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‘Things are still more or less the way they e left,’ the boy reported
‘No open fighting in the streets, you s are a little hectic at the palace, though It’s got soovernment’s in an uproar None of the people I talked with knew all that hts and the Atans are still in control, though, so it’s safe to jump from here to the courtyard of Ehlana’s castle if ant’
Sparhawk shook his head ‘Let’s ride in I’m sure there are still Tamuls inside the walls, and probably half of theive away any secrets if we don’t have to Is Sarabian still staying in the castle?’
Talen nodded ‘Your wife’s probably been teaching him a few tricks – "roll over", "play dead", "sit up and beg" – that sort of thing’
‘Talen!’ Itagne exclaimed
‘You haven’t rinned ‘I’d say that you’re in for a whole new experience, then’
‘It has to do with setting up the new filing systee explained in reply to Vanion’s question ‘We needed rooovernment files out on the lawn’
‘What if it rains?’
‘That would probably sireat deal, my Lord’
They dismounted in the courtyard and went up the broad stairs to the ornately carved main door, paused briefly to put on the cushioned shoes that protected the brittle floor-covering, and went inside
Queen Ehlana had been advised of their arrival, and she aiting for theht in his throat as he looked at his lovely young wife ‘So nice of you to stop by, Sir Sparhawk,’ she said tartly before she threw her arized after they had exchanged a brief, forot a little skewed’ He was painfully conscious of the half-dozen or so Ta to look very hard as if they weren’t listening ‘Why don’t we go on upstairs, et out of this mail-shirt before it per to wear that stinking thing into eneral direction Why don’t you take your fragrant friends and go make use of them? The ladies can come with me I’ll round up the others, and we’ll all meet you in the royal quarters in about an hour I’m sure your explanation of your tardiness will be absolutely fascinating’
Sparhawk felt ed into the conventional doublet and hose He and his friends trooped on up the stairs that mounted into the central tohere the royal apartments were located
‘You’re late, Sparhawk,’ Mirtai said bluntly when they reached the top of the stairs
‘Yes My wife’s already pointed that out to me Come inside You’ll need to hear this too’
Ehlana and the others who had re room Sephrenia and Danae were conspicuously absent, however
‘Well, finally!’ Emperor Sarabian said as they entered Sparhaas startled by the change in the Emperor’s appearance His hair was tied back fro black hose and a full-sleeved linen shirt He looked younger for so a rapier with the kind of faet on with the business of overthrowing the government’
‘What have you been up to, Ehlana?’ Sparhawk asked
‘Sarabian and I have been expanding our horizons’ She shrugged
‘I knew I shouldn’t have stayed away so long’
‘I’ht’s been on est time now’
‘Why don’t you just save yourself soested Just show her e had to take this little trip’
‘Good idea’ Sparhawk reached inside his doublet and took out the unadorned gold box Things were beginning to get out of hand, Ehlana, so we decided to go fetch so’
‘The situation called for sohts’ Sparhawk touched the band of his ring to the lid of the box ‘Open,’ he said He kept the lid partially closed to conceal the fact that his wife’s ring was also inside
‘What have you done with your ring, Sparhawk?’ she asked hi the stone
‘I’ll explain in a bit’ He reached in and took out the Bhelliom ‘This is e had to leave, dear’ He held up the stone
She stared at it, the color draining fronificent jewel!’ Sarabian exclai his hand out toward the Sapphire Rose
‘That ne cautioned ‘That’s the Bhellioers to anyone else’
‘Bhellio my position on various fairy-tales lately, your Majesty Sparhawk destroyed Azash with Bhellio your hands on it, my Emperor You’ve shown some promise in the past few months, and we’d sort of hate to lose you at this point’
‘Itagne!’ Oscagne said sharply ‘Mind your manners!’
‘We’re here to advise the Emperor, brother ne, when you sent me to Cynestra, you invested me with plenipotentiary powers, didn’t you? We can check over my commission, if you like, but I’m fairly sure I had that kind of authority – I usually do I hope you don’tthe way’ He paused ‘Well,’ he amended, ‘Sparhawk did all the real work, but ality on the business’
‘You can’t do that without consulting Matherion first, Itagne!’ Oscagne’s face was turning purple
‘Oh, be serious, Oscagne All I did was seize some opportunities which presented themselves, and I was hardly in a position to tell Sparhahat he could or couldn’t do, noas I? I had things more or less under control in Cynestra when Sparhawk and his friends dropped by We left Cynestra, and…’
‘Details, Itagne What did you do in Cynestra?’
Itagne sighed ‘You can be so tedious at tine I found out that Ambassador Taubel was in bed with Kanzad, the Interior Ministry’s station-chief They had King Jaluah pretty ne’s face went bleak ‘Taubel’s defected to Interior?’
‘I thought I just said that You ht want to run a quick evaluation of your other embassies, too Interior Minister Kolata’s been very busy Anyway, I threw Taubel and Kanzad – along with the entire police force and eon, declared e’