“Are you a radical, General? Or just an ambitious man who plans to use the blood of others to wash his hands at the altar of victory?”

“As you say, there will be a conflagration sooner or later. Which do you want, Magister? I will bring it sooner, and before the old order is quite ready to combat it.”

“They are ready,” said Vai. “They will fight you to the last drop of their blood.”

“I would expect nothing less. Yet it is long past time for the old order to be strangled in its amply feathered bed of unspeakable luxury.”

“You live well,” said Vai.

“And I am given to understand that you tailor well. Don’t trouble me with the tired old argument that a radical must be poor to be pure. Nothing bores me more than the man who makes a parade of his austerity. You do not trust me, Magister. Yet I have something you want which the mansa will not give you. Since you are talking to me instead of killing me, for I see you keep your cold steel close at hand, I must assume you have already made your choice.”

“I have made my choice,” said Vai.

I had finished smearing myself with ointment and wielded a cloth fan to dry. From behind my screen, I asked, “General, did you know that Juba and Prince Caonabo are twins?”

“Why, yes, Cat, I do happen to know that.”

“Why not marry Bee to Juba? He could come back from exile and take the cacique’s seat of power with Bee at his side. Why marry Bee to a fire mage, when she might be caught in the conflagration? Can you imagine I would wish even the chance of this on Bee?”

“Do not think every fire mage is like Drake. Juba’s exile is permanent. That is the Taino law. As for Caonabo, recall that he has a catch-fire. More importantly, he is now the cacica’s only other living son. But he is said to have the temperament of an unworldly scholar. You see, Juba was the one meant for the throne. Now the cacica fears an attempt by factions within her court to install a different claimant. That is why Caonabo needs the alliance with a dragon dreamer.”

Juba’s interest in Bee suddenly took on a much more ominous cast. Did he support his brother, or hope to undermine him? I pulled on my blouse and tied my pagne around my hips. “How providential for you, General, that you stumbled upon my cousin so early in your campaign.”

“Providential? Never forget that I am an accomplished campaigner.” When I stepped out from behind the screen, the general walked to the door and opened it. “Cat, we leave in an hour. I hope you are fit for it.”

“I will stand beside Bee for as long as she needs me. But you must promise me, General, that no harm will come to my husband in the twenty days I am with her.”

“I promise on my mother’s grave that no harm will come to your husband by any intent, plot, knowledge, conspiracy, or neglect of mine. He is too valuable. Magister, will you stay? Ah. I see by your wounded look it was a foolish question. Naturally you will be remaining where you can most quickly be reunited with your wife. Just as well, since I took the liberty of sending for your things.”

From the hall came the sound of footsteps. Captain Tira appeared, casting a doubtful glance at Vai and an interested one at me. She ushered in men who were carrying Vai’s chest, several baskets, and the bed. Vai and I must have appeared like academy students flummoxed by an unexpected exam they had not prepared for. The four soldiers retreated with disciplined haste and poorly suppressed grins.

“Did someone betray Vai?” I demanded.

“No. I took the liberty of looking through Beatrice’s sketchbook. On a page with four phases of the moon, which clearly represent Four Moons House and thus the cold mage, I recognized the bench.”

“Bastard!” I said. “That’s put us in our place.”

“Now, Cat,” he said with a smile as sharp as a splinter, digging deep, “were I you, I would not be precipitous in throwing around that particular word. One hour. Captain, shall we go?”

33

The closed carriage rumbled along for what seemed hours. My bold, fearless Bee sat with hands neatly clasped on her lap as she and I poured forth a stream of unenlightening babble about the baubles and fabrics we had admired on Avenue Kolonkan. It passed the time, and alleviated our nerves. We were dressed in the local style, in simple blouses and pagnes. Captain Tira sat at attention in the facing seat, too much like a jailer for us to speak openly about the things we most wished to discuss. Vai had accepted the general’s invitation to ride in the other carriage, since he wasn’t allowed to travel with Bee.

“And then I said, ‘Looking is not spending!’”