"Majesty?" echoed the Mercurian girl. Her eyes were golden, oblique,
curious, her hair a fine graven ebony. She had long, black lashes,
bright red lips. Her skirt and jacket were green. "I don't quite
understand. I am not very familiar with your language."
Jaro grinned. "I suppose our entrance was not exactly orthodox but the
fact is that we are escaped prisoners." The queen raised her fine black
brows.
"How did you get here?" Her voice had an odd foreign flavor. Jaro
couldn't put his finger on it, but it was there. He said, "That is
unimportant. We are searching for Karfial Hodes. I know of no one more
apt to be informed of his whereabouts than you."
"And what is it that you want with Karfial Hodes?"
Jaro had the impression that she was stalling, listening expectantly.
He said, "Where is Hodes?"
Before she could answer, the doors on either side burst open. A dozen
priests of Nemi burst into the room. Jaro caught a triumphant smile on
the queen's face, then he kicked the closest Mercurian on the knee.
The priest screamed, doubled to the floor. He lifted a second bodily,
hurled him into the press, bowling over several others. A priest lit
on his back. He flipped him over his shoulder. He rammed an elbow into
someone's eye, smashed his fist against a mouth. He kicked another
priest on the knee. He got hold of one of the fellows by a leg,
whirled him around like a club. He caught a glimpse of the queen, her
expression registering frightened dismay. She was stabbing a button on
the table, obviously the means by which she had summoned her defenders.
A whole horde of priests crowded into the room.