Page 18 (1/2)

‘No, I suppose not Are you really going to let Teovin in to see hi Kolata’s underlings for three days now, and I’ to run out of excuses We’d better let one of theet suspicious’

‘I’ht Alean, do be a dear and run down to the kitchen Tell the cooks not to drug Minister Kolata’s supper tonight’

‘Yes, your Majesty,’ the girl replied

‘You en suggested

‘Why would ant to do that?’ Melidere asked

‘Emperor Sarabian just told the excellent Teovin that Kolata’s been throwing up all day We wouldn’t want people to start accusing his Majesty of lying through his teeth, would we? Minister Kolata should show soood strong eled wickedly

The Royal Princess Danae sat on a divan She was carefully dressing Mown Over the centuries, Aphrael had noticed that little Elene girls did that quite frequently It didn’t really -established custo cat ‘I’ you’

M vent to a plaintive yowl filled to the briht about one thing,’ Stragen was saying to the rest of theain, and the Thalesian thief was holding forth once en, but the fact that he absolutely adored the sound of his own voice made him a bit tedious at times ‘The Ministry of the Interior would die en le scrap of paper The documents they pulled out of those files are so, and those docuuessed as yet about the conspiracy I’d give et a look at theen?’ Melidere objected ‘Bite your tongue’

‘I was speaking figuratively, of course’

‘He’s probably right, your Majesties,’ Caalador agreed, forgoing the dialect ‘Those original docuive h them’

Danae rolled her eyes ‘Elenes,’ she said under her breath ‘If it’s all that io look at theot ‘em hid, little dorlin’’

‘Look for theot all night every night for the next et into any house in the world in under a quarter of an hour You two are more experienced at it, so it probably wouldn’t take you nearly as long You’re not going to steal the papers, all you’re going to do is read them If you’re just a little careful to put them back where you found them after you’re finished, nobody will even know that you’ve seen theen looked at each other sheepishly ‘Why didn’t we think of that?’ Stragen asked his friend

‘It seems to o through it again? It’s really a very good idea, Princess These twosolars They both have that shifty, unreliable look about thereed She set Mmrr down on the floor ‘There,’ she said, ‘isn’t she adorable?’

The angry lashing of Mmrr’s tail, however, totally spoiled the effect

‘The tail definitely detracts froently

‘Oh, I can fix that right up, Sarabian,’ she assured him ‘I’ll tell you what, M pink velvet bow right on the end of your tail to sort of set things off? You could wave it around like a parasol if you wanted’

Mht see it that way,’ Danae said

‘Shall we go down to the dungeon for your fencing lesson, your Majesty?’ Stragen suggested ‘Caalador and I are going to be busy being burglars tonight, I think’

‘Not only tonight, I’m afraid,’ Caalador added ‘I haven’t been on a roof in years’

‘It’s like swien said ‘Once you learn how, you never forget’

‘I’d really like to forgo the lesson today, Milord Stragen,’ Sarabian said ‘I’, your Majesty,’ Stragen told hi to wear that rapier, you’d better kno to use it In a tight situation, that could be your last line of defense’

Sarabian sighed ‘Sometimes I wish I’d never even heard of Elenes,’ he mourned

‘Because Ehlana toldand the two thieves crossed the document-littered laard the Interior Ministry ‘She wants to be sure that nobody interrupts you’

‘Mirtai,’ Stragen said with a pained look, ‘I love you like a sister, but burglary’s a fine art’

‘I thinksaid ‘I’ve seen her walk through a pile of dry leaves and not en coessa told hio with you, so she will go’

Mirtai sessa-father It’s so hard to oing to relieve the two knights watching over the docu told the, and we have other men nearby Call if anyone surprises you in there, and we’ll come in and rescue you’

‘I’ve never had a platoon of soldiers standing watch forbefore,’ Caalador noted ‘It adds a whole new dirunted sourly ‘It takes a lot of the fun out of it A large part of the thrill of burglary coht’

‘I’ve never tried burglary,’ Kring ad the Peloi, since we all live in tents A sharp knife will get you into the stoutest tent in the world If ant to ransack someone’s encampment, we usually send in soives us a free hand’

‘Burglary’s a criet to sneak around at night and climb over rooftops It’s a lot of fun – and really quite profitable’