Competitions by Sharon Green

potential, overall progress has been extremely slow when it appeared at all.”
    Homin’s eyes were now closed, and his over-fleshed face had gone pale. He seemed to know that he wasn’t destined to escape as lightly as everyone else had, and he was perfectly correct.
    “Perhaps you’d care to explain to
me
, Lord Homin, why it is that you’re unable to practice,” Rigos said in a voice chipped from a block of flint. “Your trainer may not be able to understand, but surely the matter can be clarified here and now.”
    “I—it’s too disruptive to the household to practice,” Homin muttered, eyes still closed. “I did try, Sir, I really did, but it caused too much—disruption.”
    “You drowned someone?” Rigos inquired politely, his brows somewhat raised. “You flooded your father’s library? You ruined your mother’s brand new entertaining room furniture? You turned everyone’s underclothes damp? Help me to understand just how disruptive you were, Lord Homin.”
    The terrified man simply shook his head in defeat, most likely understanding that nothing he said would do any good. And Delin knew he was correct again, which Rigos promptly proved for the second time.
    “Apparently the matter is too trivial for you to be disturbed over it,” the agent stated, his tone now as flat as his stare was hard. “You’re the worst offender, Lord Homin, but none of your associates is innocent. Each and every one of you needs to improve his or her performances, otherwise forming you into a Blending will be futile. And you’re scheduled to soon
be
formed into one, which at this point will also turn your group into a laughingstock. Do you really want to become known as the worst challenging Blending to stand up for the nobility?”
    He looked around at all of them then, the look on his face fierce. “Yes, that’s what will happen when you perform in the competitions. Everyone will laugh at your efforts, but that doesn’t include the Advisors. You may take my word for the fact that they will
not
be laughing, but they will certainly have something to say to you afterward. And to your families.”
    The others promptly began to look almost as upset as Homin, but it was the opening Delin needed. He’d been looking for a reason to speak up, and now he had it.
    “And our families are certain to be displeased with us for failing in our duty to the Advisors,” he said with a weary sigh. “This is hardly a trivial matter like punctuality, so we’ll need to do something about it. Hopefully it will be the right something, and next week’s reports will be much improved. We’ll certainly discuss the matter as long as necessary once you’ve left, even if it takes the rest of the afternoon and evening.”
    “I knew I could count on you to see the consequences clearly, Lord Delin,” Rigos purred, delighted to have what he considered a concession of defeat from Delin. “I’m also taking steps to remedy the problem, but that’s for the future when the solution has been approved by my superiors. Right now I’ll leave you to your discussions, which will hopefully prove fruitful enough to avoid the necessity of any other action.”
    Delin hadn’t the faintest idea what Rigos was talking about, but the Advisory agent was definitely threatening them with something. And yet the something could be avoided so it was obviously time to advance to the next part of the plan. When Rigos stood they all did the same, except for Selendi, and exchanged polite bows of goodbye. Rigos left the room slowly, his lack of hurry deliberate, but nothing was said among them even when he was out of sight. Kambil glanced around before sauntering after the small agent, and was gone for a few minutes. Silence reigned until he returned, a relieved expression on his face.
    “I personally watched his carriage pull away,” Kambil announced as he headed for the bar rather than the tea service. “I also have three servants on watch, just in case he