Looking around, Emerahl recalled that her purse was in a pocket of the tunic and the sea bell was sewn into her sleeve. She rose and walked to the door. Rozea glanced at the discarded tawl and shift, then smiled and led her out.

“We tell our customers our girls are from good families that fell on hard times,” Rozea said as they descended the stairs. “You have an old-fashioned way of talking which will support that illusion. You’ll be taught all the social graces of high society. If you prove an apt student we’ll teach you a language or two.”

Emerahl smiled wryly. “You’ll find I’m a fast learner.”

“Good. Can you read?”

“A little.” She hoped she was right. If the language had changed over a century, how much had writing changed?

“Write?”

“A little.”

“Sing?”

“Well enough to frighten birds from the crops.”

Rozea laughed quietly. “No singing, then. What about dancing?”

“No.” Which was probably true. It had been a long time.

“What is your name?”

“Emmea.”

“Not any longer. Your new name is Jade.”

“Jade.” Emerahl shrugged. “The eyes, right?”

“Of course. They are your best feature at the moment. My girls will teach you how to enhance your better features and hide your worst by selecting clothing, modifying your posture and, as a last resort, applying paint.”

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Rozea pushed through the door. A platten waited in the alley. The two guards climbed onto the seat next to the driver. Rozea gestured for Emerahl to join her inside. Emerahl glanced to either side as she climbed in. Main Street was empty but for a few sleeping beggars. Nobody was going to witness her “disappearance.” Not even her landlord, which wasn’t a bad thing.

At an order from the driver, the arem pulling the platten started forward, carrying Emerahl away. A brothel, she thought. Are the priests more or less likely to find me there? Probably neither. At least it will be more comfortable. It might even be profitable.

23

The sky was the blue-black of early evening. Stars blinked and shivered all around, but the cause of their disturbance was only visible when looking west, where hundreds of winged forms could be made out against a sky still aglow from the sunset.

These forms glided down to the Open, to the level area at the middle of the rocky slope known as the Flat. Fires had been lit in a large circle and their light set the faces of the Siyee aglow.