plucking, half dragging him back through the door. 'I met Muirtree only twice, the first time years ago, and though I know why he was here in the Moon, I don't know why he was
She closed the door again, firmly, and wondered why her mind had begun to stray to thoughts of food.
Taern licked his lips, carefully stepped around the carnage on the floor without looking down at it, and stopped behind a chair, resting the fingertips of his large hands lightly on its back. This was his lecturing pose. Ah, well, Alustriel thought, she needed what he knew, and his own way would be the best telling.
'Men who bear the title 'tradelord' are of course envoys for the city, or coster, or guild they represent,' Taern began, as if explaining to a novice that what flowed in rivers was called 'water.' Alustriel kept her face patient, and even resisted a childish urge to mimic his voice and deliver the words she knew she could accurately predict along with him.
'In the case at hand,' Taern continued, warming to his task, 'Tradelord Muirtree, a far-traveled and well- liked man, was here in Silverymoon representing the interests of his native city of Neverwinter. We serve here as a meeting place and neutral safe trading haven for many in the North. Most official trade envoys do little more within our walls than meet, discuss trade to the point of drafting agreements, then depart, taking such treaties they've drafted, or ideas they've heard, back to their fellows or superiors. Goodman Garthin Muirtree was here to meet with many folk, but this was his first full day in our hospitality, and it seems he met, in this room, with five persons before being found. . ah, as you see him now.'
'Why this room,' Alustriel asked, seating herself calmly at the table as if the twisted meat that had once been a man was a day's ride distant, and not within reach of her soft, pointed shoes, 'and not those lower down that most prefer, with couches and decanter-laden sideboards and windows?'
'One man has been in the city this past tenday, wait shy;ing to meet with Muirtree, or at least he requested a tenday ago that we inform him of the tradelord's arrival, and arrange a moot at Muirtree's earliest possible con shy;venience. That man asked that their encounter be in this chamber, and his request was brought to me. When I spoke with him-a man I've not seen in the Moon before, a Waterdhavian merchant, well spoken and prosperous, by the name of Auvrarn Labraster-he said he desired his meeting with Tradelord Muirtree to be in the 'magic-dead' room, for fear of 'a sneaking magic' he'd heard the tradelord was employing.'
'You granted this request, installing the tradelord herein,' Alustriel prompted, 'then?'
'This Auvrarn was seen to meet with the tradelord, then depart. The tradelord remained in this room, as is usual given the papers and suchlike often involved in such meetings.'
Alustriel looked pointedly around at the room, which was entirely empty of quills, parchments, ledgers, satchels, blotters, and such. Taern nodded ruefully, and continued, 'Though none such documents have been found. In time, Muirtree met with envoys and a courtier before his ah, demise. All of them, by the way, came to this chamber alone, without scriveners or ser shy;vants.'
'Suggesting that they proposed to discuss matters of exceeding delicacy,' the High Lady responded patiently, before Taern could explain the obvious. 'Suppose,' she added, lifting her hand in an almost beckoning gesture,'you make these latter folk known to me in the order in which they entered this room.'
Taern shifted his feet, cleared his throat, and began. 'Following shortly upon Labraster's departure came Goodman Draevin Flarwood, representing the newly formed Braeder Merchant Collective of Silverymoon-ah, a trading coster, lady.'
Alustriel nodded, repressing an urge to murmur that she had heard of such things before. Seemingly heart shy;ened by this signal of comprehension, her seneschal nodded and continued.
'After Flarwood's fairly brief audience, we know from the door page stationed across the corridor-whom none of the visitors summoned, by the way-that Muirtree's next visitor was an old foe of his: the Tradelord of Luskan, Dauphran Alskyte.'
'Everyone's old foe,' Alustriel murmured. 'Did they get to shouting loudly enough for the page to hear?'
'Ah, no, lady, though it seems their time together was rather lengthy. The page could, of course, tell nothing of Alskyte's temper by his manner upon departure.'
'Of course,' Alustriel agreed dryly. If icy disdain and bold rudeness are worn as a constant cloak, what can be told of the cloth hidden beneath?
