"There may be no blood left in your veins," Kama said dangerously, "but whatabout your husband's? I've learned a lot in this cesspool you call home-will yousing the same song when you see me applying some of that knowledge to Dubro?"

"No..." said Illyra faintly. "He has nothing to do with this. You can't make himsuffer for me . .."

"Were you somehow under the impression that life is fair?" Kama straightened andstood looking down at her. "I will do whatever I have to do."

Gilla looked from her to Myrtis, who was watching with a faint half-smile. Hadthe madam of the Aphrodisia House put Kama up to this in an attempt to shakeIllyra out of her depression? She could believe it of Myrtis, but she found ithard to imagine Kama cooperating in anyone else's schemes.

"But I cannot..." said Illyra pitifully. "I told you. I have no cards. And Icannot borrow a set-each deck is attuned to the S'danzo who owns it. Mine cameto me from my grandmother, and there is no S'danzo craftsman in this town whocould paint a new deck for me."

Kama stared at her. Then her gray gaze moved thoughtfully from the S'danzo toGilla and back again.

"But you know the patterns of the cards-"

Now it was Illyra's turn to stare.

"And her husband is a painter who is said to have certain powers ..." As Kamacontinued, Gilla read in Illyra's face her own anguished awareness that theyboth still had hostages to fate.

"Molin Torchholder is the limner's patron. He will order Lalo to come to you,and together you will make a new deck of cards. And then-" Kama's lips twistedin what was intended to be a sweet smile. "Then we will see if there is anymagic left in this world."

Lalo pinned another rectangle of stiff vellum to his drawing board. He couldfeel the tension in his neck and shoulders, and Illyra looked pale, with a sheenof perspiration on her brow. The two cards they had already finished were drying