The cleric translator rose and bowed and Saresch also rose to make way for the queen.

"Countess Kiara."

"Yes, Queen?"

"Talking now. You going behind one mage to Lomaho?" It had all been said before, of course. She just wanted to hear it with my own words.

"Yes, the mage makinged me, the emissary of the Nuncipal takinged. They travelling other way, we not knowing way. But we wanting fast to Lomaho."

She nodded. "We trading. You giving horses and we giving you ship and two camels."

That made me panic. I couldn't decide, could I? "Horses being not mine," I tried to stall.

"You talking and coming back, then trading. Horses no good in desert. Drinking much."

It was a genuine offer, out of fear of what might happen to us. Still, "I only countess. I must speaking my prince."

"Let's going!"

Hearing this mangled Kren, I got an idea of how bad I must sound to them. "Yes, let's go."

But it was the wessir who stood up, along with the cleric translator. Seeing my hesitation, the queen nudged me to follow them.

* * *

Outside, the sun was close to the horizon. It took me a few moments to adjust to the daylight and the glare of the low sun reflecting off the golden domes.

Then I ran after the wessir, the cleric and two honour guards, with two more running behind me. They were heading for the far corner where a long, narrow building was set into the outer wall. The tiles of the path were scorching hot despite the setting sun, even I could feel the heat through the hardened palms of my paws. But the wessir and the cleric walked barefoot and without haste.

At the entrance, the wessir and the cleric washed their feet in a special bowl and towelled them dry, there were neither servants nor maids here. The corridor inside had no carpets, the floor was tiled and the walls were bare white plaster. It was also warmer than the dome. And the corridor was very dark. it had no windows as it was running directly along the outer wall. Only small slits about the width of a finger in the wall provided a little light.

We entered at the second curtain. The setting sun shone directly into our faces through a slit in the opposite wall. Everyone inside scrambled to their feet to bow respectfully. Prince John was a little slower than the others, I could see his confusion. Obviously, he had no idea who was standing there. Only when he sat up did our eyes meet and I could see his surprise at my new attire. I discreetly pointed to the wessir and whispered "Grand Wessir" in his general direction. He bowed again, just in case, for I was sure he could not have understood me.

The wessir spoke first to his blue-cowled clerics, followers of the Nuncipal. So I went over to the prince to explain briefly why we were here and what the wessir was proposing, and that less clothing meant higher status, all in random order and varying degrees of coherence.

Then the wessir turned to us. He was speaking directly to Brother Tsuwangli, and it sounded a little different from the language he had spoken earlier in the dome. So I guessed he was speaking Loma. After a short exchange, Brother Tsuwangli summarised in much better words what I had tried to explain earlier. He stressed how much better it would be to have two camels and just walk across the desert with plenty of water, rather than try to cross it on horseback. But the prince was stubborn. He did not mind if the Krenburg horses were traded. But he would not part with his stallion. And Larina was part horse, too.

The sun had set over our conversation. As the last rays disappeared, a single oil lamp was lit and hung over the entrance curtain. But it did little more than cast long shadows, leaving most of the room in darkness.

This accelerated the discussion. In the end, the prince won. We would agree to trade all the horses except his stallion. For two camels and a passage on a ship to the desert on the other side. Brother Tsuwangli conveyed our answer to the wessir and also asked for supplies and for the rest of the party and Larina to be looked after.

* * *

The prince was still unwilling to take off any more of his clothes to come with the wessir, and was happy, he said, to stay here with the clerics. But I returned to the dome with the wessir. It was now lit by eight oil lamps hung in front of wall tiles of different colours to give the light some colour. Not much light for such a large dome, but the reflections of the lamps in the glazing of the dome's ceiling tiles gave a unique effect.

We were still sitting in a circle, with the cleric translator sitting next to me.

"Dear Translator," I whispered, "may I ask the reason why more important people wear less clothes?"

"Yes, certainly. To show that you are not carrying hidden weapons and honour the hospitality. The less you dress, the closer you are allowed to get to the wessir, at least in a formal setting. Our past was not always as peaceful as it is now."

Now it made sense why the queen had come to greet us almost naked. I wondered if the townspeople would strip off for a royal parade. But the queen put a stop to that train of thought.

"Countess Kiara," the queen had come to me, "we dancing second. You dancing too?"

"Is that good?" I hesitated. I loved dancing, and even the belly dance had been fun alone. But with an audience, even if it was just the wessir, his prince and the three cleric drummers ...

