Burning Tower by Larry Niven Page A

Burning Tower—”
    â€œAh- hah .”
    â€œTwisted Cloud, a shaman. And a young man who may look like a kinless and may look like Bison Clan, and I won’t know until we see him.”
    â€œLurk!”
    â€œYou know him?”
    â€œWe met last year,” Roni said. “He’s been here to Lordshills before, didn’t you know?”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œWell, he has. I don’t know how he got in, but he was here. I didn’t see him then. He told me over tea in Lordstown.”
    â€œThat boy gets around,” Sandry said.
    She nodded and changed the subject. “Four, then. And we will have Lord Chief Witness Quintana, Lord Qirama, Egmatel the Sage, and two of his assistants. We hoped Father would be back in time, but he’s still in Condigeo.”
    â€œAny progress on that treaty?”
    She shrugged. “Nothing in his letters. Mother has me read them to her. Sandry, the wizards keep promising to make her eyes better, but they never do.”
    Sandry nodded. “They always give the same reason—not enough manna in Lordshills or even in Tep’s Town. Maybe it’s true. Who’s entertaining, Momus?”
    â€œI wish. There’s no entertainment. Mother requests that the guests tell stories about terror birds, and Egmatel will tell us what he has found in his studies. He’s got his assistants watching the bird full time.”
    â€œNo entertainment. A strange dinner party,” Sandry said.
    â€œWill your mother be coming?”
    â€œI’ll ask, but I don’t think so. She’s not doing well today.”
    â€œOh, Sandry, I’m sorry. Should we have Egmatel look at her?”
    â€œHe’s looked.” So had Tasquatamee. And the only thing that came of that was the expense. Not enough manna here, or in town, or anywhere else.
    Â 
    Sandry was pretending to read in his library when a servant came in. “Your guests are coming up the hill now.”
    â€œThanks.” Sandry walked briskly to the main gate. He tried to look calm, but it was all he could do to keep himself from running.
    She was waiting at the gates with the others. She wore a short woolen skirt, elaborately embroidered. From the knees down, her legs were bare and tanned before they vanished into ankle-high moccasins with silver and turquoise trim. Some of the symbols matched patterns on her skirt and short jacket. At least one seemed to be her naming symbol, a silver-and-turquoise tower enveloped in red flames. Rubies? Surely not—that would be too costly even for a merchant princess. Carnelian, Sandry thought. His mother liked carnelian.
    Her hair was full and brown but shone red when the sun fell on it. Her jacket was decorated with elaborate beadwork, symbols of sun and birds and another name symbol over her left breast. The thin cotton blouse under the jacket was cut into a V that didn’t go nearly far enough down. He realized he was staring and looked up to see her watching him. She smiled. Warmly, he thought. Finally he looked at the others.
    Nothing Was Seen dressed like a trader’s porter, but the others wore exotic finery. Some of the jewels on Green Stone’s jacket were definitely rubies, and there was a wealth of malachite stitched onto the garment. It was all a bit out of place here, but no one would say anything. Sandry grinned like an idiot. “Welcome to Lordshills. Peacevoice, these are my guests.”
    The four gate guards had held them up for a bit of gossip as they waited for Sandry. Now they swung the gates open and bowed. “Welcome to Lordshills,” the Peacevoice in charge said.
    â€œSmooth,” Green Stone said when they were inside. “You have them well trained.”
    Sandry nodded. “Lord Quintana insists on good manners.”
    â€œEven as they put a knife in your ribs. Where’s the bird? I’m curious.”
    â€œMe too,” Burning Tower said. “Is your man all right? He