Storm Rising

from High Priest Solaris? I cannot believe that she does not know of all of this. She has had her ways of knowing things immediately before this.'

Daren looked at him strangely. 'I have,' he said, slowly, 'This very morning, a message from her lay among the correspondence on my desk, and it had not been there last night, nor did a page or a messenger bring it. And I believe that you should tell Karal what I have been sent. It was only two words long.' He paused, and an odd, unreadable expression passed across his face. 'It said, 'Karal remains,' and was signed by Solaris herself.' He shook his head. 'I am not certain what to make of it, but the meaning is plain enough.'

An'desha nodded. 'Karal is still her chosen representative. She could simply be keeping him in place, though, until this current crisis is over so that it does not look as if she is replacing him because of guilt.'

'I hope so.' Daren was too well-schooled to pace, but he shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot. 'We have done all we can to bolster his authority, but there is only so much we can do when he has to deal with people who have not known him from the moment he arrived here.'

An'desha grimaced, and quickly changed the subject. He and the Prince discussed what they could do to try to redeem Karal's reputation, but both admitted that they were handicapped by Jarim's prejudice.

'I will see what I can do to have him recalled and replaced by a Sworn or a shaman,' the Prince said finally. 'But that will take time, time during which he is free to poison minds.'

'And we must try to find an antidote to that poison.' An'desha hesitated, then shrugged. 'I can think of nothing more to say or do at the moment.'

'Nor I, the Prince admitted. 'But thank you for coming to me. You have given me reasons to do things I had wanted to do in the first place. Jarim is not a bad person, but he is a miserable failure as an envoy. I suspect the Shin'a'in have not had much experience at selecting people to represent their interests off the Plains.'

An'desha laughed as he rose to his feet and made his way toward the door. 'I would make a better envoy than he, I'm afraid.' At Daren's look of sudden interest and speculation, he added in warning, 'They would never accept me unless I were to be made a shaman. I possess magic, and as such, I could never be said to represent them. No Shin'a'in can practice magics but the shaman, and there is an end to it.'

'As one who practices magics and has endured more than a hundred warriors, you have an understanding that Jarim sorely lacks,' Daren retorted dryly.

An'desha shook his head, thanked Daren for his time and patience, then took his leave, secure in the knowledge that the Prince-Consort would keep Jarim on a short leash.

He returned to the ekele to find that Karal was awake and sitting sleepily in the sun in the garden. Warm golden sunlight streamed through the eastward-facing windows, making a green-gold glory out of a scrap of lawn surrounded by flowering shrubs with aromatic leaves. Karal had made himself a soft place to sit with a rug purloined from among An'desha's things, a few cushions, and a blanket from the bed.

'What are you doing down here?' An'desha asked sternly, gazing down at him with both hands planted on his hips. 'The Healer said you were to stay in bed!'

Karal looked sheepish, but he did not look away from An'desha's face. 'I couldn't sleep anymore,' he said. 'I won't go anywhere else, and I'll drink everything except the sleeping potions, but I can't stand being so muzzy- brained.' He looked pleadingly into An'desha's eyes. 'I promise that I will take naps if I can, but I don't want to be forced into it. The drugs—' now he faltered, '—they're making me dream of—of the Iftel border.'

An'desha shuddered; that was one experience he didn't particularly want to recall either, and he knew it had been worse for Karal. 'All right. I must admit that I'd feel better knowing you weren't asleep and alone here. Herald Kerowyn has beaten enough self-defense into you that I think you can protect yourself if you're awake. Assuming anyone or anything could get past all the Companions out there.' He paused for a moment. 'Prince Daren asked me to tell you that he's heard from Solaris. It was a two-word message; 'Karal remains.' Maybe you can make more out of that than I can.'

Karal only shook his head.

'I have a plan,' An'desha continued, 'but it's going to take a few days to put into motion. Meanwhile, your friends are out there defending you; you haven't been deserted. I think if I let them know that you're up to seeing visitors, you won't be alone here for long, either.' At the sudden interest and veiled hope in Karal's face, he added, 'I believe that Natoli in particular has plans to keep you company.'

Karal's blush told him all he needed to know on that score. So, there was something brewing between them besides merest friendship.

Good. Very good. It's about time, for both of them. Natoli has been one of the boys for too long, particularly since she isn't she'chorne any more than Karal is.

'And in the meantime, I have brought you books that have nothing to do with politics or wars or magic. Here.' He dropped the three books he had taken from the library beside his friend. 'You read them and think of nothing. I shall go off and attempt to exercise my Shin'a'in craft and guile.'

Karal laughed at this, because of course the Shin'a'in were noted even as far north as Valdemar for being the least crafty and most direct people in the Alliance. 'As straightforward as a Shin'a'in' was an old saying that