this morning and gave us his blessing, endowing my wife with certain
gifts of secret wisdom which he said would be of use to her and me."

"Where is she now, Bes?"

"With the holy Tanofir, Master, until I fetch her, training her
younger sister to be a diviner's worthy Cup. Only perhaps I shall
never send, seeing that I think there will be fighting soon."

"Yes, Bes, but being newly married you will do well to leave it to
others."

"No, no, Master. Battle is better than wives. Moreover, could you
think that I would leave you to stand alone in the fray? Why if I did
and harm came to you I should die of shame or hang myself and then
Karema would never be a queen. So both her trades would be gone, since
after marriage she cannot be a Cup, and her heart would break. But
here are the gates of Memphis, so we will forget love and think of
war."



An hour later I and my mother, the lady Tiu, stood in the banqueting
hall of the palace with many others, and learned that the Satrap
Idernes and his escort had reached Memphis and would be present at the
feast. A while later trumpets blew and a glittering procession entered
the hall. At the head of it was Peroa who led Idernes by the hand.
This Eastern was a big, strong man with tired and anxious eyes, such
as I had noted were common among the servants of the Great King who
from day to day never knew whether they would fill a Satrapy or a