Gyskouras deep in envenomed slumber but Niko, despite Tempus’s concern and
Jihan’s healing, looked and felt worse than the White Foal undead. He was also,
because of his need for Jihan’s healing touch, a permanent resident of the
nursery along with the Stonnchildren.
Randal didn’t pretend to understand Niko’s enthrallment with Roxane or his all
consuming interest in the Stonnchildren-he didn’t even understand his own
affection for the jinxed mercenary who had rejected his friendship more than
once. He had touched Chiringee when they mingled in the transfer sphere,
inoculating her with his love for Niko and an awareness of Roxane’s essence (an
essence which, albeit neutralized, pervaded his own Globe of Power whose
previous owner had loved and used the beautiful witch countless times). The
mongoose might not be able to slay the snakes but she would give Niko a few
moments of warning and that, not the safety of the Stormchildren, was all that
mattered to Randal.
“We had a cage built for her but, with the influence of the transfer, it wasn’t
enough to hold her,” Molin was explaining to Jihan. “We’ll have Arton’s father
make a stronger one in the morning. In the meantime I’ll tell the guards to keep
the Beysib women out. She’d go after their vipers.”
“Then don’t build a cage,” the Froth Daughter said with an icy laugh. “They need
a few less snakes.”
“The vipers are sacred to the Beysib and to Mother Bey. You, most especially,
should respect this,” Molin said sternly as the temperature continued to drop.