at the base of the hill. Nyx passed through it with a soft pop and hiss. She smelled something strange on the other side, and realized the filter had eaten at the hair on her arms. She touched her scalp, and found that her braids were dry and frayed.
“Turned up your filter?” Nyx asked. Her skin prickled.
Fatima half turned, continued walking. “No. Perhaps it simply doesn’t like you.”
Nyx frowned. She didn’t want to test any more filters.
Fatima turned off the paved road, toward the big stone residence where the bel dame and council offices resided.
“You come out for every call from the front desk?” Nyx said.
“I had your code flagged, as I said.” Fatima pressed her hand to the faceplate on the front door. It opened, and they stepped into the cool foyer. The bel dames continued to keep pace with them. Nyx heard the soft shush-shush of water being piped through the walls, cooling the building.
Fatima motioned to the stairs. “My office is this way.”
Nyx hesitated on the stairs. Offices for petty officials and bug pushers were downstairs. The bel dame council offices were upstairs.
“When were you actually elected?” Nyx asked.
“I joined the bel dame council last year,” Fatima said. She started up the stairs.
Nyx followed Fatima into a wide circular foyer. She saw runners on either side of the door, and lifted her head to see the ass-end of a metal portcullis hidden in the deep recesses of the ceiling. The floor was blood-red brick. The bel dame council offices ringed the foyer. All of the doors were made of metal-studded bug secretions. She noted personal filters on each door, and faceplates. At the center of the room stood a ragged bel dame with a face like a smashed melon. She already had both hands on the hilts of her pistols when Nyx and Fatima entered.
Fatima keyed Nyx into her office. Inside, there was very little furniture. A low table, some rugs, cushions to sit on, a big standing cabinet. The way the table was angled, nobody would have to sit with their back to the door. Still, Nyx took her time finding a good place to sit.
She eased herself to the floor and pushed one of the cushions behind her. The windows were filtered slits, set just above head height. Every building on the hill was built like a fortress.
“It’s quiet up here,” Nyx said.
Fatima sat across from her at the table. “We’re in the process of moving our operations,” Fatima said.
Nyx didn’t like sitting on the floor. It was one of the things she missed the least about being a bel dame. “Moving operations? Another bluff, like last time? Don’t shit me, Fatima, bel dames have operated out of Mushtallah for over a thousand years.”
Fatima shrugged. Nyx noted that she hadn’t pulled out a slide or some organic paper for a blooded statement. She wished for a cigarette, some sen, a glass of whiskey—something to do with her hands. Sitting across from Fatima this way felt like being back in bel dame school. So she did what they did in school—laid her hands flat on the table. Fatima did the same.
“We still have partial residences in Amtullah, which we had begun to establish during the last move.”
“You’re clearing the whole quarter?”
“Select training facilities will remain, as well as the reclamation office. We’ll continue taking our oaths in the tower, and Bloodmount is still sovereign. A consulate will remain.”
“A consulate? You’re not a foreign country.”
“After a fashion. It seemed only polite to keep an emissary in Mushtallah, near the Queen’s seat.”
Nyx mulled over that for a while. She watched Fatima’s dour face.
“You didn’t bring me up here for a statement,” Nyx said.
“No,” Fatima said.
Nyx’s fingers twitched. She considered stabbing Fatima with one of the poisoned needles stashed in her braids.
“I didn’t expect the rogues to come after you,” Fatima said. “But because
“Turned up your filter?” Nyx asked. Her skin prickled.
Fatima half turned, continued walking. “No. Perhaps it simply doesn’t like you.”
Nyx frowned. She didn’t want to test any more filters.
Fatima turned off the paved road, toward the big stone residence where the bel dame and council offices resided.
“You come out for every call from the front desk?” Nyx said.
“I had your code flagged, as I said.” Fatima pressed her hand to the faceplate on the front door. It opened, and they stepped into the cool foyer. The bel dames continued to keep pace with them. Nyx heard the soft shush-shush of water being piped through the walls, cooling the building.
Fatima motioned to the stairs. “My office is this way.”
Nyx hesitated on the stairs. Offices for petty officials and bug pushers were downstairs. The bel dame council offices were upstairs.
“When were you actually elected?” Nyx asked.
“I joined the bel dame council last year,” Fatima said. She started up the stairs.
Nyx followed Fatima into a wide circular foyer. She saw runners on either side of the door, and lifted her head to see the ass-end of a metal portcullis hidden in the deep recesses of the ceiling. The floor was blood-red brick. The bel dame council offices ringed the foyer. All of the doors were made of metal-studded bug secretions. She noted personal filters on each door, and faceplates. At the center of the room stood a ragged bel dame with a face like a smashed melon. She already had both hands on the hilts of her pistols when Nyx and Fatima entered.
Fatima keyed Nyx into her office. Inside, there was very little furniture. A low table, some rugs, cushions to sit on, a big standing cabinet. The way the table was angled, nobody would have to sit with their back to the door. Still, Nyx took her time finding a good place to sit.
She eased herself to the floor and pushed one of the cushions behind her. The windows were filtered slits, set just above head height. Every building on the hill was built like a fortress.
“It’s quiet up here,” Nyx said.
Fatima sat across from her at the table. “We’re in the process of moving our operations,” Fatima said.
Nyx didn’t like sitting on the floor. It was one of the things she missed the least about being a bel dame. “Moving operations? Another bluff, like last time? Don’t shit me, Fatima, bel dames have operated out of Mushtallah for over a thousand years.”
Fatima shrugged. Nyx noted that she hadn’t pulled out a slide or some organic paper for a blooded statement. She wished for a cigarette, some sen, a glass of whiskey—something to do with her hands. Sitting across from Fatima this way felt like being back in bel dame school. So she did what they did in school—laid her hands flat on the table. Fatima did the same.
“We still have partial residences in Amtullah, which we had begun to establish during the last move.”
“You’re clearing the whole quarter?”
“Select training facilities will remain, as well as the reclamation office. We’ll continue taking our oaths in the tower, and Bloodmount is still sovereign. A consulate will remain.”
“A consulate? You’re not a foreign country.”
“After a fashion. It seemed only polite to keep an emissary in Mushtallah, near the Queen’s seat.”
Nyx mulled over that for a while. She watched Fatima’s dour face.
“You didn’t bring me up here for a statement,” Nyx said.
“No,” Fatima said.
Nyx’s fingers twitched. She considered stabbing Fatima with one of the poisoned needles stashed in her braids.
“I didn’t expect the rogues to come after you,” Fatima said. “But because
Similar Books
