The Ambassador's Mission: Book One of th - By Trudi Canavan Page 0,172

her respectfully out of habit, then to the six women and to the queen in case his gesture would be taken as giving inappropriate favour to the Director. Spotting near the entrance the guide who had taken him to the room, he walked over to stand by her.

She eyed him thoughtfully, then nodded.

“That was well done,” she murmured.

“Thank you,” he replied. He looked across the room to Tyvara. She was frowning, but as he met her gaze she gave him a strained smile.

“We will now deliberate,” Riaya announced.

As the eight women around the table began to talk, the audience broke into noisy chatter. Lorkin tried to pick conversations out of the voices, but could not make out more than the occasional phrase. The leaders around the table had clearly set a magical barrier against noise around themselves. So instead of listening, he examined the people in the room in the hope of learning what he could before he was returned to the windowless cell.

There were many couples sitting on the stairs, he noted, but all others were women. Those standing around the walls were mostly male, however. The clothing of all was simple. Some of the Traitors were dressed in practical trousers and tunics, while others wore long belted shifts in finer cloth. He was surprised to see that both women and men wore these long shifts.

The colour of the cloth ranged from undyed to deep colours, but none were vivid or bright. He guessed it was hard to bring dyes into the city, and with limited space to grow crops, priority would be given to plants that produced food.

Though he tried to keep his attention focused on the audience, he could not help glancing at Tyvara from time to time. Every time he did so, he found her watching him. She did not smile again, however. She looked thoughtful. And worried.

Finally, Riaya’s voice rose over the noise in the room.

“We have finished deliberations,” she announced.

The room quietened. Riaya looked at the other women at the table, then turned to regard Tyvara.

“You offered to allow Speaker Halana to read your mind. We have explored all other avenues as required by law, but I can see no other way to confirm your claims. Please come forward and remove the mind block.”

From the audience came low voices and whispers. Lorkin thought back to a snippet of conversation between Chari and Tyvara, from the journey into the mountains. Tyvara had said she would let the Traitors read her mind. Chari had been shocked. “You can’t,” she had hissed. “You promised …”

Promised what? To who? Lorkin watched as the woman who had saved his life walked with head high to stand before her leaders. He felt his heart lighten with a rush of sudden, giddy affection. She is so proud. So beautiful. Then he felt a familiar doubt and annoyance spoil the moment. I wish I knew whether Chari is right or not about Tyvara’s regard for me. If she is wrong I don’t want to make a fool of myself trying to win over Tyvara. But if she is right … if Tyvara likes me … but makes a habit of pushing away those who admire her … do I have the determination to keep pursuing her?

Every part of him was sure he did.

Stopping in front of the Table, Tyvara held out her left hand. She paused, then grimaced. Lorkin blinked in surprise and horror as blood began to drip from her palm. She kneaded the base of her thumb, then held up something too tiny for him to see. She let it drop on the table.

I was right, he thought. The mind block is an object similar to a blood gem.

The leaders wore expressions of grim sympathy. He watched Halana stand up and reach out to Tyvara, who bent forward a little. The older woman took hold of Tyvara’s head and closed her eyes.

A long pause followed in which all watched the pair expectantly. When Halana drew her hands away at last, she said nothing. She sat down. Tyvara picked up the mind block and backed away from the table.

“What have you learned?” Riaya asked.

“Everything Tyvara has told us is true,” Halana said.

A collective sigh went through the room. Riaya placed her hands on the table.

“Then it is time to cast our votes.” She looked at Tyvara, then the audience. “We have concluded that Tyvara did not need to kill Riva. She should have pushed Riva away from Lorkin, or otherwise separated