The birds of Sanctuary are black. From the hawklike predators to the smallseedeaters the native birds are black as the heart of a thief.

Hakiem, once the town's leading storyteller, had never paused to reflect on thecoloration of the birds before. At moments like this, however, when the businessof the Bey-sa's court was between members of the Beysib clans and conducted intheir own incomprehensible tongue, there was little for the Empress's nativeadviser to do but fidget and reflect. Habits evolved during long years drinkingat the Vulgar Unicorn had positioned him with his back to a wall and a clearpath to the doors-coincidentally he had gotten himself an equally clear view outa window into the courtyard below. The movement of the birds caught his eye; hefound himself watching their antics closely.

When the Beysib arrived in Sanctuary they brought, along with their gold andtheir snakes, a substantial flock of non-migratory seabirds they called the beyart-as they called their snakes beynit, their flowers beyosa and their goddessMother Bey. Every day they threw bread and tablescraps into the courtyard tofeed their winged allies. The birds of Sanctuary, who could not tell a palacecourtyard from the back door of a Maze slophouse, swarmed to this easy feast andfought savagely among themselves-though the Beysib made sure there was enoughfor all. Some black birds cawed or shrieked to drive off new arrivals, whileothers took vengeful pursuit of any bird attempting to make off with a morseltoo large to be consumed on the spot.

Two of the white beyari-the birds for whom the food was intended-soaredmajestically into the courtyard. In an instant all individual differences amongthe black birds were forgotten; they rose in a single, dark cloud to drive off