“Which of you did it?” asked Mai in her cool voice.

Keshad’s head came up. “It’s not just these two. They were all jostling and making jokes with no respect for the possessions of others! They all need a lesson in good manners!”

“You’re called Keshad, aren’t you?” asked Mai in a kind voice that would have killed most men and made Keshad shut right up. “I need to hear from these two men what they will say. I thank you.”

He gulped down a couple of breaths. Poor man! He felt things so deeply. But even as she thought it, Avisha saw Priya and the big man exchange an intimate glance, and the big man rolled his eyes and mouthed something that made Priya look at Keshad and smile with unconcealed amusement.

The clip-clop-clap of hooves on stone clattered in the courtyard; a buzz of women talking in low voices droned under. The sounds of hooves faded, shuttered by a clang of closing gates. Chief Tuvi walked over to the children and gently tipped Jerad so he could rest comfortably on the ground beside Zianna. Then he returned to stand by the captain. Everyone looked at the two Qin soldiers.

The soldier with the pretty eyes spoke first. “It slipped out of my hands.”

“I told you!” muttered Keshad.

Mai said, “Chaji, why did you drop the vase? After he said it was valuable?”

Chaji shrugged. “How could I have known he knew what he was talking about? I only meant it as a bit of fun. I didn’t mean to drop it. It slipped.”

“You may go, Chaji,” said the captain. “You’ll continue to ride with the tailmen until I say otherwise.”

His eyes widened; his mouth twitched. Yet as quickly as anger flashed, he controlled it, tightening his lips into a straight line. He nodded obediently, spun, and left the garden. The other Qin soldier began to follow, but Anji raised a hand.

“Hold on, Jagi. What do you have to say for yourself?”

The soldier’s gaze shifted toward Keshad, who was still glaring at the pavement. Then he looked back at his captain.

“Chief Tuvi,” said the captain, “place Keshad in a private chamber with guards.”

“Come on,” said Chief Tuvi with a cough that was almost a laugh.

When they were gone, the captain nodded at the remaining soldier. “Jagi?”

Jagi scratched his pock-scarred chin. Like all the Qin, he had a mustache but no beard to speak of, just wisps of hair on his chin. Captain Anji alone had a neatly trimmed beard.

“Speak,” said the captain.

Jagi sighed. “Captain, none of us like him. That’s the truth. First, some of us journeyed many days with him and his most excellent sister. Now we’ve traveled with him again to the barren lands and back. He’s arrogant. He’s unfriendly. He treats us with no respect. He never shared wine or ale but hoarded his own cup. So I suppose I thought he had it coming. I admit I enjoyed seeing the way his mouth frogged open and his eyes bugged out.” His grin made his eyes wrinkle and look merry.