"Aye, mistress, Gor hears and obeys," said Gor, curling back his heavy lips.
Kalamita's breast rose and fell in a deep-caught breath. "See to it, then. Let there be no mistake."
"Nay, mistress—when has Gor failed thee—or to do thy bidding?"
"None fail me save once," said Kalamita. "Enough."
Outside, a trumpet blew a ruffling blast. There followed a pause, and then Cathur tricked out in his bravest armor, with the twin mountain peaks of Cathur on it done in blue stones, appeared in the doorway of the lodge between two Zollarian captains, and paused.
"Cathur for Tamarizia seeks audience with Kalamita," the senior captain announced.
For a moment the face of the woman twitched with some sudden emotion and then she replied, gripping the arm of her chair till her knuckles whitened. "Let Cathur approach."
The captains fell back and disappeared. Koryphu advanced. A single pace before her he halted.
"These tablets bring I from Jason, Mouthpiece of Zitu to Tamarizia, to Kalamita," he said, and placed Croft's message in her hand.