you know that at first hand.â She raised an eyebrow at him; Special Messengers saw a lot, and were chosen as much for their ability to keep their mouths shut as their riding prowess.
He shrugged. âIndeed. The enemy I fear most lies within our borders. In Haven, the City Guard short-handed still remains. Opportunists come in all stripes, and all ranks. Perhaps this is why someone seeks to agitate against Selenay. While we look to that as trouble, we miss some other evil he may do. Where there are fortunes to be made, men will seek to make them, be the source never so vile.â
âAnd once you start selling one vile thing, further vileness comes easier. Especially when the price is good enough.â Keren shook her head. âWell. How would you like me to start?â
âBy learning to act a part,â Alberich told her immediately. âThe hellion will not always welcome be, where I would ask you to go. Sometimes, the serving wench. Sometimes, the whore.â
Keren snickered at that. âMe! Iâd never pass as a whore! Nobodyâd look twice at me!â
âYou are not old, not raddled with drink, have all your teeth, most of your mind, and no disease,â Alberich said pragmatically, before Ylsa could jump in. âIn the quarters where I go, that is enough.â
Keren snorted. â Most of my mind! I like that!â
Ylsa laughed. âYouâre a Herald. You are volunteering to spy in the worst parts of Haven, dear. Thatâs not exactly anything I see sane people queuing up to do.â
Keren made a face. But she didnât argue.
âSo. There it is. Can you act a part?â Alberich asked. âCan you act those parts?â
Keren scratched one eyebrow thoughtfully. âIâm pretty sure I can, at least, as long as you donât expect me to bed anybody. Not for days and weeks at a time, but then, you arenât going to want that, I suppose.â
âNo,â he agreed. âIf it must come to days and weeks, another solution sought must be. Not you nor I can be spared our assigned duties. A few hours at most, is what we will need. And noâif the whore you play, it is my whore you will be.â
âFor a few hours, I can manage anything,â Keren decreed. âI suppose I could even manage pretending to be a lady.â
âIâd pay money to see that!â Ylsa chortled.
âIf it is a lady I need, to Talamir I should take myself,â Alberich told them both. âBetter to find one within the Court who is a friendâand I assume that he has more than one such already.â
âProbably,â Ylsa agreed, and Keren nodded. âThere are highborn Heralds, tooâ probably no one would tell them anything directly, and since everyone would know they were Heralds, theyâd be useless as spies, but people do gossip, and gossip alone might be worth something.â
So, there it was. He had agreement, not only from Keren, but from her partnerâwhich basically meant that Ylsa agreed not to interfere. He felt a little of the weight lift from his shoulders. âWell, then, I thank you both.â He stood up, and motioned them both to remain seated. âI shall myself let out. Not soon will this beânothing have I that needs a female, at the moment.â
âBetter to have the gaff in your hand before you try to land the sturgeon,â Keren observed. âTake me with you a time or two when youâve not got something on the boil, and I can get used to playing your doxy.â
âI shall,â he promised, and let himself out of their somewhat cramped quarters. They shared a room meant for oneâwell, it probably wasnât as crowded as it could have been, since both of them tended to keep personal possessions at a minimum and Ylsa was often away. But it felt very claustrophobic to him.
All things considered, he wasnât unhappy about being down in the salle. If he wanted or needed
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