He stepped into the hallway. „Anybody else up?"
„It's a cemetery." They went downstairs quietly. Kristen was right. Not a soul was stirring. She followed him onto the porch. „Don't worry about Sherry. All right? She did what she wanted."
„What do you mean?"
„I know you. You've got the morning after guilts. Taking advantage of the poor girl. Like that. Don't. Concentrate on what you're doing. And come back when you can. She'll be waiting." And, as Ragnarson stepped into the lane, she murmured, „She's got what she wants, Father. And how I envy her."
She went inside wondering how she meant that.
The lane was awakening. People were gathering to watch the skyshow. Ragnarson watched over his shoulder, awed. He almost annihilated Derel Prataxis in their collision.
„Sire. Good. The Chatelaine sent me. You've seen it, then?"
„I could miss it, Derel? It's flashier than last week. I keep wondering why the earth isn't shaking. Is this it? Is Kuo out of hiding?"
„So she says." Prataxis glanced round furtively.
„Expecting spies in the bushes?"
„Colonel Abaca alerted the attack teams, Sire. They'll muster in the park."
„Fine. Has she regained contact with her people in Kuo's outfit?"
„You'll have to ask her, Sire. I know she contacted Eastern Army briefly."
„What's going on there?"
„I don't know, Sire. I can tell you it's worrying her, and Varthlokkur seems quite distressed."
They reached Mist's gate. Ragnarson said, „Tell Kristen to get everybody up and fed."
„I was about to suggest that, Sire."
Ragnarson joined Mist. „Is this it?"
„Lord Kuo counterattacked." She seemed ecstatic. It could have been her own pet ambush, so enthused was she.
She also had a relaxed quality that Bragi hadn't seen for days. He glanced at Aral Dantice. Aral, too, had a sleepy, satiated look. Ha!
He felt more comfortable with the woman immediately.
He did not trust anyone with total self-control. Those were the people who would turn in an instant, without remorse, for the moment's advantage. That was why he was often uncomfortable with Michael. And with Inger, who re mained an ice maiden till she consciously elected to let go.
„How soon do we go?"
„I'll need more information. But I think later today."
Ragnarson eased around the Tervola reconstructing Lord Kuo's counterstrike, studied the table's nether end. He had noticed Varthlokkur perched over the area and suspected the man might be ready to open up. „What's this business?"
The wizard reflected a moment before saying, „We're still not sure."
„Why so interested?"
„Northern and Eastern Armies have said they'll support Mist. But they're too busy with the Deliverer to lend any real help."
„The Deliverer?"
„He's decimated Eastern Army. Northern Army is trying to plug the gap."
Bragi risked looking at the wizard directly. „You have a special interest in the Deliverer?"
Varthlokkur nodded. His body language, usually so care fully controlled, screamed of an intense inner struggle.
„So?"
„It's Ethrian. He's out there somewhere."
„He's alive, then?" They were going to pretend that he had not spoken with Mist and that the wizard was not aware of the fact that he had. That was all right with him.
„Intuition says yes. I'm not sure he is. Not the Ethrian we knew."
„That's great for Nepanthe, though. First a new daughter, then her lost son found."
„If what I sense is Ethrian she won't want him back."
„Oh?" Seldom had Bragi seen the wizard so bleak. „Why is that?"
„I want to extract a promise from you. If it turns out to be what I fear, I want you to forget you heard me mention Ethrian's name. Nepanthe has had too much hurt from life already."
„But. ..."
„She doesn't need this pain. She couldn't endure seeing her child grown into a monster. I will do anything to spare her."
„But... ."
„I will do anything to spare her. Tell her about this and you forfeit my help forever."
„Take it easy, man. I don't intend telling her anything. I think you're wrong, but it's not my place to horn in."
„Sorry. I'm scared and worried. But I do mean it. I don't want her bothered."
The tenants of Kristen's house were drifting in. Some brought their breakfasts with them. A sleepy-eyed Michael Trebilcock singled Ragnarson out. „Sire?"
„What, Michael?"
„Got a note from my staff. Lord Hsung has eradicated the Throyen rebels. That's the word our contact used. Eradi cated. He's also interned our caravan people. Claims they were smuggling weapons to the rebels."
„Were they?"
„Not likely. Too early in the honeymoon to break the rules. He's getting ready to pull something."
„The bastard. Anything we can do about it?"
„Not much. I don't think we'd better try, either. My guess is, it's mostly a warning not to get frisky during the Matayangan crisis. He'll probably release them in a few weeks."
„Are they in trouble if we go ahead here?"
„It's too late to back down now, isn't it?"
„I suppose it is... ."
There was a disturbance at the door. Gjerdrum burst in. Indignantly, he shouted, „Sire, three men just tried to kill me! Right in front of your house."
„Are you hurt?"
„No. We got two of them. The other one ran."
„All right. Calm down. Tell it quick." He beckoned Varthlokkur. „Think the Unborn can trail the one that got away?"
„He can try."
Gjerdrum hadn't much to tell. He and a bodyguard left the house. Would-be killers charged out of the park. Two assassins went down. The bodyguard was injured. The third assassin fled.
„Which way did he go?" Varthlokkur asked.
„Toward town."
The wizard assumed an air of concentration. Ragnarson climbed into a chair. He watched the map while he waited.
The splitting of Shinsan's Southern Army had allowed a long red arm to reach deep inside her. Countless Matayangans crowded that limb. Now Lord Kuo was ampu tating it at its root. A huge army would be cut off in hostile territory.
Ragnarson summoned Abaca. „Think they can pull it off, Credence?"
„Like the Chatelaine says, Sire, it's too early to tell. Sire," Abaca whispered, „We should be rooting for the Matayangans, shouldn't we? Maybe be doing something to help?"
„We are, in a way. We're keeping Western Army tied up. Matayanga can't win anyway. Not in any final sense. Shinsan is too damned big. All I want is to make sure what's left is friendlier."
Abaca glanced at Mist. His expression betrayed his belief that changing rulers wouldn't change anything else.
Varthlokkur said, „Radeachar is following him. He's headed toward the city. He's injured."
„Gjerdrum. Did you wound your third man?"
„I don't know. It got pretty brisk."
Ragnarson turned to Varthlokkur. „Norath didn't do much good, did he? Three failures. Someone is going to be pissed."
„Let's hope Someone does something stupid enough to give himself away."
Bragi watched the map till he grew bored with its miniscule changes. He went to watch the troops muster in the park. „Dahl, run those spectators off. Have the team sergeants over for briefing when they're ready."
The briefing killed two hours. Two hours closer to. ... to what? Solution to Ravelin's biggest problem? He wondered.
He kept recalling a dreamy-eyed face surrounded by tangled blonde hair. A night of reality hadn't murdered the fantasy. Scant minutes had done so in other, similar en counters. This time, he was hungrier after than before. He wanted Sherilee, wanted her bad, wanted her now. He started down the lane.