The newcomer was of middle height, very slight and graceful. She was no longer quite young. Her face wore the composure of a woman who knows her way about the world. It was intensely pale, and under its quiescence there just was a glimpse of something strange and dangerous. It was curiously alluring, though not exactly beautiful.
Her hair was clustering and boyish, reaching only to the neck. It was of a strange indigo colour. She was quaintly attired in a tunic and breeches, pieced together from the square, blue - green plates of some reptile. Her small, ivory-white breasts were exposed. Her sorb was black and sad - rather contemplative.
Without once glancing up at Oceaxe and Maskull, she quietly glided straight toward Crimtyphon's corpse. When she arrived within a few feet of it, she stopped and looked down, with arms folded.
Oceaxe drew Maskull a little away, and whispered, "It's Crimtyphon's other wife, who lives under Disscourn. She's a most dangerous woman.
Be careful what you say. If she asks you to do anything, refuse it outright.""The poor soul looks harmless enough."'
"Yes, she does - but the poor soul is quite capable of swallowing up Krag himself.... Now, play the man."The murmur of their voices seemed to attract Tydomin's notice, for she now slowly turned her eyes toward them.
"Who killed him?" she demanded.
Her voice was so soft, low, and refined, that Maskull hardly was able to catch the words. The sounds, however, lingered in his ears, and curiously enough seemed to grow stronger, instead of fainter.
Oceaxe whispered, "Don't say a word, leave it all to me." Then she swung her body around to face Tydomin squarely, and said aloud, "Ikilled him."
Tydomin's words by this time were ringing in Maskull's head like an actual physical sound. There was no question of being able to ignore them; he had to make an open confession of his act, whatever the consequences might be. Quietly taking Oceaxe by the shoulder and putting her behind him, he said in a low, but Perfectly distinct voice, "It was I that killed Crimtyphon."Oceaxe looked both haughty and frightened. "Maskull says that so as to shield me, as he thinks. I require no shield, Maskull. I killed him, Tydomin.""I believe you, Oceaxe. You did murder him. Not with your own strength, for you brought this man along for the purpose."Maskull took a couple of steps toward Tydomin. "It's of little consequence who killed him, for he's better dead than alive, in my opinion. Still, I did it. Oceaxe had no hand in the affair."Tydomin appeared not to hear him - she looked beyond him at Oceaxe musingly. "When you murdered him, didn't it occur to you that Iwould come here, to find out?"