about your employer’s attitude,” Vallant said, but his gaze had turned sharp. “In the meanwhile, I’d like to hear about these others that you have nothin’ to do with. Who are they, how many of them are there, and where are they now?”
“We only believe we know who they are,” the man responded, now sounding thoughtful. “They arrived in this area about four days behind us, after we’d sent our first report about your group being around here. That means they could have come from Gan Garee if they rode with remounts and didn’t stop much along the way. If that was what they did, then they must have been sent by the Five after the client reported what our employer told her. We have no way of knowing that for certain, of course, but the conclusion seems likely. As far as where they are right now goes, they’rehere in this hamlet, spread out and mixing with the locals whom they’ve gotten to know a bit. Their number? Since we’ve only seen two or three of them together at once, we really have no idea.”
“That’s wonderful,” Lorand said with heavy disgust, exchanging glances with Vallant and Rion. “Agents of the Five are probably all around us, but we don’t know who they are or where to find them. Most likely they’rewaiting for us to decide to get some sleep, and then we’ll find out everything about them.”
“Let’s see what the entity can do to root them out before we get upset,” Jovvi soothed him, also sending a smile. “And speaking of the entity, I really must apologize to all of you for initiating the Blending without telling you first. Rion was in immediate danger, so there simply wasn’t time.”
“Of course there wasn’t,” Tamma agreed at once, putting a hand to Jovvi’s arm. “All of us would have done the exact same thing if we were able, so stop being silly. And you should have known that without any of us having had to say it.”
“Normally I would have, but you have to remember that I’m holding four minds right now,” Jovvi said with a small laugh of relief. The men’s emotions had agreed with Tamma’s so completely that there wasn’t any possible doubt. “So does anyone have a suggestion about what we might do with these four?”
“I have a very definite suggestion,” Naran said without waiting for anyone else to answer. “Is it possible to make them have to tell the complete truth from now on? That would include situations where people would normally use tact, because tact is a form of socially permitted lying. I don’t know how long they would last, but the time would be horrible for them no matter how short or long it was.”
“Oh, I like that!” Tamma said at once, delight actually filling her mind. “Naran, you’rethe most beautifully evil person I’ve met in a long while. And in case you’rewondering, that was very definitely a compliment.”
“I agree with Tamrissa,” Lorand said with a grin for Naran’s blush. “People say men are hard on those who try to harm their loved ones, but we’resofties compared to you ladies. Rion, please remind me never to get into an argument with you. I’d hate to have Naran think up something to get even with
me
.”
“Since Jovvi’s smile says she also agrees, I’m makin’ it unanimous,” Vallant put in, a sense of satisfaction in his mind if not on his face. “They should never be able to do this sort of thing to anyone else, especially if we make it an order that they warn any potential victims they may be sent after. That will add the icin’.”
“It certainly will, so let’s do it,” Jovvi said, and once again initiated the Blending. She might have been able give the orders herself and make them stick, but with the entity there was no “might” about it. The necessary demands were fixed in the minds of the four, and then the Blending was dissolved again.
“You men can go now,” Jovvi said to them as soon as she released them. “But first tell us what your present plans
“We only believe we know who they are,” the man responded, now sounding thoughtful. “They arrived in this area about four days behind us, after we’d sent our first report about your group being around here. That means they could have come from Gan Garee if they rode with remounts and didn’t stop much along the way. If that was what they did, then they must have been sent by the Five after the client reported what our employer told her. We have no way of knowing that for certain, of course, but the conclusion seems likely. As far as where they are right now goes, they’rehere in this hamlet, spread out and mixing with the locals whom they’ve gotten to know a bit. Their number? Since we’ve only seen two or three of them together at once, we really have no idea.”
“That’s wonderful,” Lorand said with heavy disgust, exchanging glances with Vallant and Rion. “Agents of the Five are probably all around us, but we don’t know who they are or where to find them. Most likely they’rewaiting for us to decide to get some sleep, and then we’ll find out everything about them.”
“Let’s see what the entity can do to root them out before we get upset,” Jovvi soothed him, also sending a smile. “And speaking of the entity, I really must apologize to all of you for initiating the Blending without telling you first. Rion was in immediate danger, so there simply wasn’t time.”
“Of course there wasn’t,” Tamma agreed at once, putting a hand to Jovvi’s arm. “All of us would have done the exact same thing if we were able, so stop being silly. And you should have known that without any of us having had to say it.”
“Normally I would have, but you have to remember that I’m holding four minds right now,” Jovvi said with a small laugh of relief. The men’s emotions had agreed with Tamma’s so completely that there wasn’t any possible doubt. “So does anyone have a suggestion about what we might do with these four?”
“I have a very definite suggestion,” Naran said without waiting for anyone else to answer. “Is it possible to make them have to tell the complete truth from now on? That would include situations where people would normally use tact, because tact is a form of socially permitted lying. I don’t know how long they would last, but the time would be horrible for them no matter how short or long it was.”
“Oh, I like that!” Tamma said at once, delight actually filling her mind. “Naran, you’rethe most beautifully evil person I’ve met in a long while. And in case you’rewondering, that was very definitely a compliment.”
“I agree with Tamrissa,” Lorand said with a grin for Naran’s blush. “People say men are hard on those who try to harm their loved ones, but we’resofties compared to you ladies. Rion, please remind me never to get into an argument with you. I’d hate to have Naran think up something to get even with
me
.”
“Since Jovvi’s smile says she also agrees, I’m makin’ it unanimous,” Vallant put in, a sense of satisfaction in his mind if not on his face. “They should never be able to do this sort of thing to anyone else, especially if we make it an order that they warn any potential victims they may be sent after. That will add the icin’.”
“It certainly will, so let’s do it,” Jovvi said, and once again initiated the Blending. She might have been able give the orders herself and make them stick, but with the entity there was no “might” about it. The necessary demands were fixed in the minds of the four, and then the Blending was dissolved again.
“You men can go now,” Jovvi said to them as soon as she released them. “But first tell us what your present plans
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