Shadowplay

"Thank you, Idite, my flower," he said; unlike his wife's, his words were scarcely accented. "You may go now."

Idite and the girl made courtesies and withdrew, even as the small man lifted himself from his chair and bowed in turn to Briony. "I am Effir dan-Mozan," he said. "Welcome to my house, Princess. You do us honor."

Briony nodded and seated herself in the chair he indicated. "Thank you. Everyone has been very kind to me."

Shaso cleared his throat. "I am sorry I left you so suddenly, Highness, but I had much to talk about with Effir."

"I had no idea there were such places in Marrinswalk!" Briony could not help laughing a little at her own surprise.

"If by 'such places' you mean Tuani hadami-houses of our people-you will find them in quite a few places, even here in the north. Even, I think, in your own city."

"In Southmarch? Truly?"

"Oh, yes-but this is rude, expecting a guest to make conversation when she has not even been fed. Forgive me." He raised a little bell from the arm of his chair and rang it. The bearded man who had opened the gate the night before suddenly appeared from behind a curtained doorway. He was even younger than she had thought then, perhaps only a year or two older

than Briony herself. "Tal, would you please bring food and gawa for our guests-and for me, too. I was up early this morning and I am begi

The young man bowed and went out, but not before giving Briony a long, unreadable look.

"My nephew Talibo," explained Dan-Mozan. "A good lad, although a little too enamored of these northern towns and northern ways. Still, he is a fast learner and perhaps these new ideas he so values will bring something useful to the House of Mozan. Now, let me ask, my child, was everything to your satisfaction? Did the women verily treat you well? Lord Shaso asked that you be given every kindness-not that you would have been less than an honored guest in any case."

"Yes, thank you, Lord Dan-Mozan. They all were very kind."

He chuckled with pleasure. "Oh, no, Princess, I am no lord. Only a mer¬chant. Please call me Effir, and it will be to my ears as sweet honey on the tongue. I am glad you were treated well. A guest is a holy thing." He looked up as Talibo came back through the door leading an older man who seemed to be a servant, both of them bearing large trays. The food had ob¬viously been prepared earlier and only waited her arrival. The youth and the older servant arranged the bowls and platters carefully on the wide, low table, putting out unleavened bread, fruit, bits of cold spicy fish, vinegar-soaked mushrooms, and other savories Briony did not recognize. Tal then poured a dark, steaming liquid from a pot into three cups. When Briony had finished filling a shallow bowl with things to eat, she followed the lead of Shaso and Effir dan-Mozan, curling her legs under her and placing the bowl on her lap. She took a careful sip of the hot liquid, expecting it to be tea, which she had learned to drink from her great-aunt Merola

"You do not like the gawa, eh?" Dan-Mozan smiled, not hiding his amusement very well. "Too hot?"

"Too… too bitter."

"Ah, then you must add cream and honey. I often do myself, especially in the evening, after a meal."'He gestured to a smaller tray with two small pitchers on it. "May I do it for you?"

Briony wasn't sure she wanted it any way at all, but she nodded, just to be polite.

"Having you in my house is a privilege even greater than it is a surprise,"

DAN-Mozan said as he directed young Tal, with grimaces and flapping hands, through the delicate task of putting things in L3riony's gawa cup. "Lord Shaso has told me something of what happened. Please be certain that you are welcome here as long as you need to stay, and that nothing of…" He paused, then looked at his nephew, who had finished with Briony's gawa and was waiting expectantly. "You may go now, Tal," he said, a litde coolly."We have things to talk about."

"She is staying?" Tal remembered himself and shut his mouth in a tight line, but the question clearly a

"Yes. She is a companion of Lord Shaso's, and more important, she is our guest-my guest. Now go. You and I will speak later."

"Yes, Uncle." Tal bowed, stole another quick look at Briony, then went out.

Dan-Mozan sighed, spread his hands in a gesture of resignation. "As I said, a good lad, but he has swallowed too many new ideas too quickly, like a naughty child given a whole bowl of sweetmeats. It has disturbed his con¬stitution and he has forgotten how to behave."

"These northern lands can poison a young man," said Shaso, managing to look grim even as he piled mushrooms in his bowl.

"Of course, of course," Dan-Mozan said with a smile. "But young men are particularly susceptible wherever they find themselves. He will go back to Tuan after his year here, marry a good girl, and find himself again. Now, let us bless our food." He said a few words under his breath.

"Back to Tuan," Shaso said darkly. He looked drawn and tired despite the early hour. "There have been times when I wished I could do that, too, but it is not my Tuan, not anymore. How can it be, when it belongs to Xis?" He pursed his lips as though he might spit on the floor, but then seemed to think better of it. Effir dan-Mozan, who for a moment had looked concerned for his beautiful carpets, smiled again, but more sadly this time.

"You are right, my lord. Even though some of us unworthy ones must still keep ties there because of our trade, it is not the place we loved, not as long as those Xixian sons of whores-ah, your pardon, my lady, I forgot you were here-hold the keys to our gates. But that will change. All things change if the Great Mother wills it." He briefly assumed a pious face as he brought his hands together, then turned brightly to Briony. "Your food, Highness-is it to your liking?"

"Yes… yes, it's very nice." She had been eating slowly, wary of appearing

too much of a pig in front of this small, neat man, but she was very hun-gry indeed and the food was excellent, full of tangy, unfamiliar flavors.

"Good. Well, my Lord Shaso, you wished to speak with me and here I sit, at your command. I am very pleased, of course, simply to see you free, and amazed by your story." The merchant turned to smile at Briony. "Your bravery was, it need not be said, a large and impressive part of Lord Shaso's tale.",

Her mouth was full; she nodded her head carefully. She was also the per¬son who had locked Shaso up in the first place and she was not entirely certain whether this small, amiable man might not be mocking her.

"I need information," Shaso said, "and I wished the princess to be here since it saves me the work of repeating it." He saw her irritated look. "And of course it is her right to be here, since she is heir to her father's throne."

"Ah, yes," said Dan-Mozan gravely. "We all pray for King Olin's safe and speedy return, may the gods give him health."

"Information," repeated Shaso, a bit of impatience coloring his voice. "Your ships go everywhere up and down the coasts, Dan-Mozan, and you have many eyes and ears on the inland waterways as well. What have you hearci of the fairy-invasion, of the autarch, of anything I should know? As¬sume 1 know nothing."

"I would never be foolish enough to assume that, Lord Shaso," said Dan-Mozan. "But 1 take your meaning. Well, I will make as much sense of it as the Mother grants me to make. The north is all confusion, of course, be¬cause of the strange d'shi