"I'm sure he would," Sadi observed dryly. "Advise your king that his proposal is quite unacceptable at this particular time."
"The King of Cthol Murgos is a powerful man," the Murgo said firmly, "and he remembers those who thwart him even more keenly than he remembers his friends."
"Taur Urgas is a madman," Sadi told him bluntly. "He wants to avoid trouble with the Alorns so that he can concentrate on 'Zakath. Despite his insanity, however, he's not so foolish as to send an army into Nyissa uninvited. An army must eat, and Nyissa's a bad place to forage for food - as history has demonstrated. The most tempting fruit has bitter juice."
"A Murgo army carries its own food," the ambassador replied stiffly.
"Good for them. But where do they plan to find drinking water? I don't believe we're getting anywhere with this. I'll convey your proposal to her Majesty. She, of course, will make the final decision. I suspect, however, that you'll need to offer something much more attractive than a permanent Murgo occupation to persuade her to consider the matter favorably. Was that all?"
The Murgo rose to his feet, his scarred face angry. He bowed coldly to Sadi and withdrew without further conversation.
Sadi thought about it for a while. He could gain a great deal of advantage at a minimal cost if he played this right. A few carefully worded dispatches to King Rhodar in Algaria would put Nyissa among the friends of the west. If Rhodar's army should happen to win, Nyissa would benefit. If, on the other hand, it appeared that the west was about to lose, the proposal of Taur Urgas could be accepted. In either case, Nyissa would be on the winning side. The whole notion appealed to Sadi enormously. He stood up, his iridescent silk robe rustling, and went to a nearby cabinet. He took out a crystal decanter containing a dark blue liquid and carefully measured some of the thick syrup into a small glass and drank it. Almost immediately a euphoric calm came over him as his favorite drug took effect. A moment or two later, he felt that he was ready to face his queen. He was even smiling as he walked from his study into the dim corridor leading to the throne room.
As always, Salmissra's chamber was dimly lighted by oil lamps hanging on long silver chains from the shadowy ceiling. The chorus of eunuchs still knelt adoringly in the queen's presence, but they no longer sang her praises. Noise of any kind irritated Salmissra now, and it was wise not to irritate her. The Serpent Queen still occupied the divanlike throne beneath the towering statue of Issa. She dozed interminably, stirring her mottled coils with the seething dry hiss of scale rubbing against scale. But even in restless doze, her tongue flickered nervously. Sadi approached the throne, perfunctorily prostrated himself on the polished stone floor, and waited. His scent on the air would announce him to the hooded serpent who was his queen.
"Yes, Sadi?" she whispered finally, her voice a dusty hiss.
"The Murgos wish an alliance, my Queen," Sadi informed her. "Taur Urgas wants to threaten the Tolnedrans from the south to force Ran Borune to withdraw his legions from the Thullish border."
"Interesting," she replied indifferently. Her dead eyes bored into him and her coils rustled. "What do you think?"
"Neutrality costs nothing, Divine Salmissra," Sadi replied. "Alliance with either side would be premature."
Salmissra turned, her mottled hood flaring as she regarded her reflection in the mirror beside her throne. The crown still rested on her head as polished and glistening as her scales. Her tongue flickered, and her eyes, flat as glass, looked at the mirror. "Do what you think best, Sadi,'' she told him in an uncaring tone.
"I'll deal with the matter, my Queen," Sadi said, putting his face to the floor in preparation to leave.
"I have no need of Torak now," she mused, still staring at the mirror. "Polgara saw to that."
"Yes, my Queen," Sadi agreed in a neutral voice, beginning to rise.
She turned to look at him. "Stay a while, Sadi. I'm lonely."
Sadi sank immediately back to the polished floor.
"I have such strange dreams sometimes, Sadi," she hissed. "Such very strange dreams. I seem to remember things - things that happened when my blood was warm and I was a woman. Strange thoughts come to me in my dreams, and strange hungers." She looked directly at him, her hood flaring again as her pointed face stretched out toward him. "Was I really like that, Sadi? It all seems like something seen through smoke."
"It was a difficult time, my Queen," Sadi replied candidly. "For all of us."
"Polgara was right, you know," she continued in that expiring whisper. "The potions enflamed me. I think it's better this way - no passions, no hungers, no fears." She turned back to her mirror. "You may go now, Sadi."
He rose and started toward the door.
"Oh, Sadi."
"Yes, my Queen?"
"If I caused you trouble before, I'm sorry."
He stared at her.
"Not very much, of course - but just a little." Then she returned to her reflection.
Sadi was trembling as he closed the door behind him. Sometime later, he sent for Issus. The shabby, one-eyed hireling entered the chief eunuch's study with a certain hesitancy, and his face was a bit apprehensive.
"Come in, Issus," Sadi told him calmly.
"I hope you aren't holding any grudges, Sadi," Issus said nervously, looking about to be sure they were alone. "There was nothing personal in it, you know."
"It's all right, Issus," Sadi assured him. "You were only doing what you were paid to do."
"How did you manage to detect it?" Issus asked with a certain professional curiosity. "Most men are too far gone for the antidote to work before they realize they've been poisoned."
"Your concoction leaves just the faintest aftertaste of lemon," Sadi replied. "I've been trained to recognize it."
"Ah," Issus said. "I'll have to work on that. Otherwise it's a very good poison."
"An excellent poison, Issus," Sadi agreed. "That brings us to the reason I sent for you. There's a man I think I can dispense with."
Issus' single eye brightened, and he rubbed his hands together. "The usual fee?"
"Naturally."
"Who is he?"
"The Murgo ambassador."
Issus' face clouded for a moment. "He'll be difficult to get to." He scratched at his stubbled scalp.
"You'll find a way. I have the utmost confidence in you."