breathtaking. She was radiance to challenge the sun; she was Beauty to challenge
the goddess Eshi Herself.
And she was looking for a man. A particular man.
She and her lackey-his name was Wintsenay and he was best described as an
overage street urchin-returned through town, saw a killing and pretended not to,
two blocks farther along stepped carefully around another murder victim not yet
cold, satisfactorily answered the questions of a Beysib who looked worse than
nervous and ready to draw the sword on its or her back, and came at last to a
fine inn. There they installed her.
Oh, but Jodeera turned heads in the White Swan! Nevertheless, she caused herself
to be. conducted at once to an available chamber, one with a good bed and a good
lock on the door. Though many waited and watched and some of them entertained
dreams and pleasant fantasies, she did not return to the common room. She
remained in her own rented chamber. Her hireling Wintsenay slept before the
door, armed, but nothing untoward befell her at the White Swan.
Word of her arrival in Sanctuary was abroad before she rose next day. Beautiful
women did not come at all often to Sanctuary. Not even Hakiem could remember
when last one had arrived here alone. Yet this time a true beauty had arrived,
and alone, and she was a mystery. Having taken on a low and baseborn servant who
was about ten minutes out of the downwind area of Downwind, she had given her
name at the White Swan as Ahdioma of Aurvesh, and she was nigh incredible.
As for the lady herself … “See you this ring?” she asked of the White Swan’s