"I know," Dilam saidglumly. "It is his crippled leg, I think. He is going to cause me muchtrouble."
Laughter. Jane's laughter—excited,full-bodied, and free, ringing through the tent.
He stopped in his tracks,ignoring Dilam's tugging hand as he turned back. He felt a sense of shock as herealized he could not remember ever hearing Jane laugh like that. Certainly notin Kasanpore or Glenclaren.
She has no joy.
"You will have to be theone to tell him," Dilam said.
"What?"
Jane laughed again. Dammit, hewished the crowd would part so he could see her.
"Li Sung," Dilamsaid impatiently. "You'll have to he the one to tell him to come back forJane."
The crowd standing around thedice circle shifted.
Jane knelt with dice in hand,her head thrown back, a soft flush on her cheeks, her face glowing withlaughter. She looked young and free and full of joy.
"See? Did I not tellyou?" Dilam said softly, "She needs this."
And he wanted her to have it.He wanted her to keep on laughing. He wanted her to look like this for the restof—
She looked up and saw himwatching her.
Her laughter vanished;wariness tightened her lips. It was as if she had drawn a somber cloak aroundher, closing everything childlike and bright inside her and leaving himoutside.
He felt cheated, stung, as ifshe had robbed him of something. He called sharply to her, "It's time toeat."
"I lost track oftime," she said quietly. "I'll come at once."
He nodded curtly and left thetent with Dilam at his heels. Christ, for a moment it had been like those daysbefore the train wreck when he had felt a tenderness for Jane he had never feltfor any woman. But the moment was over, he assured himself. He had not broughther to Cinnidar to give her the joyous childhood she had never had but to seethat she was punished. She was not a child but the woman who had destroyed hisbrother's life.
"You did not listen tome," Dilam said. "Why did you not let her—"
"Did it ever occur to youthat when I don't listen, it's because I don't wish to hear?"
"I still think you—"She stopped as she saw his expression. "I should not speak?"
"You should notspeak," he said emphatically.
Li Sung's temper haddefinitely not improved, Jane thought. All through supper that evening he hadeither kept silent or spoken in monosyllables. She supposed she had betterbring it out in the open and let him loose his surliness. "Dilam?"
The one word was all it tookto bring the explosion. "She is an abomination," he said between histeeth as he glared at Dilam across the campfire. "Can we not hire someoneelse?"
"I doubt it. Evidentlythe Cinnidans would consider it an insult if we didn't accept her. Besides, Ilike her." She smiled slyly. "And she obviously likes you."
"She regards me as somekind of tame— Do you know she came to my tent after she showed you to yours?"
"No." So that hadbeen the 'something' Dilam had to do.
"She said she forgave mefor my blindness in not seeing what awaited me with her and assured me she*would be patient."
Jane's lips twitched."How kind of her."
"Kind? She regards malesonly as inferior drones to slave for the queen bees."
"I'm sure you'remisunderstanding her." Jane's glance followed his. Dilam's face was alightwith laughter, her hands gesturing, moving, drawing pictures as she spoke toRuel. "She's not unattractive, is she?"
