the Stepson’s head, saying, Look on Me, favorite of the Riddler, and take word
back to your leader that I am come again. And that 1 would take advantage of all
you have to give before the little world that is thine suffers unto perishing.
The boy from whose mouth the words could not have issued was saying, “Sowdier?
Hewo? Make fwiends? Fwiends? Take big ride? Water pwace? Soon? Me want go soon!”
Niko, stone sober, sat up, looked at the woman sharply and then nodded politely,
as he hadn’t before. “You’re that one’s mother? That temple dancer-Seylalha, the
First Consort who bore Vashanka’s child.” It wasn’t really a question; the woman
didn’t bother to answer.
Niko leaned forward, toward the two children, the darker of whom had his thumb
in his mouth and regarded Niko with round black eyes. The fair child smiled
beatifi-cally. “Soon?” the boy said, though it was too young a child to be
discussing anything as sensitive as Niko knew it was.
He said, “Soon, if you’re worthy, boy. Pure in heart. Honorable. Loving of life
all life. It won’t be easy. I’ll have to get permission. And you’ve got to
control-what’s inside you. Or they won’t have you in Bandara, no matter how they
care for me.”
“Good,” said the fair child, or maybe just “Goo”; Niko wasn’t sure.
These were toddlers, the both. Too young and, if Niko’s maat was right and a god
had chosen one as His repository, too dangerous. Niko said to the woman, “Tell
the priests I’ll do what I can. But he must be taught restraint. No child can
control his temper at that age. Both of them, then, must be prepared.”