The Dance of Time

The admonition was simply a symptom of Sanga's tension, so Jaimal and Udai took it in good enough spirits. On its face, of course, it was insulting. Teach a Rajput about horses!

The final message was also brief.

EMERALD READY IN TIME FOR TRANSACTION

"I'm off, then," said Belisarius. "At first light."

Chapter 25

Kausambi

Lady Damodara came into the chamber that served Dhruva and Lata as something in the way of a modest salon. There was no expression on her face, but her features seemed taut.

"Valentinian? I'm not certain-neither is Rajiv-but…"

Even after all these months, Dhruva could still be surprised at how quickly Valentinian moved when he wanted to. Before she quite knew what was happening, he'd plopped the baby he'd been playing with into her lap and was at the side of the one window in the room.

His finger moved the curtain. Just slightly, and very briefly, as if a breeze had fluttered it.

"It's starting," he said, turning away from the window.

Lady Damodara was startled. "But you only glanced-"

Then, seeing the look on Valentinian's face, she smiled wryly. "Yes, I know. Stupid to question an expert."

Valentinian waved at Dhruva and Lata, who was perched on another settee. "Out, now. Into the tu

Anastasius came into the room, scowling. "If you can tear yourself away from-oh. You know, I take it?"

Valentinian scowled right back at him. "Why is it that philosophy never seems to help you with anything useful? Of course, I know. What's the major domo up to?"

"He's getting everyone out of the kitchens. Rajiv and Khandik are rousting the rest of the servants on the floor above."

Valentinian nodded, and turned to Lady Damodara. "It will help if you and Lady Sanga take charge of the evacuation. Anastasius and I and the Ye-tai-and Rajiv-need to concentrate on the delaying action."

The tautness came back to Lady Damodara's face. "Rajiv, too?"

" Especially Rajiv," said Valentinian. He gave her what he probably thought was a reassuring look. Even in the tension of the moment, Dhruva had to fight down a laugh. On his face, it didn't look reassuring so much as simply sanguine.

"We need him, Lady," added Anastasius. "Rajiv's more cool-headed than the Ye-tai. We've been training him to handle the charges."

"Oh." The tautness faded. "You won't have him in the front?"

Valentinian started to say something that Dhruva was pretty sure would come out as a snarl, but Anastasius hastily interrupted.

"That'd be silly, wouldn't it? What I mean is, those tu

"We're wasting time," snarled Valentinian. "The boy goes with us, Lady Damodara. No way I want some damn Ye-tai deciding when to blow the charges."

By the time Dhruva and Lata got all the servants and maids chivvied into the cellars, some order had been brought to the initial chaos.

Quite a bit, actually. Between them, the wives of Damodara and Rana Sanga practically oozed authority, and the major domo was always there to handle the little details. Most of the cooks and servants and maids were now being guided into the tu

That, too, had been pla

Things were even orderly enough for Lata to do a quick count.

"We're missing one of the maids, I think. That one-I can't remember her name-who helps with the washing."

Dhruva sca

"I don't know her name either, but I know you who mean. The one… Well. She's pretty stupid, from what I could tell."

They saw the major-domo walking quickly toward Lady Damodara and Sanga's wife, who were standing in the center of the big cellar watching over everything. From the frown on his face, Dhruva was pretty sure he'd just finished his own head count and had come to the same conclusion.

A moment later, he and the two ladies were talking. All of them were now frowning. The two sisters couldn't hear the words, but the subject was fairly obvious.

"I better help," Lata said. "Will you be all right with the baby?"

"Yes. I'll wait till the last. Be careful."

Lata hurried over. Sanga's wife spotted her coming almost instantly. A faint look of relief came to her face.

As Lata neared, Lady Sanga interrupted the major domo. "Yes, fine." She pointed at Lata. "We can send her upstairs to find out what happened to the girl."

Lady Damodara looked at Lata and gave her a quick nod. An instant later, she was scampering up the stairs.

Even before she got to the main floor, she could hear the dull booming. The Malwa soldiery must be trying to batter down the main entrance door. Over the months, as discreetly as possible, Lady Damodara had had iron bars placed over all the windows on the palace's ground floor. To stymie thieves, she'd claimed, the one time a Malwa city official had investigated. He'd probably thought the explanation was silly, since that wealthy part of Kausambi with its frequent military patrols was hardly a place that any sensible thief would ply his trade. But he hadn't pursued the matter.

Now, that official would probably lose his head for negligence. Or be impaled on a stake, if the secret police decided that more than negligence was involved. The only way into the palace for troops trying to storm it quickly was through the main entrance. And that wasn't going to be quick, even with battering rams, as heavy and well-braced and barred as it now was.

Lata reached the landing and scampered toward the sound of the booming. The cataphracts would be there, of course.

So, indeed, they were. Along with Rajiv and the third Ye-tai mercenary, they were standing in a small alcove at the far end of the great entry vestibule. The same alcove that Lata entered, since it was the one that led to the basement floor and the cellars below.

"One of the maids is-"

Anastasius waved her down, without turning his head. "We know, Lata. She's over there."

Lata looked past him. Sure enough, the missing maid was cowering against a far wall of the vestibule.

"Come here, girl!" Rajiv shouted. "There's still time!"

There was plenty of time, in fact. The main door shook again, booming fiercely as whatever battering ram the soldiery had smashed into it. But, beyond loosening one of the hinges, the blow seemed to have no impact. The door would stand for at least another minute or two. More than enough time for the maid to saunter across to the alcove and the safety beyond, much less run.