swiftly rolls a huge stick, snaps her fingers to ignite it, then inhales deeply. I sit down next to her.
"Give me some of that," I say.
"Me too," says Makri. "We're really in trouble now."
Chapter Thirteen
Gloom descends over Arichdamis's house. It's hard to believe that someone stole the plans from right under our noses. Arichdamis is frantic, believing that enemy spies have made off with them. He's already imagining himself being executed for treason. Neither Lisutaris, Makri nor I believe that an enemy spy took the plans. It's far more likely that Lasat Axe of Gold was behind it.
"He'll do anything to discredit me," says Lisutaris.
"If Lasat did take them, what will he do with them?" wonders Makri.
"He'll produce them whenever he thinks it's most damaging," says Lisutaris. "Probably along with some fake story about an Orcish spy stealing them from me, and him heroically recovering them."
"We should have reported the theft when it happened!" says Arichdamis. "Now it looks like we're colluding with the enemy."
"We can't let anyone know. It will look too bad for Lisutaris."
Arichdamis has taken to pulling anxiously on his long grey beard. He goes away muttering about what a black day it was that he allowed Turanians into his house. Relations between us, previously cordial, have plummeted. Makri watches him go. "Now we've offended Arichdamis," she says, and sounds genuinely upset.
"If we're sure Lasat took the plans, shouldn't we be trying to get them back?" I suggest.
"Lasat will have them well hidden by now," says Lisutaris.
"So? You're more powerful than he is. Or you were till recently."
Lisutaris's eyes blaze. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean you don't have so much power when you're continually intoxicated by thazis."
"Don't lecture me on intoxication," cries Lisutaris.
"Why not? You haven't been thazis-free since you set foot in this place. No wonder Lasat got the better of you."
"You're being unfair!" says Makri. "After all, Lasat is a secret addict too. He takes dwa, remember? Probably he's even more intoxicated than Lisutaris, some of the time."
"I'm not intoxicated!" cries Lisutaris. "If I was, could I do this?"
The Sorceress whips out a vial of kuriya, a black liquid used for various magical purposes. For most Sorcerers, controlling it is a difficult art. Not so for Lisutaris. She pours the liquid into a saucer and snaps her fingers.
"I'll show you who's intoxicated. Kuriya, where are the plans?"
Makri and I peer at the pool of dark liquid. Lisutaris, using her mighty powers, should be able to produce a picture of the current location of the missing item. We stare for a long time. Nothing happens. The Mistress of the Sky tries again.
"Show me the location of Arichdamis's plans." Nothing happens. "The moons are obviously in the wrong alignment," says Lisutaris. "I must consult my charts."
With that, she strides off briskly, leaving a non-functioning kuriya pool behind her. Makri looks at me with a worried expression. "Are her powers really on the wane?"
I shrug. "It's hard to say. Looking at the kuriya is always difficult, and it hasn't been working well for a lot of Sorcerers lately. The three moons do go through cycles. Maybe we're entering a bad one."
Makri's first fight is scheduled for later in the day. Both she and Lisutaris are planning to visit the Queen's Bathing House before going on to the tournament field. I'm heading off to investigate. I'm still far from certain that there's really anything that needs investigating, but I'll do it anyway. I plan to visit the King's Record House, where Alceten died, to examine the scene and ask questions. There were witnesses who should be worth talking to. Before I leave the house I offer a final word of encouragement to Makri.
"I've bet all our money on you. If you don't win your fight we'll be begging on the streets."
Equipping Makri used up most of the money I borrowed from Baroness Demelzos. I only had sixty gurans left, a frustratingly
"Give me some of that," I say.
"Me too," says Makri. "We're really in trouble now."
Chapter Thirteen
Gloom descends over Arichdamis's house. It's hard to believe that someone stole the plans from right under our noses. Arichdamis is frantic, believing that enemy spies have made off with them. He's already imagining himself being executed for treason. Neither Lisutaris, Makri nor I believe that an enemy spy took the plans. It's far more likely that Lasat Axe of Gold was behind it.
"He'll do anything to discredit me," says Lisutaris.
"If Lasat did take them, what will he do with them?" wonders Makri.
"He'll produce them whenever he thinks it's most damaging," says Lisutaris. "Probably along with some fake story about an Orcish spy stealing them from me, and him heroically recovering them."
"We should have reported the theft when it happened!" says Arichdamis. "Now it looks like we're colluding with the enemy."
"We can't let anyone know. It will look too bad for Lisutaris."
Arichdamis has taken to pulling anxiously on his long grey beard. He goes away muttering about what a black day it was that he allowed Turanians into his house. Relations between us, previously cordial, have plummeted. Makri watches him go. "Now we've offended Arichdamis," she says, and sounds genuinely upset.
"If we're sure Lasat took the plans, shouldn't we be trying to get them back?" I suggest.
"Lasat will have them well hidden by now," says Lisutaris.
"So? You're more powerful than he is. Or you were till recently."
Lisutaris's eyes blaze. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean you don't have so much power when you're continually intoxicated by thazis."
"Don't lecture me on intoxication," cries Lisutaris.
"Why not? You haven't been thazis-free since you set foot in this place. No wonder Lasat got the better of you."
"You're being unfair!" says Makri. "After all, Lasat is a secret addict too. He takes dwa, remember? Probably he's even more intoxicated than Lisutaris, some of the time."
"I'm not intoxicated!" cries Lisutaris. "If I was, could I do this?"
The Sorceress whips out a vial of kuriya, a black liquid used for various magical purposes. For most Sorcerers, controlling it is a difficult art. Not so for Lisutaris. She pours the liquid into a saucer and snaps her fingers.
"I'll show you who's intoxicated. Kuriya, where are the plans?"
Makri and I peer at the pool of dark liquid. Lisutaris, using her mighty powers, should be able to produce a picture of the current location of the missing item. We stare for a long time. Nothing happens. The Mistress of the Sky tries again.
"Show me the location of Arichdamis's plans." Nothing happens. "The moons are obviously in the wrong alignment," says Lisutaris. "I must consult my charts."
With that, she strides off briskly, leaving a non-functioning kuriya pool behind her. Makri looks at me with a worried expression. "Are her powers really on the wane?"
I shrug. "It's hard to say. Looking at the kuriya is always difficult, and it hasn't been working well for a lot of Sorcerers lately. The three moons do go through cycles. Maybe we're entering a bad one."
Makri's first fight is scheduled for later in the day. Both she and Lisutaris are planning to visit the Queen's Bathing House before going on to the tournament field. I'm heading off to investigate. I'm still far from certain that there's really anything that needs investigating, but I'll do it anyway. I plan to visit the King's Record House, where Alceten died, to examine the scene and ask questions. There were witnesses who should be worth talking to. Before I leave the house I offer a final word of encouragement to Makri.
"I've bet all our money on you. If you don't win your fight we'll be begging on the streets."
Equipping Makri used up most of the money I borrowed from Baroness Demelzos. I only had sixty gurans left, a frustratingly
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