do.”
“You’re going to tell him Mournwal is planning to invade Sevairn?”
“I won’t have to; he’ll jump on the idea himself as soon as I mention armies in Mournwal.” Vandaris grinned. “By the time the Hoven-Thalar get to the border, he’ll think he planned the whole thing right from the beginning. I can handle Marreth.”
“I hope so,” Eltiron said. “But he can be awfully irritable.”
“I’ll admit his mood’s gotten worse since I was here last. How long has he been like that?”
“Like what?”
“The way he was tonight, lead skull. He’s always had a lousy temper, but I didn’t expect him to explode before I even said anything. He acted worse than a dreamsmoke addict.”
“He’s not a dreamsmoker!” Eltiron said, shocked. “He can’t be! He isn’t—I mean, he doesn’t—I mean, he has too many . . .”
“Women? I know, and you’re right; he couldn’t keep any of them happy if he were a dreamsmoker.” Vandaris grinned maliciously. “Though I’d like to point out that I never said he was.”
Eltiron felt himself turning red, and said hastily, “Then what did you mean?”
“His temper, for one thing. And he’s lost what little sense he had, not to mention being even more suspicious than he used to be. Furthermore, when he’s in a rage he looks as if he were going to die of apoplexy any minute. How long has this been going on?”
“I don’t know.” Eltiron frowned. “I don’t think I could give you a date even if I tried; he’s just gotten more and more irritable.”
“Maybe his brain’s ossifying from age. Tari, has anyone else noticed anything unusual about Marreth or Lassond?”
Tarilane grinned, and gave a short and highly uncomplimentary account of Marreth’s doings that left Eltiron amazed by the number of things she appeared to have overheard. She had less information about Terrel, due mainly to the fact that he had brought his own manservant with him when he moved into the castle. “He doesn’t gossip, and as far as I could find out, no one goes inside Terrel’s rooms except him and Terrel, so nobody knows much,” Tarilane finished.
“Hmmmm. Wonder what Lassond’s hiding in there,” Vandaris said, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful expression.
“I thought you’d want to know,” Tarilane said. “So I tried to sneak in while you were at dinner.”
“You did what ?” Vandaris jerked upright and stared at Tarilane.
“I tried to sneak into Terrel’s rooms,” Tarilane repeated smugly. “I didn’t make it, though; he’s done something to the lock.”
“What about the guards?” Eltiron said, fascinated.
“Oh, them. They were no problem. I dressed up like an ash girl and got a bucket from one of the spare rooms. They didn’t notice me at all.”
“Tarilane.” Vandaris’s voice was almost expressionless.
Tarilane’s head turned, and her face took on a stubborn expression. “Yes?”
“I told you to mix with the servants and tell me what you could overhear about Marreth and Lassond. I did not tell you to try to play Hanstall the Spy all over the castle, or to sneak past the guards and break into Lassond’s room.”
Tarilane raised her chin. “I thought you’d want me to.”
“Oh?”
After a moment, Tarilane’s eyes dropped. “No.”
“I thought you were intelligent enough not to pull tricks like this. Were you looking for a quick tour of Marreth’s dungeons, or were you just homesick?”
“You wouldn’t really send me back, would you? Please don’t, Vandi! I won’t do it again, I promise.”
Vandaris sighed. “I brought you along because I thought you needed some exposure to Leshiya’s court life, and you certainly won’t get it if I send you back to Tindalen. Just don’t try anything like that again.”
Tarilane nodded, somewhat subdued. Vandaris looked at her for a moment, then turned to Eltiron. “I think we have a few other things to worry about at the moment. Arranging our match tomorrow,
“You’re going to tell him Mournwal is planning to invade Sevairn?”
“I won’t have to; he’ll jump on the idea himself as soon as I mention armies in Mournwal.” Vandaris grinned. “By the time the Hoven-Thalar get to the border, he’ll think he planned the whole thing right from the beginning. I can handle Marreth.”
“I hope so,” Eltiron said. “But he can be awfully irritable.”
“I’ll admit his mood’s gotten worse since I was here last. How long has he been like that?”
“Like what?”
“The way he was tonight, lead skull. He’s always had a lousy temper, but I didn’t expect him to explode before I even said anything. He acted worse than a dreamsmoke addict.”
“He’s not a dreamsmoker!” Eltiron said, shocked. “He can’t be! He isn’t—I mean, he doesn’t—I mean, he has too many . . .”
“Women? I know, and you’re right; he couldn’t keep any of them happy if he were a dreamsmoker.” Vandaris grinned maliciously. “Though I’d like to point out that I never said he was.”
Eltiron felt himself turning red, and said hastily, “Then what did you mean?”
“His temper, for one thing. And he’s lost what little sense he had, not to mention being even more suspicious than he used to be. Furthermore, when he’s in a rage he looks as if he were going to die of apoplexy any minute. How long has this been going on?”
“I don’t know.” Eltiron frowned. “I don’t think I could give you a date even if I tried; he’s just gotten more and more irritable.”
“Maybe his brain’s ossifying from age. Tari, has anyone else noticed anything unusual about Marreth or Lassond?”
Tarilane grinned, and gave a short and highly uncomplimentary account of Marreth’s doings that left Eltiron amazed by the number of things she appeared to have overheard. She had less information about Terrel, due mainly to the fact that he had brought his own manservant with him when he moved into the castle. “He doesn’t gossip, and as far as I could find out, no one goes inside Terrel’s rooms except him and Terrel, so nobody knows much,” Tarilane finished.
“Hmmmm. Wonder what Lassond’s hiding in there,” Vandaris said, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful expression.
“I thought you’d want to know,” Tarilane said. “So I tried to sneak in while you were at dinner.”
“You did what ?” Vandaris jerked upright and stared at Tarilane.
“I tried to sneak into Terrel’s rooms,” Tarilane repeated smugly. “I didn’t make it, though; he’s done something to the lock.”
“What about the guards?” Eltiron said, fascinated.
“Oh, them. They were no problem. I dressed up like an ash girl and got a bucket from one of the spare rooms. They didn’t notice me at all.”
“Tarilane.” Vandaris’s voice was almost expressionless.
Tarilane’s head turned, and her face took on a stubborn expression. “Yes?”
“I told you to mix with the servants and tell me what you could overhear about Marreth and Lassond. I did not tell you to try to play Hanstall the Spy all over the castle, or to sneak past the guards and break into Lassond’s room.”
Tarilane raised her chin. “I thought you’d want me to.”
“Oh?”
After a moment, Tarilane’s eyes dropped. “No.”
“I thought you were intelligent enough not to pull tricks like this. Were you looking for a quick tour of Marreth’s dungeons, or were you just homesick?”
“You wouldn’t really send me back, would you? Please don’t, Vandi! I won’t do it again, I promise.”
Vandaris sighed. “I brought you along because I thought you needed some exposure to Leshiya’s court life, and you certainly won’t get it if I send you back to Tindalen. Just don’t try anything like that again.”
Tarilane nodded, somewhat subdued. Vandaris looked at her for a moment, then turned to Eltiron. “I think we have a few other things to worry about at the moment. Arranging our match tomorrow,
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