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Silk shook his head. “Not in the least.”
“I’ve called too many men that. I’ll find something else, something good enough, but it may take a while.” She turned back to Xiphias. “There’s jump seats that fold down out of the back of that one. You’d be more comfortable.”
“Feel better outside, lass! Know how to get this plagucy door open?”
She laid her hand on his. “You stay in here or we’ll get all naked and sweaty, and weobught to do that someplace nicer. Where’s the driver?”
“Hunting!” Xiphias jerked down a seat, sat, and contrived to sheath his saber. “Hunting your cat with Silk’s bird!”
“That’s right, I dropped Tick, and he cost five cards.”
Silk said, “When you got free — and I’ll be grateful to Tartaros forever — you should have come to me.”
Hyacinth shook her head.
“I understand. You didn’t know where I was, either.”
“No, you don’t. I did. I knew exactly where you were. At the Juzgado or the calde’s Palace. Everybody I asked wanted to talk about you, and everybody said one place or the other. But I looked, well, like every other slut in the Orilla, only worse, and I stank. I couldn’t wash, or only a little. I tried, but when the water’s dirtier than your face it doesn’t help much. I wanted perfume and powder, and a comb to hold my hair, except I had to wash it first and dry it. I tried to go back to Blood’s. Do you know about Blood?”
“About your trying to go back there? No.”
“And clean clothes, clean underwear and a bunch of other things. You know what I’d look like without all this stuff?”
“Yes,” Silk declared. “Like Kypris herself.”
“Thanks. Like a boy, only with tits down to my waist. You saw me naked.”
Silk felt his face flush. “They weren’t. Not nearly.”
“That’s the trouble with big ones,” Hyacinth explained to Xiphias. “The bigger they are the lower they go, unless you’ve got something to hold them up. Will that make it hard for me to sword-fight?”
“Will if they bounce, lass! But there’s ways! Think I don’t know ’em, long as I’ve been at it?”
“I put myself in your hands, Master Xiphias.” She gave him a sly, sidelong smile, then brushed Silk’s cheek with a kiss. “I was going to see about lessons that time I came to meet you, I mean before I found out it was so bad here, before we left Blood’s. When we got out of bed I said wouldn’t I be a good sword-fighter, and you said you’d back a dell with shorter legs that wasn’t so fond of her looks, or something like that. So I thought I’d learn and surprise you.”
He nodded, speechless.
“I’m a good dancer, I really am, and I never had lessons, so I think with lessons I could learn. Only it’s a long way to Blood’s and Auk took my money, and I looked like a slut, so I turned around and went to Orchid’s. She loaned me gelt and let me wash and, you know, fix up. But she says Blood’s for ice. This was only about, oh, before I went to the market. Did you know? That Blood was dead? Since Phaesday, she says.”
“Yes. I killed him.” Hyacinth’s eyes widened, and Silk felt pride, coupled with a deep shame in it. “I killed him with a sword Master Xiphias had loaned me, and destroyed the sword in the process. I’d rather not discuss the details. I understand why you wanted to return, or at least I believe—”
“All my things are out there! My clothes, my jewelry, everything I’ve got!”
“Also, you thought your driver would have gone back there, I’m certain. I also understand why you went to Orchid’s; you anticipated help from her, and you received it. I went there myself for the same reason a few days ago, and I was helped as well — I found Chenille there. Which brings me to a point I ought to have raised sooner. What was the soldier’s name? The one who watched you for Auk?”
“Hammerstone.” Two tiny lines had appeared on Hyacinth’s forehead. “It was Corporal Hammerstone, and he had stripes on his arm like a happy corporal, but painted on. All of a sudden you’re worried, I can see it. What is it?”
“It would take an hour to explain it all.” Silk shrugged. “I’ll try to be brief. I love you very, very much.”
“I love you, too!”
“Because I do, I have something to lose, someone — you — I must protect. Most men live their entire lives like this, I suppose, but I’m not accustomed to it.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to help. I really will.”
“I know you will. You’ll put yourself at risk, and that worries me more than anything else.”
There was a tap on the canopy.
“You see, I’ve forgotten some of my obligations already. I promised Chenille I’d help her find Auk, and Auk took you from me. Do you know where he is, or where this Corporal is? Patera Incus is anxious to locate him, I know.”
Xiphias interjected, “Don’t you think that’s that Willet outside knocking, lad?”
“Let him in, please.”
“I don’t know how to work this soggy door!”
“Then that will give us a little more time. You’ll solve it soon, I’m sure.”
Hyacinth giggled. “You’ve been around people like me too much. That’s what Auk says about houses. And I know where he is, too, or anyway I know where he was, at a reedy old manteion on Sun Street. Was that yours? That’s what somebody said when we were going over there.”
“It was.” Silk found that he was smiling. “It’s old and run down, just as you say; but I used to love it, or thought I did. In a way I suppose I still do.”
Scarcely visible on the other side of the darkened canopy, Hossaan tapped again. This time his taps were followed by a series of sharper ones.
“That’s where Kypris came to your Window? Orchid told me. It was at Orpine’s funeral, she said. I knew Orpine, and I wish I’d been there. I’ve got a shrine for Kypris…” Hyacinth paused, teeth nibbling her full lower lip. “Or I did. Is the house really wrecked? That’s what Orchid said.”
Silk recalled Blood’s villa as he had seen it during his rescue. “It’s badly damaged, certainly.”
“If it was just damaged we’ve got to go there!”
He gestured toward the canopy. “Even with Willet outside knocking? Willet used to be one of Blood’s drivers. You must know him — he drove you to the city so that you could meet me at Ermine’s.”
“That’s wonderful! He can take us.”
Xiphias exclaimed. “Think I’ve got it! Want me to let him in, lad?”
Silk nodded, and the door opened. Hossaan reached through it to unlatch the one in front, and Oreb shot past him to land upon Silk’s shoulder, a-flutter with excitement and indignation. “Bad cat! Cut cat!”
Hossaan slid into the driver’s seat as the orange-and-white animal he held spat, “Add word!”
“He led us quite a chase, Hy,” Hossaan said, “but we got him in the alley trying to wriggle through a hole.”
“You’re bleeding!”
“He put up a fight. If somebody else will hold him, I’ll get out the aid kit.”
“Add, add word!” the little orange-and-white catachrest reiterated. “Pack! Itty laddie, peas dun lit am kilt may!”
“She won’t, for an hour or two at least,” Silk told him. “Willet, I want you to take us out to Blood’s and help us collect Hyacinth’s belongings.” For a moment, Silk paused to gaze upon Hyacinth. “Then to the Prolocutor’s Palace.” As the floater slid forward, he added, “We may well need weapons, but we’d have to go back to the calde’s Palace, and we can’t afford that. I’d never get away.”
Xiphias accepted the small catachrest from Hossaan. “I’ve my sword, lad!”
Silk nodded absently as the song of the blowers strengthened to a muted roar. “Let’s hope it will suffice.”
“We might have these drinks I wish in the bar, perhaps,” Siyuf told Chenille, “but in my lodging would be more nice, do you not think also?”
“I had three with di