Lord Armile left through another panelled door and Allin looked after him, puzzled. 'You'd think he'd have someone to run his messages for him.'
'Do be quiet, there's a good girl.' Casuel was eagerly searching the shelves and scroll racks, checking against the list engraved on his memory.
'Oh yes, this is an excellent copy of Mennith's History. Look, here's the Selerima Pharmacopoeia, Tandri's Yesteryears. This is all very encouraging.'
He soon identified a handful of other texts in varying states of repair and annotation and sat at a handy desk to make some rapid calculations. Allin came to look over his shoulder and gasped.
'Oh, I knew this would not be a cheap transaction but I have inferior copies which I can sell on,' Casuel reassured her airily. 'Besides, I'm not exactly short of coin. Now, please let me work without interruption.'
Allin plumped down on a sofa, twisting her fingers in the fringe of her wrap.
It was some while later when Casuel looked up with a start as the blue-liveried lackey opened the door.
'Dinner is served. Please follow me.'
Casuel glanced at the window and was surprised to see dusk deepening above the trees.
'Yes, thank you. Come on, Allin.' He tucked his notes into a pocket and followed the servant.
He was surprised to find dinner served in a smaller salon with older, heavier furniture. Evidently Lord Armile's taste for the up-to-date had not reached this part of the house. Casuel stifled a smile; the profits from the sale of the books could be usefully spent here.
'Did you find much of interest?' Lord Armile gestured to the footman, who began to uncover the various dishes.
Casuel helped himself to a pigeon and some bread. 'Thank you, yes. I think I should be able to fulfil several of my commissions.'
'Who did you say you were acting for?' Armile nodded to a second lackey, who began to carve from a thick joint of beef. Casuel was pleased to see Allin relax as she filled her plate.
'I am assisting some of the Council of Mages in their research,' Casuel replied easily. He had established his position sufficiently to adopt a more friendly approach, he decided. 'Wizardry is a co-operative discipline.'
'These mages have antiquarian interests, you mentioned?'
'Among others,' Casuel said with as lofty a tone as he could manage with a mouthful of pigeon leg.
'Do try some of the game pie.' Lord Armile raised a ringer to the footman, who quickly filled their goblets. 'Do you return to Hadrumal soon?'
'That depends.' Casuel reached for a dish of cutlets. 'I have various tasks to complete first.'
'But you are a free agent, you have discretion over your duties?'
'Oh, quite.' Casuel nodded. 'I am entirely my own master.'
Lord Armile smiled broadly, though this deepened the harsh lines around his mouth and made him look almost sinister. Casuel's admiration for the portrait artist increased still further.
'So, what did you find of interest in my library?' Lord Armile leaned back in his chair and sipped at his wine.
Casuel swallowed hastily and wiped his mouth with his napkin. 'There are certainly some interesting texts there, although I'm not sure how many my funds will allow me to purchase.'
Lord Armile raised a hand. 'My dear sir, I would not dream of taking your coin, not if the Council of Mages needs these books for their research.'
Casuel gaped. 'Well, that is, I mean, obviously I appreciate your generosity but—'
'You can repay me in kind, with a small service.' Armile inclined his head, unsmiling.
'What kind of service would that be?' Casuel asked uneasily. He looked across the room at the burly footman who stood by the door, arms folded across his broad chest.
'You do not know my neighbour. Lord Sovel, I believe?' Lord Armile snapped his fingers and the second lackey poured small glasses of white brandy. He was also unusually well built for a house servant, Casuel noticed belatedly.
'Well, you see, he has a gravel pit, and I wish to buy it. I have made him a fair offer for the land but he refuses to deal with me.' Armile shrugged. 'You can persuade him.'
'Why do you want a gravel pit?'
Casuel looked at Allin in some surprise, although grateful for the interruption.
'To reduce the costs of maintaining my roads, my dear.' Armile offered her some brandy which she declined with a blush.
'You certainly have excellent highways, my lord.' A little flattery would not come amiss, Casuel judged. 'Your merchants and tenants must be very grateful.'
'Curse the merchants; I simply want to know I can move my militia where and when it's needed,' Lord Armile replied, his expression stern. 'I believe in ruling with a firm hand.'
Casuel shifted in his seat. 'I certainly support the rule of law, but I'm afraid it is simply not done for wizards to involve themselves in local politics. I'm sorry.'
'So am I.' Lord Armile snapped his fingers and Casuel found himself seized from behind. Heavy iron manacles were clamped around his wrists as he struggled ineffectually in the grip of the footmen.
'This is an outrage!' he spluttered. 'Anyway, how in Saedrin's name do you think I could persuade Lord Sovel of anything?'
Armile stood and leaned over Casuel, who sank back in his seat. 'Threaten to render him impotent, immolate his entire household, I don't care.' His voice was low and infinitely threatening. 'Do whatever you must to convince him that the dangers of denying me outweigh the disadvantages of selling.'
He turned and made a deep bow to Allin, who was sitting, frozen, a half-eaten tartlet in her hand. 'Consider how best to assist me. You have until the midnight chime.'
He swept out of the room with his henchmen and they heard the key turn in the lock.
'Oh no,' Allin whimpered. 'What are they going to do to us?'
Casuel closed his eyes and took deep breaths until he felt in control of bladder and bowel once more.
'Do be quiet, you silly girl,' he snapped in awkward Lescar.
This at least startled Allin into silence. There was a long pause, in which they heard low voices outside the door.
'What are we going to do? Shall I try the window?' said Allin after a while, her voice still quavering but no longer edged with outright hysteria. Casuel was relieved to see she was using her wits as well as her mother tongue.
'I think Lord Armile needs to learn that he cannot order a wizard around like some housemaid,' Casuel said shakily.
'But you can't work magic in chains; all the ballads say so.'
Casuel forced a wavery smile. 'That's a hedge-wife belief we've never felt the need to correct. Certainly a wizard with air talents wouldn't be able to work in these manacles and you'd better never try working standing in water but I am an earth-mage.'
He closed his eyes and concentrated, tendrils of amber light crackling over the manacles. Allin held her breath but nothing happened. Casuel opened his eyes and looked down at his hands in dismay.
'I shouldn't have put so much energy into that cursed illusion,' he muttered woefully.
'I thought wizards were supposed to be able to disappear and walk through walls and things like that?'
Indignation tinted Allin's tone and sparked an answering anger which started to burn through Casuel's incipient panic.
'A Cloud-Master might be able to; all I can touch at present is my innate element,' he snapped.
'So what can you do with it? Can you get us out of here or call for help somehow?' Allin crossed to the window and peered out into the darkness.
A qualm gripped Casuel's innards and he looked longingly at his glass of brandy. 'Give me a moment. I should be able to get these manacles off in a little while and that lock'll be no problem but I don't see how we'll get past those ruffians.'