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Five minutes later--or at least it only felt like five , no doubt He lay in the quiet, idly picking up his probleency He did some of his best work this way He re with his wife, Arys’s sister Ela He thought about the rate of growth of a bane Balancing had been doneinstructed to use more luxin for a year, drafters of the color out of control instructed to use less The Chroh Luxiats, the hout the satrapies, ould no doubt be itching to e reports They loved and feared hiion itself? He thought of Karris He would win her back It was possible now, he was sure of it

And he thought of his dead brother He sat up, and saw that Marissia had brought in the tray with the hard square loaves of special bread he’d dropped down the chute five thousand ti into ayou’re not a child anymore But this day, Gavin could look at himself dispassionately So this is who I am: Gavin Guile, fratricide The man who’d had the will to kill his brother to save the Seven Satrapies He was now the ht he was for sixteen years

Almost

Marissia slipped in the door

"My lord," she said "Good, you’re up Your father wants towith news of the young lady’s death The Blackguard is being silent while they investigate--waiting for orders froht The Spectruht and voted on the co to Ru They put your father in charge, but defeated his attempt to be named proet you He refused to believe that I didn’t knohere you were"

There were tricks to ruling, tricks to winning and h even the fiercest fire Gavin soot that those were as effective on those who knew you well as on strangers Karris was right: Gavin too often let those closest to hiet the worst of him So he drew a black line between himself and his worries and focused all his attention on the woman before him "Marissia," he said "That’s no probleh today without going to prison or the headsrinned "As my lord commands"

Her joy lifted him He was the Prism He was Gavin Guile What could he not accomplish in a year?

Chapter 87

"There are ruht," Andross Guile said

"An assassin?" Gavin asked He’d barely been able to get down here without being seen He’d been te those within a hundred paces of his father Andross would know, so in the hellstone-dark roo He didn’t want to be here any longer than necessary

"There’s another that you threw her off the balcony because she wouldn’t indulge your curious perversions Oh wait, I started that one" Andross Guile grinned mirthlessly

"And who’d you spread that to? The mice? You’re a shut-in"

"You think me toothless because I’enerally when people lose their teeth "I think you’re opposing ood reason other than to show you can And it infuriates me, as it would you, were you inhave I been directing you? When have I done anything for no reason?"

Gavin was silent

"You will marry, Gavin Within the week I’ve decided that--"

"Did you send that girl?"