Hirga put her hand on the pillow again. «Still warm from your harem whore.»

Blade took the chair and with great show of nonchalance put his feet on the table and regarded her with a mocking smile. She was aroused now, and available, but it did not please him to take her. For one thing, he was at the moment satiated and, for another, he knew she had not come to his chambers with sex in mind. That had been incidental. There was method here and a motivation deeper than the achievement of a spasm.

«Valli is not a whore,» he said, «and the matter is no concern of yours. What do you want with me? Or, rather, what does Casta want, for it is my guess that he sent you.»

The green eyes widened and he knew he had struck true. She looked away, at the small hands in her lap, much bejeweled and with scarlet-painted nails.

«That is true,» she said at last. «Casta did send me. He wishes to meet with you, to speak of matters to our mutual interest.»

«Why did the priest not come himself?»

«He is too busy at the moment. He has much to do.»

Blade smiled and tapped the table with his rapier. «I can believe that, Princess. Busy plotting against me, no doubt. And against the Izmir, even while he waits for the old man to die. Tell him not to be impatient-the Izmir may die at any moment. Then he will have only me to deal with.»

Hirga clasped her hands over her breasts and looked at Blade again. She was calmer now and Blade admitted that if she was a liar she was a good one.

«You misjudge Casta,» she said. «You have heard only one side of the story, you have listened only to the Izmir and his friends, and the old man is in his dotage and his friends are sycophants. You cannot know the truth about Casta until you see and meet him and judge for yourself.»