“No,” said Dathaani.
“Will you so testify under the Orb?”
“No,” said Dathaani.
Daro was quiet for a moment; then she said, “I think that will do.” Then she called loudly, “Come!” and Norathar, hearing the door open, turned her head and saw a pair of Dragonlords come into the room, both of them wearing the gold half-cloak of the Phoenix Guard.
When Norathar turned back, Dathaani was rising, his hands well clear of his body, palms out. He unbuckled his sword belt and put it on the table, then a pair of daggers followed it.
“Arrest that man,” said Whitecrest. “I’m not sure of the exact charge, but a suitable one will be found.”
The guards moved in and flanked Dathaani, one of them taking his arm above the elbow. They escorted him out the door.
Norathar said, “Astonishing that they just happened to be there, Countess.”
Whitecrest smiled a little.
Cawti moved up to stand beside Norathar, sheathing her daggers. Norathar returned her sword to her scabbard. “How long have you known, Countess?”
“Known what, Your Highness?”
“That it was all an elaborate attack on Lord Taltos.”
“Oh. When I saw your partner’s reaction.”
“What did that tell you?”
“That she knew something I didn’t, is all. After that, it was a matter of paying attention and putting the pieces together.”
“So then,” said Norathar slowly, “you could have stopped the alarms days ago?”
“No. Until I found out who was behind it, I had no way of knowing if the Jhereg had created the threat, or were just using it.”
“I see. How did you find Dathaani?”
“I was following you from outside the Palace, when you hired the coach.”
“Oh,” said Norathar.
She looked at Cawti, who shrugged. “We’ve been played.”
“No,” said Whitecrest. “I don’t see it that way. That man,” she gestured toward the door, “tried to play us all. We stopped him.”
“It was,” said Norathar, “an impressive move. Not something I’d have looked for. He thinks big. I respect that.”
“Be certain to mention that at his trial,” said Whitecrest.
“Can we keep this quiet? That is, see that it stops with him?”
“Yes,” said Whitecrest. “It wasn’t, in fact, the entire Jhereg behind it, was it?”
“No.”
“Then if one or two others are getting away, it isn’t the worst injustice the Empire has ever seen.”
“No,” said Cawti, “it isn’t.”
“Then we’re done here, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Please give my warmest regards to your son.”
“Thank you. I shall.”
Norathar bowed to Whitecrest. “It has been a pleasure.”
“Thank you, Highness.”
Whitecrest bowed to each of them in turn, then walked out the door.
“Are you going to tell Vlad?” said Norathar.
Cawti shook her head. “He doesn’t need to know. What’s important is that I know.”
Norathar nodded. “I wish this place was open,” she said. “I could use a drink.”
“There’s Kokra’s place.”
“Good idea.”
“It’s going to be odd drinking after a job without using the client’s money.”
“I’ll put it in as part of my royal expenses, and charge it to the Empire. Just on principle.”
“Good principle,” said Cawti, and the two of them headed out to the waiting coach.
CONCEPTION
(An Interlude)
“I have an idea,” said the goddess.
“Which one is it?” asked the god.
“Which one? You’re saying I only have two ideas?”
“Two kinds. The kind that frighten me, and the kind that annoy me.”
“Oh.” She considered. “It might be both.”
“Right, that kind. All right, let’s hear it.”
“I want a grandchild.”
“That,” said the god called Barlen, “isn’t an idea. It’s a desire.”
“You figured that out on your own?” said Verra.
“You’re adorable when you’re sarcastic.”
Verra sniffed.
“All right, so what’s your plan to acquire one?”
“I was thinking I could get my grandchild to arrange it.”
“Verra, if you are going to play with time again, I beg you to remember that there are laws about that.”
“Why?”
“Why do we have the laws? If I recall, you were the one who first proposed them, when we started to understand—”
“Yes. Why?”
“You said something about paradox causing the utter destruction of all of time.”
“You have a good memory.”
“Unfortunately, I do.”
“So then, why should I worry about it when no such risk applies?”
“And how can you be certain there is no such risk?”
“Because if I find my grandchild, then it clearly works, and there is no paradox.”
Barlen stared at her. Eventually he said, “I don’t even know how to begin to respond to that.”
“Well, you might ask me how I intend to find my grandchild.”
“All right. How do you intend to find your grandchild?”
“That will take some explanation.”
“This is bound to be good,” said Barlen.
* * *
Aliera lowered herself into a white chair in a white room. She picked up the white goblet from the white table and drank. The wine was red, which she was sure was intended as a joke.
“Hello, Aliera.”
She turned her head. A chair that hadn’t been there before was occupied.
“Hello, Mother.”
“You don’t seem excited to see me, dear.”
“I don’t yet know what scheme you need me for, Mother.”
“Maybe I just want some family time.”
“That seems unlikely.”
“But it’s true.”
Aliera’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head. “Family time?”
“Yes. In a manner of speaking.”
“Ah,” said Aliera. “In exactly what manner of speaking?”
“Have you ever thought about having a child?”
“Not seriously. Eventually, when I meet someone worthy.”
“You haven’t met anyone worthy? Ever?”
“Not worthy to father a child with me. Well, once, I suppose. But—”
“Ah.”
Aliera stared at her. “You do not mean that.”
“Oh, but I do.”
“Mother, this is meddling beyond all reason and propriety.”
“Now, now. I’m just giving you the opportunity. Whether you take it is up to you.”
“I can’t believe you’re serious about this.”
“Of course you can.”
“Aside from everything else, he’s, well, dead.”
“Trifles.”
“Mother!”
“Care to take a walk with me? Oh, stop looking so suspicious.”
“Is suspicion unreasonable?”
“Oh, no. It’s entirely reasonable. And justified. I just don’t like the look. Come.”
Aliera rose without another word and followed the goddess into the suddenly appearing swirling mists that filled the room, and then her lungs, and then her mind, so she was no longer walking through mist, but she was mist, and she didn’t move, but was pulled by the vacuum like a black funnel ahead of her, moving always forward, though Aliera knew that direction didn’t mean what it felt like here.