The King

CHAPTER 9

“Your researches, under your assumed name, with my clearance, have borne what fruit?” asked Julian.

“None, milord,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“The likeness,” said Julian, “is the best I can supply from memory.”

Between them, on the marbled table, lay a sketch, in color, of the face of a beautiful, blue-eyed, blond-haired woman. It had been prepared, painstakingly, secretly, by a gifted portraitist, each detail being examined, and revised, and revised again, according to the directions of Julian, until it bore a striking similarity to the woman seen on the quay at Port North.

“I have taken the picture to the keepers at all the slave houses in Lisle, and Port North, and for many miles about,” said Tuvo Ausonius. “There are hundreds of blond slaves, of course, but I found no keeper who could make a positive identification from the picture.”

“You added in such details, as her unusual behavior, her seeming newness to the anklet, and such?”

“Yes, milord, as you recommended, but there was still no positive identification.”

“No record of a judicially embonded debtress from Myron VII, brought to Inez IV?”

“Some,” said Tuvo Ausonius, “but they do not seem to be the same individual.”

“What of the other nineteen women?”

“We can account for them,” said Tuvo Ausonius, “several are from local houses, and some were brought in, according to specifications, from diverse worlds.”

“She is, thus, the only one not accounted for,” said Julian,

“Yes, milord,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“It seems she would have been brought in, and held, if nothing else, pending shipment,” said Julian.

“It would seem so, milord,” said Tuvo Ausonius. “Is it important?”

“No, I think not,” said Julian.

“But milord is troubled,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“It is nothing,” said Julian.

“Kana?” inquired Tuvo Ausonius.

Julian nodded.

Tuvo Ausonius clapped his hands, sharply, twice.

In a moment a lovely, slender, young, dark-haired woman, barefoot, in a brief, yellow, silken tunic, cut at the left thigh, to the hip, in a light, yellow-enameled collar, and a yellow-enameled anklet, on her left ankle, hurried into the room, and knelt,

“Kana,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

She rose to her feet and hurried to a sideboard, to fetch the decanter, and glasses.

“It is strange,” said Julian. “It seems that a slave should be easy enough to trace, if brought to Inez IV. She would have to be registered, measured, fingerprinted, toeprinted, and such.”

“Some doubtless slip through,” said Tuvo Ausonius. “This one did,” he remarked.

The woman, head down, had set the glasses on the table and, deferentially, poured the glasses, a third full.

She did not meet the eyes of the men.

“But with my assistance,” said Julian.

“True,” smiled Tuvo Ausonius.

The woman replaced the decanter on the sideboard and turned to face Tuvo Ausonius.

“Master?” she asked.

“Kneel there,” said Tuvo Ausonius, indicating a place on the tiles, to the side, where she would be inconspicuous, and yet at hand, in case wished.

“Head down,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“Yes, Master,” she said.

Julian regarded her, idly.

“You have a pretty slave,” he said.

“She is nicely curved,” granted Tuvo Ausonius, dismissively.

“It is strange,” said Julian, “how the blond slave seems not to have been registered, or locally boarded.”

“Yes,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“Ai!” said Julian, suddenly, rising to his feet.

Tuvo Ausonius looked up at him, startled.

“She is not a slave!” said Julian.

Even the slave drew back a little, frightened, on her knees. Then she put her head down again, quickly.

“But she must be a slave,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“Inquire among free persons, in the hostels, in the insulae, in the towers, discretely at court, in restaurants, at the baths,” said Julian.

“As milord wishes,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“The work of Iaachus!” snarled Julian.

“Milord?” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“And inquire first among higher free persons,” said Julian. “Look for information pertaining to an incredibly beautiful blond woman, whose beauty might be the envy even of many slaves. Inquire after female patricians, even of the senatorial class, in particular any who might be in need or financial straits, any who might be living alone, or substantially so, any whose family connections might be tenuous, any in what might appear to be unfavorable or dubious circumstances, any in debt, any in difficulties, any in dishonor, any in want, any under suspicion, any subject to umbrage of any sort. Take the picture!”

“Yes, milord!” said Tuvo Ausonius. “Fetch my street cloak!” said Tuvo Ausonius to the slave.

“Yes, Master!” she said.

“Hurry!” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“Yes, Master!” she cried, hurrying from the room.