'The next visitor was one of our own liaison officers, Janthasarde Ilbright. She came to check Muirtree's roster of meetings for the morrow, and has testified to me that he seemed hale and in good humor. He had no demands upon her nor appointments to add to the dozen local shopkeepers and crafters Garthin usually meets with, when here. He did not request a change of room or seem in any way out of sorts, and she did not stay with him long. A short time thereafter, Muirtree's last visitor was Oscalar Maerbree.'
'I've met old Oscalar,' Alustriel said in tones even more dry than before. 'He tried to drink me under a table once, in hopes of joining me down there. Pretend I know nothing of him, and say on.'
Taern shrugged. 'Maerbree's a merchant whose family has always dealt in wines and spirits, though he's recently taken to importing herbal cordials, spiced cheeses, and the like. He was born in Neverwinter, and was sent here by his father. He's dwelt and traded in Sil shy;verymoon for the last twenty summers, and though now head of his house, he's left his younger brothers to run the Neverwinter end of the family trading. His character you know … as, I daresay, do half the ladies at court.'
'Why, Taern Hornblade,' Alustriel said mildly, 'you're jealous. Here, in this palace and this city?'
'Bright Lady,' Hornblade said stiffly, 'I bow to your wisdom, and always have done. The permissiveness you encourage does much to blunt the violence of men-and women-long lawless and unfulfilled in the wilderlands. I have partaken, and admit to enjoying the spectacle from time to time. Yet it grates in my craw that a man so-so blusteringly crude should.. should …'
'Sail so far, so often, and so successfully?' Alustriel said gently, to aid her flushed and stammering seneschal.
'Exactly, lady. I cannot think what women see in such grunting bear antics. To yield to them, it seems to me, cheapens any lady.'
'And yet, think on this,' the High Lady replied. 'I've never heard of Oscalar being cruel to anyone, nor hold shy;ing grudges or having time or taste for intrigue or deception. He is what he is, like a battering ram or a war mace.'
'Precisely like a bludgeon,' Thunderspell agreed. 'I don't dislike or mistrust him-but he irritates me, for shy;ever bellowing and backslapping his way across room after room like a walrus who delights in embarrassing others. He irritates me beyond belief.'
'So it's given you some small pleasure to question him rather sharply about the passing of Garthin Muirtree?' Alustriel asked softly.
Taern Hornblade blushed so violently that his face became almost black. 'I-ah, yes, it has,' he told the floor, and turned away from the table to pace restlessly across the back of the room. 'Yet he denies everything, and, gods save and preserve me, I believe him.'
'You've done very well, Seneschal,' the High Lady of Silverymoon said formally, 'and you can serve me best now by bringing a glass of wine and a sausage rolled in frybread to me in the Chamber of the Hunting Horn. When I hand the empty glass back, Oscalar can be shown in. We'll talk in private.'
'You want me to keep unseen at the back of the bal shy;cony, tending my truth field,' Taern replied, not quite smiling. 'Lady, all of my scrolls bearing that spell are piled ready in my chambers right now. You'd like this done without delay, before our suspects have time to hide things-such as, perhaps, themselves.'
'And before my stomach begins to rumble so loudly that I can't hear their answers,' Alustriel replied. She looked down then at the gory remains of Garthin Muirtree, and added slowly, 'I can't think why I'm so hungry, given our guest here. Mind, he's not to be dis shy;turbed in any way, nor is my ward to be lifted from the doors when we leave. I'd like to speak to Muirtree's vis shy;itors in here, to unsettle them thoroughly, but there's a distinct lack of a balcony for you to hide on. Perhaps under the table?'
Taern winced. 'Lady, the
Alustriel looked contrite. 'I was joking, Taern, and rather badly.' She rose and made for the door in a smooth, lilting movement, adding over her shoulder, 'Douse that lamp, will you? The room is beginning to smell.'
They were hurrying along a grand hall together, with Taern swiftly pouring out all else that touched on the matter into Alustriel's ear, when it happened.
'I've questioned only the five visitors, the door-page, and the two guards who served as honor escorts
