Naamah's Blessing

quiet and introspective. She appeared grateful for my company, grateful to dispel a measure of her fear and loneliness by sharing my bed at night, but whatever secret she was guarding, she kept it stubbornly to herself.
    I saw very little of Raphael, who had immersed himself in planning for the conquest, consulting with strategists. The palace bustled with activity, and laborers in the fields worked overtime to harvest the crops that would be needed to supply this undertaking, a task rendered all the more difficult by the massive army of ants that would accompany it.
    Condemned to helplessness, the men of Terre d’Ange were restless and angry. Our arrival had sparked something deep within Thierry de la Courcel, and I feared that he meant to attempt some sort of rebellion. Not even the news of Temilotzin and Eyahue’s deception placated him.
    “Tell him to be patient!” I pleaded with Bao in the scholar’s tongue. “Even if it weren’t for those gods-bedamned ants, there are too few of you, and too many Quechua loyal to Raphael!”
    “I know.” He sighed. “And they’ve the armor and weapons we carried with such effort only to deliver them into Raphael’s hands, while we’ve nothing but digging-sticks. Believe me, I know. But it’s frustrating, Moirin.”
    “I know.” I touched his cheek. “Just keep him from trying anything foolish. If there’s a time for desperate heroics, it’s not yet on us.”
    Bao nodded. “Be glad that Balthasar came with us, and Captain Septimus, too. They’re good at talking sense into the prince.”
    The following day, Eyahue paid me a visit in my quarters. I was so glad to see the old
pochteca
, I could have kissed him. Only uncertainty over how he wanted to play the encounter restrained me.
    For Cusi’s benefit, Eyahue hemmed and hawed, avoiding my eyes and acting abashed. “I come to apologize, lady,” he said in careful Quechua. “And to explain. It was Temilotzin’s idea to serve Lord Pachacuti. He is a warrior. It is his right.”
    “You are no warrior, old man,” I retorted.
    “Yes, I am old! Too old to work in the fields!” Eyahue said in a querulous tone, holding up one skinny arm. “Look at me!”
    I jerked my chin at the fine wool of his tunic. “You steal from us. Now you wear good clothes. Did you trade stolen things for them?”
    “Let me explain, lady,” he wheedled. “I will explain in Nahuatl. Easier for you to understand, yes?”
    Once again, I folded my arms sternly. “Go ahead.”
    Taking a deep breath, Eyahue shuffled his feet. “The Jaguar Knight says that you’ll get nowhere trying to turn this tide,” he said, rapid and cajoling. “The Quechua men are eager for this battle, eager to use their new weapons in the service of the mad Ant-Lord. Prince Manco believes that one will appoint him Regent.”
    “Who’s Prince Manco?” I asked.
    Cusi glanced over with a flicker of interest.
    Eyahue coughed into his fist. “Sorry, didn’t mean to use names. You’re a clever lass; tell the maid some lie if she asks. He’s the fellow your Ant-Lord deposed here. Stepped down willingly to serve the mad god, looks to be appointed to rule in his stead. He’s the fifth son of the Emperor, and reckons this is his best chance at getting near the throne. One way or another, this battle is coming.”
    I raised my brows. “And the secret of the ancestors?”
    Eyahue held out his hands palm upward and gave a helpless shrug.“No man knows, only that it is rumored to exist. It is a secret the Maidens of the Sun keep, and not even
I
could pry it loose.” His voice took on a hint of genuine indignation, one hand forming a fist to thump his sunken chest. “And you know how skilled I am in the ways of women!”
    Gazing at the wiry old fellow, I bit the inside of my cheek in an effort to stifle a laugh. “Aye, I do.”
    He drew himself up with dignity. “Do you mock me?”
    “No.” I shook my head. “No, my lord Eyahue. It is clear to me that your goddess Xochiquetzal has blessed you, and you take joy in it. I laugh because it is true, and because it is better to laugh than weep.”
    He bared his mostly toothless gums in a rueful smile. “True words, lady.”
    I sighed. “I do not know what to do, Eyahue.”
    “And I do not know what to tell you.” He patted my arm. “Do not lose heart, child. You have come too far to fail. Surely the gods are not done with you yet.” He shifted back to speaking Quechua, wheedling once more. “So, lady?