Serpentine Rings

Astra answered, as if she now understood, and had the answer all along, "Of course, I was escorted inbound by one of my guardian's neighbors, who as a merchant had business in Corona. I regret to say, we went by carriage - not only was it uncomfortable, but I did not pay attention to where we were going, as I was absorbed in conversation with him."

"Were you now? Attractive boy?"

"Oh, Zari," said Astra, shaking her head as if in exasperation and embarrassment, but only too glad to decoy her with a non-existent beau.

"I knew it! You do have an admirer! But why did he not accompany you back?"

"He had business beyond Corona. You know those merchants - they are secretive about such things. They are always trying to outwit the competition, and he would not entrust such matters to me."

It was Zari's turn to shake her head. "Astra, Astra. You need to stay here for a week, so that I can enlighten you as to how the world works. You should be able to get such information from him easily, if you knew what you are doing." Zari was now banding Astra's red hair into a bun, and fitting her with a white, bonnet-like hat. "Never mind that. There are times that the wind will blow strongly as you head west, and you are not in that carriage. You will need protection. This headdress will help. There is a white silk veil that will allow you to look out, but not allow prying eyes to look at your face."

Astra thought, "Thank you, Zari, although this was not your intention. This gives me a chance to slip past the guards, as my red hair and pale face, which mark as a foreigner, can now be hidden."

"They are quite nice," Astra said.

"And lastly, I have something that you have to have." Zari scooted to a drawer. There was a walnut box with tacky jewelry. It was full of rheinstones, quartz, and coloured glass set in silver-plated or gold-plated nickel or bronze.

"Are they real?" Astra asked.

"Of course not. You never travel with anything that you cannot afford to lose. I am generous, but not that generous. But the stones that you really are going to want are these", she said, fishing out four turquoise rings with stones about the twice of the top half of Astra's thumb. The rings themselves spiralled around, and had the form of a snake engraved on them.

"These look a bit impractical. The stones are so big," Astra said.

"Ah, Astra Khanom, jewelry is not meant to be practical. But there is more utility than meets the eye. Observe."

Zari took the head of the snake of one ring and pushed it into a notch between the spiral grooves of another. She took the head of the second ring and placed them into the spiral grooves of a third. She did this until she had four rings chained together. She then put all four rings on her left hand.

Zari then said, "Watch." There was a leather torso of a dressmaker's dummy in the room. She swung her bejeweled hand sharply into the chest of the dummy. It fell back and then rebounded, eventually returning to its original position. The four joined rings acted as an effective set of brass knuckles.

"For the times when a sweet word may not be appropriate?" asked Astra. Zari smiled and nodded her head.

"Do you have two sets, with mock rubies - perhaps with some garnets?" asked Astra. I think those would go well with the splendid outfit that you have given me."

Gorbeh rolled his eyes as he saw the garish costume jewellry that Zari had given Astra. He never understood why women seemed so attracted to it. At least Zari had the good sense to outfit Astra in a nice, modest, practical dress, unlike some of the scandalous designs that were said to be all the fashion in Corona.

"You have outdone yourself, Zari," Gorbeh said. "Now I shall take Astra Khanom to Asib, who, I am sure, has not been idle."

"Take care, Astra! Don't let Asib put you off with his silence. I have been married to him for eight years now, and he does not talk much to me either, but he really is a sweetheart. He will do right by you."

Gorbeh and Astra rode to the Satrap's stables. Asib was a tall, bearded man, of slight build. He greeted Astra and Gorbeh with a nod as they came in.

"Is Astra's horse ready?" asked Gorbeh.

Asib answered, "Both your horse and hers have been fed and groomed, and I have a saddle for Astra's. Strangely enough

1. he has run out into the field. He has not run away, but he does not want to mix with the other horses, or any of us."
2. he seems to be one of Mercury's boys. Would you know anything about that, khanomam?"

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