covering your bodies, the sharks won’t approach you. You’ll have five minutes to swim to the other side before the ointment washes off. It’s ample time. I’ve tried it.” She had helped the naked divers create an ointment with the binding qualities of gum that would not melt as fast as the previous one.

The courageous mask Gold Dust had painted on her face crumbled. She did not dare swim in these waters with only an ointment for a shield. She felt helpless against Raven’s admonishing stare.