Street Magic - By Tamora Pierce Page 0,31

to hear. She would not be pleased if he told her he would run hard and fast. "I would never join such a gang, Lady," he lied.

"Yours is a warrior's heart, Ikrum Fazhal," she told him, setting her cup down. "We will accept these people, of course. We did make the offer. But they must earn our respect." She raised her hand. The mute walked out of the shadows by the house with a small leather pouch. He placed it before the lady and backed away again.

Ikrum's heart raced the moment the mute's huge body entered his vision. He had not even known the huge man was there until he saw him: he was that soundless in his movements. If the mute ever intended to hurt him, in all likelihood Ikrum would not even know until he was dead.

The lady dug in the pouch until she could tease something out. She held it up on a hennaed fingertip: the nose ring was silver wire, the pendant garnet. "For your new members." She thrust it into the pouch and fished out a second nose ring. "For the original Vipers." It looked nearly the same as Ikrum's. The metal was a little more yellow. "You have proved your characters to be gold," the lady said with a smile.

She offered the gold ring with its garnet to Ikrum. He accepted it, but knew better than to change rings in her presence. Yoru had gotten three lashes from the armsmaster for blowing his nose in front of the lady.

"To further show generosity, I will send my healer to tend those new Vipers who are hurt," the lady said. "They will see there are advantages to their new allegiance."

Ikrum cleared his throat. "Actually, um, Lady, they're seen to. The eknub pahan, the one we talked to at Golden House – he brought medicine and cared for the ones that are hurt. Seems the Camel – " Her dark eyes flashed, and Ikrum backed up. "The new Vipers, they know him. He lives beside the eknub Earth temple, down the street in their territory."

"Now your territory," she reminded him.

Ikrum, who wasn't sure how to protect one territory near Golden House and one east of the Karang Gate, only said, "Yes, Lady."

"Well!" she said after a moment's thought. "If they chose to summon an eknub apothecary to muddle their wounded about, they don't deserve my healer." In a lesser woman her tone would have sounded peeved. "What of the girl, the one who gave three of you that unpleasant surprise yesterday? Have your Vipers found her again?"

Ikrum actually backed up an inch before he made himself stop. "She was with him," he said. "With the eknub pahan, helping him. She warmed stones to put in the beds of those that were hurt, and she did this. They left it behind." He fished a small, egg-shaped stone from his sash and offered it to her. Its cool white light silvered his brown palm and the lady's features as she leaned forward to give it a closer look.

"Well, well." She touched the stone lamp with a fingernail, then picked it up. "For one who had no magic two days ago, she learns quickly."

"The Ca – the new Vipers said she wants him to teach her," Ikrum explained. "And she said she wouldn't learn from Pahan Stoneslicer up to the amir's palace."

"Two days ago she fled him. Now she helps him to dab potions on our former enemies, and does magic for him, and argues familiarly with him." The lady hummed tonelessly to herself, as she often did when she thought. At last she regarded Ikrum once more. "Very well. Watch her carefully, but watch only for now." She drummed her fingers on her couch. "Since our numbers have grown, I would like to make plans for the Gate Lords. Our new members may prove their loyalty in battle."

"Lady, taking on the Gate Lords would be – " He started to say "foolish," and remembered who he spoke to just in time. "We can't trust the Camel – "

"The new Vipers," the lady interrupted. "I did not say to take the Gate Lords on immediately. I will hear your plan for it, however, in three days' time. You may go, Ikrum. Don't forget the badges for our Vipers."

Ikrum tucked the pouch full of nose rings into his sash. He was taking a chance, he knew, but he had to ask. "Lady – Sajiv never returned to the den last night."

She