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‘We don’t have to stand for re-election, Sarabian That’s e can do unpopular things’
‘Only up to a point,’ he disagreed ‘I have to live with the great houses of Ta letters of protest from many of them about sons and brothers ere killed ordown the coup’
‘They were traitors, weren’t they?’
‘No,’ he sighed, ‘probably not We Tamuls pamper our children, and the noble houses carry that to extre Taet involved in politics – usually of the most radical sort The rank and position of their families protect them from the consequences of excessive juvenile enthusiasm I was an anarchist when I was a student I even led a few deoverne of once a week They never would throw h, no matter what kind of naet thrown into the dungeon, but the police wouldn’t cooperate’
‘Why on earth did you want to spend ti Tamul noblewomen are terribly impressed by political otten ot married when you were a baby,’ she said ‘Isn’t it sort of inappropriate for aabout hoide a track he can cut a to each other for about ten years ere young, and the fact that I was required by tradition to have eight other wives hable concept’ A thought ca a post in overnment,’ he mused
‘You could do worse I have a er thief than Caalador’ Ehlana looked on down the battle ‘Any luck?’ she asked
‘It’s hard to say,’ the giantess shrugged ‘We got inside easily enough, but we didn’t find ere looking for Stragen and Caalador are going out to the university to talk with so and thirsting after knowledge?’ Sarabian asked her lightly
‘‘Tain’t hordly likely, dorlin’,’ Mirtai replied
‘Darling?’ he asked her incredulously
‘But you are, Sarabian,’ the golden giantess replied, gently touching his cheek ‘I discovered tonight that conspirators and thieves and other scoundrels are supposed to be very affectionate with each other You’re conspiring with us to overthrow the police, so you’re a en wants to talk with soht be so that the original plans for the building ave the Elance ‘That’s what it iz that they’re a-doin’, dorlin’,’ she added
‘Are you really sure you want Caalador in your government, Sarabian?’ Ehlana asked him ‘That dialect of his seems to rub off on people Give him a year or two, and everybody in the iht be preferable to some of the other names I’ve been called lately’
Chapter 9
Sparhawk and his friends left Cyron early the next olden fields of ripening wheat The rolling countryside sloped gradually doard into the broad valley where the Pela and Edek rivers joined on the border between Edoa
Sparhawk rode in the lead with Flute nestled in his ar, and after they had been on the road for a couple of hours, Sparhawk leaned to one side and looked at her face Her eyes were fixed, vacant, and her face expressionless ‘What’s the matter?’ he asked
‘Not now, Sparhawk,’ she told hi up on the border Shouldn’t we…?’
‘Leave me alone’ She burrowed her forehead into his chest with a discontented little sound
‘What is it, Sparhawk?’ Sephrenia asked, pulling Ch’iel in beside Faran
‘Aphrael won’t talk to me’
Sephrenia leaned forward and looked critically at Flute’s face ‘Ah,’ she said
‘Ah what?’
‘Leave her alone, Sparhawk She’s soht now’
‘The border’s just ahead, Sephrenia Can we really afford to spend half a day trying to talk our way across?’
‘It looks as if we’ll have to Here, give her to irl and placed her in her sister’s arms ‘Maybe I can move us past the border without her I kno it’s done now’
‘No, Sparhawk You’re not ready to try it by yourself We definitely don’t want you to start experi on your own just yet We’ll have to take our chances at the border There’s no way of knowing how long Aphrael’s going to be busy’
‘It’s not anything ier?’
‘I don’t know, and I don’t want to disturb Aphrael just now to find out Danae will take care of herto have to trust her’
‘This is very difficult, you kno long does it take to adjust your thinking to the idea that there are three of her – and that they’re all the saave him a puzzled look
‘Aphrael, Flute and Danae – they’re all the same person, but they can be in two places at once, or even three, for all I know, and doing two or three different things’
‘Yes,’ she agreed
‘Doesn’t that disturb you just a little?’
‘Does it concern you that your Elene God’s supposed to knohat everybody in the world’s thinking? – all at the same time?’
‘Well – no I suppose not’
‘What’s the difference?’
‘He’s God, Sephrenia’
‘So’s she, Sparhawk’
‘It doesn’t seeh Tell the others that we’re going to have toon our own’
‘They’ll want to knohy’
‘Lie to theive you – one of them will, anyway’
‘You’re impossible to talk to when you’re like this, do you know that?’
‘Don’t talk to ht now I’d prefer that you didn’t anyway’
‘Is so?’
‘I was just a little upset when you dissolved that cloud and it started swearing at you in Styric’