But he would not best Sonovar with weapons.
He stepped into the central column of light, wishing Kats were here. He understood why she was not. She found the Hall of the Grey Council uncomfortable, and replicas of it just as much so. She was elsewhere, waiting for Kozorr to arrive, as he surely would.
But she was not alone. Lanniel was with her, and two others of the Primarch's Blades. He had spoken to them earlier.
'Guard her as you would me.'
Each had sworn this, but still Sinoval was afraid for her. If he could keep her alive, keep her from her part in the vision he had seen, maybe she could keep Kozorr away from this place.
'I remember,' said the memory of a soft voice. Marrain had shown him where this place was. 'I once stood in one of these columns of light. I watched as Valen spoke to the first nine of us to ally ourselves with him. He said there would be nine to guide and lead his people, and one over them.'
Sinoval's eyes were still dark as he looked around at the nine pillars of light, and began to name them. The first Grey Council had been convened here, although few had called it by that name. As far as the official histories were concerned, the Grey Council had been founded at the war's end, on Minbar itself, not here, not in this place.
'Marrain,' he said, looking at one of the columns. 'Parlonn. Rashok. Nukenn. Nemain.' He continued to name the first nine, names now long forgotten and lost to history. Only Nemain, then a young man filled with awe and a righteous conviction, and Rashok and Nukenn, and of course Derannimer had joined the first official Grey Council at Minbar. The others.... were dead, or traitors.
'I will know you all,' he said to the empty room. 'I will honour all your memories, and praise all your names.'
Then he willed all the lights to extinguish, and he was alone in darkness.
Alone and waiting.
The package was small, neatly wrapped, and showed no indication of what it might contain. Lyndisty had a sufficient sense of curiosity to want to open it, but then she also possessed enough propriety to know not to do that. She was a little confused about this whole endeavour, but she knew enough not to question her father.
He was gone now, gone to war, to defend the Republic and fight in its name. She was pleased he had taken time from his busy schedule to come to her. She loved her father with a passion that bordered on the fierce, and she trusted him totally. No one was as strong as him, no one as powerful, as mighty, as capable of defending the Republic.
Which was why his words had worried her a little, almost scared her in fact.
'Lyndisty.... you do know that I love you, don't you?'
'Of course, father.'
'You also know.... to be careful. The Republic has many enemies. I have many enemies, people who would not hesitate to strike at me or at the Republic, through you.'
'Of course, father. I can protect myself. My trainer says I am improving.'
'Yes.... I know. I spoke to him yesterday, and he merely gave me another reason to be proud of you, as if I needed any more. I know you can look after yourself. I know you are intelligent and able. I know you ran our estate for a while when I was.... away, and your mother was ill. I know you can do many things you should not have to do as a lady of the Court.
'But.... I have enemies, powerful enemies, and sometimes it is better to run and hide than to fight. That is why I made sure you were safely on Immolan during the.... troubles last year. You do understand that? There is no shame in running.'
'I understand. Father.... is.... something wrong?'
'I do not know. I wish I did. I think.... I may have done something I should not have done, but it is too early to tell. Maybe nothing will come of it.'
'What can you have done wrong, father? You cannot have done anything to hurt the Republic, or to hurt me.'
'Ah.... sometimes an act done with the best of intentions can have the worst of outcomes. I will be going shortly. You will be well guarded while I am gone, you and your mother.... but.... there is something you must do. Something you must do alone.'
'Of course, father. I will do whatever you want of me.'
'Some day, Lyndisty, you will not be so trusting. A package has been delivered to you. There is a place you must take it. Someone will be waiting to receive it. Give it to them, and leave. Do not look inside the package, do not try to find the identity of the person you give it to. Hurry back to safety once this is done. Do you understand?'
'Of course, father.'
'Lyndisty, this is important! If you never listen to another word I say, heed me on this. Be careful, and tell no one about this. No one!'
'Father.... what is wrong?'
'I don't know.... and that troubles me. I love you, Lyndisty.'
He was gone now, gone to Tolonius, fighting in the name of the Republic. The battle would probably have started by now, Lyndisty thought. She, meanwhile, was doing her part. She did not understand the need for secrecy, or the significance of the package, or why her father could not do this himself, but none of that mattered. She would do as he wished.
She followed the directions she had been given exactly, and was not pleased that they led her into a disreputable area of the capital, the warehouse district, a part of the city almost gutted by the rioting of last year. It had not been a pleasant area even before that, and her mother would no doubt have an apoplexy at the thought of Lyndisty walking here, least of all alone.
She became aware of the sound of footsteps behind her, and she quickened her pace. She was not unarmed - her long maurestii blade was a reassuringly heavy weight hidden in the folds of her dress - but she did not know how many there were following her, and it was always better to avoid combat if at all possible.
Her quick ears picked up the sound of movement in front of her, and she slowed her pace, still moving forward, but looking for a place to hide if necessary. It was possible the people were harmless, but that was not something she wished to test.
An alley came into view to one side, and she made for it. She was not sure if it led to a place of safety or not, but she could tell she was surrounded.
'So,' said a harsh voice, 'what's a lady doing in this part of town?'
She skidded to a halt, and backed slowly up against the wall. She could rush for the alley, but her pursuers had chosen to make themselves known, so it was best if she acknowledged that. There were four that she could see; two behind her, two in front. There could be others, of course. The one who had spoken was clearly the leader, and he was in front. There was a mocking leer on his face.
'I am a lady of the Court,' she said, in as haughty a tone as she could manage. She shifted the package so that she was holding it in only one hand, and her other slid into her dress, grasping the cold hilt of her maurestii. 'I am here on Court business, and I would thank you not to obstruct me in this. If you report to my estate, I will be happy to provide you with small coin for your gracious service.'
'Small coin?' said the leader. She could see that his right arm ended in a stump just above the elbow. The other held a long knife. 'Which estate is that, then? Not that it matters. You're all the same, each and every one of you. Parasites. Oh, you noticed this, did you?' he said, raising as much of the stump as he could. 'The gracious whim of the fair Lady Elrisia. She said I touched her, she did, so she chopped off the hand that did it, and most of the arm as well. She would have taken out my eyes for looking at her too, but she decided to be merciful.'
'The Lady Elrisia is dead,' Lyndisty said. Her charred corpse had been recovered not long after the end of the troubles.
'Yeah, so we heard. Wasn't us, more's the pity, but.... what does it matter? You're all the same, all of you. I used to be a craftsman, a sculptor. There's actually one of my statues in Mollari's estate, him that's now the Emperor. You'll note he didn't try to save me from Elrisia, did he? Nobles always look after their own. Do you know him? The Emperor?'
