viceroy’s betrothed,” said Priamos in Ethiopic and in Latin. In the frantic astonishment that followed, Priamos enthusiastically repeated this last in Greek and Arabic, and finally, for good measure, in Hebrew.
Wazeb gave another bark of delight.
“We will come to order!” Constantine thundered. “Zoskales, do you sit on this council to prescribe laws or to nap? And you, Ras Priamos, I swear, if I am made to endure one more insolence from you I will set you to cutting salt blocks in the desert for the next two years, do not doubt me. Now let us finish this! I cannot spare another afternoon—”
“You have a season of afternoons to spare,” I blazed, and I was on my feet with the rest of them. It was all I could do to keep from striking him in the teeth. “The long rains are upon us. I may have no jurisdiction over Priamos in this land, but by my father’s sword, I am your queen, Constantine. Ella Amida. Whoever you are. Detain Priamos here if you must, but save for me your questions over my father’s wealth and the size of his armies! We shall discuss Britain at length before either of us is able to travel there. You may schedule interviews with me over all this season, but I will see an end to this inquisition of my ambassador!” I sat down and added, “Now, shall you exile me for insolence?”
It was the end. There were no more questions. Priamos was taken back to his room, and Kidane and I walked home together through pouring rain.
PART II: STALEMATE
CHAPTER V
A Red Sea Itinerary
“W HY ARE YOU SAD?” Telemakos said to me suddenly.
I stood in Kidane’s reception hall, arms folded, staring out the tall windows at the dripping forecourt. Telemakos was trying to teach one of the parrots to whistle as he did, through the gap in his teeth.
“You look sad,” he repeated.
“The rain makes me homesick,” I told him. “What do you do all winter?”
“Beg Grandfather to take me to the New Palace with him,” Telemakos answered readily, in between whistles.
“What is there to entertain you in the New Palace?”
“I play gebeta and santaraj with the queen of queens. And I play with the animals. Candake has very clever cats: we make them do tricks. She tells good stories, too. I like the queen of queens. She is beautiful.” He whistled again, speaking absently, concentrated on the parrot. He had an unintentional habit of narrowing his eyes and lifting one white eyebrow when he was focused on something, which made him seem deceptively calculating and precocious.
“I help the animals keeper,” Telemakos continued. “And—” He whistled, and laughed, because this time the parrot answered him. “Well done, Rainbow!”
“And?” I prompted.
“I like to listen to the courtiers.”
“Don’t they mind?”
“They never notice,” he said casually. “Grandfather is always telling me to listen.”
“Do you hide sometimes?”
Still coaxing the parrot, Telemakos did not blink or falter; but he did not answer me immediately.
“I might,” he said at last, “sometimes. If Grandfather were looking for me, perhaps.” He laughed again. “I’m always hiding from Grandfather.
“You should come with me when I visit the queen of queens,” he added. “She will want to play with your hair, and she always has the best sweets.”
“I will,” I said decisively. “I have to go tomorrow to talk to Constantine, anyway. And I want to see Priamos again.”
The guards at Priamos’s door bowed politely to me and ushered us through. We found him sitting on the floor of his room, sorting through a heap of books in at least five languages.
“Ah, Princess, how kind of you to bring me entertainment!” Priamos exclaimed. “I have read all of these a dozen times apiece.”
“Why don’t you walk about the palace more?”
“I cannot go anywhere without the imperial guard breathing down my neck. I would as soon stay here. My childhood at Debra Damo has accustomed me to stricture.”
I could not
Wazeb gave another bark of delight.
“We will come to order!” Constantine thundered. “Zoskales, do you sit on this council to prescribe laws or to nap? And you, Ras Priamos, I swear, if I am made to endure one more insolence from you I will set you to cutting salt blocks in the desert for the next two years, do not doubt me. Now let us finish this! I cannot spare another afternoon—”
“You have a season of afternoons to spare,” I blazed, and I was on my feet with the rest of them. It was all I could do to keep from striking him in the teeth. “The long rains are upon us. I may have no jurisdiction over Priamos in this land, but by my father’s sword, I am your queen, Constantine. Ella Amida. Whoever you are. Detain Priamos here if you must, but save for me your questions over my father’s wealth and the size of his armies! We shall discuss Britain at length before either of us is able to travel there. You may schedule interviews with me over all this season, but I will see an end to this inquisition of my ambassador!” I sat down and added, “Now, shall you exile me for insolence?”
It was the end. There were no more questions. Priamos was taken back to his room, and Kidane and I walked home together through pouring rain.
PART II: STALEMATE
CHAPTER V
A Red Sea Itinerary
“W HY ARE YOU SAD?” Telemakos said to me suddenly.
I stood in Kidane’s reception hall, arms folded, staring out the tall windows at the dripping forecourt. Telemakos was trying to teach one of the parrots to whistle as he did, through the gap in his teeth.
“You look sad,” he repeated.
“The rain makes me homesick,” I told him. “What do you do all winter?”
“Beg Grandfather to take me to the New Palace with him,” Telemakos answered readily, in between whistles.
“What is there to entertain you in the New Palace?”
“I play gebeta and santaraj with the queen of queens. And I play with the animals. Candake has very clever cats: we make them do tricks. She tells good stories, too. I like the queen of queens. She is beautiful.” He whistled again, speaking absently, concentrated on the parrot. He had an unintentional habit of narrowing his eyes and lifting one white eyebrow when he was focused on something, which made him seem deceptively calculating and precocious.
“I help the animals keeper,” Telemakos continued. “And—” He whistled, and laughed, because this time the parrot answered him. “Well done, Rainbow!”
“And?” I prompted.
“I like to listen to the courtiers.”
“Don’t they mind?”
“They never notice,” he said casually. “Grandfather is always telling me to listen.”
“Do you hide sometimes?”
Still coaxing the parrot, Telemakos did not blink or falter; but he did not answer me immediately.
“I might,” he said at last, “sometimes. If Grandfather were looking for me, perhaps.” He laughed again. “I’m always hiding from Grandfather.
“You should come with me when I visit the queen of queens,” he added. “She will want to play with your hair, and she always has the best sweets.”
“I will,” I said decisively. “I have to go tomorrow to talk to Constantine, anyway. And I want to see Priamos again.”
The guards at Priamos’s door bowed politely to me and ushered us through. We found him sitting on the floor of his room, sorting through a heap of books in at least five languages.
“Ah, Princess, how kind of you to bring me entertainment!” Priamos exclaimed. “I have read all of these a dozen times apiece.”
“Why don’t you walk about the palace more?”
“I cannot go anywhere without the imperial guard breathing down my neck. I would as soon stay here. My childhood at Debra Damo has accustomed me to stricture.”
I could not
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