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"Fascinating," Istariel said, her tone flat

"Of course that ka’kari disappeared and has never resurfaced I iend There is er evidence in support of the red ka’kari’s existence Originally, it was given to Corvaer Blackwell--ironically enough, Lord Blackould henceforth be known as Corvaer the Red--and after he died during the Battle of Jaeran Flats, it was taken by a h obviously that translation doesn’t preserve the alliteration Accounts froration that swept the plain and broke the Gurvani arainst poison--" Ariel barked a laugh, which Istariel didn’t share "Uh hhout history Some of those had credible witnesses Herddios, e trust for all sorts of other stories that have checked out, clai new?" Istariel said, doing her best to feign interest Li up to the ceiling as she thought "I concluded that a review of all the currently available literature on the subject still left the most pertinent questions open And most of the less pertinent ones as well"

"So it took you two years to figure out that you weren’t going to figure anything out" It was a graceless way to put it, but then, with Ariel, it paid to be blunt

Ariel grio see about Jessie al’Gwaydin"

And not because your Speaker asked you to For a moment, Istariel was jealous of her oblivious older sister Ariel was a rock and the waves of politics passed her with sound and fury and she didn’t even notice She was a bore, but a useful one Whenever Istariel had needed an expert opinion on the ical sides of dilemmas, Ariel could be loosed on the probles with anyone except the books she wrote and Istariel All in all, Ariel orth far more than the trouble she caused But did she have to be so boring?

If Ariel had turned her brilliant ht of that before, in her more paranoid s, Ariel would be the Speaker and Istariel would probably be so Ariel was understanding that she was a believer; not a believer in so endearingly naive in women who believed all that "Seraph’s handae who believed only in theood of the Chantry," and Ariel would do anything

"Ariel, I’ve got a problem I need your help with I know you’ve never accepted a tyro--"

"I’ll do it"

"--but I want you to think about the good of the--What?"

"You want me to teach Viridiana Sovari so she’s protected until she can destroy Eris Buel and the Chattel I’ll do it"

Istariel’s heart jumped into her throat So nakedly laid out, it was a plot whose discovery would bring down a Speaker "Never say that!" she hissed "Not ever Not even here"

Ariel cocked an eyebrow at her

Istariel s?"

"As we speak Apparently there are some difficulties It’s been hours"

Istariel frowned "How Talented is this girl? Is she Eris Buel’s equal?"

"No," Ariel said "Not even close"