The White Gryphon

had donned robes this morning that were a complement, in their color scheme of deep brown, amber, and gold, to Winterhart’s. He took a seat beside Amberdrake with the ease of a long-time friend.

“We’d counted on that, Serenity,” Amberdrake replied, pleased by the King’s casual manner, especially around him. It said a great deal—

It tells me also that Shalaman was not exactly in love with Winterhart; he was in love—or at least desired—what she represented. That’s rather different from being in love with the person, and easier to get over. Evidently Shalaman had gotten over both his desire for Winterhart and his disappointment in a remarkably short time. That is an old lesson of the kestra‘chern; often, one can be in love with who they think someone is, while being blinded by their own desires. And just as often, instead of being in love with a lover, one is in love with love.

“Another murder—” Shalaman shook his head, grimacing, but as if he were discussing the death of a complete stranger. Perhaps he was—his Court was enormous, and there was no reason to assume he knew everyone in it personally. “It is interesting that all of the victims have been rather outspoken people with both powerful and disagreeable personalities. They all had—or had at one time—considerable influence, they all had great wealth and personal power, and they all collected many enemies. And—this is not the sort of thing that one wishes an ally to know, but I fear that assassination has been something of a way of life in the Haighlei Courts of the past. Not in my Court, or not until this moment, but it still happens in the Courts of some of the other Emperors. If all the signs did not point so forcefully to you foreigners, it might have been accepted as the result of acquiring too many enemies.”

“In the case of at least two, there is very little mourning in the gardens of the women,” Leyuet said dryly, regaining some of his composure. “They were hardly popular. If the rumors were that one of their enemies had rid the world of their presence, I think this might have been little more than a matter for quiet investigation. One simply cannot have this sort of thing go on in a civilized Court.”

Amberdrake suppressed the urge to laugh at the prim look to Leyuet’s mouth as he made that last statement. Shalaman caught his eye at that moment, and the two of them exchanged a look of private amusement that flashed between them like a signal between two mischievous small boys.

“Nevertheless, because the evidence points to the foreigners, it now becomes a case of Haighlei against the wicked outsiders,” Shalaman said, as his expression sobered. “How did the last die?”

“Clawed to death, it would seem—but look here!” Once again Leyuet displayed his bit of carved wood. The King bent over his outstretched hand with interest, but did not offer to touch the thing. “This was found in one of the wounds. Now we have proof that someone is trying to force us to take action against the folk of White Gryphon.”

“But I want this kept secret,” Amberdrake interjected. “For now, at least.”

Shalaman straightened, and his mouth twitched with distaste. “I do not like this idea, my friend,” he said. “It greatly troubles me. How can I keep you safe when the hand of every person in my court is against you?”

Amberdrake licked his lips and chose his words with care. “We have an enemy, Serenity,” he said. “This enemy is very clever, very cunning. He is intelligent enough to learn from his mistakes—so we must not let him know that he has made any. At the moment, the evidence is only that the victim was clawed to death, and any number of supernatural horrors could have been called up or created, or even imported, to have done this thing.” Shalaman pondered Amberdrake’s statement, as the sounds of the garden provided an ironically soothing background.

“But magic is no longer functioning—” Leyuet protested. “All men know this.”

“Someone could have found a live makaar somewhere,” Skandranon pointed out suddenly. “It doesn’t take much magic to coerce them. They fly, they’re intelligent enough to obey orders, they have claws and fight with them, and they’re absolutely vicious. If I hadn’t seen that bit of wood, that’s the first thing I’d have thought of. In fact, when you bring an accusation against me, that’s what I’m going to claim—that Ma’ar must have had an agent with a flock of makaar lurking down here, and now he’s using them to make me look like a murderer.”

“That will sound contrived,” the King replied doubtfully, shaking his head. “Surely you see that.”

Skan shrugged, his feathers rustling. “Can’t be helped, and it’s a good enough suggestion that some people might think about it a little before they jump to any conclusions.”

“What I am trying to say, is that it is absolutely vital that we make this enemy of ours think that everything is going well, so he has no reason to alter his methods,” Amberdrake said, bringing the discussion back to his original point. “If our enemies are convinced that there are no flaws in their scheme, that we are all falling into their trap, they will have no reason to alter the way they have been working. If we make them overconfident, they may become careless, and make an even bigger mistake than the one that left behind that claw—and a large enough mistake will be fatal for them.”

Shalaman leaned forward to concentrate on Amberdrake’s words, and he nodded, though reluctantly. “My concern is this; as I pointed out, although there have been no wars-of-assassination within my Court in my reign, the Haighlei are inclined to such things. I do not want your blood on my hands, because relatives wanted vengeance and were not willing to wait for the Spears to bring it to them.”

“I understand,” Amberdrake said, feeling Shalaman’s very real concern and anxiety for him. He was touched by it; Shalaman had made one of those abrupt internal decisions of many men of great passion and high power—he had decided that Amberdrake was his friend in the moment that Amberdrake forgave him. It was not the first time that Amberdrake had seen such a change of heart in a man of this type, but it was always a little startling when it happened to him personally. “I suggested to Skan in jest that perhaps we should encourage the rumors to spread