the daughters of the Landame of Geildda.”
Rathe shook his head.
“They’re an Ajanine family, thirty-two quarterings, a tumbledown manor with a defensible tower, ten acres of rocks, and six or seven daughters to launch on the world, never mind the clutch of sons. Tanasse—she was my captain first, then colonel—she’s the fourth or fifth, and her mother bought her a horse and a sword and turned her loose. A good captain, mind you, mostly careful of her people, but always looking for plunder, and not too scrupulous about making a way if one wasn’t obvious.”
Rathe nodded, wondering where this was headed, and E slingen took a breath.
“ I thought she was here for the races, but it turns out she’s been here all winter. In Sibilla t’Anthiame’s train.”
Rathe looked up sharply at that. T’Anthiame had been none too happy about losing her case, and rumor said she planned to appeal to the Queen directly; in the meantime, Temple Point had already had to break up half a dozen quarrels b etween her household and Malfiliatre’s.
Eslingen nodded. “She was talking about revenge, that she and t’Anthiame would make the de Caliors pay.”
“ There’s been a lot of talk,” Rathe said. “And some scuffling. Temple Point’s borne the brunt of it.”
“ I daresay there has.”
Eslingen prodded the raisin across the table, and Rathe, u naccountably irritated, snatched it away. He popped it in his mouth, said, “Out with it. Why should I worry?”
“ Ospinel doesn’t make idle threats,” Eslingen said. “If she says they’re planning revenge, they’re planning revenge.”
“ Why would she tell you? That doesn’t make sense.”
Eslingen shrugged. “She doesn’t think she’s doing anything wrong—she was trying to stir up trouble at the Fair, saying loud enough for everyone to hear that t’Anthiame wouldn’t have repudiated a brother’s debts. They’re not done, whatever the courts say.”
Rathe sighed. “That’s just lovely.”
“ I thought you should know.”
“ And I want to know, I’m grateful, believe me. It’s just—why does the Dis-damned woman have to bring her troubles here?”
“ She’s got an eye for the main chance,” Eslingen said. “And she stands to gain if t’Anthiame is chosen.”
“ Which she won’t be,” Rathe said. “I’ve never heard of a judge overturning such a decision, only the Queen. And she has more sense.” He shook his head again. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll send a circular to the other stations, tell them to keep their eyes open.”
“ Probably a good idea.”
“ And now you wish you hadn’t told me.”
Eslingen shrugged. “I’m fond of her, that’s all.”
“ You can’t let that get in the way,” Rathe said, and swallowed the rest of what he’d been going to say as too likely to start a quarrel . If you want to be in this Guard, you’ll have to learn that . He reached for the wine jug and turned the conversation.
He was still feeling vaguely discontented when he made his way back to Dreams the next morning. It was busy already, four or five women standing at the duty point’s desk, and one of them detached herself from the group, seeing him enter. Rathe hid a groan. Ourielle Zedey was one of the local taverners, who owned two houses of her own and had shares in several more: a woman of substance and considerable respect, and every year she ran an open book out of the Jumping Jack. She was not one to take kindly to the new regulations.
“ Rathe! What’s this nonsense about a bond?”
Rathe spread his hands. “You see the notice, dame. There’s nothing we can do.”
“ I saw it,” Zedey said, “but I didn’t believe it. What in Demis’s name were they thinking?”
“ That I can’t tell you, because they haven’t shared their reasoning with us. All we have is the new rule. Which we have to enforce.”
“ But you know I’m good for the money. You’ve never had trouble with me in, what, it must
Rathe shook his head.
“They’re an Ajanine family, thirty-two quarterings, a tumbledown manor with a defensible tower, ten acres of rocks, and six or seven daughters to launch on the world, never mind the clutch of sons. Tanasse—she was my captain first, then colonel—she’s the fourth or fifth, and her mother bought her a horse and a sword and turned her loose. A good captain, mind you, mostly careful of her people, but always looking for plunder, and not too scrupulous about making a way if one wasn’t obvious.”
Rathe nodded, wondering where this was headed, and E slingen took a breath.
“ I thought she was here for the races, but it turns out she’s been here all winter. In Sibilla t’Anthiame’s train.”
Rathe looked up sharply at that. T’Anthiame had been none too happy about losing her case, and rumor said she planned to appeal to the Queen directly; in the meantime, Temple Point had already had to break up half a dozen quarrels b etween her household and Malfiliatre’s.
Eslingen nodded. “She was talking about revenge, that she and t’Anthiame would make the de Caliors pay.”
“ There’s been a lot of talk,” Rathe said. “And some scuffling. Temple Point’s borne the brunt of it.”
“ I daresay there has.”
Eslingen prodded the raisin across the table, and Rathe, u naccountably irritated, snatched it away. He popped it in his mouth, said, “Out with it. Why should I worry?”
“ Ospinel doesn’t make idle threats,” Eslingen said. “If she says they’re planning revenge, they’re planning revenge.”
“ Why would she tell you? That doesn’t make sense.”
Eslingen shrugged. “She doesn’t think she’s doing anything wrong—she was trying to stir up trouble at the Fair, saying loud enough for everyone to hear that t’Anthiame wouldn’t have repudiated a brother’s debts. They’re not done, whatever the courts say.”
Rathe sighed. “That’s just lovely.”
“ I thought you should know.”
“ And I want to know, I’m grateful, believe me. It’s just—why does the Dis-damned woman have to bring her troubles here?”
“ She’s got an eye for the main chance,” Eslingen said. “And she stands to gain if t’Anthiame is chosen.”
“ Which she won’t be,” Rathe said. “I’ve never heard of a judge overturning such a decision, only the Queen. And she has more sense.” He shook his head again. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll send a circular to the other stations, tell them to keep their eyes open.”
“ Probably a good idea.”
“ And now you wish you hadn’t told me.”
Eslingen shrugged. “I’m fond of her, that’s all.”
“ You can’t let that get in the way,” Rathe said, and swallowed the rest of what he’d been going to say as too likely to start a quarrel . If you want to be in this Guard, you’ll have to learn that . He reached for the wine jug and turned the conversation.
He was still feeling vaguely discontented when he made his way back to Dreams the next morning. It was busy already, four or five women standing at the duty point’s desk, and one of them detached herself from the group, seeing him enter. Rathe hid a groan. Ourielle Zedey was one of the local taverners, who owned two houses of her own and had shares in several more: a woman of substance and considerable respect, and every year she ran an open book out of the Jumping Jack. She was not one to take kindly to the new regulations.
“ Rathe! What’s this nonsense about a bond?”
Rathe spread his hands. “You see the notice, dame. There’s nothing we can do.”
“ I saw it,” Zedey said, “but I didn’t believe it. What in Demis’s name were they thinking?”
“ That I can’t tell you, because they haven’t shared their reasoning with us. All we have is the new rule. Which we have to enforce.”
“ But you know I’m good for the money. You’ve never had trouble with me in, what, it must
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