Storm Warning

Master Henlin shrugged but looked unrepentant. The other Masters moved out into the taproom, but she and Master Levy headed straight for the table shared by Natoli's cronies.

'We'll take you scruffy lot, since you're already our students,' Master Levy said, as soon as they got within an arm's reach of the table. 'We're both used to you delinquents, and I wouldn't wish you on some poor, unsuspecting Master who has no idea what depravities you can get up to.'

Natoli only nodded, unabashed. 'Suits me. What will we be up to?'

'Dawn is what you'll be up to,' Master Tam replied, and smiled evilly as the students groaned. 'The logical, obvious thing is that first we'll divide up the area around Haven and each group will take one piece to study. We'll look at the obvious anomalies and look for ones the Heralds and mages missed, because I'll bet there will be some—once we've measured each anomaly to within a hair, we'll come here to collate the information. After that?' She shrugged. 'My guess is that either we'll be sending individual students out with fast horses to get information from farther out, or we'll just make up a set of precise instructions based on what we find, and rely on locals to do the work. Then we'll start looking for answers that fit the information. We'll probably use the Rose as our headquarters, since it's set up to hold all of us.'

'Just like a class problem,' groaned one of the boys.

'Exactly.' Master Levy fixed the offending party with a gimlet eye. 'Don't you think you ought to cut the evening short, since you're going to be up so early?'

Obediently, the students started gathering up their cloaks; students at the other tables were doing the same, so evidently the other Masters had imparted the same set of orders to their groups. 'I think Lady Herald Elspeth would be the one to take your offer, sir,' Karal said to Master Levy, who was nearest him. 'I know she'll still be awake. Would you like to go to the Palace now?'

'Between us, I'm pretty certain that Karal and I can get you both past the gate guard,' Natoli added. 'They've been letting me run tame at the Collegium since I could toddle, and every Guard and Herald there is my 'uncle.' '

Master Levy looked to Master Tam for advice. The woman nodded brusquely. 'Sounds as good a plan to me as any.' She slung her cloak around her shoulders and took a last swig of beer from a student's mug. 'Let's go.'

They slogged through rain that filled the gutters and soaked their cloaks; bent their heads against wind that drove the rain into their faces and threatened to pull their cloaks right out of their hands. The relatively short walk to the Palace was as exhausting as one of those dawn-to-dark rides he and Ulrich had endured on their way up here.

At long last they reached the postern gate, and the Guard there recognized all four of them. He waved them inside without any formality—which was a mistake, in Karal's opinion, for they could have been anybody, in very clever disguises. He resolved to tell someone about the lapse tomorrow. Alberich, maybe, or even Kerowyn.

Once inside the Palace, however, the Guards were a great deal more alert, to his relief. They were left to drip in front of a fire while someone went off to verify that they were who they said they were, and to fetch Herald Elspeth. Hot spiced tea arrived after a while, and towels, both brought by pages, who hung their cloaks over frames in front of the fire to dry them thoroughly. The air filled with the smell of wet wool.

Elspeth was not at all pleased to be fetched; she looked tired and rather frazzled. Her hair had escaped from its utilitarian braids, and her face was slack with exhaustion. But the moment that Master Tarn and Master Levy introduced themselves to her and explained what brought them there, she brightened with relief, and actually apologized for her curt welcome.

'I'm dreadfully sorry I was so surly, but we just finished some very difficult work, and we're about to repeat it to double the effect,' she said, pulling a damp curl off her forehead with an impatient gesture. 'I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this! Yes, we certainly do accept your offer, and I can't think of anyone better suited to try to apply logic to all of this.' She favored Master Levy with a wry grimace. 'Some of the others won't like it, but I can and will overrule them—and Mother will most certainly be relieved that someone is trying mathematics instead of intuition for a change!'

She continued for a little while longer, as both Masters glowed with satisfaction under the weight of her sincere thanks and praise. There was no doubt that she meant every word she said—and no doubt that both of them had been half-expecting to find opposition from someone who was a mage as well as a Herald. Not surprising; they didn't know her, after all.

I wonder if she's stretching all this thanks out a little— he thought, when she began repeating herself. Then he saw her take a surreptitious glance at the cloaks, and knew he was right. She was waiting for the cloaks to dry before sending them away!

Thoughtful, making up for being discourteous earlier? It could be. Elspeth, he had learned by watching, was like that.

'Well,' Master Levy said, when Elspeth finished her speech, 'if we're going to lead a team of unruly students out into the muck at dawn, we need to take our leave. As soon as we have anything of any substance, we will let you know, Herald Elspeth.'

'Send me your measurements and charts, would you please?' Elspeth asked as the two Masters took up their