but there must be nothing for them to find if they do. I would advise you to forgo a meal and leave as soon as it is dark.”
Jehane, grimly subdued, could only nod. With each passing moment she was becoming more aware of the danger and the strangeness of the world she had elected to enter. The morning market, the treatment rooms, all the routines of her life, seemed remote already, and receding swiftly.
“I also have a suggestion, if I may. I do not know what ibn Musa intends to do now, but you could both do worse than go north to Valledo for a time.”
“You would send a Kindath to the Jaddites?” Jehane asked sharply.
He shrugged. “You lived among them during your studies abroad, and so did your father in his day.”
“That was Batiara. And Ferrieres.”
He made an exaggerated grimace. “Again, I am crushingly refuted. I really will have to leap out the window if you keep this up.” His expression altered again. “Things are changing in the peninsula, Jehane. They may start changing very quickly. It is worth remembering that with the parias being paid, Valledo has guaranteed the security of Fezana. I don’t know if that applies to internal … control by Cartada, but it could be argued, if ibn Musa wanted to do so. It could be an excuse. As for you, I would certainly avoid Ruenda and Jaloña if I were a Kindath, but King Ramiro of Valledo is an intelligent man.”
“And his soldiers?”
“Some of them are.”
“How reassuring.”
She heard her father make a reproving sound behind her.
His gaze very direct, ibn Khairan said, “Jehane, you cannot look for reassurance if you leave these walls. You must understand that before you go. If you have no plans and no direction, then serving as a doctor under the protection of Valledo is as good a course—”
“Why would you assume I have no plans?” It was curious how quickly he could anger her.
He stopped. “Forgive me.”
“Where?”
She would not have answered Ammar ibn Khairan, for any number of reasons, but she had to tell her father. He had not spoken a word to her in four years before this afternoon.
“Ragosa,” she said quietly.
She had never even thought of it until ibn Khairan had begun his speech, but once the name of the city was spoken it seemed to Jehane as if she had always been heading there, east towards the shores of Lake Serrana, and the river and the mountains.
“Ah,” said ibn Khairan, thoughtfully. He rubbed his smooth chin. “You could do worse than King Badir, yes.”
“And Mazur ben Avren.”
She said it too defiantly. He grinned. “The Prince of the Kindath. Of course. I’d be careful there, Jehane.”
“Why? You know him?”
“We have exchanged letters and verses over the years. Books for our libraries. Ben Avren is an extremely subtle man.”
“And so? That is a bad thing in the principal advisor to the king of Ragosa?”
He shook his head. “Tonight you are asking that particular question of the wrong man, actually. Just be careful if you do get there. Remember I told you.” He was silent a moment, half-turned to the window. “And if you are to get anywhere, not to mention myself, we must bring an end to this encounter. I believe I hear voices below. Husari and Velaz, we’d best hope.”
She heard the sounds now, too, and did recognize both voices.
“I’ll leave the way I came, Ser Ishak, with your permission.” Ibn Khairan moved past Jehane to take her father’s hand again. “But I do have one question of my own, if I may. I’ve wondered about something for four years now.”
Jehane felt herself go still. Her father slowly tilted his head up towards ibn Khairan.
Who said, “Tell me, if you will, did you know what you risked when you delivered Almalik’s last child in the way you did?”
In the stillness that followed Jehane could hear, from the courtyard below, her mother’s calm voice inviting ibn Musa into their house, as if he were no more than an awaited dinner guest on an ordinary night.
She saw her father nod his head, a sound emerging from the ruined mouth like the release of a long burden. Jehane felt herself suddenly on the edge of tears again.
“Would you do it again?” ibn Khairan asked, very gently.
No delay, this time. Another affirmative nod.
“Why?” asked Ammar ibn Khairan, and Jehane could see that he truly wanted to understand this.
Ishak’s mouth opened and closed, as if testing a word. “Gareeruh,” he said finally, then shook his head in frustration.
“I don’t understand,” ibn Khairan said.
“Gareeruh,” Ishak said again, and this time Jehane saw him place a hand over his heart, and she knew.
“The Oath of Galinus,” she said. It was difficult to speak. “The Physician’s Oath. To preserve life, if it can be done.”
Ishak nodded once, and then leaned back in his chair, as if exhausted by the effort to communicate after so long. Ammar ibn Khairan was still holding his hand. Now he let it go. “I would need time to think, more time than we have, before I would presume to offer any reply to that,” he said soberly. “If my stars and your moons allow, I would be honored to meet with you again, Ser Ishak. May I write to you?”
Ishak nodded his head. After a moment ibn Khairan turned back to Jehane.
“I believe I did say I had two reasons for coming,” he murmured. “Or had you forgotten?” She had, actually. He saw that, and smiled again. “One was a warning of danger, the other was to bring you something.”
He walked past her, back to the window. He swung up on the sill and reached out and around the side to the ledge. Without stepping down again he turned and offered something exquisite to Jehane.
“Oh dear,” she said. “Oh dear.”
It was, of course, her urine flask. Her father’s flask.
“You did leave in rather a hurry from ibn Musa’s,” ibn Khairan said mildly, “and so did Velaz and Husari. I thought you might want the flask, and perhaps make better use of it than the Muwardis when they arrived.”
Jehane swallowed and bit her lip. If they had found this …
She stepped forward and took the flask from his hand. Their fingers touched. “Thank you,” she said.
And remained motionless, astonished, as he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The scent of his perfume briefly surrounded her. One of his hands came up and lightly touched her hair.
“Courier’s fee,” he
