The woman's fish-eyes widened; a snake slithered on her arm. Her breasts werefair and gilded; they stared at him with come-hither charms and it was onlyJihan who restrained him, prince or no, from doing what Vashanka wanted then andthere.

What Vashanka wanted? Tempus, who never backed away from any fight, took threeretreating steps as Jihan whispered, "Riddler, my lord? What is it? Has shewitched you? I will tear her legs off one by-"

"No, Jihan," he muttered through clenched teeth in Nisi, a tongue neither princenor consort understood. He shook Jihan's grasp from his arm and rubbed thedepressions her fingers had made: the Froth Daughter's strength nearly equaledhis own. But neither of them was a match for Vashanka who, Tempus was nowcertain, in some way had come again. He was here- more infantile, moretempestuous than ever, but here.

And what that meant to a man who'd forsaken the Pillager and taken up with Enlilto balance a curse no longer so sure upon his head Tempus couldn't say. Butthere was no doubt in him that soon he'd take some woman-this one if Vashankahad His way of it-and consecrate whatever wench into the service of the god.

He just stepped forward, on his best behavior where the prince could see, onepalm sweating on the hilt of the sharkskin-pommeled sword, and took her hand."My lady, Shupansea, men call me Tempus-"

She interrupted: "The Riddler. We have heard tales of thee."

And then from behind a curtain came Isambard, acolyte and priestly apprentice toMolin Torchholder, running without regard to his priestly dignity, calling out:"Quickly! My lady! My lord! There are dead snakes in the palace! There are moresnakes than there ought to be! And in the children's rooms, where Nikodemos is... he's cut one of the sacred snake's heads off!"