save an Elim escort.’
Pez stopped picking his nose and resisted the urge to stare at Ana in his anxiety. ‘She’s up to something.’ He watched the beautiful odalisque do an unhurried circumference of a pond.
‘Such as?’ she asked as she returned to pass by him.
‘I don’t know,’ he answered, worried. ‘What else?’
‘I’m to be given a tutor to study Galinsean.’
‘You didn’t tell her you were fluent, did you?’
‘Hardly,’ Ana replied, once again returning and passing him. ‘I didn’t give away much at all other than that I’ve been teaching myself.’
Pez leapt down from the wall and took her hand, pretending to walk alongside her like one of the strange monkeys from the Zar’s zoo. ‘Ana, you have a gift of tongues.’
‘Like you.’
‘No, better than me,’ he whispered amongst the hooting noises he was making. ‘You speak Galinsean already better than any tutor—I hope you can lie your way through the lessons.’
She sighed. ‘I will. It makes me feel closer to him.’
Now Pez stopped, both from sorrow and the guilt of knowledge he did not share with her. He knew precisely to whom she referred. ‘This does not do you any good, Ana.’
‘Keep lurching beside me, Pez, everyone is watching us and enjoying your antics,’ she cautioned. He did so. ‘Galinsean could be useful anyway,’ she continued.
He snorted. ‘What possible use could it be?’
Ana shook her head in gentle capitulation. No-one could understand how much it meant to her to hang onto every last reminder of Lazar. She regretted now not discovering whether he spoke any other languages and asking him directly where he was from. She answered Pez. ‘None, I suppose. She wants me to learn Akresh as well.’
‘Now that is a practical suggestion.’
‘I wonder why she’s being nice?’
‘Herezah will always have a reason for everything she does. Be suspicious at every turn, Ana. She fears you.’
‘Why?’
Pez made a clicking sound of exasperation with his tongue. ‘Because Boaz adores you. Isn’t that obvious? The two of you meet often enough. You forget I’m usually there and hear you laughing with him.’
‘I have asked him not to single me out,’ she countered.
Pez decided it was time to career around the courtyard like an angry monkey now. When hecharged near her, his back to the divan suite, he replied. ‘But still he does, whether you like it or not. His admiration is obvious…and he’s near enough seventeen, Ana. Old enough. You must be ready for where his thoughts head now.’
She scowled. ‘I love another,’ she said, truly shocking him into being still, his expression betraying his complete understanding.
He waddled over to where Ana stood and took her hand, heedless of any eyes watching, although grateful that they could not be heard. ‘This is not about love, child. This is about duty. An odalisque’s duty. As for the person you refer to, it is hopeless.’ That was all he could say without revealing the terrible secret.
‘He’s dead, I know, but that doesn’t stop my heart aching for him, my mind remembering every single little item it can about him, my conscience reminding me that I am the reason he is no longer alive.’
‘Ana, stop!’ Pez said, knowing tears were next, and then raised eyebrows should anyone notice. The other girls would then have to come outside to find out why she was crying. He dropped his voice. ‘This is foolhardy.’ Pez cartwheeled away and then, back on his feet, he ran from the courtyard.
‘Are you all right, Ana?’ someone asked. ‘Did Pez upset you?’
Ana turned. It was an exquisite girl called Sascha, from the region of Akresh, a hilly realm to the east of Percheron famed for its sapphires.Her hair was the colour of burnished copper and she had become something of a friend these past moons. Ana knew Sascha could see the tears in her eyes. It was best to go along with the idea that Pez ultimately upset everyone for one reason or
Pez stopped picking his nose and resisted the urge to stare at Ana in his anxiety. ‘She’s up to something.’ He watched the beautiful odalisque do an unhurried circumference of a pond.
‘Such as?’ she asked as she returned to pass by him.
‘I don’t know,’ he answered, worried. ‘What else?’
‘I’m to be given a tutor to study Galinsean.’
‘You didn’t tell her you were fluent, did you?’
‘Hardly,’ Ana replied, once again returning and passing him. ‘I didn’t give away much at all other than that I’ve been teaching myself.’
Pez leapt down from the wall and took her hand, pretending to walk alongside her like one of the strange monkeys from the Zar’s zoo. ‘Ana, you have a gift of tongues.’
‘Like you.’
‘No, better than me,’ he whispered amongst the hooting noises he was making. ‘You speak Galinsean already better than any tutor—I hope you can lie your way through the lessons.’
She sighed. ‘I will. It makes me feel closer to him.’
Now Pez stopped, both from sorrow and the guilt of knowledge he did not share with her. He knew precisely to whom she referred. ‘This does not do you any good, Ana.’
‘Keep lurching beside me, Pez, everyone is watching us and enjoying your antics,’ she cautioned. He did so. ‘Galinsean could be useful anyway,’ she continued.
He snorted. ‘What possible use could it be?’
Ana shook her head in gentle capitulation. No-one could understand how much it meant to her to hang onto every last reminder of Lazar. She regretted now not discovering whether he spoke any other languages and asking him directly where he was from. She answered Pez. ‘None, I suppose. She wants me to learn Akresh as well.’
‘Now that is a practical suggestion.’
‘I wonder why she’s being nice?’
‘Herezah will always have a reason for everything she does. Be suspicious at every turn, Ana. She fears you.’
‘Why?’
Pez made a clicking sound of exasperation with his tongue. ‘Because Boaz adores you. Isn’t that obvious? The two of you meet often enough. You forget I’m usually there and hear you laughing with him.’
‘I have asked him not to single me out,’ she countered.
Pez decided it was time to career around the courtyard like an angry monkey now. When hecharged near her, his back to the divan suite, he replied. ‘But still he does, whether you like it or not. His admiration is obvious…and he’s near enough seventeen, Ana. Old enough. You must be ready for where his thoughts head now.’
She scowled. ‘I love another,’ she said, truly shocking him into being still, his expression betraying his complete understanding.
He waddled over to where Ana stood and took her hand, heedless of any eyes watching, although grateful that they could not be heard. ‘This is not about love, child. This is about duty. An odalisque’s duty. As for the person you refer to, it is hopeless.’ That was all he could say without revealing the terrible secret.
‘He’s dead, I know, but that doesn’t stop my heart aching for him, my mind remembering every single little item it can about him, my conscience reminding me that I am the reason he is no longer alive.’
‘Ana, stop!’ Pez said, knowing tears were next, and then raised eyebrows should anyone notice. The other girls would then have to come outside to find out why she was crying. He dropped his voice. ‘This is foolhardy.’ Pez cartwheeled away and then, back on his feet, he ran from the courtyard.
‘Are you all right, Ana?’ someone asked. ‘Did Pez upset you?’
Ana turned. It was an exquisite girl called Sascha, from the region of Akresh, a hilly realm to the east of Percheron famed for its sapphires.Her hair was the colour of burnished copper and she had become something of a friend these past moons. Ana knew Sascha could see the tears in her eyes. It was best to go along with the idea that Pez ultimately upset everyone for one reason or
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