The Two of Swords: Part 6 Read Online Free PDF Page B

they say, is to stuff a mattress. Not true, of course.”
    “No?”
    She shook her head. “Two medium-sized cushions, if that. As for me,” she went on, “one good thing I’ll say about him, he understands that no means no, and he doesn’t bear grudges. Plenty more fish in the vast, unlimited ocean, is his view. So, no, that’s not what I’m there for.”
    Senza ate a scrap of lettuce. “So what do you do?”
    “Take notes,” she replied. “Find things out. Carry messages, talk to people, keep my eyes and ears open. Political officer’s a good cover because everyone knows what a pain in the bum they can be, spying on your every move. People who don’t like him tell me things to get him in trouble, so he knows what his enemies are thinking.”
    Senza smiled. “Oida has enemies.”
    “Of course he does.” She hesitated, as if afraid she may have said something she shouldn’t. The hesitation was just a little bit too long, maybe. “You do know—”
    He broadened the smile. “Know what?”
    “Oh God.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Obviously you don’t, and I assumed—
Hell
,” she said. “He’s going to be so angry.”
    “Know what?”
    She let out a long, sad sigh. “Oida is the go-between,” she said. “Between the two empires. There aren’t any official lines of communication, no recognised diplomatic channels beyond the absolute bare minimum, but from time to time there are some things they’ve simply got to talk about; but obviously nobody can know about it. Oida’s more or less the only man alive who’s free to come and go, loved and respected in both empires, known to be completely impartial, never takes sides, he’s the obvious choice. He spends his life shuttling backwards and forwards delivering messages, conducting negotiations, that sort of thing. He’s got a permanent staff of ten assistants, and I’m one of them. Oh, come on, you
must
have known. You know everything, everyone says so.”
    Senza pursed his lips. “Apparently not.”
    “Oh.” She frowned. “Why the hell not? I mean, I’d have thought that you— Oh, the hell with it.” She paused, then added: “Forza knew.”
    “You’re not eating your salad.”
    “I’m not hungry.”
    “But it’s your favourite.”
    She shot him a startled look. He went on: “Cold roast chicken, lettuce, cucumber, dill pickle, red and green peppers, honey, white wine and vinegar dressing. Your favourite. At least, it’s what you always have when you eat alone at the Two Stars at Bohec, so I’m assuming you like it. Or maybe there’s some special ingredient we’ve missed out. In which case, I apologise. No excuse for sloppy intelligence work, after all.”
    She gave him a long look. “You do know,” she said. “About Oida.”
    Senza sighed. “Now that,” he said, “is a very good question. Yes, I know a lot of things about Oida. Ever such a lot of things, many of them true. Just not enough, that’s all.”
    She’d changed. She even looked quite different. He wondered if, this time next week, he’d recognise her again if he met her in the street. Quite possibly not. “It’s really true that he’s the go-between,” she said. “And you did know that already.”
    Senza nodded. “I have full access to government intelligence,” he said. “Which means I know what’s in the dossier, about him and you. I know you killed a man at Beloisa just for a place on a boat – well, I say a man, a political officer, so no harm done. But, yes, I know a little bit about both of you. I know what you really went to Blemya for.” She winced just a little when he said that. “Which is why we’re keeping the chains on for now, given that we’re alone and there’s sharp objects handy. No offence.”
    “None taken,” she replied. “Fine, so what do you want me for?”
    He smiled; then he grabbed her by the throat, his thumb pressing on a particular vein. It was just as well he knew his own strength. “Tell me who Oida