Page 57 (1/2)

‘Are you sure you trust her?’

‘That’s a conteht I’d ask When do you want to do this, Sparhawk?’

‘Let’s not be premature,’ Sparhawk decided ‘I still have to take Caalador around to talk with his friends Let’s get that all set up and ing areas before we broach the subject to the Troll-Gods There’s no point in getting them excited until we need them’

‘I think we’ll want to be out in the countryside e talk with theon’s stolen their worshipers, their screaht shatter all the sea-shells off the walls of Matherion’

‘His ed by drink,’ Xanetia reported aboutthe next day after she and Berit had returned fro consistency froen asked with a worried expression

‘He doth know that thou hast set thieves and beggars to watch hien,’ she replied, ‘but it is his thought that thou – or young Talen – eo there to speak with each chief separately’

‘He don’t know nothin’ about the Sekert Gover- in dialect for some obscure reason

‘His understanding of thy society is vague, Master Caalador Cooperation of such nature is beyond his grasp, for Krager hiuided only by ien exulted ‘Let’s all pray that he never sobers up!’

‘A-reed fervently ‘Well, Sporhahy don’t yew have a talk with this yere jool o’ yourn, an ot us folks t’ see an’ th’otes t’ cut’

Xanetia’s face took on a pained expression

Caalador was badly shaken the first few times Bhelliom whisked hirow numb It took him about a half-hour each time to pass instructions to the various crily suspected that the ruddy-faced Ca drink at each stop Sparhawk could not be sure, of course, since he was quite firmly excluded from the discussions ‘You don’t need to knoho these people are, Sparhawk,’ Caalador said, ‘and your presence would just make the into the staging areas along the Atan border from all over Tamuli, and Tikume had promised several thousand eastern Peloi in addition to the three hundred bow had taken with him back to Atana Bhelliom took Sparhawk and Vanion to the Atan capital so that they could reassure Betuana that they were in factforces to co most of that aid at the border ‘The Trolls wouldn’t understand the significance of those reinforceon’s coy and tactics He’d understand as going on iive hi until we’re ready to strike’

‘Do you really think you can spring surprises on a God, Vanion-Preceptor?’ she asked Betuana was dressed in what passed for ar the Atans, and her face clearly showed that she had been functioning on short sleep for weeks

‘I’ to try, Betuana-Queen,’ Vanion replied with a brief son hasn’t had a new thought in the last twenty thousand years Military thinking’s changed a great deal in that time, so he probably won’t fully understand e’re up to’ He ,’ he added

And then it reached the point where they could not put it off any longer None of the with the Troll-Gods, but the time had come to put Ulath’s notion to the test

About an hour before dawn of the day none of the forward to, Sparhawk and Vanion went to Sephrenia’s room to speak with Sephrenia, Xanetia and Danae Their discussions struck a snag al, Sparhawk,’ Danae insisted

‘That’s out of the question,’ he told her ‘Ulath and Stragen are going to be there We can’t let the to find anything out, father,’ she said with exaggerated patience ‘It won’t be Danae who’ll be going along’

‘Oh That’s different, then’

‘Exactly how are we going to work this, Sparhawk?’ Vanion asked ‘Won’t you have to release the Troll-Gods in order to talk with them?’

Sparhawk shook his head ‘Bhelliom says on’t The Troll-Gods themselves will still be locked up inside Bhelliom Their spirits have always been free to roaold – or steel They have a certain liuess, but their real power’s locked up with theet theree to use that limited power rather than to unleash them entirely?’ Vanion asked

‘It wouldn’t work, dear one,’ Sephrenia told hion, and if they do, they’ll need their full power’

‘Moreover,’ Xanetia added, ‘I do strongly believe that they will sense our need and bargain stringently’

‘Are you going to do the talking, Sparhawk?’ Vanion asked

Sparhawk shook his head ‘Ulath knows Trolls – and the Troll-Gods – better than I do, and his Trollish is better than mine I’ll hold Bhellio’ He looked out the‘It’s alen are going to meet us down in the courtyard’

‘Turn your backs,’ Danae told them

‘What?’ her father asked

‘Turn around, Sparhawk You don’t have to watch this’

‘It’s one of her quirks,’ Sephrenia explained ‘She doesn’t want anybody to knohat she really looks like’

‘I already knohat Flute looks like’

‘There’s a transition, Sparhawk She doesn’t go directly froh her real person on the way frohed ‘How ine’

‘That’s depressing I’ve got a daughter I don’t really know’

‘Don’t be silly,’ Danae said ‘Of course you know me’

‘But only one of you, a several thousandth part of who you really are – such a tiny part’ He sighed again and turned his back

‘It’s not a tiny part, father’ Danae’s voice changed as she spoke, becoer a child’s voice, but a woman’s

There was a mirror on the far side of the roolanced at it and saw the wavering reflection of a figure standing behind him He quickly averted his eyes

‘Go ahead and look, Sparhawk It’s not a very good mirror, so you won’t see all thatbrass The reflection was distorted About all he could really see was the general size and shape Aphrael was so and very dark, and her skin was pale Her face was hardly more than a blur in that imperfect reflection, but he could see her eyes quite clearly for soeless wisdom in those eyes and a kind of eternal joy and love ‘I wouldn’t do this for just anybody, Sparhawk,’ the woman’s voice told him, ‘but you’re the best father I’ve ever had, so I’ the rules for you’

‘Don’t you wear any clothes?’ he asked her

‘What on earth for? I don’t get cold, you know’