The Ring of Solomon

bells. The imp-globes shivered against the ceiling of the vault, and drapes on some of the larger cages ruffled to and fro.
    The magician peered out into the darkness. ‘Gezeri?’
    With a sharp odour of rotten eggs, a small lilac cloud materialized in the air beside the pentacle. Sitting atop the cloud was the foliot Gezeri, who today appeared as a large green imp, with long pointed ears and a pear-shaped nose. He made a series of complex and faintly facetious salutes, which Khaba ignored.
    ‘Your report, slave?’
    The foliot affected an attitude of matchless boredom. ‘I have been to Sheba as you “requested”. I have wandered through its streets unseen, listening to the people. Be certain I let no whisper pass me by, no muttered comment go unheard!’
    ‘I am sure of it – otherwise you would burn in the Dismal Flame.’
    ‘That was my thinking too.’ The foliot scratched its nose. ‘In consequence I heard a lot of dreary nonsense. The lives you humans lead! The things that preoccupy your doughy little minds! Are you not aware of how brief your span is, how small your place is in this vast universe? Yet still you worry about dowries, tooth-rot, and the price of camels!’
    The magician smiled bleakly. ‘Spare me the philosophy, Gezeri. I worry about none of those things. Here is my concern: what is Queen Balkis doing?’
    Gezeri shrugged his bony shoulders. ‘In a word: nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary, I mean. Far as I can make out, she’s doing her normal round – meditating in the temples, meeting merchants, hearing representations from her people: all the usual sort of queenly claptrap. I’ve sniffed about behind the scenes, eavesdropped on all and sundry. What have I come up with? Nowt. There’s no sign of any response at all.’
    ‘She has five days left,’ Khaba mused. ‘Five days … You are sure there has been no build-up of troops? No increase in defences?’
    ‘ What troops? What defences?’ The foliot gave its tail a derisive twirl. ‘Sheba’s not even got a proper army – just a bunch of skinny girls who hang about the queen. And the priestesses haven’t put so much as a second-plane nexus around the palace. An imp could stroll right in.’
    The magician stroked his chin. ‘Good. Clearly she intends to make the payment. They all do, in the end.’
    ‘Yeah, well, that being the case,’ the foliot said, lounging deep into its cloud, ‘why don’t you dismiss me? I’m fed up with all this summoning long-distance. Ooh, it gives me such headaches as you wouldn’t believe. And swellings in the strangest places. Here, take a look at this one … It’s getting uncomfortable to sit.’
    ‘You will return to Sheba, slave,’ Khaba snarled, averting his eyes, ‘and keep watch on what occurs! Be sure to let me know if you notice anything untoward. Meanwhile I will shortly summon you again, swellings or no.’
    The foliot scowled. ‘Must I? Frankly I’d prefer the building site.’
    ‘Our work there is done for the present,’ Khaba said stiffly. ‘Solomon has … ordered us elsewhere.’
    ‘Ooo, got cross with you, has he? Fallen a wee bit out of favour? Tough luck!’
    Khaba’s lips narrowed to nothing. ‘Mark my words,’ he said, ‘one day there will be a reckoning.’
    ‘Oh, sure there will,’ the foliot said. ‘Tell you what, why not make it now? Why not nip up to the king’s apartments tonight and pinch the Ring while he’s asleep?’
    ‘Gezeri … ’
    ‘Why not? You’re quick, you’re clever. You could kill him before he had a chance to turn the Ring … Well? What’s stopping you?’ It chuckled lazily. ‘Give it up, Khaba. You’re scared like all the rest.’
    The magician gave a hiss of outrage; he spoke a word and clapped his hands. Gezeri squeaked; the foliot and its cloud imploded and were gone.
    Khaba stood rigid and furious in the blue-green shadows of his vault, staring into nothing. There would come a time when all those who belittled him regretted their folly most profoundly …
    There was a whisper in the darkness. Something stroked his neck. Taking a deep breath, Khaba swept the issues from his mind. He stepped down from his circle and crossed the floor towards the essence-cages. Time enough, before departing for the desert, for a little relaxation.

13
    O n the day of the Spring Festival the religious ceremonies had taken twice as long as normal, and the little girl was bored. She waited till the guard-mothers were kneeling to the