“Are you here as a spy for the Northern General Zerd?”

“No.”

‘Then … ?”

“I should like sanctuary from him.” I paused. “You remember having seen me—in his—household?”

“On the occasion of a very interesting entertainment he provided.”

“I am a hostage whose—privileges he abused. I fled from the army during the confusion of its being placed under tentage—you’ve heard of that?—and beg sanctuary.”

“How do I know you are not a spy?”

“Send me anywhere if you will not keep me here. I did not mean to come here.” I thought of liquidation by these people of the priests of the older sect. “I wanted merely to leave the Capital. And if you decide to let me stay I will work at anything; you can place me under any surveillance.” “You say you were a hostage. From what land?”

“The land north of the forests, north of the plains, north of your mountains—the land south of the Northern Kingdom—”

“The land of a female dictator?”

“I am her daughter.”

He leaned forward, rocking the stool, black eyes intent and mouth pushed into a silent whistle.

“You would have to prove that.”

“I can see no need to prove it. I can only insist that I am a hostage and not a spy. Besides, I can’t see how I could prove it.”

“The Dictatress has had reputed liaison with only one man —The High Priest there.”

My spine became just a little colder and this time I did not answer.

“What is your name?” Kaselm asked.

“Do you know what it should be if I am telling the truth?”

“Yes.”

“And what will happen to me if I give the right answer?”

He smiled for the first time since I’d met him that morning, but it wasn’t a reassuring smile, the amusement was too cold, too self-shared. “Now you say if instead of when—and your hesitation is most eloquent. Well, Cija, come with me to the Superlativity.”

That gentleman admitted me almost at once. There was hardly any time to wait with the dry-smiling Kaselm outside the August Apartments. The messenger returned almost immediately to admit us, and I could not tell from Kaselm’s behaviour whether I were to prove myself to an order of death. After all, a High Priest’s daughter in a town where a priest’s chastity and austerity was his point of honour—

The Superlativity lives in four rooms farther up the same blue-white stone passage. They are larger rooms than Kas-lem’s, but as austere.