"I dancing too," said the queen, holding out her hand.

Well, I would be leaving tomorrow and unless we would travel back the same route, I would not come to this court again. This sure would be a tale to tell, dancing in the lit up royal dome of the wessir. I would have been furious if I had missed this opportunity. Even if it was belly dancing. And I could certainly use it to tease Count Radel.

"Coming, Countess?"

"Yes, coming!" As soon as I got up, the drums started.

We danced with our backs to the audience, just the tiles of the dome with the reflections of the oil lamps. It was over all too quickly.

We walked back into the circle and bowed to the centre, wishing ourselves "Yag'den 'is," a peaceful night.

I followed Saresch and Tetel'ets who showed me our quarters. A large pile of carpets was laid out for me in one corner. It was very soft, and just as I was sinking into it, the excitement gave way to fatigue. I barely noticed the two courtesans cutting the silk threads that held the golden chains in place on my lower body, while I crossed into the land of dreams.

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* * *

I woke as soon as the window slits were lit by the rising sun. Saresch had snuggled up to me while I slept. I smiled and thought of Freya. Somehow I must have a big, cuddly teddy appeal. As soon as I rose, she stirred. When I came back from the toilet, she was sitting on the carpet, smiling, a comb at the ready. Well, the teddy was fine with a morning brush.

Soon Tetel'ets awoke and joined her. Moments later a maid entered with a tray with some baked bread and fruits and steaming tea, breakfast. An early start seemed to be the norm.

After breakfast I was ushered into the first room, where my thoroughly cleaned saddlebag now smelled of citrus, and the same good smell came from my equally cleaned jacket. I changed into my jacket, the chest strap simply did not give it enough support. I also carefully removed the last of the gold chains from my upper body, then exhaled and relaxed to remove the belly button diamond. But the queen shook her head. "Queen present keeping."

I was afraid I might lose it while running. But for now, I wanted to please the queen. And I had not lost it in my sleep, where I had been most relaxed.

* * *

When we stepped outside, Prince John and his stallion and the brothers, Tsuwangli, Rene and Johens were ready to leave. Marshal Jtarek and the guard of honour were also there, as well as several servants and maids. Then we all bowed as the wessir arrived with his advisor, who carried a chest. The wessir first went to Brother Tsuwangli, took a short dagger from the chest and gave it to the prince.

Then he turned to me. I bowed again. "Raising Countess Kiara," the queen commanded.

The wessir took something from the chest that looked like a small horn. "A tooth of the sheb'ets," the queen said. Perhaps the dinosaurs once had such large teeth. And when I saw that, I understood that I'd never had a chance to pass as a sheb'ets. The wessir smiled and put it back.

"You going dangerous way," the queen said, "So we helping." She waved the cleric translator towards us and took another straight dagger from the chest and placed it in my hand. Its scabbard disappeared in my hands. It was old leather, almost black, and the silver threads running through it were black too. I pulled the blade out a little, it was a steel blade that had certainly seen some use. It was sharpened and polished. All in all, a weapon that had served its owner for a very long time. However, it came with a new leather belt with gold studs that did not match the scabbard at all.

The cleric touched my back fur lightly. "Dear Countess, this dagger is a kats', a ritual dagger for offerings and some other ceremonial functions for the followers of the Nuncipal. We know you are not a follower. But this dagger is a sacred weapon, not to be used for offence. No true follower would dare take it from you." He parted his cowl to reveal his kats' in its scabbard. "Nevertheless," he continued, "your kats' is well sharpened, in case you should encounter heretics."

The unspoken message, of course, was that there would be many heretics in Lomaho. Great.

The wessir spoke and the cleric translated. "You have heard our story. This weapon has a long history of its own. It has been in my house as long as it has existed. It's exact origin is lost, it may have even seen the sheb'ets, and it was certainly used during the Soul Wars. The wessir and the sheb'ets would have been enemies at one time. We are glad that this time we leave as allies. This dagger is the only weapon we can give you in good faith. We all pray to The Soul for your mission."

I looked at the weapon again, almost trembling. Another precious gift, in addition to the golden earrings and the belly button diamond. I could give them nothing. I felt ashamed, remembering how selfish and inhospitable such an encounter would have been in my old world. "I cannot take all this. I have done nothing," I stuttered.

"You go to Nuncipal and get Soul Mage," the queen said, "you needing more than we cannot giving." Then she fastened the buckle of the weapon around my waist and bowed, the whole palace was bowing before us.

