The Eagle And The Nightingales

to find you working here,' he said finally, trying to find a topic that would not lead back to the weeks he did not want to discuss.

Only a few weeks, really. Not very long at all to turn me into a rabid murderer.

'Not half as surprised as I was,' she replied dryly. 'I have been wondering if I should tell you this_but given what happened tonight, I think perhaps I'd better.'

If she should tell him_She gave him no chance to collect his thoughts.

'Our mutual friends, the Deliambrens, wanted me to come here to ferret out information for them,' she said, surprising him all over again.

Nightingale? Working as a Deliambren agent? But_

'Them, among others, that is,' she added, and coughed. 'I have many friends among the non-humans, and they seem to have a high regard for my ability to observe things. They asked me to come here and try to discover what I could about_oh, I know this sounds ridiculous, but there are reasons_about the High King. He used to be a great leader, but now it seems that there are other people making all the decisions. I was besieged on all sides, when it came down to it; I had at least three different people ask me to come here and simply keep my eyes and ears open.'

'Why you?' T'fyrr finally asked.

She tapped her fingers on the balustrade. 'To be honest, I'm not certain. I have done similar things in the past, but_T'fyrr, it was never something like this. They have more faith in my limited abilities than I do, I suppose.' She shook her head. 'As it happens, they are all people to whom I owe something_loyalty, favors, respect. I did listen. I understood why they were asking me. I knew that there were, indeed, some things I could learn, even with my limited abilities. Much to their disappointment, I refused to promise anything, and I hope they are not even aware that I made it here.'

He felt his beak gaping in shock at her words. Not just that the Deliambrens had tried to recruit her as an agent_but that she was going along with it without any of the help she would be getting if she had agreed to aid them!

'But why_why are you doing this alone?' he asked. 'Isn't it more dangerous, uncertain?'

'One of my friends told me that they had already sent people in who had been uncovered and had to leave. It seemed to me,' she continued, idly tapping out a rhythm on the stone, 'that if even one person that I didn't personally know and could count on became aware that I was here and working as a Deliambren agent, that was one person who might betray me, either on purpose or inadvertently. That's why I call myself 'Lyrebird' here_and I have yet another name out on the street. If I find anything of substance, I will tell those who wanted me to come here, but not before, and not until I am out of Lyonarie.'

He reflected ruefully that it was too bad he could not have done the same. 'It is a little more difficult to hide a pair of wings, a beak, and talons,' he replied by way of acknowledgement that he was doing the same work as she.

'Ah.' She listened for a moment, but he could not tell which of the street sounds or night sounds had caught her attention. 'I take it that you are the new Court musician that everyone has been babbling about? And that our dear Deliambren friends talked you into promising what I wouldn't?'

He did not bother to ask how she knew; if the Deliambrens had tried to recruit her as an agent, she must have ways of gathering information that he had not even guessed. And here he had been under the impression that she was nothing more than a simple musician!

The more she revealed, the more mysterious she became, and the more attractive. And the more he was determined to protect her from the danger following him.

'It was Harperus' idea,' he replied. 'He seemed to think I might have some kind of influence for good on the High King. He was certain that I would at least be able to overhear things that would be useful.'

'Hmm.' He wished he could see her face so that he could tell what she was thinking. 'And have you? Had influence on the High King, that is. I assume you would not have come here tonight if you hadn't already learned some things that were useful.'

'Not that I have seen,' he said honestly, then added greatly daring, 'but then, I have not got the magic that some of you Free Bards do. If I did, perhaps I could actually do something to influence King Theovere.' Now, let me see if that shakes loose an admission of magic from her!

'Do we?' she retorted sharply. 'Well, if I had magic, what do you think I would use it for, if I were in your position?'

'To get the High King to listen to what I am singing,' he replied, feeling the pain and frustration he felt at seeing the King acting the fool building up in him yet again. 'The King still has his moments when he does things that are not only wise but very, very clever. He was a good ruler, and not that long ago_yet now_'