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“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” The snide comment cut through everyone’s conversation. In the sudden hush, Kara and Vysh turned to see Layahn leaning against the table. “Our special little human here is the daughter of the Earth’s President. The same President who’s kept the war going even when we’ve tried to end it. Isn’t that so, Terran?”

Kara tensed as the weight of everyone’s stares fell on her.

“Is Layahn right?” asked Vysh. “Is the Earth leader your parent?”

Kara took a breath.

“Yes, I’m the President’s daughter. And yes, we should have ended the war sooner. But we’re trying to do it now. It’s why I’m here.” She looked round at the Vraxian females watching her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “Last night the Zhaal sent an offer of peace to Earth. This morning I spoke to my mother and asked her to accept it. I promise you all, we are trying really hard to reconcile both our peoples.”

“Just to be clear,” Layahn said nastily, “the Zhaal himself asked Kara to take part inshaa’baara.We’re supposed to let her win so that she can be his Zhaalini as a symbolic unification of our two species.”

There was an outbreak of murmuring as everyone took this in.

Damn her,thought Kara.She’s deliberately stirring things. And she’s definitely getting this info from her uncle.

“Is that true, Kara?” asked Inyria, her expression troubled.

“Not about letting me win. We thought if I won fair and square, it would convince the die-hards that the match was willed by the gods.”

“So when the contest starts in a day or two, you’re saying we won’t be asked to go easy on you?” This from a Vraxian whom Kara vaguely recalled was named Hespia.

“I… I don’t know.”

“We’re supposed to let herwin?” said another, eyes blazing. “That’s a pile ofdrek’aa dankar zift.I’m going to complain.”

“No, no, that’s not…”

Kara tried to interject but suddenly everyone was yelling. Layahn folded her arms and watched with a gloating smile. It was Vysh who came to the rescue.

“Shut up, everyone,” she yelled. “Shut up and let me talk!” Miraculously, the room quietened. “First off, no-one’s complaining to anyone. And that includes you, Lyrith. We’ll handle this ourselves. Agreed?”

There was a round of nods, except for Layahn who appeared furious at having her audience usurped. Vysh turned to Kara.

“Tell the truth. Is the contest fixed?”

“No.” Kara put her hand on her heart. “I swear, in the names of all your gods and mine, I have to compete just like the rest of you.”

“But if you make it to the final three, all bets are off, aren’t they?” asked Layahn acidly. “The Zhaal will choose you.”

Kara didn’t know what to say. Again it was Vysh who provided the voice of reason.

“But the final choice isalwaysthe Zhaal’s,” she said calmly. “We can’t change that. If he prefers Kara to the other finalists, he’ll choose her. That’s his right.”

“Fine,” spat Layahn. “Then we’ll just have to make sure she’s not in the final three.” She stalked towards Kara and glared down at her from her superior height. “And just to be clear, no-one here is going to go easy on you. Least of all me.”

Kara would have given anything to eyeball Layahn face-to-face. As it was, she had to crane to look up. She contented herself with a vicious grin which was more about baring her teeth than smiling.

“Fine by me. Bring it, bitch.”

They glowered at each other with mutual loathing. The standoff only ended when the door opened and Daa’stan came in, followed by a phalanx of young Vraxians who seemed to be his assistants.

Layahn turned away with a dismissive sneer. Kara glanced at Vysh.

“Thanks for your help.”

“You should have told us who you were right from the start.”

“I wasn’t hiding it from you, I just didn’t want to complicate things.”