LITMIR.BIZ

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each other, and then they burst out with howls of cynical laughter.

      ‘I just don’t trust him, Sparhawk,’ Ehlana said later that night when they were in bed. ‘There’s something about him that just doesn’t ring true.’

      ‘I think it’s his accent, love. I felt the same way until I realised that while his Elene is perfect, his accent puts emphasis on the wrong words. Styric and Elene flow differently. Don’t worry, though, Sephrenia would know if Zalasta weren’t to be trusted. She’s known him for a long, long time.’

      ‘I still don’t like him,’ she insisted. ‘He’s so oily he gleams when the light hits him just right.’ She raised one hand. ‘And don’t try to shrug it off as prejudice. I’m looking at Zalasta as a human being, not as a Styric. I just don’t trust him.’

      ‘That should pass after we get to know him better.’

      There was a knock at the door. ‘Are you busy?’ Mirtai called. ‘What would we be doing at this hour?’ Ehlana called back impishly.

      ‘Do you really want me to tell you, Ehlana? Talen’s here. He has something you might want to know.’

      ‘Send him in,’ Sparhawk told her.

      The door opened, and Talen came into the circle of light of their single candle. ‘It’s just like old times, Sparhawk.’

      ‘How so?’

      ‘Stragen and I were coming back from our meeting with the thieves, and we saw Krager in the street. Can you believe that? It was good to see him again. I was actually starting to miss him.’

Chapter 18

      ‘We simply don’t have the time, Sparhawk,’ Sephrenia said calmly.

      ‘I’ll take time, little mother,’ he replied bleakly. ‘It shouldn’t take me too long. I’ll stay here with Stragen, and we’ll chase him down. Krager’s not a Styric, so he shouldn’t be hard to find. We can catch up with you after we’ve caught him and wrung every drop of information out of him. I’ll squeeze him so hard that his hair will bleed.’

      ‘And who’s going to see to mother’s safety while you’re amusing yourself here, father?’ Danae asked him.

      ‘She’s surrounded by an army, Danae.’

      ‘You’re her champion, father. Is that just some hollow title you can lay aside when something more amusing than protecting her life comes up?’

      Sparhawk stared helplessly at his daughter. Then he slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.

      ‘You’ll break your hand,’ Sephrenia murmured.

      They were in the kitchen. Sparhawk had risen early and gone looking for his tutor to advise her of Talen’s discovery and of his own plans to make Krager answer for a long, long list of transgressions. Danae’s presence was really not all that surprising.

      ‘Why didn’t you rack him to death when you had your hands on him in Chyrellos, dear one?’ Sephrenia asked calmly.

      ‘Sephrenia!’ Sparhawk was more startled by the coldblooded way she said it than by the suggestion itself.

      ‘Well, you should have, Sparhawk. Then he wouldn’t keep coming back to haunt us like this. You know what Ulath always says. Never leave a live enemy behind you.’

      ‘You’re starting to sound like an Elene, little mother.’

      ‘Are you trying to be insulting?’

      ‘Did banging your hand like that bring you to your senses, father?’ Danae asked.

      He sighed regretfully. ‘You’re right, of course,’ he admitted. ‘I guess I got carried away. Krager’s continued existence offends me for some reason. He’s a loose end with bits and pieces of Martel still hanging from him. I’d sort of like to tidy that part of my life up.’

      ‘Can you really make somebody’s hair bleed?’ his daughter asked him.

      ‘I’m not really sure. After I finally catch up with Krager, I’ll let you know.’ He nursed his sore knuckles. ‘I guess we really should get on to Matherion. Sephrenia, just how healthy is Vanion, really?’

      ‘Would you like a personal testimonial?’ she asked him archly.

      ‘That’s none of my business, little mother. All I’m really asking is whether or not he’s fit to travel.’

      ‘Oh, yes,’ she smiled. ‘More than fit.’

      ‘Good. I’ll be delighted to hand the rewards and satisfactions of leadership back to him.’

      ‘No. Absolutely not.’

      ‘I beg your pardon?’

      ‘Vanion carried that burden for too many years. That’s what made him sick in the first place. You might as well accept the fact that you’re the Pandion Preceptor now, Sparhawk. He’ll advise you, certainly, but you get to make all the decisions. I’m not going to let you kill him.’

      ‘Then you’ll both be able to come with us to Matherion?’

      ‘Of course they will, Sparhawk,’ Danae told him. ‘We decided that a long time ago.’

      ‘It would have been nice if somebody’d thought to tell me about it.’

      ‘Why? You don’t have to know everything, father. Just do as we tell you to do.’

      ‘What on earth ever possessed you to take up with this one, Sephrenia?’ Sparhawk asked. ‘Wasn’t there any other God available – one of the Troll-Gods maybe?’

      ‘Sparhawk!’ Danae gasped.

      He grinned at her.

      ‘Zalasta will be coming with us as well,’ Sephrenia said. ‘He’s been summoned back to Matherion anyway, and we really need his help.’

      Sparhawk frowned. ‘That might cause some problems, little mother. Ehlana doesn’t trust him.’

      ‘That’s absolutely absurd, Sparhawk. I’ve known Zalasta all my life. I honestly think he’d die if I asked him to.’

      ‘Has mother given you any reason for these suspicions?’ Danae asked intently.

      ‘Hate at first sight, maybe,’ Sparhawk shrugged. ‘His reputation as the wisest man in the world probably didn’t help matters. She was probably predisposed to dislike him even before she met him.’

      ‘And of course he’s Styric.’ There was a brittle edge to Sephrenia’s voice.

      ‘You know Ehlana better than that, Sephrenia. I think it’s time we got you out of Sarsos. Some of the local opinions are starting to cloud your thinking.’

      ‘Really?’ Her tone was dangerous.

      ‘It’s very easy to dismiss any sort of animosity as simple prejudice, and that’s the worst form of sloppy thinking. There are other reasons for disliking people too, you know. Do you remember Sir Antas?’

      She nodded.

      ‘I absolutely hated that man.’

      ‘Antas? I thought he was your friend.’

      ‘I couldn’t stand him. My hands started to shake every time he came near me. Would you believe I was actually happy when Martel killed him?’

       ‘Sparhawk!’

      ‘You don’t need to share that with Vanion, little mother. I’m not very proud of it. What I’m trying to say is that people sometimes hate us for personal reasons that have nothing at all to do with our race or class or anything else. Ehlana

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