A Women's Estate

And so Inet Pediset, Chief Administrator, watched out of one of the windows of his spacious quarters as the two men with the group of Aides they had collected rode away from the Garrison. There would be no problems, he promised himself as he turned away from the window, but his eyes roved round the chamber that was one of the set of chambers he had inhabited for the last seasons. Looking at the thick carpets, rich hangings and furnishings he swore he would not allow it to slip out of his grasp; he would do whatever was necessary to retain them and his position. He would not be turned out of it by this upstart newcomer, Prince or no Prince, he was a bloody little provincial and no provincial would get the better of him! He thought of the order that he had received regarding Presetes; in view of his willing admission of error, and his obvious sincere repentance when he knelt at the Prince’s feet, the Marshall of the Household had written, the Prince had been content to sentence him to a flogging. The order had gone on to command that, once the erstwhile Captain was healed, he was to be sent to a Garrison far from his homeland where he would finish his life as a servant-attendant, his seasons were sufficiently advanced to preclude him from serving in the ranks, and it was intended that his exile should be permanent. Khaemanisi’s name was to be wiped from the records of the Guard. Whispers had come back to the Garrison telling of how he had departed and Pediset shuddered at what he heard, he would spill his own blood rather than suffer that! He caught himself up, he must not think like that, Salisan and Ferilt would cope, they must, must! That provincial nobody, sitting alone in his cabin aboard the ‘Pride’, was no more certain than the man in the Garrison that he could cope as he ran his fingers over the sword of his office that lay on the table in front of him and stared at the ring that glittered, threateningly, on one of them. It was ludicrous, ludicrous! Abruptly he pushed back his chair, rose, and walked over to the stern windows where he gazed, sightless, out to the Deep Waters. His belly churned remembering the start of the voyage and the Waters’ Sickness that had afflicted him but he would rather, much rather, suffer it again, and suffer it for the whole voyage if only, if only, they would allow him to return to his Defenders where he belonged. A younger, more experienced man was needed, not him! He would tell the Prince that when he met him, make it clear to him; beg to have release, make him understand that the whole thing was a mistake, a terrible mistake. He smiled wryly. Could one tell a Prince, this Prince, that he was wrong? How tell him to his face? How did one face his anger? For angry he would be certainly, would he not? Perhaps if he told him that he, Gath, was sure to fail him, would that make a difference? He must convince him somehow, must! Then his thoughts wandered to those he had brought with him, Zar, Max, Flyn, Kort, Namor and the others, what would happen to them? Zar, Flyn and Kort were safe – or were they? If he angered the Prince how was he to know what would happen to him, and if anything did happen to him, what might come to them? And Zar? He sighed and called to the gods, why me, why me? I don’t want this. Despair settled on him as, in his heart and in his ears, the reply of the gods thundered that he would do as he was bid, tread the path that they had determined for him. His hands went to his ears to shut them out but mere flesh and bone was no defence against them and he felt the touch of their anger on him as his heart leapt in his breast and his eyes darkened. He fell to his knees, submitting himself to their will, praying to them for their help to carry the burden, to make him worthy. Kneeling, wholly committed to his communion with the gods, Gath was unaware of what was taking place on deck and on the Waters around the ship. The two Captains, Felastian and da Tel, were on the quarterdeck with his various Aides, and with Flyn, discussing what had happened, what was to happen – Zar and Max were not with them, the former was on guard below outside the cabin and the latter, with Kort’s assistance, was supervising the loading of the baggage into boats – when one of the ship’s officers interrupted.