Ambalasi waved the guards back with irritated movements and hobbled from the ambesed, leaning heavily on Elem’s broad shoulders. She did not speak while they went through the city, remained silent until the outside doors of her own buildings had closed behind them. Only then did she straighten up and walk easily to her private laboratory. There was a gulawatsan on the wall here, claws holding tight, mouth clamped to a sapvine. Ambalasi pushed hard on the ganglion in the center of its back and it turned sightless eyes to her, liquid dripping from its lips—then screamed piercingly through its wide-gaped mouth. Elem stepped back, numbed by the volume of the sound. Ambalasi nodded approvingly at the clatter of rapid footsteps as her assistants hurried in.

“You,” she ordered the first arrival. “Get the okhalakx serum from the cold cabinet and administer it to the sick animals. While you, Setèssei, will accompany this Yilanè to her place of studies to obtain charts.”

“I have been forbidden entrance,” Elem said.

“Only the Eistaa stands above me in this city,” Ambalasi said warmly. “Therefore in this city I will be obeyed. Setèssei will speak in my name and will take you there. You will return with all of your navigation charts. Is the order understood?”

As Elem started her gesture of acceptance, Ambalasi turned away and issued rapid instructions to her other assistants. There was much to be done and very little time to do it in. Only the fact that she had been preparing for this move for over a year enabled its completion now. Enge’s arrival was fortuitous and, on impulse, Ambalasi had angered the Eistaa and brought her leaving time forward. It was a minor matter. She had long been dissatisfied with this boring city and had been prepared to move on. Life was certainly going to be more interesting in the near future.

Her only fear was that the Eistaa had cancelled an earlier order putting an uruketo at her disposal. But the order had been issued a long time ago, when there had been need to go upriver for wild specimens, and would hopefully be forgotten until it was too late. As it proved to be.

“The crewmembers obeyed my orders,” Setèssei said when she returned. “They loaded all of the equipment aboard. Have you reached a decision yet about those who aid you?”

“I have. All stay here.”

“Must I stay as well? I who was your fargi and am now your first assistant. Am I to stay behind?”

“Do you wish to?”

“No. I wish only to continue serving Ambalasi of great genius. This city is of no importance to me.”

“Well spoken, faithful Setèssei. Would you then slip away with me—even though your destination is completely unknown?”

“I am your fargi.” Setèssei added qualifiers of loyalty and strength.

“Well said. You join me. Now see to the loading of the rest of my goods.”