“It must be a fairly calm night. If not, expanded as they are, even a light breeze would make these giants wobble all over the place like captive balloons.”
Ghail put Tony’s right hand firmly in front of him. She released it. She took his left arm and removed it firmly from her shoulders.
“We are almost there,” she said shortly. “You will ask that I be taken to our Queen in her prison, that she may have the solace of a human woman to weep with her in her captivity.”
There was sudden uneasiness, even anxiety, in her voice. In fact, it wavered a little. And Tony knew why she was frightened. She traveled as his slave. Here, among the djinn —
“I’ll do that,” he told her almost remorsefully. “I’ve been pretty much of a beast, haven’t I? But I’ll see that you’re toddled off to your Queen while I see the king and listen to his offers of bribes.”
She adjusted her veil and swathing robes.
“You will not see him tonight!” she said bitterly. “You will be shown to your apartment, and there he will send refreshments and entertainment to beguile you so that you will wish alliance with him instead of Barkut! There will be wine, and djinnees in the form of women, and everything that is disreputable to appeal to a man!”
Tony managed to look shocked. Actually, it sounded interesting.
“You mean that djinn are as immoral as all that?”
“Of course!” she said more bitterly still. “They are stupid! They are unbelievably stupid! So of course they are immoral! And if they were not stupid, and probably if they were not immoral, we humans would have no chance against them at all! And it is because men are so stupid that they are so immoral, and—and—”