hand.”
Karah brought him a mug, and Sebastijan immediately filled it with lakewater. She took the pitcher to refill it.
“Whoever did this is open enough to attack Harald,” I mused as he took his first sip.
“Exactly. It’s not impossible, but it’s not a given that this person could be working with Ylli.”
“Are you saying that now you don’t think Ylli’s involved?”
“No, not at all, only that it’s not clear. Remember, Lezhans working for Gibroz or Katarina would be just as likely to get killed by Ylli and the other Lezhans krals for the same reason.”
“To keep and hold what they’ve got.”
“That’s what Gibroz wasn’t telling you yesterday,” chuckled Sebastijan.
“I think he told me, but I think he’s hoping I’ll get killed.”
“Get killed doing what?” asked Zvono.
“Gibroz wants me to visit Lezh and see what Ylli has planned.”
Kapric raised his eyebrows.
Zvono sat her tablet on the table. “And you’re doing this?”
I nodded.
“That is an insane idea.”
I shrugged. “Probably. But I need to find out who’s threatening Harald. I can’t leave things like this.”
“This is not your fault.”
I grinned at Kapric. “You just want to get rid of me.”
He started to bluster but I cut him off. “I know that’s not true. I also know it’s not my fault and I appreciate you saying so. But I just can’t leave Harald and his family in such a risky position. It’s not their fault either.”
Calmed, Kapric returned to his normal, stony demeanor. “In that case, what do you plan to do? Mostly, I’d rather you lived than died.”
“Thank you, Kapric.” I smiled and unrolled Gibroz’s scrolls. “Gibroz gave me these lists. One is of people working for Ylli that Gibroz knows about. The other is a list of schemes Ylli is involved in.”
Kapric and Zvono looked in amazement at them.
“Gibroz gave you these?” Zvono clearly itched to somehow fit all that was in the scrolls into her tablet.
“Yes, and I think they are purposefully obscure.”
They questioned me with their looks.
“I think Gibroz is smarter than he normally looks.”
“You think he wanted you to get help from us,” mused Kapric, “meaning we would have information we could give to quaesitors in Lezh that might damage Ylli’s organization.”
“Exactly. He must know I simply don’t understand Lezh enough to get much value out of what’s in these. But you and Sebastijan do, especially working together.”
Kapric and Sebastijan glared at each other for a moment and then shrugged.
“Mother will be happy.” Sebastijan was now grinning.
Kapric snorted. “Ecstatic, more like. She wants you to visit her, by the way.”
“Radovan told me.”
Kapric turned back to me. “I don’t want to leave things as they are, either. If this escalates, then we’ll have paperwork to do for all of Honker and his family, and I do not want that.”
“Is paperwork the only issue, Kapric?”
He started to snap back at me but sighed. “No, but it’s the way I deal with some of the deaths I see.”
We looked at each other for a long while. Something had happened there, though I was not entirely sure what.
“In any case, let’s look at these scrolls. You all pass them around and look at them closely for a bit, and then we’ll compare what we remember.”
“What we remember, Sevener?”
I laughed. “Alright, Zvono, what you remember.”
With small chuckles they started looking at the scrolls. While they alternated between examining the scrolls and staring at nothing, I got up and looked for Ragnar and Zoe.
Zoe I found walking down steps from the wing of rooms opposite to mine.
“How is Harald?”
“I think some ribs are broken.”
“Should we get one of the Helpers?”
“I’m sending word to the shrine of Cosmas.”
“Is that one of the Helpers?”
Zoe chuckled.
“You don’t have all of the godlings venerated here memorized yet? I fear you shall not be comfortable here
Karah brought him a mug, and Sebastijan immediately filled it with lakewater. She took the pitcher to refill it.
“Whoever did this is open enough to attack Harald,” I mused as he took his first sip.
“Exactly. It’s not impossible, but it’s not a given that this person could be working with Ylli.”
“Are you saying that now you don’t think Ylli’s involved?”
“No, not at all, only that it’s not clear. Remember, Lezhans working for Gibroz or Katarina would be just as likely to get killed by Ylli and the other Lezhans krals for the same reason.”
“To keep and hold what they’ve got.”
“That’s what Gibroz wasn’t telling you yesterday,” chuckled Sebastijan.
“I think he told me, but I think he’s hoping I’ll get killed.”
“Get killed doing what?” asked Zvono.
“Gibroz wants me to visit Lezh and see what Ylli has planned.”
Kapric raised his eyebrows.
Zvono sat her tablet on the table. “And you’re doing this?”
I nodded.
“That is an insane idea.”
I shrugged. “Probably. But I need to find out who’s threatening Harald. I can’t leave things like this.”
“This is not your fault.”
I grinned at Kapric. “You just want to get rid of me.”
He started to bluster but I cut him off. “I know that’s not true. I also know it’s not my fault and I appreciate you saying so. But I just can’t leave Harald and his family in such a risky position. It’s not their fault either.”
Calmed, Kapric returned to his normal, stony demeanor. “In that case, what do you plan to do? Mostly, I’d rather you lived than died.”
“Thank you, Kapric.” I smiled and unrolled Gibroz’s scrolls. “Gibroz gave me these lists. One is of people working for Ylli that Gibroz knows about. The other is a list of schemes Ylli is involved in.”
Kapric and Zvono looked in amazement at them.
“Gibroz gave you these?” Zvono clearly itched to somehow fit all that was in the scrolls into her tablet.
“Yes, and I think they are purposefully obscure.”
They questioned me with their looks.
“I think Gibroz is smarter than he normally looks.”
“You think he wanted you to get help from us,” mused Kapric, “meaning we would have information we could give to quaesitors in Lezh that might damage Ylli’s organization.”
“Exactly. He must know I simply don’t understand Lezh enough to get much value out of what’s in these. But you and Sebastijan do, especially working together.”
Kapric and Sebastijan glared at each other for a moment and then shrugged.
“Mother will be happy.” Sebastijan was now grinning.
Kapric snorted. “Ecstatic, more like. She wants you to visit her, by the way.”
“Radovan told me.”
Kapric turned back to me. “I don’t want to leave things as they are, either. If this escalates, then we’ll have paperwork to do for all of Honker and his family, and I do not want that.”
“Is paperwork the only issue, Kapric?”
He started to snap back at me but sighed. “No, but it’s the way I deal with some of the deaths I see.”
We looked at each other for a long while. Something had happened there, though I was not entirely sure what.
“In any case, let’s look at these scrolls. You all pass them around and look at them closely for a bit, and then we’ll compare what we remember.”
“What we remember, Sevener?”
I laughed. “Alright, Zvono, what you remember.”
With small chuckles they started looking at the scrolls. While they alternated between examining the scrolls and staring at nothing, I got up and looked for Ragnar and Zoe.
Zoe I found walking down steps from the wing of rooms opposite to mine.
“How is Harald?”
“I think some ribs are broken.”
“Should we get one of the Helpers?”
“I’m sending word to the shrine of Cosmas.”
“Is that one of the Helpers?”
Zoe chuckled.
“You don’t have all of the godlings venerated here memorized yet? I fear you shall not be comfortable here
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