Then the wessir shouted something and the marshal indicated for us to follow. Not to a lift, but to a palace gate leading south, where high mountains rose. Just outside was a jetty with two oversized canoes waiting for us, which had a cloth canopy. The canoes were well stocked with provisions and extra waterskins. In each a camel was waiting, and each canoe had a camel driver sitting in the stern. In the first canoe, Larina sat in the front with the guard. I hugged her, but I had to go to the front of the second canoe, and the Prince's stallion and Brother Johens were the only ones from our group to keep me company. The rest of us went to the first canoe so that it would be equally loaded. And then we were pulled against the current by a team of six mules towards the entrance of the gorge. The camel driver in each boat steered the canoe with blades similar to those used by the Native Americans.

Now, in summer, the water was not very fast and a towpath close to the water could be used. We made good progress. I had a lot to tell Brother Johens about what I had learned the previous evening and about the farewell gift. I took out the dagger again: Not just a dagger, no, another priceless historical artefact. Brother Johens told me about the rituals of the kats'. It was mainly used in an ancient rite of sacrifice of small animals, often foxes. A practice that had fallen out of fashion centuries ago.

After two miles, the river banks rose higher and higher and by midday the gorge had become a deep canyon. By early afternoon the rock walls were high enough for us to be in the shade. Only low bushes grew close to the river, the imposing red and yellow rocks above us were barren.

Before evening, we came to rough water with many eddies: We had reached the Split from the story, the watershed. A smaller tributary branched off from the main river. We would follow that tributary downstream towards the desert. To cross the eddies into the smaller river, the canoes were landed first and everyone got out except the camel drivers. I wondered how we proceed because I doubted that anyone in Kren had ever handled a camel. However, Brother Tsuwangli did know how to lead the camels and showed us. We loaded all the food and gear onto the mules, the two camels, Larina, the stallion and myself. In the fading light of day, we then climbed over the rock formation that divided the split, following the mules.

It was night when we arrived on the other side. We made a fire from the few logs we had brought with us, boiled some tea and had dinner. I gave another account of the stories I had been told and showed the dagger. We loaded the canoes and then the drivers waited for the moon to rise over the canyon walls. We would now travel with the current, faster than the mules.

As our canoe was not crowded, I was able to sleep on my paws, the rocking of the canoe and the gurgling of the water put me to sleep fast.

* * *

The next morning was breathtaking. We had started again sometime during the night and were now navigating the relatively narrow river, no bigger than the River Kren at Krenburg. The drivers had little to do other than keep us in the middle of the river. But the canyon was magnificent, there were not enough words to describe it. When I thought about how a god could have split these mountains, I understood their respect. (Of course, I knew it was more likely due to erosion, but the God Wessir parting the mountains as his dying gift was so much more romantic). And what a monster this sheb'ets had been to kill such a god! I was nothing compared to her, not that I was out to kill anyone.

Deep in the imposing canyon, I felt even smaller and more humble than ever since we had begun this mission. Brother Johens must have had similar feelings as he prayed a lot.

In the afternoon we reached some rapids. Our party welcomed the exercise and walked the narrow path along the rapids while the muleteers helped their colleagues to steer the canoes. They had to work hard to get the two big canoes through without capsizing.

Including food for the drivers, I was carrying more than ever. Still, I was glad to walk and just watch the perilous dance of the boats in the rapids. And also grateful for the shade here at the bottom of the canyon. Larina felt the same and Brother Rene was exhausted from walking sideways while trying to lead his camel, which did not seem to like him very much. So everyone was tired and we had a long early dinner at the bottom of the rapids. We reloaded the canoes and everyone slept until moonrise. The canoes started again on the river. But I only opened my eyes once and slept on.

In the morning the canyon had changed again. The rock walls had become rounder and the top had come closer. This trend continued all morning until we found ourselves in a deep valley with muddy banks and a forest nearby, not unlike the rivers we had crossed in the savannah. As the valley widened, our river slowed with every mile. By late afternoon we were barely moving and the clear water was starting to smell stale. The canoes were rowed to a large flat rock, forming a natural jetty, where we all disembarked. The camel drivers explained again how to handle the camels. They would have to row a long way back to the start of the canyon as the valley was too muddy for a towpath. It would be two days' work for them before the towpath began.

We had reached the outer edge of the desert. We just moved to the edge of the muddy banks and rested here to travel on after moonrise.