His face was close, very close, to mine, and I smelled the wine spices on his breath. Another move, and we’d be breaking laws. Crucial laws I ducked under his arm, and he sighed and bent his forehead to the freezing stone.

“That’s convenient,” he muttered. “Be cool, my fevered brain. And it wouldn’t hurt you, body, to take a tumble in the snow.” He glanced at me across his scarlet sleeve, and smiled. “Don’t tell a soul, will you, Elsha, of this night’s talk. They’ll kill me or Quell me for what I’ve said. For what I think I’ve said.”

“I’ll tell no one, Alejandro.”

“Will I meet you again?”

“I suppose so. My lord said we’d be here awhile. And after that, we go to the sacred mountain for the great Fire Festival.”

“Ah, yes. The Fire Festival. I’ve got one of those going on inside of me. I don’t think it’s sacred, though. Probably profane.” He looked into my eyes, and his own blazed like jade on fire. “Definitely profane,” he said.

I wished him good night, and fled into the house. I drank my wine quickly, had a rapid second cup, then escaped to my room. One of the servants had already lit my fire, and torches flared on the walls. Kallai waited restlessly on his perch, missing my company. I talked to him for a while, and stroked his soft breast. Then I took off my heavy outer cloak, my blue dress, and crouched for a while by the fire in my creamy underdress.

My room was warm, and not unlike my room at the great house at Jinnah. This town called Qustra was also prosperous, our host’s house grand. The furs of my bed shone faintly red, and the wall hangings and rugs made rich shadows on the polished wood and whitened stone. The ceiling was low, and the huge beams stretched black and ghostlike over my head. For all its splendour, the house overpowered me. I could never relax in crowded houses; I preferred the wind-blown caves in the mountains. And best of all were goatskin tents.

I reached for my blue dress, and took my woman-stone out of the pocket. There was a soft knock on my door. I jumped, startled, and my heart raced. “Who is it?” I called.

“Who are you expecting, Elsha?” called the Firelord’s voice, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I put my woman-stone down on the warm hearth, and got up to open the door. But my lord had never come before to my room in these great houses, and I was bewildered, afraid, and befuddled by the wine. My hands shook as I drew back the bolt.