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secretive."
,This attack suggest anything?"
,Only that your list is valid."
,Who made it? Not Norath. He never came in contact with any of my officers."
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,So he was hired."
Ragnarson's face hardened. ,By who?"
The wizard started to say something, changed his mind. Ultimately, he
observed, ,We all have enemies. The more successful we are, the more numerous
they become. Like throwing a stone in the air. It goes up and up and up. It
slows down all the time. Finally, it comes to rest."
,And then it comes down."
,True. Sad but true."
,Is that an oracle?"
,No. Just a bad metaphor. I suggest you guard everyone on that list.
Especially Gjerdrum. I'd guess he's next."
,It's done already. How about you?"
,I can take care of myself."
,Liakopulos probably thought so too. Never mind. You don't want a bodyguard,
you don't get one. I have to cancel a Captures match because of this. And make
myself unpop- ular with extra duty assignments. Did you find Michael?"
Ragnarson was worried. Trebilcock had been gone longer before, but never at a
time so critical. And his name had been on that list.
,Aral found a cold trail. A friend of his saw Michael in Delhagen a few days
after the attack on Liakopulos."
,Strange."
,Everything is, these days."
,How long till Nepanthe's time?"
,Two weeks. Three."
,Nervous?"
,Of course." The wizard smiled weakly.
,Don't worry about it. She didn't have any trouble with Ethrian."
The wizard's shoulders tightened. ,Don't mention that name."
Ragnarson did not like his tone. ,There you go getting goofy again. What the
hell is it with you and Ethrian?"
Varthlokkur looked like he was counting to ten. ,Nepanthe has a bee in her
bonnet about him lately. I don't know why, but she's decided he's still alive.
She thinks we should be trying to find him."
,And you don't?Is he alive?"
,I don't know."
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It might not make a lot of sense to anyone else, but Ethrian being alive might
explain the wizard's bizarre behavior of late. Might there be some connection
with the Deliverer, about whom he had refused to talk? ,A couple of weeks ago
you told me...."
,I know." The wizard's lips were tight. He was control- ling himself visibly.
,This isn't the time to worry about it. We've got a baby to get born."
,I think you're hiding from something. You, of all people, ought to know how
much good that does. Are you even going to bother to look? Or just stall and
hope she forgets about it?"
,Ragnarson!..."
,You don't add up. You're making your own trouble. Forget it. I'll check back
later and see if you've gotten an attack of the reasonables and bothered to
see if you can find something."
,There's nothing to find."
Ragnarson walked away convinced therewas something, and it must not be good.
It might pay to try twisting Mist's arm a little. She'd at least have to
suspect why Varthlokkur was so spooky.
That evening Ragnarson received a note written in his son Gundar's crabbed
hand. It asked him to come to his brother Ainjar's birthday party, day after
tomorrow.
Sherilee flashed through his mind. She would find a reason to be there. He
returned the note saying he would try.
Next day one of Trebilcock's lieutenants burst into anoth- er appropriations
session. ,Sire," he gasped. ,Word from Captain Trebilcock."
Ragnarson sprang away from the table. The delegates watched with wide eyes.
Wild rumors surrounded Trebil- cock's disappearance. One suggested that the
King him- self had done away with his chief spy. ,What? What is it?"
,A pigeon, Sire." The man still clutched a ragged bird. Michael's message
dangled from his other hand.
,Pigeon? I didn't know we used them." He grabbed the message tissue.
,We don't have very many. Just for our farthest stations. They can fly farther
in an hour than a rider can cover in a day."
,I doubt that." Ragnarson knew a little about carrier pigeons. ,But only
witchcraft is faster." He fumbled Mi- chael's message twice before he read it.
,By damn! The wizard was right. Guard! Find Varthlokkur. Tell him to get the
Unborn. Say it's an emer- gency." He waited impatiently.
When Varthlokkur arrived he showed him Michael's message.
,What now?" Bragi asked.
,Now we wait. If you know any reliable deities, call them in."
Ragnarson chuckled. He was an uncommonly irreligious man. ,If I knew any
reliable gods," he said, ,they'd be running Ravelin. I'd have them whipping
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thunderbolts on anyone who interfered around here. I'd keep one of them
squatting in Hsung's bedchamber."
A nervous orderly tapped at the door. ,Sire?"
,Come in."
,Message from Mr. Dantice, Sire. He said it's impor- tant."
,Let me see it. Come on! The man don't bite."
The orderly sidled across the room, eying Varthlokkur carefully. A gesture
would set him running. The wizard donned a pained expression. Thus it had been
for centuries.
Bragi read the note, passed it to Varthlokkur. The wizard chuckled
humorlessly. ,Lord Hsung must have been might- ily impressed by the
Invincibles."
Dantice had heard from his smuggler friends. Military debacle had rattled
Hsung and his puppets. Throyen officers had been stripped of their commands.
Soldiers had been executed for cowardice. Hsung had postponed southward
expansion. The appearance of Invincibles had been unanti- cipated. Their
gathering had gone unnoted by Hsung's intelligence people, people who had the
skills of the Tervola to supplement their more prosaic resources. Rumor said
there would be a shakeup in Western Army's staff. Hsung suspected the
existence of a traitor.
,Think that means trouble?" Ragnarson asked. ,One of his people belongs to
Mist."
,They've covered themselves."
,What about Norath?"
,Uhm?"
,We don't know why, but we know who, and we know where the son of a bitch is."
,One thing at a time. We have too many irons in the fire. We don't need a war
with Megelin."
,Who said Megelin? I'm talking about Norath."
,And suppose he's got control of Megelin? Suppose we failed first try? He's a
first-rate wizard. He wouldn't have survived the destruction of the Pracchia
if he weren't."
,Megelin wouldn't declare war. We're supposed to be friends."
,Supposed to be. They say he's gone crazy. And now we know why."
,He can't. El Murid would climb his back."
,Let Norath ride. We're committed on this thing with Mist. And I've got a baby
coming. You don't want to get embroiled with Norath if I can't be there. When
it comes to choosing between helping you or being with my wife, you lose."
,Should've known better than to argue with you. I hope your critter gets this
over with. If I don't watch them, the Thing will slip me an appropriation I'll
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cry about for years."
,Let Prataxis handle it."
,Crap. He don't bully as good as me. Hell, this whole business is his damned
fault. He designed this stupid government."
,It works pretty good."
,Works great, long as I don't need something done before next month. I want to
give one lousy damned medal to somebody, every son of a bitch in the Thing has
to have his say."
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