moment, then continued. 'My thought is to just let him vanish. If the other Old Whiners mink he's gone off to the old Citadel or somewhere else to live in luxury with their belongings and with luxury goods lifted from the Elvenlords, they're not going to make a martyr out of him.'
'Whereas, if they found out his own stupidity killed him—?' she countered. 'Wouldn't that destroy his credit with them?'
'Then someone
'A sufficiently clever fellow could even make him out to be a martyr if they
Shana stared at him for a moment, astonished.
Even Lorryn looked surprised. 'I'm glad you're on our side,' Lorryn managed, after a moment. 'If you can think of things like that—'
Kyrtian shrugged, his eyes bleak in the firelight. 'I didn't always think this way,' he pointed out. 'I suppose I can thank my late cousin Aelmarkin for my education—and my loss of innocence.' Then he smiled, and he looked more like himself again.
'Well, your cousin got exactly what he deserved,' Keman said.
But Kyrtian shrugged. 'Much as I'm glad I won't have to worry about him any longer, I wouldn't wish the death he got on anyone.'
Shana compressed her lips; she wasn't feeling that generous. Especially when—now that she came to think about it—it was entirely possible that it had been Aelmarkin who woke that blasted construct. 'I doubt he would have said the same of you,' she said brusquely.
Kyrtian sighed, and looked weary and pensive. 'You're probably right. No, you
'Now that he isn't here to make any more trouble for you, eh?' Keman said shrewdly.
'His men are shivering with fear in an ill-made camp, out that way,' Father Dragon put in, unexpectedly. 'Shall we rescue them, do you think?'
'Yes!' said Kyrtian and Lorryn.
'No!' said Shana and Keman at the same moment. All four exchanged glances, and it was Shana who broke the deadlock.
'All right,' she said grudgingly. 'I suppose we can round them up and take them back to the new Citadel when you've left, Kyrtian. Zed can probably find a use for them.'
'We'll leave the way we came,' said Kyrtian, with a sigh.
'Having found nothing but empty caves. We have a larger plan to think of.'
'Indeed,' Kalamadea rumbled, and it seemed to Shana that he spoke for all of them. 'And now—rest We have a great deal of work ahead of us.'
Kyrtian stretched, feeling every single scrape, bruise, and pulled muscle. But just as much as he longed for home and a hot bath, he dreaded facing his mother with the news he had.
Absently, to distract himself from his own gloomy thoughts, he patted Kemah's side. 'I don't suppose I could talk you and your lady-friend into turning up in a few days, could I?' he asked. 'I'd love for mother to see you for herself.'
He knew he was never going to actually tell her what he had found. It would be enough to tell her that he'd found his father's remains and not get any more elaborate than that.
Keman laughed. 'Of course you could! In fact, I think I will ask Lorryn and Shana if Dora and I can be the Wizards' liaisons with you. They don't need us particularly to spy on the Great Lords, and the advantage of having
how many illusion-dispelling magics he casts, we'll pass his test.'
'I hadn't thought of that!' Kyrtian said, in weary surprise, feeling a renewed stirring of pleasure. 'Consider the invitation tendered, then. That would solve any number of problems.'
Dora nudged him with her snout affectionately. 'I think that would be lovely, my Lord,' she replied. 'I don't suppose you have any caves on your property, do you?'
Kyrtian repressed the automatic shudder; after what he'd just been through, he never, ever wanted to go underground again—
But he looked over at Lynder, who grinned sheepishly, and answered for him. 'Quite a few, mi—ah—your —'
'Just Dora,' the female dragon said, in a kindly tone of voice.
'Ah.' Lynder rubbed the side of his nose with his hand, self-consciously. 'Dora, then. Yes, Hobie and I have found quite a few. Limestone caves, water-carved, with lots of formations.'
'Lovely!' the female dragon said with enthusiasm. 'Lord Kyrtian, you wouldn't mind if we took over one, would you?'
'I would consider it an honor,' he said, to both their satisfaction.
'Shana's so used to depending on me, you know, and I think it would be better for her if she got out of that habit and started—well—depending on Lorryn instead,' Keman said in a slightly patronizing undertone, with a glance at the now-
occupied tent. 'I practically raised her—with Mother's help, of course, but I did most of it.'
Keman chuckled. 'I had all sorts of pets. So far as the others of our Lair were concerned, she was just one