She stiffened, threw up her head, and turned to Maia.
"Come, take the child, thou faithful one," she directed—waited until the blue girl had complied and stretched her form on the couch, ere she answered his summons, releasing her astral body to steal into Croft's waiting arms.
For a moment he simply held her, and then he told her. "Beloved—the time approaches. The thing is done."
"Done?" she faltered.
"Aye, finished wholly," Jason said, and felt her quiver—sensed the fires of her astral being quicken—found the form he held suddenly glowing.
"Now Zitu be praised." In all her slender length she pressed suddenly closer to him. "Draws then so near the day?"
"Aye, by Zitu," he declared.
"I know not the meaning of it," Naia said, "but Maia lies daily on the straw within the door of our chamber—and she had heard mutterings now and then among the guard. Thy mention of Bandhor recalls it. Kalamita's brother has come among them within the last few suns, if one may credit their speech among themselves."
"Bandhor? To what purpose?" Croft questioned quickly, vaguely disturbed that the Zollarian generalissimo should have held speech in person with members of the palace guard.
"Nay, I know not. Maia but heard mention of his presence—some word concerning Helmor's signet."